Monica’s Hair Salon Dominican Stylist from New York
465 Oriana Road,
Newport News, VA 23608-3717
(757) 833-8202

Hours:
Monday- Saturday 10am-7pm
Sunday 10am-5pm

Stylist:
n/a

Décor/Ambience:
The salon is located on in the Oriana Shopping Center off of Denbigh in Newport News between Warwick Blvd and Jefferson Ave. It’s about 15 minutes away from I-64 and within minutes of Ft. Eustis Transportation Army Base.

The salon is rather small and dimly lit. The walls were orange and green. I expected the space to be spacious and clean, but what I saw was a salon that really needed some TLC.

There were six stylist chairs, six hooded dryers and two wash bowls.

Products:
Monica’s flyers advertised Sebastian, Salerm, Nexxus, and Affirm, yet I didn’t see any of these products at the stylist chairs or wash bowl. I brought in my Baba de Carcol, in hopes for a good deep conditioning treatment.

Pricing:
When I asked the receptionist/shampoo girl/rolo stylist what the price for a rolo set would be, she said it’s usually $35. Then she asked me if my hair was natural or relaxed. I told her relaxed, then she said my hair didn’t look relaxed and it would be an additional $10 for my natural hair. I was slightly perturbed at her demeanor, but it was first thing in the morning so I gave her the benefit of a doubt. I also asked for a deep condition using my own product. The deep condition was $5 and BOYP was $5. The total price for my head was $55.

Experience/Customer Service:
I arrived at the salon around 10am on Friday morning. I walked in and told the receptionist what I wanted. She gave me a receipt then sent me to the waiting area for the wash station. There was only one older lady in the salon already under the dryer with a set of neat rolos in her hair. I waited for about 15 minutes until the receptionist, who then became the shampoo girl came back to seat me at the wash bowl. I told her that I was tender headed so to please be gentle with my hair. Her response was “Hmph, you’ve got a lot going on here huh?” I gave her a blank stare. Once she started washing my hair, I literally wanted to jump up out of the chair with shampoo in my hair and run out. I felt like she was scrubbing my head raw.

Then she told me that she should have charged me extra because my hair was long. At this point, again, I should have left. After 3 lathers, she rinsed the shampoo out then added my conditioner and sat me under the hooded dryer. As an hour passed by, the client that was there before I came in had her rolos removed, the entire length of short bob blown out, and then flat ironed.

Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with the stylist’s work, but the client didn’t complain either. A client that came in after me had her natural curls blown out. A few times, the client had to tell the stylist that the blower was directly on her scalp. This client didn’t complain either as she left, she also didn’t tip, as I heard the ladies say in Spanish. I was next up to get my conditioner washed out and then sat in the chair for 15 minutes before the same girl who shampooed me, installed the rolos. She seemed to do a good job with the rolos. I just wanted her to be a little more gentle combing my hair. Another hour and a half under the dryer, then I was sat in the other stylist chair. She took her time, by having lunch in the waiting area before she started my on head.

Again, I literally wanted to jump out of the chair and run out because of the stylist’s technique. I asked her to only blow my roots so that I could maintain a little volume and just smooth out my roots. Apparently, she didn’t like my request and decided to burn my scalp instead. After 15 minutes, I told her that it was done and it was fine. I paid my $55 and ran out of the salon. So, all of this sounds bad right? Nope, I walked out and it was drizzling.

Overall:
Worst salon experience ever. Enough said.