NEVER AGAIN! I would give less of a rating if possible.
My friend and I made an appointment on 14 March 2015 (Saturday) at 9am after we learned about a $100 hair braiding promotion advertised on Ova Boutique's Instagram page. She told us that if we came in at 9am, we should be done by 2pm. On the day of our appointment, my friend and I arrived together at 8:45AM and there was only 1 braider available--the boutique owner.
She started twisting my friends' hair first and informed me that the 2nd braider would be arriving shortly; she came in at around 9:45AM and started braiding my hair. She completed a total of 3 braids on me until another customer came in at 10AM, which is when the boutique owner stated, "She has to be at work at 3pm, so she (the 2nd braider) is going to do her hair and I will start on your hair after I finish with her (referring to my friend)." WHAT?! That was absolutely unacceptable.
This is why I will NEVER return or recommend this salon to anyone.
I made a 9am appointment that took a backseat to a 10am appointment and did not end up leaving until 6:30PM even after I informed her that I had to be at work by a certain time as well. And when 3pm rolled around, where was the 10am customer? Still sitting in the chair getting her hair braided!!
I told her that I would have to reschedule because I was very upset with the entire situation. Clearly, she had the second braider start my hair knowing good and well that it wouldn't be touched again until 1:30pm when the salon owner finished with my friend.
I told her I did not want a rushed job because I want my hair to look great and last for a while (isn't that what we all desire after a trip to the salon?) and she assured me that it would be done the right way and that I'd be done in enough time to make it to my work. LIES. ALL LIES!
Obviously, the salon owner knew that she had 3 customers and only two braiders, but never once apologized for lying, being unprepared, unprofessional, or having a strong lack of integrity in operating a business. If she over-booked her appointments, she needed to be a professional and admit her faults and at least offer an apology. To me, this was an example of greed at its best.
Furthermore, she did a very mediocre job on my hair. The braids are very inconsistent in size and the ends look horrible, even after I came home and tried to re-seal them with boiling hot water.
The Instagram page for Ova Boutique is clearly an example of false advertisement as most of the pictures posted are of one hair model whose professional photograph probably came from google.
Anyway, the boutique owner did not finish braiding my hair until 6:30PM! The only reason I did not undo the three braids is because I really wanted my hair braided and $100 is a price you can't normally find elsewhere. However, it was not worth it all. I would have rather paid an extra $100 for a quality hair braiding experience with an upstanding and professional hair stylist.
If you want a good experience in getting your hair braided, stick to the best braiders who are located in Irvington, NJ on Springfield Avenue!
***Also, the bathroom in Ova Boutique's salon was FILTHY and DISGUSTING. NO working HOT water, NO hand soap, NO hand towels for drying your hands after washing with cold water, and the toilet itself was unfathomably unhygienic.
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