Halcyon Days Salon & Spa @ The Bellevue

A friend sent me to see Harriet when I moved to Philly from New York. She told me that Harriet does the best brows on the East Coast and she was absolutely right. While the establishment resides in the basement of the Bellevue and isn't the most soothing of atmospheres, it is clean and staff is friendly. Harriet stays late, is always positive and friendly, and does my waxing with pride and precision. She uses a lip brush to apply the wax and has extreme attention to detail. Now that my friend has introduced me to Harriet, I can't imagine going anywhere else. Pros: Precision and positivity! Cons: I wish they had later hours. more

i hesitate to write this glowing review of YELENA, the best gd facialist in philadelphia because i don't want to share her! however, ladies and dudes who get facials, check her out. it's stupid how good she is!! my skin is damn near perfect. she is the best of the best. also, okay listen...i've gotten a lot of massages. i think i've tried almost every spot in philadelphia but this is by far my favorite. HOWEVER. among the best, there's a new gal on the scene and my appointment ended up being with her today. go see shar. seriously, she's amazing. i left with jelly legs and wanting to see her like, next week already. the salon also offers pedicures, manicures, hair stuff...a whole bunch of other spa treatments as well. if you have the means and a free afternoon, i highly recommend the best of philly package. go! Pros: everyone there knows what they're doing...super skilled and efficient. Cons: i don't have the green to go weekly. more

On Thursday, March 27, 2008, I have one of the worst Philadelphia experiences in my life. I visit the city two/three times a year for business and to enjoy family. I made the requisite appointment at Pierre and Carlo's knowing that my hotel was a short walk to the establishment from the gym. Business trips are frequently tiring, tightly and over scheduled, and leave little margin for error. I arrived in jeans (clean albeit they were a tad sweaty from the walk-I feel almost compelled to mention this). There was an immediately sense of condescension and disrespect. The atmosphere descended into acrimony in just a few seconds. Susan (no, I didn't get a last name) was unfriendly, judgmental, critical and hyper vigilant about SERVING me. Her egregious berhaviors were exhibited in her inattentiveness, her absence of people skills, her complete lack of professionalism (wasn't she trained that familarity is not her purview), her carelessness in the performaces of her responsibilities(I had to have my brows redone when I arrived home), and in her inability to mask her absolute distain for me despite being well paid (and tipped)for her services. She's a paid employee and she had the temerity to attempt a series of questions that were far above her status as a paid employee! The expression "if you have to ask, you can't afford" didn't ask - could afford. Pierre and Carlo's has a national reputation and I thought I would take advantage of that reputation. It's amazing to me that SUSAN made a value judgment, not knowing WHO I was, WHERE I came from, or WHAT I did. She simply reacted to the color of my skin. I won't list my (personal or professional) pedigrees, my accomplishments, or my titles. Thursday, I was a woman who needed her brows done and a bikini wax. How truly sad that the SUSANS are still able to find employment - not particularly advantageous when an establishment has a national reputation, Retrain or get rid of her!!! Cons: Employees leave a lot to be desired in the application of their services more

After going to a very high end salon for many years I decided it was time for a change so I checked out a few places in Center City. When I went to Pierre and Carlo I was immediately impressed by the professionalism and friendliness of the staff. I have long, thick, somewhat coarse hair and I am constantly battling the elements. If there is a hint of moisture in the air my hair would get extremely frizzy and unmanageable.....that's until I met Jason and had him do my hair. OMG! He is absolutely amazing!! My hair is shiny, bouncy, and full of life. Even in the humidity my hair stays smooth and straight and it does not frizz AT ALL. Jason is the best!! He gives great haircuts, fabulous color,and his styling techniques are amazing!....All this and a fabulous personality too! So when you go to Jason to have your hair done be prepared to be pampered, amused and most importantly TOTALLY delighted with his work! more

I went to Pierre and Carlo today for a cut and color and I can't tell you how pleased I am right now! I work as a full time model, so anytime I sit in the stylist chair, it's nothing but sweaty palms for me because my business is completely based on my image. Frankie, my stylist, gave me the best consultation I've ever had. She didn't rush me at all and explained the ins and outs of what we should do based on the look I wanted. Most other stylists I've been to have just nodded a bunch and did whatever they wanted to do, often with disappointing results. With Frankie, the turn out was an amazing cut and color that was very modern and funky yet still sophisticated and fresh. Above all, it was unique and completely complimentary to me. This is by far the best looking hair I've ever had, and trust me, my hair style changes quite a lot. I learned that Frankie had been studying beauty since she was 13 and even trained in Paris. Haha I think it's safe to say she's a pro. For me, the search is over in finding the right salon and stylist. I'm so relieved. I'm recommending Pierre and Carlo to all of my friends so they can walk out feeling like a supermodel too. Definitely see for yourself. Yours Truly, Gina Pros: Everyone who works there :)... great service, wonderful results! more

I booked a whole spa day with my friend. It ended with the worst haircut I've ever received. I asked for a trim but my stylist was so enthusiastic about cutting, she ended up taking off several inches. She gave me layers (which I did not ask for), which were visibly uneven. When I voiced concern about the uneven-ness and the fact that it was much shorter than I was expecting, my stylist started cutting even more. By that point, it was clear that she was nervously trying to fix her mess but was only making it worse. I finished before my friend and found that she had gotten an equally bad haircut. Perhaps the stylists that work on Sundays are not their best employees, but I won't take the chance with this establishment again. I don't plan on ever returning. more

I went in to get my hair colored. I was getting semi-permanent. I had no idea what I wanted and was nervous to try something because I have never colored my whole head before. My specialist (Kelly) reassured me not to worry, she's been in the business a long time. All said and done..I was happy with my new hair color. It was different but not too funky (just like I wanted). Kelly also had some suggestions of what I could do with my hair once it grew out a bit. I highly recommend this place for quality service. Pros: clean, friendly atomosphere Cons: More expensive, pay to park more

The last review was more about customer service and cleanliness, which I agree the reviewer has a point. However, I would say that I am fortunate to have found Harriet Goldman at Peirre and Carlo for my brow wax. She is usually booked solid, but will always do her best to fit you in to her schedule. A good brow wax is hard to find, and is one of the most essential beauty treatments. If you do wait, Harriet is WORTH IT! more

Pierre and Carlo?s was a very unique experience for me. I?m a bit compulsive when it comes to my hair and I had a very bad experience at another salon, which left my hair completely damaged. I believe I was in the doctor?s office when I first came across an article in one of the magazines about Barbara Lutz and Pierre and Carlo so I decided to give her a try. She was able to use corrective color and transform my color-damaged dried out hair into a work of art. She is by far the most talented hair stylist and I have been to them all. She has utterly reinvented the style, texture, shape, and color of my hair. Barbara also helped me find easy and manageable ways for me to do my hair everyday with a fashionable and youthful edge. Pros: Ambience, Get some shopping done, Service, Location, Barbara Lutz and her assistant Nicole, Starbucks Cons: ? more

Yelena is the best for waxing! She is so calm and relaxing. My brows have never looked so good! They have amazing astheticians here! Pros: Everyone! more

After jumping around and trying different salons, I have found home! Heather was my colorist. She was very personable and attentive. She answered all my questions. I left feeling like I made a new genuine friend, not like other salons were everyone is sooooo fake. I had no problem paying the higher cost, you get what you pay for. From start to finish , I felt like a queen. I highly recommend this salon and Heather! more

I have been a customer of P&C for many years and can say nothing more than super service. Cathy has done my hair many times including cuts and color. I have always walked out of the salon completely satisfied. As for manicures,Connie is excellent. more

My hair is thinning and blond. (OK. I really don?t have a lot of hair on top but I have a healthy fringe of ?I call it blond and my wife calls it white? hair.) It isn?t easy to satisfy me because I really don?t see myself as a bald old man. I see someone in the mirror more along the lines of a ?mature capable Captain of Industry with a sensitive, mercurial nature.? When I walk in to the salon I feel like every other non-metrosexual middle-aged man does: a little daunted by the surroundings and uncomfortable with the fuss they make over me. And they do make a fuss. After my haircut I feel great. Nobody does a better job with such sparse material to work with than Pierre Carlo. I walk out of that place and I feel like a million bucks. My wife tells me that they performed yet another miracle and I am good to go for another three weeks. I have found a downtown oasis. I heartedly recommend them. Pros: Downtown, efficient Cons: my hair grows too slowly to need them more than once a month more

I treated my entire wedding party of ten girls to a day at the spa. We each had hair, makeup and nails done. We were treated like complete royalty from the minute we walked in the door. The owner Rachael greeted us with Champagne and a warm smile. The staff was very creative with each girls hair and we all loved our makeup. This salon was very CHIC. I would recommend this salon to all my friends. more

I've recently started going to Pierre & Carlo for waxing and manicures. Once I see the individual technicians, the finished product is great and they are always extremely pleasant and thorough. However, even though they are wonderful, I would never be able to recommend this salon to someone. I am continually astounded by the lack of service from the front desk. Just calling to book an appointment is a chore, with constantly being put on hold, transferred from one person to another, and not knowing the answers to basic questions, like how long a treatment will last. Of the last three times I was in the salon I waited for more than 30 minutes twice, while the other time I only waited 15. I have found the front desk to be nothing short of snotty, gossiping about staff members while I'm standing there waiting to pay, charging for the wrong service, talking on a cell phone while I was paying my bil and being annoyed by stupid questions like "which copy is mine?" Every question is met with a sigh and a comment bordering on a retort. The salon fixtures and spa area are dated, and you certainly do feel like you are in the basement of a building and that someone ran to a fabric store to try to dress things up a bit. I am more than happy to pay for quality services, but I want all around quality. Pros: Individual technicians are great! Cons: Front desk staff more

I went here for a haircut a few months ago and got the best haircut I've ever had from Sherry. When I called to schedule again, I was told she was no longer with them, and given someone brand new. Because I was so happy with my cut the first time, I brought my mom with me. What a difference from the first time! I was sent to get my own robe and put it on. Then when she washed my hair, she didn't put a towel on the neck part and it was painful. My mom walked out with an uneven cut that had bad color and chunky highlights that were put on at the same time in the same foils as her hair color. She ended up with a completely different look from the picture and our stylist looked at my frizzy, wet hair and was going to let me walk out like that before I said something. On top of that, she told my mom that she could put a treatment in with her hair color for $25 that would make her hair less dry (it isn't very dry to begin with, but we did it anyway-we hadn't realized yet that she didn't know what she was doing). I walked out with split ends left in my hair and she didn't even put layering in or angle it at my face, which made it a '90s poof-ball. After this disaster, my mom called the salon and we came back in for an appointment with another stylist. This time we left looking a lot better, but I'm left feeling like even after the corrected cut neither one of us looks absolutely amazing (which we should for what we paid). I ended up feeling like I went for a free haircut at a beauty school instead of a $300 haircut for the two of us at a salon, and I was incredibly embarrassed to have brought my mom with me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'd also like to reply to the salon's response: If you hadn't "invited us back at your expense" to fix the horror show that was our hair, that would've put you below the crusty salons in shady neighborhoods. I did mention that we left looking a lot better, but the only reason I even gave you two stars is because of Anthony's work salvaging our hair. Pros: the decorating in the salon is nice, the stylists and assistants are friendly Cons: you walk out looking like you got in a fight with the scissors, and lost more

Unlike other local spas that left me cold,this was a remarkable day spa experience. Super staff and very friendly. Pros: great!!! more

In all fairness, I didn't stay to experience my scheduled $70 manicure and pedicure... after waiting 15 minutes soaking in a filthy pedicure tub and being served tap water in a styrofoam cup I decided to save my money and try to find someplace worth the money and wait. The tubs and surrounding area are absolutely filthy and look as though they haven't been cleaned in months... It is beyond me how Philadelphians accept these kind of conditions at this kind of price for a service. Pros: ??? Cons: Everything more

Am a guy who went there once about 20 yrs ago to impress a girl...haha. I came away with the only haircut I've ever had that people constantly complimented. I never even cared about how good the haircut was going to be. I just wated to impress this girl by telling her I went to P & C, like she asked me to do. Turns out it was Babrbara who did my hair then and she has been the only one since then. As time has gone on...my hair has grayed and thinned a bit, but I still rely on Barbara for coloring and strength of hair because as it turns out---not only is she a spectacular stylist...but she has been named a top colorist by Best of Philly. Even I can not believe the before and after's I have from that place. Everyone is friendly and I've had great massages there also. My wife has had the spa treatment, (The Urban Getaway), a number of times and loves it. She also has found her niche in stylist's with Regina, who has also been written up for her great work,,,in Elle, (I believe). A lot of history between me and P & C and especially Barbara. Have never been disappointed. She LITERALLY, takes care of my hair. I totally trust her. She's become, obviously, a dear friend too. Sometimes the wait is long...(but,,,heh, heh...there's a Go-Go joint right next door to pass the time. You wont believe the before and after looks I get in there...lol.), and it is a bit pricey---but for sure, you get what you pay for. Barbara always has a top notch assistant too. Nicole is in on all things done to me. Both are personable ........and pretty to boot. Nothing but good experiences at Pierre and Carlo's'. Ren Pros: Real professionals and knowledgable. Many, written up in magazines. Cons: They used to have champagne on Fri's---I think that stopped. more

As a regular customer of Kim, I religiously would go to her for a cut/color/hilite. Initially, I was extremely satisfied. However, last time I went, I experienced the worst possible results from my appointment. First, I asked her for a change. I have long brown hair, and she gave me BANGS. BANGS!!!!!!!!!!! This was unheard of since she stated the previous time I would never look good in bangs. Not only that, but when I expressed my dissatisfaction, she could have cared less. When I asked her how I could style, she showed me how to hairspray. She could have cared less about my style, my haircut, my anything. 210 dollars later, my friends have since laughed at me, and my parents have told me how terrible my hair looks. I am so dissatisfied. I will never return, and I will be sure to alert all my friends, neighbors, coworkers, and anyone I know that if they wish to get their hair butchered by a stylist who cares only about the money. Further, she took a blowdry in the middle of my cut, lamenting about how much money she would get by doing it, and making sure there were no discounts on the blowdry. They gave me water, but once I went to get my hair washed, they gave the water that I had already drank from to the girl that was swiftly placed in the chair! I will never EVER go back. Shame on you, Pierre and Carlo. I expected so much more, and you let me down. Pros: Heidi Cons: Kim. more