Scott J. Salon & Spa / East 86th

Melyssa is the absolute best!! You won't be disappointed. i am very picky with my hair and couldn't be more thrilled with her work. Melyssa listened to me and gave me what I wanted and made my hair look even better than I could imagine. I have been going to her for almost 2 years now and she even did my hair and my entire wedding party's hair for my wedding! Everyone never looked better. Ask for Melyssa she is wonderful! more

I just moved to nyc and was looking for a hairstylist, I loved my coworkers hair and she sent me to Melissa. She made me feel comfortable and had some great ideas and suggestions for my color and even suggested some bangs which i was a little nervous about but when I saw the final product I was thrilled! It was THE BEST HAIR I have ever had!! I thought the price was very reasonable and even got a hand massage and she offered to have my make up done to finish up my makeover! I got tons of complements, people even stop me on the street, I cant wait to go back!!!!!!! more

HI all you UES gals and guys... I reside on the UES in the East 90's and want to tell you about this great shop and operator. I am a former hairstylist who worked at Bergdorf Goodman and had been in the beauty industry for some time. I know my great stylists. Her name is Dawn and she works in the East 86th Street Scott J Salon. She is a fabulous stylist, and COLORIST. Gals if you want a dynamite blonde hi-lighting like REALLY white blonde she is your gal. I have gone for years to Pierre Michel, Cutler Salon and Fekkai and NO ONE ever gave me such white hilights... SHE LISTENS and she KNOWS what your needs are. Great at CUTS and bloouts too ladies..... SHe has given me such hilights htis week I wanted all to know you MUST see her. DO NOT waste your money going to East 57th Street and ya come out miserable and crying. Go to East 86th Street and you will be as thrilled as me. When I went into my building on East 94th Street so MANY PEOPLE stopped me and said they love my hair.... So hop on over to DAWN on EAST 86th St. NO I do not work there nor do i know her before my hair color!! Your trated geat by the staff and its such a cozy warm environment...... Pros: FAB STYLES AND CUT Cons: NON more

i AM A RETIRED hAIRSTYLIST and worked at Bergdorf Goodman in the late 70's and I know my hair color!! I live on the UES and stumbled upon this AVEDA shop and its the BEST.......Gals forget about 57th Street. No one has been more of a hair snob than myself!!!!! I have gone to John Barrett, Tricomi, Licari, Cutler Salon, Pierre Michel for the past 25 years.... I HAD the BEST COLOR ever by a gal named ALYSSA. You can find her in the AVEDA SHOP on 114th Street and Broadway..... SHe had colored my hair now four times and its STUNNING. I am a natural blonde and went red two years ago at the Cutler Salon. Cutler told me it would be too hard to go back to Blonde... ALyssa got me back to blonde after the first time. ITS JUST an exquisite light light blonde like i wanted it...... She is warm, engaging and a great listener to what your needs are......SHe is dynamite at blowing your hair out too. My hair is way down my shoulders need my tush and she knows how to cut long hair too!!! I am forever sticking with ALYSSA!! I know it sounds like I have stock in AVEDA but guys believe me I stumbled upon a great shop and wanted all to know about it!!!!!!!!! Alyssa is a dynamite stylist and if you want great color she is the one. BTW.. she gave my Mom who is 86 the most stunning hilights over red hair and MOM feels and looks great!! What more can we ask for.. THe staff is warm, attentive and you get a nice hand massage while your waiting for your color to process. Nice products too to buy........It 99 percent natural and thats what we all need.....Do not listen to bad reviews they are the "bomb"... There is also a really great gal at 86th street who gives a great blowout and then uses the curing iron. Her name is Dawn... SOOOOOO GOOD WITH THE BLOWER.... SO if you want really great color and have been bounced around alot this is the place for you. I am soo tired of those 57th Street attitudes and walk out after spending hundreds of dollars and I am miserable... So ALyssa on 114th Street and Broadway is the one..... THen you can go to Ollies for a great Chinese meal across the street!! Hey its a NYU adventure.... ENjoy and I hope your hair looks great... Robin and MOM Helen from the UES Pros: fabulous color and hairstyles Cons: none more

Went for spa services and was kept waiting 10 minutes. The staff had attitudes, the service was not good, and my facial was cut short by 15 minutes. When I asked about this why this was the case, my question was evaded and no apology was offered. Go elsewhere! Pros: Nice spa rooms Cons: staff more

I had scheduled an appointment to get my makeup done with Miguel.. I had never been to Scott J before and did not know what to expect. I was greeted at the door and someone took my jacket and offered me a seat at the makeup station. I was given a glass of white wine which was so nice of them. Miguel started working on me and has the softest touch ever. I enjoyed the fact that he took his time with me and really paid attention to what I had in mind, and tweaked it with his personal style and expertise and really showed true detailing in his work. When it was time for the unveiling, I was amazed. My problem skin was covered flawlessly and I looked hotter than I ever did. I had an amazing night because of his work and the pleasurable experience there at the Scott J salon on East 86th Street. I will be there again soon so that Miguel can make me gorgeous for my next night out on the town, or just to give myself a small treat. Theres nothing better than feeling beautiful, except looking it! Thanks Miguel Pros: Everything Cons: I can,t go more often more

I love Scott J salons, their friendly staff always gives exceptional service. Warm and friendly greeting everytime I walk in with a tea offering, even if you are only shopping for products. Everyone is very knowledgable with the products, they ask me questions to determine what I am looking for not just trying to sell me product that I don't need. Weather its getting my hair done, getting a facial, waxing or a massage. It is definitely some place I send my friends to. Great prices and great service, AND where else in NY do you get a complimentary makeup touch up before you leave. I leave feeling like I was VIP everytime. Thank you Scott J! Pros: Friendly, warm, accomidating Cons: None more

My Husband and I have been getting our hair done by Melyssa since 2004. We love her and she does a great job. Since she is the professional and I trust her she makes suggestions and I go with it. I've never been disappointed. Now my 1 year old son gets his hair cut by her. Rochelle does my eyebrows and is amazing! Pros: Melyssa and Rochelle Cons: ? more

im not sure why there are so many bad reviews about Scott J Salon. I usually go to the one on the Upper West Side, which i LOVE LOVE LOVE, but they were doing renovations there so I came to this salon about a month ago and i had a great experience and loved my hair! Because of my 3 yrs of awesome experiences at Scott J on Columbus, and one one great haircut on E 86th, I am a true believer in all the Scott J Salons and would go to any one of them before id go anywhere else in the city!! Pros: always a good experience at scott j Cons: none more

I had been to the Aveda Salon on 86th Street one time before, for a blowout, and it was a good experience, so I decided to get my hair cut there this time. Big, big mistake. Huge. Let me say that the lady who washed my hair did a great job - she spent a lot of time massaging my head and shoulders and it was very relaxing. But the stylist herself did a terrible job on my haircut. Why is it that even when you tell a stylist exactly what you want, they do what THEY want instead? I told her specifically that I did not want to lose much length (it had taken me a while to grow my hair to this length that I liked) and that I simply wanted to trim the dry ends and clean up the layers a bit. When I looked at the hair in my lap as she was cutting, I saw pieces that were 3 inches long!!! That is not a trim. She cut my hair so short and in such weird layers that I can't even put it in a ponytail without all these pieces falling out. My curly hair does not handle such choppy layers well. She should have listened to what I wanted. My pet peeve is stylists who do not listen to their clients and this stylist was one of those. I will not return. Pros: Good wash Cons: Very bad haircut, stylist who disregarded my request more

i have been going to Scott J for years, and Laura has always been my aesthetician. I followed her from west side to east and was very disappointed when I called to make an appointment with her and was told she no longer works there...but no worries ladies (and gentlemen) I found her at the Skin Spa in midtown. Just google the spa and any loyal clients of Laura can find her there!!!!! more

I made an appointment for the first time at the spa for a wax. i have received this treatment numerous times, and i went to this location because they use all aveda products. as we began the wax, i noticed the esthetician was double dipping!!!!! she apologized when i asked her about it, and stated that they didn't have enough supplies to go around. For an $80 wax, you would think they would come up with a few lousy wax sticks. The service was very painful and it was obvious she had no experience or business performing this service. Afterwards when i went to complain to the manager, she was rude and incompetent and continuoulsy addressed me in a condescending baby voice. the entire place is disorganized and filthy (including stained towels and sheets for spa services). i would recommend everyone avoiding this place like the plague. what a rip-off and a joke. aveda should be ashamed to work with them. Pros: aveda products Cons: horrible management, dirty more

A co-worker referred me here and my review will be short and not so sweet. I made an appointment for a 1/2 head of highlights. The appointment was at 2:15 and I got there at 2:25. They wouldn't take me - I was too late they said and they had tried to call me. Are you kidding me? I am not proud of being late, but at less than 15 minutes and not honoring the appointment, I will never go back. The colorist, Gina was right there at the front - I don't know if she wanted to leave early or take another existing client. I was totally turned off to this place. Their customer service left a lot to be desired. Good luck if you go here. more

Hi. I've actualy gone to Scott J several times over the past 2.5 years. The haircuts were sometimes okay and sometimes terrible. But I kept going back because of the low price. However, enough is enough. The last time I was there, I had made an appointment and when my stylist came to get me she saw a regular customer of hers sitting next to me. The customer had walked in earlier and was booked with someone else, b/c my stylist was booked. Well guess what! The stylist I had an appointment with, asked me to wait and switch to the other stylist so she could take this other customer. I left. I've never been back. I was considering today to go back becuase I really don't know anywhere else to go, but after reading others bad experiences and knowing I've had more bad experiences than good, I'll just keep letting my hair grow until I can find some place better. Any suggestions? I'd love to know of a good reasonable hair place for short fine hair. Pros: price, location Cons: bad hair cuts, bad protocol with customers, lost earrings never recovered more

I had never been to this salon but was looking for a place where I could get my hair done cheaply before an event. When I called to see if I could change my appointment from a blowout to an updo, the girl at the front desk was a complete nightmare. She had a terrible atttude and seemed put off by the fact that I would even consider asking her to accomodate me. I ultimately cancelled my appointment because of her. I guess it really is true that you get what you pay for. Pros: none Cons: front desk more

never been here but live in the area and didn't even know this place was here. how does somewhere like this really mixed reviews getting in the top 15 for best priced salons? with only 5 reviews??? some of which are very bad! this rating system stinks. more

I have been going to this salon for about 2.5 years now and I have never had a bad experience. Every time I walk in I am greeted, asked if my coat can be hung for me, and offered tea or water. The only stylist I have ever seen is Jose and I have never been disappointed. He is AWESOME with those scissors. My cut is always perfect and I can grow it out for months and it still looks good. I don't even have to tell him what to do anymore because I trust him that much. I have also had single process color and highlights done by Jose and I have been very happy. He does exactly what we agree on. In the beginning he always showed me a color swatch of the hair so that I knew we were on the same page. A few times while I was waiting for my color to process, I was offered a relaxing hand massage with some wonderful smelling Aveda product. I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes for my appointment. And to top it all off, the nice man who does makeup (sorry I can't remember his name) offers to freshen me up before I leave. The whole experience makes me feel comfortable, well cared for and beautiful. Thanks! Pros: Jose, it always smells good Cons: can be tough to get an appointment on a whim more

I came to Scott J because I love Aveda products and I was looking for a new salon. What a mistake! The entire staff seemed like beauty school dropouts. I seriously thought the stylists were training. My cut and color were awful! I'm a blond and when I mentioned how annoying the brassy tones can get, she insisted on highlighting it an ash. After i told her numerous times that ash does not work well with my complexion and I simply hate ash blonds, she became really snotty and informed me that the only way not to have brassy tones is to add ash. I've been a blond my entire life and know that this is not true (it's called purple shampoo for one). I finally gave up and let her do her thing. Color can be fixed, but the cut.. All I wanted was a trim and asked her to clean up the layers but not cut any length. I walked out of there with over 3 inches cut off (my hair was not that long to begin with). I have fine hair, and lots of layers do not work. I was in tears by the time I got home. Thank god it still fits in a ponytail. No one offered me water/coffee/etc which is fine at a mid level salon, but I paid $235 for everything and was a little disappointed to not even have the famous aveda tea offered. To top it off, a "manager" called me the following week to see how my hair turned out. When I told her I was very disappointed, she offered an apology and told me I could come back in and the same woman would "fix it" for me free of charge. I told her that would not be ideal since I didn't want to lose anymore length. Her response was a long "yah". Wow, what customer service. I usually don't write reviews, but wanted to warn everyone before stepping into this salon. Pros: none Cons: cut, color, employees, value, atmosphere, I could go on more

I recently went for my first massage at Scott J East 86th Street - and I will not be going back. First, when I arrived Leanne was waiting for me outside, but when we go to the room it was not ready. Then she was rather unfriendly, which made me hesitant about the message. She never asked if I have problem areas, and never asked about the pressure, which was not strong enough. I had booked a deep tissue massage (or so I thought - see below) and it was not very deep, but I did not want to complain during the massage as she already seemed annoyed to begin with. My neck and shoulder bothered me before the message, and although it felt slightly better afterwards, within an hour it was back to the same pain. At the end, she was friendly - but it was too little too late. I have had many massages before and this was the worst I have experienced - by far. Also, when I went to check out, it turned out they had me down for a regular massage, even though I asked for a deep tissue massage. I go to this "spa" for waxing (and the waxers there range from good to great, depending on who you go to), and they often screw up the appointment - once they had me down for a back waxing (I have never heard of women waxing their backs!) - so I should have known to double check when I got there. Also, the place is really not suited for massage - I heard constant noise during the massage ranging from people talking loudly to toilets flushing to sinks running - not a relaxing environment for a massage. All in all it was not an enjoyable or relaxing experience and I would not recommend it. Pros: Convenient location on the UES, open late, aveda products Cons: Everything else - noisy room, lousy front desk/appointment people, more

I had such a relaxing massage with Le-Anne at Scott J Salon. As soon as I walked in someone took me out of the salon into the quiet spa. As soon as I sat down someone brought me some water and I was taken into for my massage shortly after that...I was even early! Le-Anne was amazing! She had a great calm about her, which is great after a long day of work! She let me know what she was going to be doing, asked if I had any problem areas and then for the next hour....one great massage. I am definitely going back. The "Aveda" experience was amazing!!!!!! Pros: Great Massage, Quiet Spa Cons: ??? None yet more