The Upper Hand Salon: River Oaks

It was my first time at The Upper Hand and I had went in to get my eyelashes tinted. I asked the stylist what she recommended because I was hestitant in getting it done. She told me that it would make my lashes look fuller and darker. So I did it. After the service, my lashes looked the same as they did when I walked in. It was a waste of money. I do not recommend getting your eyelash tinted here. Pros: atmosphere more

This is the best place to get your hair cut in Houston. After moving into the loop I was having problems breaking away from my childhood hair dresser who had been cutting my hair since grade school. I finally found someone that I trust with my hair and that has an honest opinion and won't try to talk me into something crazy that I won't like! John Rubio is the best and I highly suggest making an appointment with him! Make it in advance though because he is generally full two weeks in advance or so and especially for your first time it is hard to get an appointment on short notice. He is more than willing to work with you once you are a regular customer to always fit you in if you need something!! more

The people at this salon are really nice. I had gone a few times to get my hair colored & I was happy with the results but the last time I went ( a long time ago), I felt the stylist was rushed and I was sitting to process for a long time w/the lightener in the foils. It doesn't bother me that a stylist may have other clients in between my appointment but it's also nice to know that you haven't been forgotten about and having lightener in your hair for too long isn't really a good thing. She always did a good job on the color, though, but I won't be back only due to my last experience. more

After 15+ years of great haircuts at a local chain salon, I was ready for something new. So I took a chance on The Upper Hand after reading a few reviews. I had my hair cut and colored at the Royal Oaks location by Danielle. She's new on the block, but don't let that fool you! She was very knowledgeable and her confidence set me at ease. The consultation went great and she took exceptional care in doing my hair. Love my new look!! The experience surpassed my expectations. I will definitely be back to see Danielle! Pros: expert stylists, reasonable prices more

Number 1 issue women have is ? Can?t find the perfect Stylist. Pros: Quality more

Got a gift card for the upper hand and decided to look up the number and came across the reviews. I decided to try Trish because she had the most reviews that were positive. She and her team were so wonderful with talking to me and figuring out what we were doing with my cut and color. This is the best my hair has ever looked. I highly recommended Trish! Pros: Trish, Bumble and Bumble Cons: Parking, Music more

I am sad to say that I am so disappointed in my haircut. It is awful. I will never ever go there again, and I will say I will never recommend the upper hand to anyone. more

I decided to see Trish after reading all the great reviews, and I was desperately needed a change. Her assistant took me in and got me prepped for Trish. Trish new exactly what she wanted to do with my color (a new technique she just learned in New York!). My hair cut was a fabulous and chic. I feel like a millon bucks and owe it all too Trish. Her assistant even called me a few days later to see how my NEW look was going or if there was anything I needed. Now thats customer service. Pros: Trish Cons: Parking more

Wow!! I must say after reading all the great reviews about this place i was soo disapointed! Let me first say that i do not ever post bad reviews because im very easy to please, so do not think this is some bored old lady writing this. I went to a highly recommended sylist on this site and asked her to cut 2 inches off my hair and she cut 5! She was so COCKY and ARROGANT and treated her assistant so poorly infront of me i felt uncomfortable the whole time! I had shoulder length hair and she seriously butchered it off. Whatever you do please do not subject yourself to this stylist she is off her rocker! Pros: PRODUCTS Cons: SERVICES more

I decided to try Trish because she had great reviews and I wasn?t let down. I didn?t want to lose any of my length but wanted a change. Trish gave me the best long layer haircut. I have movement and all my layers blend (they?re not choppy at all). I walked out looking like I had hair extensions, and it was all mine! I want to wake up and style my hair, I feel like a million bucks. Thank you Trish for standing up too all the raves. You want a change and a good one at that - Trish is your lady! Pros: Trish, her assistant Emily Cons: parking, not knowing where to go when I walked in - doors everywhere more

today i got the best haircut ever. i had an idea of what i wanted but could never get it across to the hairdresser that i have been using for 10 yrs. after a brief discussion about what i thought i wanted and what i didn't want, the wheels in jennifer macaluso's mind began to turn and the hair began to drop. she spent more time with me and perfecting my cut than all the haircuts i have had in the past few years. the end result was just what i wanted. her patience, diligence, and insight are what make her the fabulous stylist that she is. if you want a great style she is your stylist. i will continue to use her in the future. she is known for her expertise in coloring so i think i will give that a whirl on my next visit. thanks a million jennifer! more

I had been going to Upper hand for about three years..and to one stylist in particular (who shall remain nameless but is raved about on this site) for about one. I have a newborn and live about 30 miles away so i had to arrange for a sitter and carve out a good chunk of time for my appointment for a cut/blowdry. the day of my baby was a bit fussy before i left so i was running about 10 minutes behind. right before my appointment, i called to let the stylist know. much to my shock, i was told i needed to reschedule. i even offered to forego the blowdry and just get a haircut but i was told i still needed to reschedule. while i understand the importance of not wanting to keep other clients waiting, one would think my not getting hair dried/styled would have made up for the 10 minutes late i was going to be. basically i feel like i was punished for calling and being courteous! if i had shown up would she have kicked me out? i was SO disappointed. being a new mom, it was a big deal for me to arrange for that and i had been looking forward to it all week only to have to turn around go home with no hair cut. all i can say is for the amount of money i would have paid i surely can find a more understanding stylist that is also talented. i will never go back to her again. Pros: talented stylist Cons: inflexible, expensive more

I am VERY VERY picky about my hair. My hair is natuarally dark, but I like to look like a ""natural blonde."" To find a colorist that can take dark hair to light without damaging it or making it look orange is a rare thing. For the past 4 years I have used the same person, but recently he moved. After much research and asking several people in the spa business, I was told to go to CARRIE at Upper Hand. She use to work at Beautique, but now works in River Oaks at Upper Hand. Not only did I LOVE my hair color, I had an overall great experience. As soon as I walk in, I was greeted by a really enthusiastic receptionist who made me feel right at home. I was uneasy going to a spa/salon that I have never been to before, but I felt like part of the family within a few minutes. Carrie is such a perfectionist and is very hands on entire time. She also had a great assistant named Bethany who was really helpful too. I can't say enough AMAZING things about CARRIE. Also, she has such a great attitude and her personality is just adorable. If you want a great color, especially with blonde, you MUST go see Carrie. After today, I will be a client for life. CARRIE WILL MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A NATURAL BLONDE! =) Pros: Ambience will make you feel like you are at home, FRIENDLY FRIENDLY staff, relaxed back vibe, Experience Colorist Cons: NONE! more

I too had been searching for a stylist now going on 4 years (I know-tell me about it). I read great reviews and decided why I shouldn?t try Trish. When I got to the salon, Emily her assistant showed me where to change and had my drink waiting for me. Trish was such a delight and completely understanding of my fears and where I didn?t want to go. She has just returned from NYC for training and decided to try a new technique. Trish is very confident which I love because who wants to go to someone insecure and timid (those where the last BAD experiences). I loved the color and the color placement; it really makes my eyes POP! My hair cut is unbelievable, I can do so many things with it; wear it quiet messy or sleek and sassy. So it depends on my mood on how I?m wearing it tonight! Thanks to city search I have found my new stylist (oh? did I mention she is beautiful and wears the most amazing apparel (like she came straight out of a Vogue Magazine)). I highly recommend Trish at The Upper Hand. Pros: Trish & Staff, very friendly more

Well I have never really written a review for anything before, but a good hair dresser is hard to come by, so I thought I'd share the find. I went to the upper hand because of all of the good reviews, and was not disappointed. My hair dresser Jennifer did an awsome job. She gave me a great short cut, (which has been mauled in the past), and I am so happy with how it turned out. I will never go to another hair dresser again. Also, FYI, Jennifer does amazing color, she did exactly what I wanted and it looks great. I had it done about a month ago, and people still comment on it. more

I followed Jennifer Macaluso to the Upper Hand in River Oaks. I was SO impressed with the salon when I first came. It is a beautifully calming place run by wonderfully nice people.I highly recommend Jennifer to do your hair. She is the only one I trust with my hair. I even bring my two kids in to get their hair cut..I drive in from Seabrook (45 min away) to get my hair cut and highlighted from Jennifer at the Upper Hand. Jennifer is a fun and""easy to talk to"" person, you can not go wrong with her !!!!!!!!! and the salon is just as great !!!!!! more

I followed Jennifer to The Upper Hand when she moved there over a year ago now. As a guy, I like the atmosphere and feel comfortable with the surroundings and the people. Jennifer does a great job and is always friendly and prompt. To me there are two things I look for when getting my hair cut, first that it looks good when I leave the salon, and probably more importantly that it continues to look good as it grows out. She always does the best job with both. I can't imagine going to someone else. I'm not one to write reviews but I really do feel very comfortable recommending Jennifer and the Upper Hand and try to pass her name on to my friends and business acquaintances whenever possible. I also have a good female friend that has her color done with Jennifer and she just raves about her and that's another reason I wanted to do this. It's fun telling people about someone that is so good. Pros: Great location, easily accessible, and of course, Jennifer M more

I have had a few good experiences and a lot of bad experiences using City Search, so I was nervous trusting all the rave reviews about Trish. I was desperate for a good cut and color so decided to try her yesterday. I can not say enough positive things about Trish and her assistant. First of all, Trish spent a great deal of time discussing my low light and high light options. Without me telling her, she new exactly what was bothering me about my current color (too yellow). I love my cut and it looks polished without looking 'too fixed'. She is a beautiful girl and some may think she seems ""over confident"" but I only saw her as outgoing and warm. I will have to say that after seeing a few other people leave the salon that had been with other stylist, I would only feel comfortable ever going to Trish. I am so happy after 1 year of trying to find a salon, I finally have somewhere I feel confident using. For lowlights, highlights, cut, and a great blowdry, I spent $250 (not including tip or products I bought). Just a side note, I had been going to Gloss the Salon, the prices are just as high but minus the high quality. Pros: Location more

Jennifer is terrific! She is always personable and very dependable. I first went to her for a trim, but I left with a great look! I returned to have her work on my gray, and the highlights she gave me looked natural and really hot! I cannot imagine having anyone else work on my hair. She is extremely knowledgeable and listens to what you want. What an excellent combination! The salon has a great atmosphere, although it always seem to be cold, so take a jacket. Pros: Jennifer! Ambience. Service. Cons: Too cold temperature wise. more

Well after reading all the reviews and seeing Trish had tons of reviews & ONLY ONE bad one, i decided I wanted her for the job ahead. Her assistant Emily showed me were to change and had coffee waiting for me before handing me over to Trish. She has great style and and is super confident which made me feel at ease. She gave ma the best hair cut of my life and now 4 of my co-workers go to her as well AND!!! we all have a different look. She is amazingly talented and has a wonderful personality (quick-witted). I am grateful that I have a found her!!!!!!! Pros: Trish Cons: needs housekeeping more