Halo – A Blow Dry Bar

I love Halo because i love that Natalie does my hair perfectly. She knows just how to style it and the way that I like it with loose curls. She is a sweetheart! The staff is always so friendly and it’s easy to park. I use to go to Halo in Burlingame but I prefer this one in Menlo Park. Much more private and personal.

I would like to update my review. After posting this, almost immediately the owner of the salon wrote a comment (as you can see above) apologizing and was very kind. She also private messaged me and was so sweet to offer a re-​do, but unfortunately I’m not from the area so I declined (I would totally go again if I lived nearby). I let her know I appreciated the offer. She was so nice and actually gave me a full re-​fund, which she definitely didn’t have to do. I actually told her it was no big deal.
Customer service is a HUGE part of any business (and customer experience) and unfortunately I cannot say it’s a priority for a lot of them. That is not the case for Halo. They went above and beyond to fix the problem the best way they could in my situation. I’m extremely pleased with the professional attitude and follow through with Halo. I would love to go back and visit when I’m up north. I do plan to be more vocal from the beginning with my very particular hair styling requests.
Thank you so much.

I have always been a drybar fan, but this Friday I could not get an appointment at the time I needed from them so I searched Unilocal and found Halo. I was a bit skeptical because of some of the bad reviews on here but I was desperate. It was either have myself curl my own hair (which is never a good idea) or have a professional do it. I am SO glad I booked my appointment because that day changed my life (I’m serious). My hair gets oily easily which is why I wash my hair EVERY DAY! It is an annoying process but if I don’t, I look like a hot mess. I told my hair stylist Elyssa and she recommended a shampoo that helps with oily hair. Today is Sunday and I have not washed my hair for 2 days (record!) and my hair still looks fabulous! Elyssa was amazing and made my hair gorgeous with lots of volume and curls that stayed all night throughout my event. She even explained the steps to why she was doing what she was doing with my hair which made me understand the process better. Who knew a boar bristle brush could do wonders! Coincidentally, I also booked her to help me with my make up. She was spot on in creating the Gatsby look that I wanted without making my face look like it was caked in make-​up. I am a huge fan now and definitely will be returning for all my semi-​formal/​formal events! Thank you Elyssa for everything. Good-​bye Dry bar forever and Hello Halo :)

I have not updated this in awhile and was surprised to see some negative reviews. I love this Halo… I do miss Katie who is now at T&C Halo… but can honestly say that Nathalie and the entire team at Halo are welcoming and great. I am a weekly customer… for the most part… and feel my hair is far healthier since i took myself and my over doing the hot iron, blowdryer etc… and out of the scenario and left it in Natalie’s qualified hands. I highly recommend Halo Menlo. Everyone is a pro. Thanks gang!!! See you tomorrow

THE RECEPTIONIST HERE SUCKS. Rude, bratty and needs a lesson in customer service. How the HELL did you get hired?!
I had a 7 AM appointment, called at 7:12 and asked if its ok that I come in 10 minutes (7:22). Receptionist says «that’s fine» in the snarkiest voice and hangs up without saying «bye». Come in @ 7:22 exactly and she tells me «unfortunately we can’t take you because our stylist has back to back appointments» WTF. Ok, why the F did you not give me a call? I had just called 10 minutes ago and I mentioned she said it was fine. She responds «Yeah, well you said you’d be here in 10 minutes and it’s almost 7:30.» Now I really start to get frustrated. I tell her «I called at 7:12 and told you I’d be in here in 10 minutes it’s now 7:22» — she looks at me with a blank face and has nothing to say. No apology, nothing. ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?!
I asked her why i was not informed via a phone call — she says «we don’t have your number on file». I mentioned they have caller ID to which she BLATANTLY LIES and says «no we don’t.» LOL YOU SUCK SO MUCH. I think the stylist was more apologetic. This receptionist needs to go.
Halo has gotten shittier over the years — prices have gone up $ 14 and evidently customer service that USED to be quality is now SHIT. I’m ok with the increase in prices but if you’re going to charge $ 49 for a blowout — make sure your service is EXCEPTIONAL and the people you hire are focused on client happiness. The receptionist is the FACE of the salon, just a reminder.
I’m infuriated — heading to work with my hair looking like a hot mess. (If there was a middle finger emoji, it would be appropriately placed [here].)

I would not return here. From beginning to end it was not enjoyable. My blow dry person smelled of cigarettes and was not very professional in listening to what style I wanted. I had asked for volume at the roots and the ends tucked in but not to look like a soccer mom. There was no attempt to give me volume on top. At the end he put hairspray and patted the top of my hair down in all directions… whatever little volume that was on top was flattened. Both requests were not delivered and my hair was extremely flat on top with a 2″ curl tucked in. I should have just went to my hairstylist that does an amazing blow out. You would think this is their speciality but it was a very lackluster experience and not worth the money. The only positive is they have a large parking lot in the back.

Wow, the receptionist at this Halo was so rude I was taken aback. We were a few minutes late to our appointment, which I understood was not acceptable, but this woman was downright mean. I will never step foot inside this establishment; with a front desk attitude like that they can suck my Halo!
Joan

Hair perfection every time! My 12 year old daughter enjoys coming here as well. (She has extremely long, thick, kinky hair, which can be hard to style) Here, she gets her hair the way she wants it every single time. And… So do I!

Came on NYE for a blowdry/​curl appointment. Stylist was rude, unprofessional and at times inept — used large curling iron first and none of the curls held. When she redid the curls, I repeatedly asked her to make sure that the style holds for the rest of the night. Appointment was at 2pm– it is now 6pm and style is completely flat as are the curls. Really disappointed; could have styled better at home on own.

I went to the Menlo Park location instead of the Palo Alto location because of the reviews, although Palo Alto would’ve been way more convenient for me. It was more out of the way than I expected, so I may just try Palo Alto next time.
It was okay for a first experience. I probably should have tried it first before taking a professional business photo as I have never had my hair done at a blow dry bar before (only after a salon cut).
The service was pristine, and I love that they use Oribe products (talk about high end, high quality). I just wanted a simple style and she did stick to that. I think between having a fairly new hair cut combined with this first experience, it was more voluminous than I expected.
My cousin saw it shortly after I arrived at the office and said it looked good. I just wasn’t used to it, is all.
I do want to try it again, maybe wait until I am settled into a current hair cut and look at other options for styling.

I had to go home and use a flat iron to fix the mess she made of my hair. Not only rude and bad service but bad work too. I’ll not go back. Buyer beware on this one.
Dec. 12 update: the owner of the salon contacted me and refunded my money. She is really concerned about customer service and I believe my experience was a one off. I’m changing my rating based on her follow-​up.

I rarely go online to critique a bad business or experience, but I must say that I was horribly in shock to have experienced what I did this past Saturday.
I have gone to this salon for a wash and blow dry for over a year. These past 6 months, I have visited more often by getting my hair done every Saturday morning.
But after this Saturday I am going to seek an alternative location for my hair services.
Let me begin by saying that I have never been humiliated by any business the way that I was treated.
I arrived at 7am for my appointment, and while I was getting my hair blow dried I asked about the new Oribe perfume that was just released.
Magazines and even the staff at HALO promote this hair care line and I have purchased several of these high end products at this shop and LOVE the smell/​fragrance. When I mentioned this, the two gals that were in the shop
offered me two sample vials of the new fragrance. They kindly said here you go and try them. These are the small cards that department stores hand out to sample the new fragrances.
Upon the completion of my service, I couldn’t even pay for my hair services with my credit card because the front desk gal was out sick and was to come in later. I was asked to leave my credit card number so that they could run it and charge me the right price.
I was appreciative of that and left the salon.
About four hours later I get a call from Hazel at the shop asking me that to return what I had taken from their shop. The perfume sample vials were not given to me, and she wanted me to return them immediately to the store.
I have a big problem with this for many reasons.
One, you don’t call someone in an accusatory mode to demand something to be returned to you immediately.
Two, when you give someone a sample, it is given to you. No one said to me, give it back after smelling it and sampling it in front of the two associates on the floor.
Three, if you are a «high end» salon selling hair products that are in the range of $ 25-​$ 75 per product you should train your folks when sample products are available to the customers don’t offer anything that one can’t have to take home.
Instead be clear that they are to be sampled at the location only.
Four, how about your front desk coverage be a bit more customer service oriented. Do you think Nordstrom would hunt you down for a sample perfume vial and demand for it to be returned right away?
In my opinion, if your associates screwed up by giving something out that they shouldn’t have learn from it internally not by calling and harassing the client.
Thanks for the good hair ladies, but if you had handled it differently I would have never taken my business elsewhere.

Rosemary contacted me and rectified the initial situation. I have been happy with my level of service and even participate in their training of new hires!

I got married in May and I have been meaning to write a review. I been considering going to Halo b/​c when my cousin got married she had her bridal party go to a blowdry bar and it seemed really convenient b/​c they have all their stuff and its more comfortable than trying to set up shop in a hotel room.
All in all it was ok. They were nice customer service wise and were very accomodating. I really liked and appreciated that. I wanted to see what their services would be like first hand so I went in for a blowdry and makeup for my bridal shower. They blow dry is awesome and I have already gone back a few times to the PA location and have been happy at both.
The makeup was good and the girl was sweet. On their website they say they use Jane Iredale which is a mineral brand. That worried me because any pro makeup artist will have a plethora of brands and I was happy to find out the artist did so I felt a lot better when they told me. I didn’t want to be limited to one brand for bridal makeup or even for the bridesmaids. I asked her for a light coverage foundation application b/​c it was just a bridal shower and I was going for a pin up style look. She did a good job. There is just something about someone else doing your hair and makeup for you that is cool. She gave me exactly what I wanted a bold red lip, winged eyeliner and lashes. The eyeliner left a lot to be desired, but it was ok. I touched it up and made sharper edged when I got home.
So when it came to booking the bridal party it was very easy.
PRO’s
–easy to schedule and very accomodating
–its a salon so its an area for hair and makeup that makes it easy for everyone
–really nice on the phone when trying to book, I think we went through the manager
–a lot of makeup brands
Con’s
–Maybe most of my girls are makeup savvy but everyone that had their makeup done looked like the application was a look they could have achevied on their own at home. As a matter of fact a few that are extra good at makeup can actually do a better job :-/​I think they have artists that are at different levels of experience but hey, if your paying to have your makeup done you want it to be worth it. I know my maid of honor stopped the girl and told her she would finish herself.
–Not all girls were offered lashes which was an additional cost but I know most wanted them and they didn’t know to ask
–When I wanted to look at examples of their work for hair and makeup there aren’t many to look at. I was really dissapointed. They said to go on their facebook page whicj I did but there are more pictures of the salons social activites then of their services. I mean thats great that they go to Giants games and hang out but that didn’t help me decide whether or not to book 10 people for hair and makeup for a wedding for $ 140ish a person. They do have some, but I noticed there are a lot of prom/​teenager pictures. Although its kind of helpful I wanted to see more mature looks good for women in their 20’s and 30’s. They should just practice on each other and post a big assortment and maybe spend more time categorizing pictures (i.e., wedding looks, prom looks etc.).
Anyway, I don’t mean this in a mean way they just need more hair and makeup/​speical occasion looks to look at.
–Hair was similar, it was good but a lot of the looks were very simple up do’s that could have been done at home. Mostly loose curls with one side pinned up, one girl had her hair half up half down with curls and that was it. I mean I am not 100% sure what they asked for but it was just really simple. The girl with the half up half down hair showed me a pic of what she wanted that was totally different, not sure the conversation went down but in the salons defense she has extremely thick hair.
With all that said I did like it. It wasn’t a bad experience it just could have been better. Agian the service was good and everyone was nice. I think they just have to bring the skill level up. Maybe we are harsh critics b/​c most of my girls the worked in makeup and/​or hair and some point but if your paying money you have to make it worth it.

I love this Halo location! Have been going for about two years now. I would recommend them over dry bar any day!
Went in for training blow out last week, trainee was great and sweet! Caitlin the training manager was fantastic!
I drive from Cupertino to Menlo just to go here!
Super happy about a Los Altos location opening soon :)
At Menlo ask for stylists Katie and Hazel!

Things to not expect when you are here:
Do not expect mirrors. As I was getting my hair done there where no mirrors in front of me. Hope you don’t want braids because that’ s a no no if Alissa is your stylist. She told us her nails are to long and she will scratch the scalp if she tried. Oh and don’t expect an up do because they don’t have time. Even though when I called 2 months in advance to make the appointment and told them I wanted an up do. When I got there and told Alissa that I want my hair half down and half up she said «I don’t have time for that.» She ended putting 5 curls in the back of my hair. They fell out by the time I got to the wedding. The thing that upset me the most was when Alissa finished my style she said okay all done and walked away. As I said I had no mirrors. I had to get up and stand in front of a mirror. Also I found a hand held mirror and checked the back. Gee now I know why she did not me to see it. My hair looked awful. DEAR ALISSA THANKS FOR MAKING ME CRY. I REALLY DID CRY WHEN I GOT TO THE CAR. I ALSO CRIED WHEN I SAW THE WEDDING PHOTOS. To all you Unilocalers you are warned stay far away at least tell them you do not want Alissa.

I’m going to keep my favorites a secret because I need them available when I need them but I will say that Halo far exceeds expectations in terms of delivery (of gorgeous hair), and customer service.
They’re all really lovely and accommodating. When I lived in SF, I’d go to drybar regularly but when I found the Menlo Park Halo spot, this became my new haven. Before I moved to Palo Alto, I would still come all the way from SF for these ladies to work their magic.
Its been rare and an exception the 1 or 2x that I wasn’t pleased, and when I asked them to fix, they did to my satisfaction. I appreciate the staff listens here. You won’t be disappointed with the Menlo Park Halo!

Liliana was FABULOUS! I went in not sure about getting exactly what I wanted but she really delivered. I have never had a blow dry of my hair that I like so much, even after getting my haircut at fancy salon!
Tip: if you have thick hair like me, don’t expect it to take 45 minutes. Especially if you’re getting your hair done for a big event or if you are on a tight schedule that day, you need to leave plenty of time so that you can relax and enjoy the whole experience — I would recommend budgeting 2 hours total, especially so you can take advantage of the curling irons they have!
One piece of feedback: I was never promoted for a tip. I never signed anything on the receipt, which I realized in the car. I left in such a hurry that I didn’t notice — I hate to think I didn’t leave a tip for wonderful Liliana, but I’m used to adding it on the line on the receipt.
Thank you, Liliana!

I would be what you’d call hair styling challenged. Because of this, I have been to a couple of different blow dry bars in the area. I will now only being going to Halo in Menlo.
From my first experience, I already knew I would become a regular. Rebecca took the time to walk me through what she would be doing, and what products (if any) she would be using. She made me feel comfortable and entertained, rather than bored with awkward, forced conversation. It literally felt like I was talking to a friend. She totally understood the look I wanted, and I was impressed on how it turned out so well. On top of it all, my hair hardly holds a curl, Rebecca’s magic stayed in the whole night!
As for the location, it’s conveniently close to my work, I just wish they opened up one in the MV/​Sunnyvale area!
Can’t say much about the products, but whatever Rebecca put in my hair smelled good, ha!

I am a big fan of this Halo location. I hate to say it as everyone will run to her but I love Vanessa. She is kind, talented, takes her time when I have time and goes wildly fast when I do not. My scalp has been irritated and the doctor prescribed medication — Vanessa even applies it before she the blow out.
The Menlo Park Halo is less busy than the other locations which I love!