Helle

While I visited Helle back in March, I decided not to write a review. However, I changed my mind today, after visiting another spa.
A friend recommended Helle when I asked around for a wax spa near my home in Burien. Georgetown is a hip spot, and was close enough, and when a Groupon for 2-​for-​1 Brazilian deal came up, I was all over that shiz.
I made my appt. for a few weeks later. I appreciated the online reservation system, since, in the age of iphones, the internet and technology in general, I hate talking to people on the phone.
Coming from work in the Central District, I was shocked and annoyed to be stuck in traffic. If memory serves, I was at least an embarrassing 15 minutes late. I called ahead to Elaina to give her a heads up, and she was very gracious, which I appreciated.
When I finally rolled in (after a few laps around Georgetown, as I wasn’t super familiar with the area,) I was welcomed in and ushered into the dark and goth room. I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of lighting… I should have known then.
Elaina was very nice and we had great conversation throughout the appointment. I appreciated the lidocaine gel, and as I hadn’t ever experienced hard wax before, was comfortable with her expertise and suggestion. Ultimately, I found the hard wax not my thing, but that was just me.
Following the appointment, I scheduled a follow-​up wax for about a month later. However, when I got home and checked out the work, I quickly changed my mind. There was wax everywhere, not to mention a fair amount of hair. For the length of the appointment (close to 45 minutes) I feel like the wax should have been much more thorough. I’m not sure if the room was so dark that she couldn’t see the strips of hair left in various areas, or if the steady conversation was a distraction. The leftover wax was annoying, but that’s happened to me a few other times. I was most annoyed with all the hair left.
I’ve tried to reschedule my second wax a few times, but have dreaded it so much that I’ve cancelled. I found another wax spa in the area with great happy hour deals, so I’m just calling the Groupon a bit of a waste.

Danielle rocked my world.
I had a Groupon for a dead sea salt scrub and an angel face facial. I never once felt like I was a lesser customer who’s too cheap to deserve good service.
She is so funny, which is a bonus when you’re lying naked on a table for an hour plus. She told me about how she does custom essential oil blends in her kitchen, which smell amazing. I love the décor, which is a mixture of girlie boudoir, vintage, and industrial Georgetown goth-​iness (is that a word?).
The figgy pudding dead sea salt scrub is scrumdiddlyumptious. It smells so edible, and, being all natural, would actually be safe to eat.
I am dying to go back! I plan to bring my girlfriends with me.

LOVE.
I have ‘challenging’ skin and have had countless facials and what not done around Seattle for years. Helle is one of my all-​time favorite salons, and what made me recently decide to become a regular client here is how amazing my skin looks after facials here for weeks after services, how totally reasonable the cost of services (and product line) is relative to their extremely high quality, and how much I enjoy Danielle.
One thing that I particularly appreciate about the 60-​minute facial at Helle is how well-​utilized the time is. The facial strikes a great balance of feeling thorough and not rushed, while also containing a large variety of steps from cleansing and toning to extracting, exfoliating, masking and moisturizing. Because I appreciate the ‘function’ (results) of a facial even more than a relaxing, spa-​like experience, this stands out in my mind. However with that said, my Helle facials are the most relaxing I’ve ever experienced because there are a lot of massage elements and they are SO well done. I would consider this a winning combination — especially at under $ 100! I don’t think you are going to find this anywhere else in Seattle.
I’ve only seen Danielle, the owner, for services. I don’t always want to talk during a facial, but here I do I tend to talk because Danielle is very smart and witty, and extremely knowledgeable about skin care and other health issues (and how they relate), so I take advantage of this! I also appreciate how Danielle makes me feel comfortable and like we are having a genuine and mutual exchange in our conversations, not simply one wherein I am seen as a customer who might potentially buy products. These personable touches, to me, make me feel valued as a client and in turn I plan on being a long-​time patron at Helle!

I waited a long time to write about this, and in that time my eyebrows have finally grown back, with the help of an amazing waxer at Beauty Bar.
I came here based on the reviews on Unilocal as well as someone who went here to get her very first wax. I should have known better– what could she have compared it to, to know this was a great spot?
I was looking for a new place closer to my home in West Seattle and I was hoping this would be the one. Not even close.
When I arrived, I filled out the usual forms but I kind of wondered why because the person, who I think was the owner, Danielle, didn’t even look at it. She just took me in the room and got started. First of all, the room was dark. I’m sure it was done that way to set some sort of relaxing ambiance but when you’re waxing things all over the place including the nether regions, you’re going to need lots of light to pull out those random fine or stray hairs.
Secondly, what’s with the weird panty you have to put on? They’re in the business of waxing nether regions (as stated previously), why were they making everyone wear those things? You can’t be shy about it or assume that’s going to guide you to wax the correct shape you’re asked to do. It’s like asking a woman to put on those weird hair coloring caps to dye your own hair. I had no idea what she she accomplished out of these, as it was the first time in all the years I’ve waxed that I’ve been asked to put it on.
When Danielle started working on me she wasted no time blurting out the sordid details of her personal life. I wasn’t really interested but let her continue. She just started working and pressed on and jabbered the entire time. I suddenly just wanted to get the hell out of there.
When she was done she handed me a mirror, I squinted in the dark and saw a complete fail from top to bottom. I paid, I left. When I got in the car and saw most of my eyebrows gone I was furious. I got home and looked at her other work. Stray hairs everywhere. What a total fail. After a month or so of growing everything out I saw Michelle at Beauty Bar and to my delight she fixed everything that was destroyed at (pure) Helle.

I started going to Helle back in May of 11 to get my brows done for my wedding. I was really nervous since I know nothing of brow shaping and only tweeze mine at home.
The gals there are friendly, funny, patient, and helpful. I talked with my waxer about my nervousness and what i wanted to accomplish. I will say that she took alittle too much off of the left brow the first time but on my next visit I mentioned this and she listened and did a better job after that.
I’m terrible at remembering names so I forget which 2 girls have worked on me. But they’ve done a fine job each time. I’m hooked for life now.

I’ve known about Helle for TWO YEARS before I finally decided to go! Shame on me! They had a fabulous groupon for a facial and bodywrap, so I scooped it up and made an appointment right away. I’ve never had a facial before, but it was just SO DAMN relaxing! Usually I shy away from body scrubs because I do my exfoilation at home, but the facial was heavenly. They had one of those steam misters going, which helped pull the toxins out and replaced them with healthy things. I was nervous about the extraction part, but that was pretty painless. My esthetician was lovely, knowledgable and sweet. Her technique with the facial massage was spot on; you can’t really do that on yourself and still have the same effect. The room was slightly cool, but I should’ve asked if they had an extra blanket. I would definitely come back here for skincare.

Came here for facial and brow wax before when it was at the old location and liked it a lot. This time, my brow was was an awful experience. I spent 2 months growing it out (the longest I’ve let it go since I can remember) hoping to give it a some better shape. In a dark room, the gal did the wax and was done in 5 minutes. I asked for a hand mirror and she didn’t have one so i had to use a wall mirror against dim lighting to check that she didn’t butcher me. She asked if i was okay, well, i wasn’t bleeding so yeah, I’m fine. I get to my car and i can see red marks around my eyes and she had taken off a lot more than i wanted. I asked if she could see my old shape and she said yes, but she obviously didn’t because my brows went from nice full arches to thin upside down smiley faces.
I will not be coming back or recommend this place even though it’s 5 minutes from home.

I had my first and the most awesome full body dead sea salt with my choice of essential oils scrub (minus the painful/​embarrassing parts). And she did another treatment on my back that involved more scrubbing (but in a good way) and more essential oils and layered me in hot towels like a happy little cocoon. And she had this great hot light that was just right. She said it made you feel like a French fry but I think it makes you feel MUCH better. She has a fabulous personality which is key when you are baring yourself to be scrubbed. And my skin has never been so happy, smooth, soft and it keeps telling me to go back!

I’ve been to Helle and back, and I’ll be back!
I stopped by here for a wax in a particularly sensitive area. Le ouch. If you’ve ever had a wax done before, you know this is no picnic. But, to Danielle’s credit, I can honestly say that this wax was the least painful I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong, it still hurt. But the lidocaine did help a bit. I’ve never had a waxing studio offer such a thing. Oh the things us women endure. Let’s face it folks, If looks could kill, the ceilings in waxing studios would spontaneously combust on an hourly basis.
First of all, she recommended taking an ibuprofen 1 hour before the appointment time. I happily complied with a prescription strength one that I had sitting around (800 mg). Also, she uses lidocaine to numb the treatment area. I felt it was very merciful, and believe me, every bit of mercy is appreciated when it comes to this sort of thing.
The method of application she uses is a little bit different than most waxes you’ve probably had before. She uses a «hard wax» treatment which basically means she is peeling away at the wax itself vs. using muslin strips. It’s a blue colored wax. You’ll look Smurfurific! Temporarily of course… Since it’s not that syrupy sticky like your run of the mill wax, the wax mostly adheres to the hair and dead skin, so there is less chance for irritation and ingrown hairs. Being an experienced waxee, I also applied some of the Clean and Clear blackhead clearing scrub with salicylic acid when I got home. Danielle said she does also approve of this as a post-​wax treatment to try to avoid ingrown hairs.
All in all, she did a great job, the price was fair, she was very personable, and I even got a free pair of Helle branded panties. Sure, you might be able to find a cheaper wax elsewhere, but when it comes to this sort of thing, TRUST ME you do NOT want to cheap out and run the risk of getting a bad wax. Been there, done that, and I will be spending my future waxing funds at Helle.
As of posting this review, she has a 5 star average rating, and I think it is very well deserved. It is pretty rare to hold such a high rating with 70+ reviews, but when it happens, it’s because there is something really good about a business. All around, great job, Helle!

I loved this place! I have to thank groupon for introducing me to Helle. Located in a house in Georgetown, this is not your typical bamboo garden spa environment. Helle has its own vibe but don’t be intimidated even if it isn’t your niche. Danielle is a sweetheart and so much fun! I got a body scrub and facial with her and I enjoyed our conversations ranging from bacon to pies to neighborhoods (ok we talked a lot about food). She also gave me tips on my skin — I liked her approach where less is more. Danielle did not skimp on anything or rush through the services which I appreciated. Most importantly, my skin looked great. Just a note: don’t plan on going out immediately after the appointment — there was some scrub left on me despite trying my best to wipe it off me.
The groupon included a full-​size coffee scrub so I could enjoy it at home. I also did not expect to get an extra goodie from Danielle :) I’ll be back for sure!

I hate sorority girl spas where you get the up-​down from every girl in the waiting room while you’re checking in with the receptionist. So when I learned of Helle from a friend I had to give it a try. If you’re looking for a tea sipping yoga retreat with a relaxing waterfall — this is not your place and boy am I glad for that!
Danielle (the owner) is hilarious, informative and the kind of person that can put you at ease immediately. She also carries the Dermalogica line — which I now use exclusively thanks to her facials.
She’s great! She knows what she’s doing and she’s a lot of fun to talk with.

I love this place! I live in West Seattle and it’s totally worth the hop to Georgetown. I’ve been seeing Danielle for my brow waxing/​coloring for months and she’s simply fantastic — hands down one of the best customer experiences I’ve had anywhere. She’s so nice, hilariously funny and very skilled, I’m happy to put my trust in her every time I visit.
This a real gem of a place!

Being a skeptic by nature, I am naturally curious when a place has SO many 5 star reviews. At first I thought it was because spa services are kind of like sex. IE– Even if it’s a «bad» facial, you’re still getting a facial, right?
However, this place more than earns its reputation. I had already heard about Helle from friends and then when the Groupon for over half off a facial and body scrub package came up, I HAD to buy it and see what everyone was talking about.
I have to admit, they were right.
Danielle is not only knowledgeable and professional, but her customer service is above and beyond. I am always scared when using a Groupon that I will be seen as not a «real» customer, but that wasn’t the case here at all.
She started with the body scrub, where she mixed sea salts with a customary blend of essential oils just for me. Now, the only other place I’ve received a body scrub is from Olympus Spa, and while I love them… they use Dove soap! So this was heaven. The facial was relaxing while also being effective. She gave me personal recommendations on how to better adjust my skin care routine so that I might get better results, and I wasn’t afraid to ask her any questions.
To top it all off, she gave me a goodie bag to take home, as part of the Groupon was a complimentary salt scrub and she even added other samples.
After experiencing a taste of Helle services on a bargain, I can say that it’s definitely worth it to go back again, even without a groupon. I’m not at a point in my life when I can get facials as often as I’d like to, but Helle offers «happy hour» on Mondays for select services, and «frequent flyer clubs» (where if you pay in advance for multiple services you can get a slight discount) so they are also allowing opportunities for those of us on a budget.
Book an appointment now before she is discovered and impossible to go to! ;)

This review is for Danielle, who is absolutely amazing.
At the age of 24, after having been blessed with good skin through all of the harsher developmental stages of life, adult onset acne hit. At first I thought it was just a phase, but after a few months of trying lots of over the counter products, I started searching for a more permanent cure — I had a wedding to attend in six months and it was my own.
I actually chose to go to Helle for two reasons — one being the fantastic reviews for Danielle on Unilocal,second, the package that I needed was named «The Exorcism» and I felt that this was both the perfect description for what was needed, but that it also illuminated more about the attitude and sense of humor of this particular salon.
The salon is in an adorable old house in Georgetown, sometimes it’s a little goth for my personal taste, but it’s much preferred to the over sterile clinical feel of most salon/​spas. What you get from Danielle and Helle is a relaxed feeling of being at home hanging out with a sister or close cousin — if they happened to be really talented licensed esthetician. I always left my hour long sessions feeling refreshed, shiny (in a good way), and smelling of that amazing cinnamon oil that she uses for the scalp massage. Danielle helped pull a turn around on my skin, and while I may still have break outs (not much one can do about stress and hormones without taking acutane, something I’m not willing to do), I am able to take some control over them, and my skin looked great on my wedding day.
My only caveat is that I really really wished they would get a good receptionist, I’ve not had great interactions with anyone at this salon who is not Danielle.

Welcome to another episode of Bonnie Gets A Manicure (and Pedicure)! This week: Helle Salon!
My friend tipped me off that Lauren was doing a half-​off sale on manis and pedis, one day only! I was having a terrible week and it just seemed like the universe was saying «Go, Bonnie. Go get your nails done», so I answered the call and it was a great experience. First off, the atmosphere at Helle is great. It’s a converted house and is so cozy, it just feels like you’re getting your nails done in your friend’s living room. Everything smells great due to their many tempting skin products and the staff are very friendly.
As for the nail care itself, Lauren did an awesome job! She set a very relaxing tone and was great to chat with. The work was careful and precise and my nails looked great! Hands and feet were soft and beautiful after she was done with them.
Only two things to pick on, really: The major one is price. While I am willing to pay a premium for the experience (ie relaxing rather than messy, noisy, badly decorated salon where they can’t make small talk) I really wouldn’t be able to afford their services at full price. I commend Helle for having a Monday «Happy Hour» and will definitely be checking it out, but really the only solution here is for me to get a sugar daddy…
And then just one nit-​picky thing: I really wish they would have turned the heat up a little. My appointment was in the evening, and this being fall, along with having to remove shoes and socks and coat for the mani/​pedi… well, I was a little chilly. Maybe I just should have spoken up, I can’t imagine they would have been snarky about it.

After reading all the rave reviews on here I decided that I must check this place out for myself, and I’m really glad I did!
After taking scissors to my own hair for a while, I decided it was about time to give it a rest and let a professional even things out with my layers and such. So I went in to see Chivahn, and man, did she do an amazing job! Not only did she clean up my overall cut and length, but she did some all over texturizing to spice things up a bit.
The salon itself is really cute, laidback, and wonderfully decorated. I felt right at home.

To begin with: Until recently I had some stray hairs on my back. I used to feel self-​conscious about them — as I did about my dragging knuckles, my protruding brow, my faint smell of pterodactyl pheromones and all the other unfashionable physical attributes I had when I was extracted from that glacier and defrosted. But my back doesn’t bother me anymore, thanks to Helle’s waxing services.
Danielle is quick, but very thorough. From the back of me, you’d never guess that I once looked like the front of Robin Williams. The process was as near to painless as you can imagine; I’ve had waxing done before, at Wax Bar in Ballard, and the difference between Helle and that experience is akin to the difference between «Les Demoiselles d’Avignon» and «Guernica.» Why would I want to go back to tender, red skin and days of post-​spa suffering? With Helle, I can lay on my back the same day without wishing all of you were dead — which is a good thing, because I spend a good portion of every day on my back.
And honestly, I think I’d want to hang out at Helle even if I weren’t cursed with hideous physical deformities that Robert Pattinson will never know. The spa is just a pleasure to be in, with its comfortable couches, rich colors and walls full of cool art. And Danielle is easily one of the nicest, most ingratiating individuals I’ve met. She puts you at ease immediately, and knows when to distract you — two things you’ll want someone to do when you’re doing the difficult things you’ve got to do to hang on to your too-​hot-​for-​Hollywood good looks.
I’m a Helle customer now, and I intend to remain a Helle customer until I’m sidelined by another ice age. But I’m not getting my chest done. No no no no. I’m damned near irresistible as I am.

Walking into Helle is kind of like walking into what you would imagine the boudoir of a Moulin Rouge show girl to look like. Do not come here expecting that stupid zen tranquility that so many salons are going for now adays… come here if you just want to keep it real.
The walls are fun colors, the vintage plush red couch is AWESOME, they have reading material actually worth reading, and totatlly killer accesories.
I came here to see Chivahn who i followed from Bridge Blonde and was super early so I just kind of hung out reading in the living room. She got to me and I explained what I wanted… lighter with patches of funky colors and my old pixie cut back. She did all this flawlessley and kept the conversation moving right along the whole about 2 hours i was there. She gave me an overall lift (better then bleach) to turn my hair gold then pinkified me with fuschia and pink streaks perfectly placed and gave me an awesome pixie.
Her new space in the back room is adorable, light and dark striped pink walls with spray painted gold mirrors adorning them.
Take my advice if you wanna go see a girl with attitude and style, check out Chivahn at helle

I adore Chivahn so much that I would follow her to Helle and back!
Chivahn is a hair goddess. She consistently gives me a great haircut that easy to style. She understands how to cut super thick hair so that I end up with a style that has a lot of body. Her coloring skills are impeccable. She gives me the cutest red highlights that I get tons of compliments on.
The new space is very homey with a lot of quirky personality that really let’s you get to know the people who were work there. My fav decoration is the alter to Morrissey in the kitchen! The entire staff is very friendly and professional.
Now, I just need to try out Danielle’s incredible skills.

**Update. After speaking to owner over Unilocal email, I was offered a full refund. Very sad it was a bad experience, but pleased that the owner did her best to make it right.
This review is hard to write, but it is a few months coming.
I had the WORST waxing experience at Helle.
I paid for a «Head to Toe», not cheap, but I was looking forward to the detail.
Two hours later, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
Where do I start…
Wax was left all over me. When I had to use the bathroom at home, it was painful to get my panties off b/​c there was wax all over my lady bits and ass. Ruined a perfectly great pair of panties. After all that time I spent there, there was still significant spots on my body where hair remained. I believe I know why. I was waxed practically in the dark… only a dim esthetician light was in use. No wonder.
The place does not appear clean, and I don’t know how it could be… I mean carpet and fabric every where, it’s not conducive to waxing or a skincare facility. If you can’t mop it, or wipe it down with a disinfecting rag, watch out.
To her defense, the owner is a personable lady. She felt bad about missing so much, and fixed it as best she could after I called her to let her know the situation. Good effort though, hence 2 stars and not 1.
Really, I thought it was standard practice to wax under enough light where a esthetician lamp is only a secondary source, AND more importantly, clean your clients up after service… can I get a hot towel at least?
One last thing that bothered me was the owner bad mouthing of another small business waxing spa that was moving into Georgetown. While I know that it is a very small business community in that area, I thought it was really unprofessional to share. It just looks bad.
You never know who knows who in this town when you are talking smack.
I won’t ever be back there.
There are other, better, cleaner, cost-​effective choices in Georgetown.

Her new space rocks & I can’t wait to get some girls to head over there w/​me to do some Tuesday night Happy Hour beautifying!
Also I am now officially hooked on Dermalogica products!