Grace Salon

I specifically go to Grace Salon just for Binder to thread my eyebrows. She both threads and waxes them (sometimes just threads) that way they don’t hurt as much, but she’s the best anywhere around (and I’ve gone to A LOT of different eyebrow-​waxers). I always get compliments on my eyebrows and have been going to Binder for almost two years now. You should, too! ;-)

This is my fourth time at Grace’s Salon. After having failed multiple times trying to find a suitable salon, I have to say, hands-​down, Grace’s is the place to go if you are looking for a great haircut/​trim, perm/​straightening, and/​or color-​treatment for your hair. I’ve done all three within the five years I’ve been here in Boston and none others were comparable to here. I am not in any way affiliated with Grace or her place. Here are my honest two-​cents below:
Pros:
1) Despite what some may say about her styling skills, they are the best in Boston (so far). She’s really great with her scissors and when I got the perm and ombré-​coloring done, they came out fantastic! I recently got a trim and I’ve uploaded the results of it if you’d like to check them out (you will also be able to see the ombré still left in my hair).
2) I’m always afraid to go to salons because I feel like they will «rip me off» by talking me into doing more things to my hair. But not Grace. She’s pretty honest and gets to the point. A few other Unilocalers below may have commented on her brusque-​ness in manner and talk, but that’s just a cultural thing (or maybe personality, haha, but everyone’s different, right?). If you are not Korean (meaning, recently from Korea) or don’t have much knowledge about the culture, then Grace’s attitude may bother you, but it’s not because she wants to be rude to her customers. It seems like English is still hard on her, but I appreciate the fact that she tries to improve. Anyways, she may «offer» to try different things with your hair, but she’s never been forceful.
3) Treats! Sometimes she offers her customers food! :) Who can deny yummy-​in-​the-​tummy?
Cons:
1) Waiting-​time? It may be that there is a shortage of «helpers» there and since she is the main hairdresser. For instance, sometimes, there are times where I just sort of unnecessarily sit there waiting for her to finish on another when she had originally started with me.
2) Cleanliness? Someone mentioned about previous people’s «hair on the floor.» I’m not too picky about these things, because I understand it’s hard to keep things in an orderly fashion when you’re the only employer around, but when it’s raining or snowing outside and she asks you to sit in a chair where there are other people’s hair on the floor, sometimes it gets stuck to my shoes/​boots because of the rain and well, it was a bit yucky: P Not a big deal though.
*NOTE 1: There is another employer there, Mamatha, and she’s wonderful. She’s a Nepali, just in case you wanted to know :)
*NOTE 2: Price may seem to be pricey at times, but it is… Boston :/​In that sense, it’s just average, I guess. At least, you’ll be pleased with your results!
Thanks, Grace and Mamatha. Will be back again soon!

Grace Salon is conveniently located in Union Square with lots of parking available. I’ve been going to this shop since before Grace owned it, and I would never have another salon. Binda, the aesthetician has been caring for my face for years. She gives an excellent invigorating facial and threads away unwanted facial and body hair. Her careful work has brought her a loyal following over the past 14 years. Mamatha is a colorist and stylist in the salon. She is the best for restorative hair treatments, especially hot oil massage and special conditioners. Grace’s shop is clean, attractive, and gives excellent and timely service. I would never go anywhere else.

It was my first time having my hair done at Grace salon last Saturday. I had my hairdresser for 10 years in LA and since I moved to Boston, I have had some struggles to find a hairdresser who meets my needs. My hair was waist long and frizzy, unevenly wavy since I always tie up a bun when I am at work. After 8+ hours for cutting, coloring, and straight and digital wave perm on one sitting, I was very impressed with Grace’s work. She knows everyone has different hair so the time needed for getting curls also has to be adjusted accordingly. Overall, I am happy with the result and will definitely come back.

After being disappointed at cheaper salons, I have finally decided to pay the money for great service here. I’ve been happy with hair cuts, highlights, and even a digital perm. I noticed at my last visit that Grace wasn’t too receptive to my normal «I’m not sure, you can do what’s best» so I wonder if she’s gotten some complaints and wants to CYA. I completely trust her judgement and have never been disappointed!
Regarding cost, this is what I paid (excluding tip) for partial highlights, which actually cover a large portion of hair, not just a handful of sections:
$ 80 (April 2015)
$ 100 (Sept 2015)
Subtracting a star for not being the cleanest salon (for example, I had to sit in a chair that wasn’t swept up after a haircut), and for mis-​judging time, which I think is from squeezing in walk-​ins.
By the way, the «Indian» person others have mentioned is actually Nepalese.

Do yourself a favor and have Binder thread your eyebrows. She’ll change your life. She’s the best anywhere, period. I’ve moved and have been making the trek back to Union Square for over 2 years to have her do my eyebrows.

Got a magic perm this afternoon. I am truly satisfied with the result. I was a bit worried because I had another perm in Spring, thought the magic perm might further damage my hair. Grace knew about the ‘history’ and I just could feel all of the efforts she put on the procedure, for a solid 3.5 hour. It came out so silky. She knows the stuff.

Today, I got the best haircut I have ever received in my life, which is quite the statement, considering the fact that I used to be really into hairstyling and would go to some of the trendiest hair salons in Korea, Singapore, and New York.
I definitely recommend this place to Asian Americans or Asian students in Boston, but, also, frankly, for people of any ethnicity.

Best haircut of. my. LIFE. Grace was so nice and meticulous with her handiwork. I’m never letting a white person touch my hair again!

I have been using Grace Salon more than 10 years and I am pretty picky in choosing a hair designer. After all, I decided to stick with Grace since she is the top. She knows hair and trend. I received many complements about my digital perms and hair cut with Grace. Per my 20 years professional work experience, the most important in your appearance is your hair and shoes. If you messed up one of them, you won’t give good impression about your appearance.
I had a cut yesterday from Grace. What a difference! After just washing hair, it gave me a nice style without blow drying. That shows done by an expert.

second time going to grace — and I have to say I’m not super impressed. I have long, fine hair, and just wanted a trim. what I’ve realized grace does is to hack away at it, doing a lot of thinning along the way. for the price ($ 60 for a hair cut) I would rather pay for somewhere like mie higashimoto where they cut your hair to be in tune with your natural style. my hair post-​Grace requires a lot of styling to look neat, as there are a lot of flyaways and frizzy ends. have to wait for it to grow out and tame down; bummed because all i needed was a slight trim.

I did not have a pleasant experience at Grace Salon. Not only did she refuse to honor any amount of the $ 50 for $ 75 Unilocal deal going on, she was unclear about how much the visit was going to cost. The dye job was not the best I have ever had and it was only a touch up. Then, she scoffed at me when I tried to explain I did not like the color she chose for hair dye
She told me that the deal did not cover a color treatment and since I had already paid $ 50 toward the salon, I ended up paying a total of $ 140 for a root touch up! Never again.
I will not be going back there and will not recommend it to my friends

The proprietor and chief stylist is a Korean lady named Grace in her 50s or 60s who definitely knows her craft — evident in her excellent results despite how quickly and seemingly effortlessly she works, as opposed to a novice who is super-​slow and super-​careful because they lack confidence and experience.
Unfortunately, Grace’s personality leads a lot to be desired: cold, distant, and more than a bit haughty. She will turn on the ice treatment if you have the audacity to ask her to do something different than what she thinks your hair needs, as if you, O lowly ignorant peon, have just insulted her professional expertise.
The first time I went there, I told her that I had chosen her based on the good reviews on Unilocal.She was clearly pleased, and probably assuming that I would add to her stockpile of rave reviews, took extra time and care to give me what was probably the best haircut I’ve ever had. I let her do whatever she wanted, including the usual disastrous blow-​dry and styling that most salons do after the haircut — which almost always results in a puffed up, over-​gelled pimp-​looking hairdo that I have to run home to shower.
The second time I went there, she seemed to only vaguely remember me, seemed distracted and preoccupied, and spent maybe half as much time, and did a fairly mediocre-​to-​bad job. Like the first time, I didn’t offer any feedback or instructions during the haircut, which I immediately regretted afterwards. So I didn’t come back for the next 4 months, trying out a different and much cheaper place in the same neighborhood instead.
My third visit was the least pleasant, although the actual haircut was much better because I very clearly (but very politely) stated exactly how I wanted it cut before and during, not wanting a repeat of the previous visit’s botched haircut. Grace complied but was distinctly stone-​faced and brusque about it, seemingly to do the minimum possible and giving me the impression she just wanted to get it over with. What few bits of human warmth she had during the first two visits were completely gone; she didn’t speak, make eye contact, or smile once. Perhaps this thin-​skinned over-​inflated pride is a feature of old-​school Korean culture, but I found myself feeling very uncomfortable and sickened by. the pettiness and rigidity.
Needless to say, I will not be coming back and putting myself at the mercy of her dysfunctional personality just for the off-​chance of getting a fabulous haircut if it happens to suit her whims that day — not when I can get a perfectly decent haircut for half the price from a much nicer, friendlier Dominican salon down the street (see my review). I suppose if you are extremely picky about your hair and are willing to pay top dollar for it and humor a waxen-​faced woman’s delusions of grandeur, this wouldn’t be a bad choice.
PS. The Indian woman and co-​stylist who washes your hair before Grace gets to it was very friendly every time, in contrast to her boss. Also, they do walk-​ins but an appointment might be a better idea since there can be long waits. However they seem to overbook appointments at times too… so just come with a book or magazine in case.

I’ve walked by this salon countless times during my sojourns through Union Square, but I’d never stopped in until today. My mistake!
With an upcoming ten-​year reunion, I needed a little upkeep, but couldn’t work my schedule around another recommended salon’s availability. Trudging home from work, there shone Grace Salon like a glimmering oasis of beauty products and services.
As soon as I entered, I knew I’d made a good choice. The facility is clean, smells good, and is decorated sparingly. I hate when things look jumbled! The waxing lady came out right away and escorted me to a private room; the walls don’t go all the way to the ceiling, so I guess it’s more of a private cubicle? But it was very nice.
Mamata, my waxing savior, was warm, efficient, and effective. Got the no-​frills waxings I was looking for without going out of my budget. I will definitely return!

Second haircut was just as amazing. Grace worked her magic and I loved my haircut. I got several compliments on it just walking home :) I can officially call myself a regular.

BEST HAIRCUT EVER!!!
Love this place!
Grace is such an expert Stylist!!!
Highly Recommended!

I’ve frequented Grace Salon for a couple of years now, and she never disappoints me. I’ve mostly gone to her because I’ve found that my hair can be difficult to cut if you’re not familiar with Asian hair, especially thick, coarse Asian hair. Watching Grace with her scissors (multiple; on average I can differentiate at least four different kinds used on my hair), it’s clear she knows what she’s doing. I’ve only gotten haircuts as well as the Japanese straightening perm (which with my hair lasts about ~4−5 months on average) and they’ve all gone well.
The only gripe I have is the price, which for all intents and purposes is probably the regular price for a good haircut. I’m not sure when (I’ve been away for about a year), but the price for a haircut went from $ 45 to $ 55, which is a bit too steep for me as a poor college student, but I’m just too cautious w/​other hairstylists considering Grace is used to my hair by now.

Grace is an angel.
Before meeting Grace I would only go to my hairdresser in my hometown. One fateful day, my old salon had to cancel my appointment and I was desperate for a haircut. After reading Grace’s reviews I decided to give her a try. I called for an appointment and she was able to see me the same day.
Grace is a woman of few words which is fine with me because I was holding my breath with nervousness the entire time she was cutting my hair. When she was finished I looked fabulous.
My allegiance was won over that day and I have been back twice since.

My husband and I have long been fans of Grace salon, not only for its fabulous perms and great cuts, but the trendy hairstyle. Grace (the stylist) uses high quality hair products and takes the time to advise her clients on hairstyles that are best for them.
We are very satisfied with Grace. Highly recommended!

I unfortunately had a negative experience at Grace Salon. I called on a Saturday around 4 and was glad to hear that they could squeeze me in for a 5:00 appointment. When I went, I had a deep conditioning treatment that involved sitting under a heater. The timer was set for 40 minutes, despite the other stylist stating that it only needed to be set for 20. When I pointed this out, there was no response. After the timer went off, I wanted in my chair for almost 30 minutes before the stylist came over to wash and cut my hair. By the time we got to the haircut, she barely listened to what I wanted and blew through the cut in 10 minutes (I have every thick hair which normally takes a lot longer to cut). They had clearly double booked slots, as my stylists was coloring a woman’s hair and trying to run back and forth to me.
One of the reasons I wanted to go here was because of the reviews stating that the price was reasonable. When I went to check out she asked for $ 100. I questioned the price, and she said that the hair cut was $ 60 and the deep conditioning treatment was $ 40. The haircut is meh and the experience was very frustrating. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend going here.