Rachel Beauty

Based on the reviews here I went to Rachel today. She was terrific. As advertised in the other reviews don’t expect a high end establishment. In fact the opposite. The entry door is a hole in the wall on Kneeland street and you have to walk up to the second floor which looks like a fire escape. But, her place is clean and professional and she is a sweetheart. I felt it was good value and a job well done. I’ll be going back for sure.

You will not be sipping on cucumber water but you WILL be able to afford to go once a month as is recommended.
–Convenient location
— Awesome facials
–Pleasant and knowledgable team
What more does one need?

This review is long overdue. I went to Rachel on a regular basis when I lived in Boston and now that I’ve moved to the west coast I’m having a really hard time finding someone as amazing as she was.
The location and ambiance are no frills. It’s not a fancy spa with cucumber water and hot stones everywhere. It’s for people who want/​need regular maintenance by professionals who understand how to treat various skin types and issues. If you go and realize that you need more of the frills and this is not the place for you, the $ ³⁰⁄₄₀ cost won’t leave you regretting your decision (compared to my recent $ 140 splurge at a «high-​end» salon with plenty of cucumber water and hot stones but left my face itchy and peeling). I would highly recommend trying this place out.
I bought the 5 or 10-​pack special which put me at ~$ 30 per visit — an unbeatable price for a 2-​hour treatment: cleansing, extractions, head/​neck/​shoulder massage, cooling masque, eyebrow shaping, and a «wild card» treatment depending on the situation. Every time I visited, Rachel would assess the condition of my skin and based on its dryness/​oiliness (which often changed with the crazy Boston weather), give me a treatment that made sense. For example if my skin were extra oily, she would skip the face massage that would make the skin produce more oil and spend more time on extractions or another acne-​targeting treatment. I really appreciated that Rachel actually put thought into the treatments she gave and worked tediously throughout — she never took shortcuts and tried her hardest to get every blackhead out!
Bottom line, my skin was smooth and healthy throughout the summer humidity and winter tundras of Boston thanks to Rachel.
Note: Rachel’s speaks both English and Chinese (Mandarin + Cantonese), but I think she and her team are more comfortable with Chinese.

Its a wonderful salon. Rachel is very good and takes her time with you. If you are looking for quality at affordable price and a skilled esthetician, go to Rachel’s. I would advise, if you do not speak Chinese, make sure you ask for your appointment with Rachel. Other estheticians who work for her don’t speak English.

Probably the cheapest a facial can get. Regular facials around $ 35 plus you get eyebrow shaping and a mini-​massage. The place is quite small, two rooms: one for facials for two people, and another for massage with one massage bed. They also offer waxing and nail care for pretty cheap too. And for those with uneven skin tone, there’s also microdermabration for about $ 80. You get glowing skin without killing your wallet — my favorite type of facials.