Iluminada Studio

If I could give this review 0 stars I would. Go to KINK salon instead!!! Much better, more professional and actually know how to dye hair!!! Here’s my story I know it’s long but it’s worth the read because it’s 100% honest:
I went to Sobeida for five years and trusted her as my colorist. Last week I showed her a picture of the bachelorette kaitlyn from TV and said I want my hair to look like that. She advised to dye it warm and highlight it but do it seperately with a week in between. So since I trusted her I did as told. Came back in yesterday and showed her the same picture and said okay how do we get there and she showed me a book of colors and said what do you think? First off she’s the colorist so she’s supposed to recognize what color is it that in the picture. Secondly she advised me on a brown/​blonde color. I asked her if that is the color it would take to make it the picture, she said yes (once again I trusted her). After it was finished my hair looked horrible with these new highlights. It was inconsistent with a orange thick streak and then little streaks it was just a mess. I politely and calmly told her I didn’t like it, she said well you paid $ 80 so leave it for the weekend and come back and we will glaze it. I went home and cried the entire day and night I wouldn’t even leave the house because of how extremely bad it was. So I called and said I couldn’t wait a week so I made an appointment yesterday for today. I did some research online and spoke to multiple friends who have used color glaze and they all said after a couple weeks the previous color shows through. (Did I mention she did not tell me this, and I told her the whole reason I was dying my hair was to have it for vacation in two weeks) meaning by the time vacation was here it would be showing terrible highlights. I then asked her to go back to the color espresso black that I have been doing with her for over five years. I was upset and crying and she was being dramatic saying I don’t trust her to do the glaze and wasn’t listening to her and I said I don’t really want glaze because of what I read and heard and that I simply wanted to dye it dark again. With that she couldn’t handle it so she dramatically ran into the back room to take a minute. When she was in the back room for well over 5 minutes leaving me sitting there she brings two colorists out to tell me no to do black (keep in mind she was back there for 5 – 10 minutes probably telling them what to say). They came out and made 0 sense telling me black was «too harsh» (WRONG my hair is naturally espresso black and I had it for five years so that was lie #1). Lie #2 came when they said oh just do the glaze it will tone down the color but still be highlighted (now I’m confused because Sobeida said that the color would be gone, there telling me it will just tone down the highlights therefore lie #2). I told her I wanted espresso that I’m crying and visibly upset and to just fix the mistake she made. She gives me back my $ 80 for the highlights and tells me some crap about professionally compromising herself if she dyed it black that I could take my money and go find someone else to fix the mistake she made. More CONFUSED isn’t it more unprofessional to let a client leave with a head of hair that you ruined and tell them «I’m not fixing go find someone who will fix my mistake» basically that’s what she told me. I left upset and called my hair stylist who cuts my hair at a salon in the same town called KINK they heard how upset I was and found time to squeeze me in on a Saturday afternoon. They died it back to espresso black with no difficulty and it’s not 4 hours since I left illuminada and went to KINK and my hair is back to black, healthy, and beautiful all thanks to KINK salon.
I hope this review helps someone decide differently or proceed with caution. Someone I trusted with my hair for five years screwed me over in one day and another salon had to clean up the mess that she made.

Had a wonderful experience with Heidi the colorist in august. Back again today for color and cut 9/​6/​14:-)

This place is great! Sobeida always gives me the color I’m looking for, and Shannon knows exactly how to cut my fine hair to make it look its best — which hasn’t always been easy to find. The staff are so friendly and accommodating. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences here.

I love, love, love everyone here at Iluminada Studio. Sobeida has perfected my hair color so that I find myself complimented on it all month long. Monique’s facials are to die for, with care from head to toe. She also did my makeup makeover which totally rejuvenated me. I now go out to face the world every day confidently.
This salon is unique, where else can you experience a positive energy that even on a rainy, dreary day, you will walk in a see only sunshine and feel the warmth from every member of the staff.

I’m usually wary of trying a new hair salon but I knew I was in good hands at Iluminada. I arrived 15 minutes late for my appointment but the staff were very accommodating.
Sobeida my colorist and Logan my stylist consulted together on how to make my hair look beautiful. Sobeida first suggested to give me waves and highlights like Victoria Secret models. On hindsight, I wish I didn’t turn down her suggestion. nonetheless I am very much enjoying my shorter style with blondish-​brown highlights. The entire process of coloring and cutting and styling took probably 2.5 hours. They’re very sweet here, offering drinks like tea or coffee and they have pastries out for their clients as well.
I highly recommend this place! Sobeida and her staff will take good care of you :)

I found Illuminada through the Groupon promotion they did and I’m glad I did. I had been looking for a new place to get highlights after getting totally skunked at Bouffant down the street and feeling somewhat traumatized by that. I met with Lisa during my Groupon blowout and decided to come back and give her a try. The result was exactly what I wanted: blended, natural looking highlights that were just the right shade of honey blond. No stripes, no super bleached out blond streaks, she just «got it». I’ll be back!

I’ve been a client of Lisa Kimball’s since 1998. She is the best colorist! I don’t have to tell her what to do, she always makes my hair look great. And I really love Iluminada Studio. All the people here are really nice and it’s a great atmosphere, good products, and easy to get to and park.

I first grabbed ahold of the amazing Groupon opportunity that this salon offered a few months back ($ 35 for mani, pedi and blowout — what?!) I was totally impressed by the salon’s laid back, friendly atmosphere yet no-​nonsense business attitude. I was SO surprised to be completely spoiled by the services that I received! My mani/​pedi were the most thorough I have EVER had (complete with paraffin wax), and my blowout (by Amina) was awesome too! She kept telling me that I needed a hair cut, which I thought was a push for me to spend more money — but she was totally right! I came back one week later and got a cut with Christopher. Awesome, edgy new look (I gave him permission to do what he wanted!) and I have been getting complements on it ever since. Great service, great personality, clean, reasonably priced (and there’s a stylist for every budget!), upscale yet comfortable. I highly, highly recommend.

Illuminada Studio takes care of it’s customers in it’s upscale yet friendly salon. My wife always leaves looking radiant and she is extremely happy. Recently she tried another upscale salon closer to our home but they ruined her color. It looked like someone painted gold stripes down the back of her gorgeous blonde tresses. Considering that she paid about the same price, Illuminada is the much better value. I like when she is beautified and satisfied. Illuminada has all of the services that keep her coming back and they do them well.

A co-​worker recommended this place and well you get a teacher’s discount with your NJEA card. So I gave it a try. Christopher did an amazing job. The cut was amazing and so was the service. My hair is hard to handle since it is neither curly, nor straight. He asked all the right questions and well made it work no matter which way my hair chose to be that day. He even offered to trim the bangs whenever I needed it. Just stop in, gotta love that. I promise you will not be sorry.