Serenity Salon

The Helena person has no idea about a haircut.
My bangs were no badly cut & this is just before my birthday!
Never ever coming back here!

I’m a creature of habit and it’s not very often I venture to a new salon but my salon didn’t do Keratin treatments. The salon is a hidden gem in Korea Town and a respite from the hustle/​bustle of the the city.
I have to agree with other reviewers, Helayna is a DOLL. Very warm and friendly, and it was a pleasure talking to her. First time ever so did not know what to expect. She walked me through it and answered all questions I had, and even some I didn’t! There was no hard sell about anything other than what I was booked for i.e. products. She really knew what she was doing and the results were amazing. I will go back to her and only her because she is fabulous. You should also!
She’s the type of person I’d want as a friend which is saying a lot for me!!!

I bought a deal from Lifebooker for a keratin treatment and a haircut for Helayna. First off, Let me say I was 15 minutes late, I walked in and Helayna greeted me with a smile, she let me know about the treatment briefly then sent me to get a wash. After my wash, got on the chair and that is where all questions were answered. Helayna told me what the keratin would do, what shampoo and conditioner to use, when to wash the treatment out. She was such a doll. Enjoy chatting with her. She did a quick trim (not like how i get in the Dominican salon where they cut off more than i want). Loved the end result, I just washed my hair out the other day and i see a difference.
I would definitely go back to her, in either salon (more for blow out though since i really don’t do much to my hair). If i get another keratin treatment, i would go to Helayna for it.

Serenity is a beautiful space with friendly staff. I stopped in a few days ago for an appointment with Helayna and got the best cut, color & blowout I’ve gotten in NYC, period — and I’ve been to a zillion places! I’ll definitely be back.

great place, 5 stars for Paul ! friendly service with a professional environment. Quick and easy process with quality service, and appropriately priced, can’t ask for more here.

I used a lifebooker for a cut and color with Heleyna. The end result is good, although my hair is quite a bit shorter than i wanted, but I wouldn’t go back for the following reasons.
Heleyna was completely disengaged. She said maybe 3 words to me the whole time and left me with the feeling that she’d rather be doing anything but my hair. At least I was in and out quickly.
The hair washing basin was super uncomfortable. It hurt. I asked for a towel to be placed under my neck but the basin was adjusted instead.
Not a fun or relaxing experience but my hair looks good, even if it’s shorter than it’s been in 10 years.

This review is for Helayna. I got a haircut/​treatment from her yesterday and it was a great experience. My previous haircut was horrible and I was scared to get back in the chair. So glad I did. She is personable, chatty and makes you feel very relaxed throughout the process. I love my hair and I will try to visit her from Philly whenever I can.

I booked a super sweet Lifebooker deal for a hair cut and blow out with Helayna at Serenity Salon, Midtown location. At first, I didn’t really enjoy the brusque nature of the gentleman who checked me in for my appointment. The dude was very snotty and asked for my Lifebooker coupon, as he called it, rather loudly. I am not one to get embarrassed about such things, but man, he was rude.
However!!!
4 stars for Heleyna, meh for the rest. Heleyna and I talked about my past hair cuts and what I wanted– about an inch + layer trim. Easy? Yes! The hair washing experience wasn’t relaxing at all. I couldn’t get comfortable. I basically had to hold my head up, uncomfortably at a very weird angle. Not only that, I had a little river in my ears after the hair wash. Uncomfortable and annoying at best.
My haircut with Heleyna was loads of fun. Chop, chop, chop, chat, chat, chat and blowdry. The entire cut was done in 30 minutes. I was happy with my cut. Simple, quick and a fun hair stylist, what more can you ask for?

Recently purchased a keratin treatment on life booker with Helayna. She works out of Serenity Salon, which appears to be a salon that independent random stylists rent chairs.
She was super easy to book with, I was running about 20 minutes late and called to let her know and she was nice enough to still honor my life booker voucher even though I might have messed up her schedule a bit. She does the Lassio type of keratin which I love! Its been about a month and my hair has zero frizz but a TON of body. I mentioned that I hate keratin treatments in the beginning because my hair gets to straight and lifeless. She said the lassio treatment leaves the body just eliminates the frizz. She cranked out the treatment and haircut in about an hour and my hair still looks fantastic. Highly recommend her.

I saw Helayna for a cut, color and blow out and had a really great experience. The cut and color were perfect and exactly what I wanted. The blow out was one of the best blow outs I’ve ever gotten — my hair was voluminous and bouncy when I left the salon. I’d definitely recommend seeing Helayna if you ever need a blow out before an event. Helayna was really friendly, not pushy or condescending at all, and made sure to keep me in the loop/​get my approval on everything she was doing with my hair. The salon itself was nice and everyone I encountered was friendly. Overall, I had a great experience at Serenity and plan to go back for future services!

4 stars for Helayna, 2 for Serenity Salon.
I purchased a pretty sweet LifeBooker deal for [my first ever] keratin treatment with Helayna at Serenity Salon, and now after having had an additional treatment elsewhere, can safely say that Helayna is awesome. She’s chatty, funny, and great at what she does. My treatment was flawless and I couldn’t have been happier.
Serenity Salon, however, rubbed me the wrong way. Yeah, they serve wine, which is nice. But two days after my treatment, I called with a question for Helayna, as I didn’t know if my treatment had taken properly (again, was my first time and I didn’t know what to expect/I’m already incredibly neurotic to begin with), and the flamboyant man at the reception desk was very rude to me on the phone, going on about how any issues with LifeBooker treatments was not their problem and that of I wanted my treatment done again I would to come in and pay full price. WAT? I just asked if I could speak to Helayna regarding my question – chill out, dude!
I’m not sure if I will go back to Helayna, only because the regular price treatment is super expensive, but if you’re a baller or happen upon a deal for her, go for it!

I would just like to say this salon is a little different then most but get the job done with a freidnly staff and the most talented hair dresser ever! I have been seeing Christina for over 3 years now and she is the most talented hairdresser/​colorist I have ever been to. She is honestly a hair genius and when it comes to coloring look out because she is AMAZING! I would and have recommended Christina to my friends and I wouldnt go to anyone else ever.
SHE GETS FIVE STARS!!!
She is truly taleneted and I will continue to see her every time!

i love this place because they serve me wine when I get my hair cut, because it’s tucked away in an office building, because the place is big and open and never feels cramped or full of chemicals (which certainly can’t be said of all Manhattan salons). But what I love the most about this place is that Christina Quillen works out of there, and she’s my all time favorite hair colorist/​stylist in Manhattan.
I’ve never seen any of the other stylists, or had any other services here. Christina manages everything herself, so I’ve never even really dealt with the people at the front desk, but they seem really nice and helpful. Christina keeps telling me i should come get my nails done by the lady who does kick-​ass gel manicures there. I will some day!
It’s not a super-​luxe kind of place with services up the wazoo. I’ve been to some of those kinds of places, though, and I think they’re generally outrageously expensive. So I like this smaller feeling, more casual environment that they offer at Serenity. I’m betting you will, too!

My boyfriend said my haircut from Christina Quillen was the best I’ve ever had. I also love it. so hey we’re all happy. It’s hard for me to get a cut with a bit of an edge without spending a ton of money. The color is great and I’m really happy with it.

I got a life booker deal for christina Quillen and booked an appointment with her immediately after. The morning of my appointment, she texts me and cancels. We then reschedule my appointment for 3 weeks LATER!!! I get to my appointment ontime and I am told by the salon receptionist that christina is not in today. I text Christina, but no answer. She then calls a stylist in the salon to let them know to inform me she has food poisoning. Bullsh*t! No one else in the salon was able to do my hair because they were «completely booked.» This salon is a real piece of work and christina Quillen is a scam artist. I asked for my money back and was refunded. Don’t book with her. She is completely unprofessional and just plain rude. Read the other reviews and do not waste you time or money. I should have listened!

Completely agreed with Joey B’s review below. DO NOT SEE CHRISTINA QUILLEN. I went in for ombré highlights with a few streaks on the top. I ended up waiting for 1 hr 15 min before she saw me. I showed her pictures of what I had wanted and she nodded that she understood. In the end, I was completely shocked to see that my hair color didn’t have any ombré highlights (she didn’t even color in the inner layers of my hair in); it was darker than what it originally was going in! I didn’t see any noticeable change from when I had came into the salon. I asked her where my highlights were, and she responded «well, I’m not going to be able to get them everywhere». For an original price of $ 300 to get ombré highlights, I fully expect a hairdresser to color and lighten the entire latter portion of my head. Thankfully, I had gotten a lifebooker deal, so only paid $ 80 plus tax and tip. I regret tipping her as much as I did; after my hair was done, she stood behind me waiting for the tip.
Highly unprofessional and a complete waste of money. I will now have to look elsewhere to fix and (finally) get the ombré look I was highly anticipating to get before coming here.
Again, don’t waste your time or money by going to Christina Quillen.

Christina at Serenity is the best! I followed her from Alibi (life booker coupon).
I would call myself a «serial dater» when it comes to hairstylists, i have tried everyone! Christina always does the perfect color, and knows what the client wants. I have been going to her for almost a year now, once a month, and i couldn’t imagine anyone else doing my hair. I get the balayage highlights and base break and i have never had an issue. its always stunning.
Don’t believe the negative review, Christina is really sweet and will always fit you into her schedule. And if you have to wait, just sip on a glass of wine at the salon :)

I bought a Lifebooker loot ($ 100) for a Keratin treatment with Helayna and it was a GREAT choice! I’m always so skeptical before I purchase these things, especially when there isn’t a specific review on Unilocal for the service I am interested in. I hope this will be helpful to some of you considering a trip to visit Helayna. First of all, the salon is really clean and cute. Not at all snobby. Every person made me feel comfortable which is hard to find in a nyc salon. I was taken on time, which is also a miracle in an nyc salon. BUT most importantly, Helayna was fantastic! She has years of experience and expertise and it’s very obvious. I dread getting a keratin treatment but she was super quick and the product she used (Lasio) doesn’t make you look like a grease ball. I purposely chose to do the treatment in the middle of the week so that I could wash it by the weekend but there was no need. My hair was silky and gorgeous right after having it done! Helayna was so skilled and great to talk to. I couldn’t be happier with the results and got way more than I paid for!

3.5 stars for Chritina Quillen
1 star for Serenity salon
As Joey B., I had a lifebooker deal for Chritina Quillen at Alibi 25 but when I called to book the appointment, I was told she was working at Serenity salon.
I contacted Christina by email and booked the appointment.
Christina is very nice and the ombré highlights looked great. I was happy about that. I asked her to cut my hair and the result was just ok.
I didn’t like the salon. Very crowed, noisy. The woman who washed my hair was not very gentle at all — she literally rubbed my hair/​scalp very hard — and the washing process lasted less than 2 minutes !!! I have done highlights for a long time and I haven’t had such a fast shampoo.
I would consider go back to Christina but not at this salon.

I got a lifebooker deal to see Christina Quillen at Alibi 25 for Balayage highlights. I called a few weeks before to see if I could change the time and found out she was no longer working there. They gave me her email address and told me to email her directly.
I then find out she’s at serenity salon. My appointment is at 3pm. I get there at 3:01 and end up waiting for 55 minutes before she even sees me. She was busy doing someone else’s hair instead. I find this incredibly rude. I rushed there from Connecticut to get there in time, and she makes me wait an hour and doesn’t even apologize.
She ends up taking another client while seeing me, which generally wouldn’t bother me, but it made the experience even longer. I had plans to go out for dinner for my birthday and needed to go home and change, which I no longer had time to do.
The highlights ended up being much darker than what I’d asked for, and it looked like she did nothing at all. She also charged me an extra $ 45 for a gloss, which is ridiculous. I’ve been getting highlights for 10 years and I’ve never had to pay extra for gloss. She didnt even apply the gloss on herself, she had the shampoo girl do It and then pocketed the cash herself. I’m really unhappy with the highlights and am going to need to get them redone next weekend when I’m in LA.
Please do NOT go to Christina. Big waste of time and money, and an incredibly frustrating experience

Ever have one of those NY moments where you see beautiful people come out of office buildings on the weekends or after hours and you just know they know something you don’t? Well, I had one of those NYC moments today and I found out the secret!
Hilly at Serenity Salon!
Hidden inside of a typical New York office building around the corner from the Empire State hides Serenity. The name is on the buzzer, and that’s the only way you’ll know it’s there. Make sure you go to the 4^th floor once you get in the elevator — Serenity is unmarked.
Once at Serenity, the sights and sounds of the city fade away as you enter a warm and inviting space bathed in peach — I kind of felt like I was in a hideaway. Enjoy water, coffee, or tea while you melt into the couch before your appointment — and I did just that as I waited for Hilly to finish cuts on a tall, attractive couple who turned out to be models — I heard the girl call Hilly a «lifesaver» after she was butchered by a stylist at an expensive, celeb salon with the initials «FF». Turns out Hilly cuts a lot of models and I can definitely see why! Told you I learned a secret! ;)
Meticulous and professional, Hilly is a highly skilled stylist — they say practice makes perfect and he’s been at it for 15 years! He first talked with me about what I wanted:
–length: From what I said, Hilly guessed it would be about 2.5 inches off.
–layers: Hilly summed up that I wanted long layers.
–styling: I have curly hair and don’t know how to blow dry it straight — how much work would that take?!?
–my needs with regard to my career and lifestyle: My hair needs to be long enough to put it all up for events and working out.
And then, once Hilly had a clear picture of what I was looking for, he made the first cut. He showed me the piece he cut to see if it was the length I was looking for. It was exactly as he estimated — 2.5 inches! He showed me by measuring the cut piece next to his comb (Talk about precision!); a comb is 1 inch high! Another beauty secret revealed!
After getting the length where it needed to be, Hilly went in and created long layers. I was starting to look like a person again after carrying around hair long enough to double as a train — yes, it followed behind me and covered a lot of my physique, it was so long!
Then, in the blink of an eye, he blew my hair straight which I found to be amazing since I have curly, frizzy hair. Even more amazing was he styled it without any product! It turns out he blew it straight to see how the hair would lay and based on what he saw, Hilly went in and «thinned» it out. Remember – I said «meticulous»! :)
Once the style was where he wanted it to be, Hilly added a few drops of Kiehl’s Moroccan oil which smelled delicious! I couldn’t believe it was my hair! It looked and felt amazing! I loved it and my fiancé, who also loved it, said I was glowing.
After years of visiting salons with trademarked, well known names and fees to match, Hilly is the only stylist who’ll be touching my hair! While Hilly cuts at Serenity, he mentioned he also cuts on location for shoots and at clients’ offices.
$ 95 for the cut, $ 55 for the blow out. Cash only and worth every penny!