Down at Lulu’s

huge fan of this place. tina always does an excellent job. amazing cut, great style, awesome value. i’ve lived in the bay area for more than 20 years, this is the best place i’ve found. a true gem.

I wanted to love Down at Lulu’s. But sadly, that’s not the case. I am a plus sized lady, and their Instagram posts lots of plus sized clothing and comments that seem to be about body positivity. When I visited, I was expecting the plus options to be more easily accessible. They were all mixed in with other sizes, and the few I did find were atrocious, or stained, or ripped, or not exactly plus sized. Its hard enough finding decent plus sized vintage, and this place solidified that fact for me. :/​bummed. Also, they’re a little overpriced for what it is.

Great hair, cute stuff, Amazing prices!!!1
Anytime i see one of my friends with great hair and ask them where they got it done they say Down at Lulu’s
I’m sad that Seth retired but, have seen amazing looks created by Tina all over town.
This is really a hidden gem :)
The clothes is really cute and, they offer good deals.
Need a leather or denim Fanny pack? they’ve got it :)

I’ve been meaning to write this review for Amber for but I’ve been mourning over my horrible haircut. I’m a pretty low key person, medium wavy hair that just needed some layers and love put into my hair. I left with a flat, heavy hair and probably the worst haircut I’ve ever had. I would not recommend this place at all.

I had such a positive experience with Nick that this is the first Unilocal review I have ever written. Nick was patient and kind as I bumbled through a description of what kind of haircut I wanted. He looked through my pictures, asked detailed questions, and talked me through what he thought would suit my hair routine /​type /​style. As for length he showed me where he was going to cut it before he cut it, which made me feel confident that I was going to get the exact length I expected. Nick is creative and communicates with his clients very well. I would recommend him to anyone, I have finally found my hairstylist!

Curly hair cut with Amber!
I consider my hair on the thickish side with curls that turn into waves and can be annoying. But, Amber has an easy way with hair… she just knows how it works. I’ve had a few cuts with her and every time I am super happy. I even got bangs recently which I was really nervous about… curly hair + bangs .can = disaster. However, they look great, with or without a blow dry.
Amber is super talented.
Also, the store is super awesome and I’ve seen a ton of cute things there.
All in all, rad place.

I’ve been doing my own hair for a decade and a half with VERY few exceptions, so entrusting it to someone else is daunting. Amber was very understanding about how protective of it I am and very attentive to all the input I was anxious to give. She paid close heed to the image I had in mind, and took the time to make absolutely sure she was hitting the mark, even using toning products to keep my shiny white its brightest. I left feeling tidy and pretty. Thank you, Amber!

Some of the best vintage and the NICEST people you will ever meet, spending your money here is worth it because they truly care for the customer — oh what they could teach other stores!

Went here cuz I heard they had some sweet shizz. was stoked as feck dew! Soooo sick!!! Scored some crazy ass clothes, rare ass-​records, and totally bitchin’ babe-​n-​a-​half-​with-​a-​side-​of-​bacon Tina (shop owner/​hairsmith extraordinaire) not only turned me on to glam fab Tiger B Smith, but some useless puke cancelled her hair appointment last minute so I was able to jump in the thrown and get the best hair cut OF MY LIFE!!! I worship you Tina!

I wish there was a partition between the shop and the salon. I felt a little exposed while sitting there getting a dye job. I wish the dye would have been as dark as I had asked for too. Oh well! At least I tried it.

I had the greatest experience with Amber! I say «experience» to encompass the haircut, styling instruction and pleasant conversation that were all part of the appointment I’m so happy I made on a whim. I said I wanted Bridget Bardot hair and asked for choppy layers. A lady who knows her 60s layers, Amber said my approach was all wrong! She proceeded to give me a great cut, thinning out my fringe and adding some layers up top. She then spent forty minutes blowing out and teasing my hair, instructing me how to get that sultry sixties look piece by piece. So happy I found her!

Ally is the best.
She’s been the best since my first review of her when she was at Curl Up and Dye (
) and she’s only gotten better. She is a true artist of hair and I cannot recommend her enough.

I’m not a vintage sort of gal but when Ally moved here from SF I had such a hard time breaking up with her that I end up hauling my butt over here to get my haircut every few months.
Ally is awesome. As always! See my review at her original shop —
With Ally I’ve gone from long hair to shoulder length, to chin length bobs and now I’m sporting a pixie cut that always gets me comments (good ones). I never would have thought I could have gotten away with a pixie cut — ie look good sportin’ one. But I love it! Ally found a short hair style that works for me and gave me lots of confidence to try this new look. Now I’ve had it for a few years and the compliments still keep coming. She’s also goes above and beyond what I expect of a hairdresser. If I have a question on products I can just text her and she’ll get back to me. When I told her I might need to break up because the East Bay was kinda out of the way for me she was really understanding and even gave me some tips to tell my new hairdresser how to deal with the quirks of my hair. But then my haircut looked so good I never left.
What I like about Down at Lulu’s is that it’s got the same quirky vibe as Ally’s old place. Also, everyone here is super nice when I show up to get my hair cut. Really friendly and welcoming.

I’ve never actually had my hair done here, but it’s one of my favorite vintage go-to’s. They’re one of the most reasonably priced vintage shops around and I never leave empty handed.

Attacked the sale rack outside on Tuesday and MY GOD. Everything between 5 $-10 $ if it had been in my size, I would have snatched most of it! Ended up buying 2 velvet shirt/​crop tops one red, and one green crushed. Can’t wait to wear these! The girl working behind the register was really friendly, helping me since I had a lot I was carrying that day and informed me of more things that were coming in soon! Will DEF be going back!!!

This review is about AMBER S. I created a Unilocal account just so I could submit this review about her. DO NOT under any circumstances schedule an appointment with Amber.
This was the first time I had been to Down at Lulu’s and my first (and only) haircut with Amber. When Amber arrived for our appointment, she had a large brace on her wrist, which she then took off. When she washed my hair, she barely washed it at all – just put shampoo on my head then smooshed it around with one hand for 10 seconds. That’s when I noticed she was rather incapacitated but didn’t say anything about it. She then proceeded to give me THE WORST HAIRCUT OF MY LIFE. She barely did anything to my hair except for chop at it randomly. Then she put me under the hairdryer instead of giving me a blowout, and the results were atrocious. When I told her that she needed to redo the mess, she told me that she couldn’t because she had fractured her wrist. Her direct quote was, «You don’t get disability when you work for yourself.»
I’m sorry for her situation. But it was extremely unethical and unprofessional for her to take my hard-​earned money, waste my time, and make me look awful when she is unable to do her job properly.
I had to go home and re-​wash and re-​style my hair it was so bad. Then I had to go spend another significant chunk of money to get her hack-​job fixed.
Avoid Amber S. at all costs.

I want to edit this post because I’ve been back for two cuts since with no issue. Amber gives rad cuts. I’ll keep coming back and I haven’t seen the person who gave me horrible customer service since the one bad experience.
I’m so sad! I called earlier today to see if they had time for a bang trim and the answer «Can you come in at one?» made me overjoyed because I have a job interview later. I get there a few minutes before my appointment and check in. The lady working the desk returns from the back to tell me they can’t see me until three. Wtf! Is that standard? I had been here for one appointment previous and left excited to find a salon I can love. Guess I’ll have to keep looking.

Amber rocked my hair out. I went in with a few different pictures of ladies with varying lengths of shag hairdos and Amber found the perfect balance for my thick, straight hair. She also took note of my like for thinned-​out hair and gave my mane some life again. She even gave me some really good tips on how to easily make my hair look more wavy without too much work or hassle.
The salon is small, at the back of an already small vintage thrift store, but the décor is great (totally reminded me of my grandmother) and the people are real with you.
For a hairstylist who listens to you and knows what she’s doing, I’d definitely recommend going to Amber, Down at Lulu’s. :)

What a cute spot! I traveled here to see the amazing Ally Karn, who has been cutting my hair for years++ and recently moved here. Had a great time, even dragged my man in here, who would NEVER pay more than $ 7.00 for a hair cut. Sat his butt on the couch while Ally cut my hair and did an amazing job with the color (thanks as always Chica!) and he was so comfortable, he agreed to let Ally cut his hair.
We had a great time, two great ‘do’s, lots of blabbing and laughing, nice, chill atmosphere, and, i got to look at some cute purses too.
Can’t get better when talking about a hair cut. Getting my hair ‘did is a major treat and expense for me … and the experience here, made it worthwhile.

I’ve been getting haircuts here on and off for two or three years — Amber is awesome!
I’ve got super straight boring hair, so it’s fun to get a really layered and dramatic cut. And, it’s not as crazy expensive as some places. (thought not cheap either…)

I love this place. Tina has cut my hair 3 out of 4 times. I have to admit that I always freak out after my cuts. I think that they look ugly on me or that there is no way I could pull off such a ‘do. Then I come to my senses after the compliments and realize that I look great. I have pretty straight, very thick hair if this helps anyone out there looking for a new stylist. Also, their vintage stuff is gorgeous even though I wish they wouldn’t sell fur.

This place is the shit. I have never liked my hair better in my whole life. Tina and Amber both cut my hair and do a most excellent job. I also get the best vintage pieces ever here. deadstock 60’s shift dresses, my holy grail denim jacket above all other things. What is great about their selection though is really how cheap they price everything, I mean I’ve gotten vintage denim Versace jeans here for under $ 30! Tina really has a great eye I have bought most of my prized possessions here. This shop is so cute I really couldn’t dream of it any other way. Pink store with pink walls and killer shop displays that they usually hand make themselves! I have been coming here for 5 years and have never looked back.

After careful deliberation, the owner Tina took time out of her busy day to send me a Unilocal compliment for my review of her store from Feb with an «OH PLEASE!!! GIMMIE A BREAK!!!».
Y’all are killin it with the professionalism Tina. Next time I will only write short super positive trivial things about your totally amazing store and not crappy customer service ok?
I can understand off-​days, everyone has them and it seems people inclined to Unilocal every second of their life always get you when you happen to be at your worst, shortstaffed, or otherwise compromised from providing your usual stellar service. Retail is just hard in general, I know this… but that is why shop owners can take seriously a critique and respond publicly to the reviews for their stores … instead of passive aggressively writing a petty private Unilocal compliment that just confirms the bad experience had in the store.