Primp Salonbar

I was given a Groupon for the spa mani and pedi. These are things I rarely do myself so I was excited to get pampered and came with cash so i could add on services and of course tip. The excitement stopped when i walked in. The salon may be beautiful but the service was absolutely, unequivocally awful. My 2 year old can paint nails better than this. I walked out with smudged/​dented polish, cuticles had polish on them, she left polish on my skin, one nail literally «slid» off, it is streaked and is not an even coloring. My appt was over in 50 minutes for a mani AND pedi. The water was tepid at best for the pedi. She «filed» my feet for a total of 1 minute, her massage was an absolute joke, and my feet feel and look no different than when I walked in– never a problem i have had with a pedi. She spent her time asking if I had friends I would refer to her (heck no) and were there other services i wanted to pay for that day since i was getting something for «free». I hate that my friend spent $ 29 at an attempt to pamper me bc it was far too much to pay for what I got. So much for feeling pampered. Awful. Simply awful.

After many months of visiting Primp for a variety of services, I think it’s best to say «you get what you pay for.» They ALWAYS have great email specials which was what got me there in the first place, but when you spend $ 49 on partial highlights, you might look like you did just that. I had to go back for a fix once after I realized I looked like a skunk, and they tried to explain I’d have to pay since my appt was outside the 1 week grace period, but since I called before that (not my fault I couldn’t rearrange my life last minute for them to fix the awful hair they did) I received a much better service on the house. In general, you just have to take them with a grain of salt. I’m not high maintenance about my hair, so I deal with it. If you are more precision oriented and like exactly what you like, I’d find somewhere else.

My visit to primp was about a year ago, but while checking out other salons on Unilocal,I decided to finally write my review. I had purchased a gift certificate at a silent auction ($ 100) that included a full cut, color, mani, pedi and was excited to try a new place. I scheduled the mani/​pedi and it was actually fairly enjoyable despite my doubts about the manicurist being completely sober during work, but nonetheless, my nails looked great (I would give 3.5 stars for this part of my visit). I was assured by the owner at that appointment that the certificate would cover a partial highlight along with my cut, so I scheduled my subsequent hair appointment. To confirm this, I even said I would forfeit the mani/​pedi to make sure that the gift certificate would cover the cost of services I desired and he said that was not necessary.
When I returned for my hair appointment, I was informed that I would have to pay an additional ~$ 150 if I wanted the partial highlights and that the gift certificate only covered an all over color. After some discussion I decided to go ahead and proceed now that I had already made the time off work to get my hair cut/​colored. I routinely put purple highlights in my hair and when requesting my usual style, the stylist tried to tell me that what I wanted was very 90s and to go with an ombré. I told her I wanted to go with what I usually do, a bleach (because my hair is naturally black) and an all over color with purple. The cut a received was fine, but during the dye process the coloring looked very blue. I know that often the color looks different when it dries, but the stylist even noticed it and mixed up some more color in a different mixture. The long and short of it is that I ended up with blue highlights instead of purple. I like having crazy colored hair from time to time, so it did not really bother me, but what did was the customer service. The stylist obviously knew the color was not quite right and tried to alter it unsuccessfully. The owner and staff went back on their word regarding what my gift certificate covered and were very rude. Lastly, the stylist and owner did not offer to remedy the color. Were I a different person, I might be very upset my hair was dyed blue instead of purple, but alas, the experience was so negative that I just did not want to deal with that place anymore. In the end I spent ~$ 300 on my experience at the salon to end up with an average haircut and a mediocre dye job in an unexpected color. The staff and the owner were both very rude and went back on their original word on what the gift certificate covered. If the point of purchasing the gift certificate was to gain a new customer, it certainly did the opposite. It left a horrible taste in my mouth and my money is best spent elsewhere. For a great colorist that works with a variety of colors, I highly recommend Tracy at Atomic Salon. Would never return to primp.

Wish I had learned from everyone else’s mistakes!
Terrible experience. After 5 days my no-​chip– started peeling. A good one lasts me a solid 14 and sometimes 21 days mind you. While I was there I felt dissatisfied with the color selection, she did not do a good job cleaning my nails and the mani and pedi didn’t look great in the end.
Had a Groupon for 50% off and event at that price I was extremely DISSATISFIED. At a normal rate, this place is WAY OVER PRICED for what they offer. They pride themselves on having a bar, but there’s not even a drink included. The customer service was mediocre and the product was unacceptable.
I thought about getting the hair groupon, but have learned my lesson.
Unfortunately I“m still in search of a great no-​chip mani place.

I wish I had looked at the reviews before I came here, I saw the groupon deal for a spa mani pedi and decided to do a walk since it was very early in the morning. They charged me $ 70 for a spa mani pedi and didn’t honor the groupon rate because I didn’t book an appointment, got it… but the quality of the pedicure and manicure is no where near $ 70. I could’ve done a better job myself. I am very disappointed and will never come back! I hope this helps other customers because if this is the way they do business and expect people to pay the absurd amount of money for the work they do, it’s a real shame.

Came in for a blow dry before a wedding. Front desk staff was less than welcoming. My hair turned out ok but she was clearly in a rush. Probably wouldn’t come back if I am ever back in town.

Let me start by saying, my first experience at Primp was wonderful. It was my first time visiting this salon and I used a groupon for a brazilian blowout. I am not that savvy with hair and was mostly just looking for a place where I would feel comfortable and treated with respect. My stylist was Eli, and he really delivered. He made the experience for me and I returned to him a second time for a cut/​style, paid full price, and received the same positive result. Unfortunately, my positive experiences at this salon ended there.
My next visit was on my birthday and I reserved a mani/​pedi using another groupon. While Tameka was very friendly and sociable, the appointment did not last as long as I was expecting and the mani/​pedi I received was a bit sub-​par in my opinion. The polish lasted less than a week and I had to choose 2 different colors for nails and toes because I was told after she started using the polish that it was nearly empty. Not only that, but the polish itself seemed old and left bubbles on my nails. I have been to my fair share of nail salons for a mani/​pedi and have paid less for better quality service.
Despite the quality of my previous visit, I decided to try Primp one more time and unfortunately for them, it will surely be my last. I visited the salon yesterday and had a groupon for a brazilian wax. This was my first time getting this type of treatment so I was already a bit nervous going in. As with my previous appointments, the staff was polite greeting me and the girl who assisted me was pleasant to start (I believe her name was Jessica). She took me back into a small room with very dim lighting (I immediately wondered how she could even see in there with the lack of lighting). Not only was this quite a painful experience, but I also had to listen to the girl complain about how much she disliked her job during my appointment. I pretty much got the impression that not only did she not want to be there, but she didn’t want to service me either. Rather unprofessional. When the treatment was over, she didn’t give me the option to «inspect» her work and I was told to simply meet her at the front and then she was gone. With the lighting being so poor in the room, I wasn’t able to see the results very well. It wasn’t until I got back home in good lighting that I realized how horrible the service really was. Not only was it very painful to begin with, but she left several large patches of hair all over my bikini area. At this point, I was ready to scream and cry about the horrible mess I was left with. I called the salon and asked to speak to the manager (Renee) who told me she would give me a full refund and «I could come back to the salon, if I wanted to so they could fix it». If I were the manager of this salon, I would be insisting a client come back after such a horrible service so I could help turn this bad experience into a positive one and not lose a returning customer. Unfortunately, that is not what I got.
To add to the experience, I had to go to somewhere else afterward and pay full price for them to fix the horrible mess I was left with. (In case you are wondering, European Wax Center is fantastic and truly made my day better after this).
From my experiences at Primp, it seems to me whenever I use a groupon, I get the worst quality service from this salon. If I pay full price, I am treated better. That is not how it should be! If only I had read some of the other reviews about this salon detailing very similar experiences to my own, I could have saved myself the trouble of having to deal with half-​assed service.

I went in on Friday last week for a shorter haircut with low lights and highlights. Loved the cut, but it turned out a little too dark so I immediately called to schedule a fix for more blonde.
I was under the impression that my hair would simply be fixed with more blonde per the conversation I had over the phone and at NO charge — this is how every salon in the U.S. works.
I walked up and said, «I at least want to give — a tip for fixing it so well.» The owner told me that I was to be charged for an entirely NEW partial highlight AND charged for a blow out. She said, «You should have said you wanted only wanted a glaze.» I told her I’m unfamiliar with hair salon lingo and just needed it fixed. She said when I called I should have spoken with her… So, according to that logic, it’s my fault that I didn’t speak with the owner and that I don’t understand hair lingo.
In addition to the $ 175 charged last Friday, I was charged $ 120 today. GRAND TOTAL INCLUDING TIPS, $ 335.00. ONLY for a haircut and partial highlight that needed a blonde adjustment.
Sorry — I won’t be coming back. That’s completely outrageous. I hope my hairstylist, if she’s reading she knows who she is, will leave. **Instead of simply comping me, the owner of Primp Salonbar lost a loyal and great paying customer.**

Me & my mom purchased groupons for primp and we went mid-​day on a week day. There was only 1 lady to do our nails which we were told before service. I would say this is not a salon for nails there was only 2 pedicure stations & 2 manicure stations. Colors were limited compared to other nail places I’ve been to. The lady was nice and friendly but then she asked personal questions about religion that i didn’t think were appropriate for my first time or a nail salon. It seemed like this location is mainly for hair maybe the crabtree location is better but i am not going back. It took entirely too long for 2 mani/​pedis.

To preface my review you must know that I’ve only ever had 2 pedicures before this one and zero professional manicures, needless to say I was excited! I had ordered the groupon and was ready to save some money whilst getting a good mani/​pedi.
****if you would like to skip all the blahblahblah just skip to my checkpoints at the bottom. (:
I was held up right before my appointment due to my car being in the shop and when I called to explain my situation she, very reluctantly, said she would hold off 30min for me to arrive and then would cancel my appointment. I was grateful though and sped off as soon as I could.
When I arrived the place was clean, beautiful, but also empty and when I mentioned rushing there she laughed and acted like I was silly for trying to get there as quick as possible.
The woman who did my nails was great, I was very relaxed and she did a decent job on the French tips. I left feeling satisfied with gel on my fingertips and normal polish on my toes.
It literally took all of 20 hours for my gel nails to flake off. I was quite shocked with this since I’ve had gels (unprofessionally done) before and they stayed on for at least a week before they began to be chipped. This was only a few hours, and chunks were coming off.
Toes are great though! No complaints there (;
All in all:
1. Decent atmosphere
2. Low quality outcome
3. Wouldn’t go again

I would give this salon a solid two stars, added an extra star for the good customer service. I’ve had services at both the Crabtree and DT locations. My exp at Crabtree was not great. I needed a trim and the girl I got had been doing hair for only about 2 years, not sure she had much experience in short cuts. She was using the blow dryer too close to my head and it hurt a few times, and used a brush to comb my wet hair, which is a major no. It was clear she wasn’t confident in her skills… I was relieved when the owner heard me trying to explain how I wanted my front layers and came over to assist her and worked on my hair and cut what was needed. There are still areas that weren’t done correctly so I need to get those redone elsewhere. I understand stylists are new and they are still practicing, but at the same time it sucks sitting in the chair and worrying that the stylist is unsure of themself or their scissors. She also kept commenting on how I had «baby hair» and how I should take all these prenatal vitamins to make my hair thicker, insinuating not sure what. No other hair stylist has made any comments about my thin hair… it is what it is.
I went to the DT location for a groupon I bought a few weeks ago for a mani and pedi, it was a great deal for $ 29. When I was there the manicurist told me shellac was included in the groupon, so I got shellac for my nails. it wasn’t, so behold my surprise when I had to pay extra for it. The staff apologized and gave me a free shellac manicure for future use, which I appreciated. However, my nails look rather messy, globs near my cuticle and polish not covering my entire nail. With my steady hand I know I could do a better job. In looking at their regular prices for services, I paid nearly the same amount as their mani/​pedi combo with the groupon and misleading shellac service. I most likely won’t return after I use the free shellac offer. Not a good use of $$.

Wow. Disgusting. I used to go here prior to the new owners. Here is a simple list of why I would never go here again.
1. The girl «at the front desk» walked around barefoot, then came and sat next to me while I was getting a pedicure and clipped her toenails and chatted with the man doing my pedicure. Gross and unprofessional.
2. The other employees stood outside and chain smoked cigarettes the entire time.
3. The pedicure took forever and was terrible, it smeared the second I walked out, the cuticles weren’t even, etc.

I try not to be negative, and consider myself a pretty positive person. But I purchased a groupon for a highlight and cut for this salon, and when I got to the salon and sat down in the chair, they Fail to tell you there are hidden cost. so $ 70 for an extra length fee. which my hair is not that long, and they should specify that when you call and book am appt. they blamed it on the groupon people. And an extra $ 30 for a toner fee. so in reality it would of cost me more to just go to my normal salon! Angie I think her name was, was so rude and b*tchy! So was the front desk person! I do not recommend going there!

My sister and I went for my birthday, at the Crabtree location, and we were both disappointed. I had a blow out which did not look very polished and cost double their posted price… what I typically pay for a cut and style at my normal salon in Raleigh. Their charges for our services were what I’d expect at a higher end salon with more experienced stylists.
My sister’s cut was way shorter than she asked for and appears a bit uneven. We will not go back. Too bad!

Olivia worked some serious magic. I bought the groupon for partial highlights and a cut. Knowing very little about this salon (except for the fact that it’s walkable from my home), it was a shot in the dark. I feel so very fortunate that Olivia was my hair stylist. She is really down-​to-​earth, talented, and fun to talk to. Not only that, but Olivia is very experienced at color and cuts. Gave me exactly what I asked to have (caramel highlights and a very subtle cut– just needed to be cleaned up a bit, since I want my hair to be longer.)
She even took me early, because I got there right after work, about 25 minutes before my actual appointment. The salon is very comfortable and modern. I didn’t have a drink from the bar, but it’s a great touch.
Thank you so much, Olivia. Strong work.

BEWARE GROUPON BUYERS!!!
My experience was nearly identical to Tessa M’s.
I had just given birth, my hair was in complete disarray since I had not been able to use chemicals in it for the last 9 months. I was used to getting the Brazilian Blowout so needless to say, my hair was having withdrawls. It is an expensive process so I looked online and found a Groupon for Primp.
I’d never been there before but the reviews seemed solid and the prospect of cocktails sold me.
As Tessa said, according to the fine print, if your hair is deemed «long» they add on an extra charge. I also added a trim and my $ 99 Brazilian turned into a$ 220 purchase (that includes the trim, addtl charge for long hair and the tip). For the record, my hair was down to my shoulder blades. In my book that’s still in the realm of normal length. But whatever, I was just happy to have straight non-​frizzy hair again so although I thought that was slightly underhanded, I happily paid.
My drinks were great, my stylist was nice I was totally happy… until 2 days later… when I washed my hair.
So for those unfamiliar with Brazilian Blowout, its essentially a reverse perm. They put a bunch of hardcore chemicals in your hair, get it super straight with a hot iron and you have to leave it just like that (no ponytails or tucking it behind your ear) for 1 – 2 days. THEN, when you DO wash your hair, you have to use sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. If taken care of correctly, the results can last up to 6 months and it’s wonderful! I know the drill, I’ve had brazilian blowouts 3 other times before.
I kid you not, after the FIRST wash, my frizzy hair was back.
I really can’t begin to tell you how disappointed I was. I wanted to cry. My overall experience in the salon was great, but that’s not what I paid for, I paid for at least 3 months of fuss-​free, straight hair and they did not deliver.

I originally went with my sister because of a groupon, but have now become a fan! Not only is their customer service impeccable, the nail technician that we had was excellent. We were originally not in the best of moods being that we were stressed from a busy day at work and trying to fight traffic, but our technician helped us turn that around with her laid back demeanor. Not only was she fast (finished both of our pedicures in an hour), but she was very thorough. She took better care of my feet and legs in less time than when I went to one of the only 5 diamond hotel/​spas in NC just weeks prior. Having been to many spas and nail salons between here and out west, I have to say she took such great care of my feet that I probably could have just walked out without any polish and pulled it off. Ask for Tamika, you won’t regret it.
Tamika and Renee (I’m assuming is the manager or owner) were awesome. They made our night wonderful. Best customer service of all salons. Their attention to detail and quality of service and products have now convinced me to try their other salon services. I will definitely be back to try their hair salon services next. If that staff is anything like these two dynamic duos I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

OK, admittedly, their customer service can be a little lacking … but I cannot say enough amazing things about Lanny.
I was in town for a wedding and made an appointment at Primp because I used to be a regular client six years ago before I moved away.
I wanted a finger-​wave/​40s pin-​up style updo, and Lanny got to work putting rollers in while the scheduled stylist finished up with another client. Literally 10 minutes later, I realized I mistook the time of the wedding ceremony for the time of the reception, and my friend’s wedding was about to begin in 20 minutes.
I helped Lanny pull out the rollers and jokingly told him to just throw it up in a bun and spray it so I could run out the door, but as he was sweeping my hair to the side, I yelled STOP and we both looked at it and realized it looked AMAZING. So he started frantically pinning and spraying — my hair weighs a TON — and we weren’t sure if it would hold, but we knew it would at least look amazing for the time being, and I’d make it to the wedding on time.
My hair DID hold — even through all the dancing — and it ended up even more beautiful than what I came in for. I suppose things like this don’t happen often, but I can’t thank them enough for getting me out the door in record time, and making me look incredible.
(And, yes, we made it to the wedding on time.)
THANK YOU, LANNY!

Beautiful Salon, Polite Staff, but that’s where the positives end.
Being new to the Raleigh area, and loving the ease of Schedulicity, I booked a Shellac Manicure, and also came in knowing I’d most likely get a pedicure as well. There seemed to be some confusion over the appointment, and the front staff messed up my first name (At least they got the first letter right?) within five minutes of checking in. They have a full stock of Shellac colors, and about a dozen OPI gels as well.
I’m not sure of the woman’s name who did my nails, but it turns out it wasn’t even the woman I had booked my appointment with. She clearly has little to no experience with Shellac. The edges and coats are uneven, and will no doubt chip within a few days; there are already edges peeling up. The pedicure was what you would expect from a strip mall nail place, except they at least have a proper selection of polis colors, and use toe separators.
Upon check-​out, the front desk staff was incredibly accommodating, and one of the managers gave me her personal number for when I inevitable have these redone in a few days.

I used a Groupon here for a mani/​pedi and was pleasantly surprised with the inside décor. It’s very upscale, and the bar is gorgeous. Check-​in was easy and I ordered a Strawberry Lemon Drop martini from the bar. $ 9 for the drink, which I wasn’t mad about since it was VERY good and nice and strong.
The reason I’m not giving this place 5 stars is because my actual mani/​pedi kind of sucked. I must have picked a bad polish, because it was thick and bubbly and my toes look like crap. It looks like I have sand in my polish. The tech that did them was ultra enjoyable, but just not detail-​oriented. On my fingers, the top coat was applied only covering about ²⁄₃ of my nail — and it’s super noticeable.
When I came home I had to reapply my nail polish because it was embarrassing to have such a shotty job. I loved my experience, but even if I do have a Groupon, maybe be a little less half-​assed.