Elie Esper Salon & Bridal

This review is for the two times that I have been here so far. The first time my sister had her hair and makeup done for an event, hair was styled by Elie and not only is he a gentleman he is also VERY talented, watching him work is like watching an artist. The makeup application was quite mediocre and that’s why they get four stars, the makeup artists technique and blending skills left a lot to be desired.
Second visit there was with Sylvie, she gave me a full head of highlights and a haircut which I am very happy with. Everyone I came into contact with was warm and friendly, they really tried their hardest to accommodate my very busy schedule. Mona up at the reception center is great as well, thanks everyone!

This salon is all over the place. Arrived for my appointment at 2 with a groupon for a cut and conditioning – only needing a trim and hoping to be in and out. 2:15 rolls by and no one has helped me so I speak to the receptionist who proceeds to have no idea who I am (I checked in with her at 2) and then tell me that I’ll be helped after another woman gets her hair done (this woman is sitting next to me and has yet to have anything done either). Basically they were either in over their head or they double booked a stylist by mistake. 45 minutes later of watching everyone in the salon work on multiple clients at a time (what?!) I finally got a 2 minute half assed haircut. Don’t bother with this place.

The first time I came here two years ago I had the most amazing experience. I brought a picture of exactly what I wanted (a nice natural ombré) and got exactly what I asked for. Come summer 2015, I was ready to update my hair for summer again. I went back to Elie Esper Salon hoping for the same results. I brought a picture of exactly what I wanted which were more of honey peekaboo highlights than it was ombré. I went to Josh as I had summer 2014, super excited because of how great of a job he did the year before. Unfortunately, my hair looked horrendous. I had dark brown hair and expected a summery natural update, instead I had bleach blonde zebra stripes on dark brown hair. It looked awful. I went home and cried for over an hour and finally called back saying how unhappy I was. I went in the next day to «fix» it. It was definitely better but not even close to what I wanted. I ended up going to a different salon to have my hair corrected and even that stylist was confused as to how someone screwed up that badly. I’m definitely not going back here again even though my first experience was wonderful.

If you want tacky hair and tacky makeup, this is the place for you! Makeup artist was very unprofessional, has the tendency to make her clients look like drag queens. Hair was way too stiff like someone sprayed glue on it. Don’t recommend it!

I am Lebanese and I decided to check this salon out with Elie being Lebanese and all…
Not one of my better decisions, they are extremely overpriced for the quality of work that they do. 280 dollars later for a glaze, blow and partial highlights starting mid hair — down ??
Also as I was sitting in the salon I overheard the head stylists talking in Arabic about some of the clients and using curse words towards them … Completely rude and unprofessional.
Don’t come here unless you enjoy getting ripped off and people talking crap about you :)

I went to this salon for the first time with a groupon. I called to schedule an appointment but was told that because they are so busy on the weekends I should rework my schedule and get an appointment during the week… As I live 40 minutes away I was quite disappointed but because I had gotten a groupon I decided to just go with it and book during the week.
When I got there some of the workers were outside, and when I got into the salon I was seated for 15 minutes before someone came to do my hair.
Also when I went to pay they seemed quite unimpressed with the fact that I had purchased a groupon but I was unbothered by this.
Overall the conditioning treatment and cut that I received were FABULOUS. The customer service however could be improved. I did not feel welcomed there, but after receiving a pleasant phone call regarding sales in their services this upcoming week, I will be returning again. Hopefully I will have a better experience the second time around. :)

My review is based on my experience getting my hair done as part of a bridal party. I wanted «glam waves.» I showed James the picture off of the Elie Esper instagram. First I was extremely annoyed with his assistant she was lazy and rude, they didn’t bring dark brown extensions even though we told them to bring them; so instead she insisted I didn’t need extensions because she was too lazy to curl them. I was very annoyed because I am paying for the extensions and gratuity for her was included in the price as well. I feel bad writing a bad review because James was a very nice guy and while he was great at doing up-​dos, for simple curls and waves he was like a fish out of water. I would have done a better job myself. When he started struggling achieving my look he simply piled on more hair spray as if it would magically create waves. I was crushed, I had a vision of how I wanted to look as a Maid of Honor at my best friends wedding, and after James finished working on my hair I knew it was not going to be achieved. He «fixed» my hair by re-​curling it as regular curls and rushed out. One other bridesmaid got her hair curled and the curls fell out by the ceremony. So if you want extra extra big hair/​up-​dos I would recommend Elie, other than that stay away! One other thing, my friend was given different prices when she booked Elie and a week before the wedding when they confirmed the appointment they tried to charge $ 30 more per person. And then James’s assistant waited until the bride left the room the day of and then told us that we needed to pay $ 30 more each. It was such a scam. I will be doing my own hair for weddings from now on.

The best hair stylist I have been to. His updos are amazing! I highly recommend Elie for weddings or special events.

As a hairdresser, when I have to find someone to formally style my hair, I have a mini nervous breakdown. We stylists know what we want and how to achieve it.
I was a part of a wedding party and landed in James’ chair at Elie Esper salon. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with his technical skills, professionalism and overall personable attitude. He did an absolutely spectacular job, quickly and efficiently. His work was balanced and detailed and he used creative techniques that will ensure my hair won’t move all night. If only he lived closer. This stylist would have her own stylist. Thank you James!

Had a great experience with Andre. Very professional and knows what he is doing. He cut blow dried and highlighted my hair and it was exactly what I wanted ! They even gave 50% off for my first visit !

I really enjoyed my experience with this salon. I was in the market for a new hair stylist and purchased a Groupon for this salon to try them out. I am always worried about using Groupons for fear that the establishment will not provide excellent customer service because I am not a regularly paying customer. Well this salon far exceeded my expectations. They were very attentive starting from the moment I walked in the door to the moment I thanked my stylist for the great cut/​blow out (Adrian I believe was the gentleman’s name). If you are from the area this is definitely a place I would recommend!

I had my makeup done here and it was awful. First thing that I noticed is that the artist’s makeup and tools were scattered all over the table in such a mess which made me think that she uses the same makeup applicators on everybody’s face. She also kept having to stop to find things that she was looking for which I thought was unusual.
Now onto the makeup application. I brought in a photo of how I wanted my smokey eye done and the overall look that I wanted for my face. You would think that would be very helpful than someone who goes in and has no idea what they want. When I saw the finished product I had caked up foundation around the creases of my nose; my eye makeup was severe; not blended into the crease and not even close to cat eye type eyeliner that she said she was giving me. The lipstick shade that she chose for me was a bright pink that totally clashed with the brown and black smokey eye and my eyebrows were shaded in totally wrong.
Now to be fair I didn’t say that I didn’t like what I saw when I saw the finished product. One of the main reasons for this was she was late starting my appointment by 20 minutes and I had to race to be on time for an event that evening. And also I just felt too embarrassed to say anything I just wanted to get out of there and take it as a lesson learned to not go there again.
It’s a shame because about 3 years ago I had my eyes done here by an artist who is no longer there that did an AMAZING job. The girl that they have there now just does not have quality technique. I regret paying $ 75.

My stylist at my old salon moved out of the area so I was looking for a new place for a cut. I found a groupon for Elie Esper and decided to give it a try. I am so happy with the service and the cut I received! I was greeting once I walked in and did not wait at all. Chris was very nice and I explained that I am super low maintenance with my hair, I don’t blow dry or style it. I wanted to bring the length up a bit and add on some layers. He did just that! He made me feel very comfortable and confident with him cutting my hair. I will certainly be returning!

Got my hair done from James and makeup from Natalia… for two days on my sister’s wedding! They did an Amazing job…
Natalia was Very patient and gave me as much time as I needed to make Everything Perfect!
James is A perfectionist and knows wat he’s doing. I got an Amazing updo on day 1 and day two was long waves!
I will Always go to them from now on! Thank u both For Everything!!!

I have been going to Mike at Elie for about 8months now… I must say that I walk out of the salon each and every time feeling great and absolutely in love with my hair… It’s gotten to the point that where I tell him to do whatever he wants and I end up loving it. You can tell that everyone in the salon has a passion for hair it’s not just a job… I won’t even try anywhere else… I have found my spot for as long as I am in NJ… They are great for blowouts for women with curly hair… You won’t regret it!

This review is solely based on my experience with hair coloring/​cut. I’m from NY, but I refuse to do my hair anywhere else, because my mom has gotten her hair done here many times and they’ve always done an amazing job. My stylist James, and everyone in the salon is extremely pleasant, accommodating and great at what they do. I got an impeccable cut and color, and I am very hard to please. I enjoy the ambiance of the place as well, it didn’t feel like I spent 5 hours there… which was great, because we all know how slow time goes when we are doing our hair, or waiting for anything in general. As I waited, I saw a lot of clients get their hair done and honestly, there wasn’t a single style I didn’t like. It is a bit pricey, but they know what they are doing, so the prices are justifiable. I will be back and I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants a new look or a great hairstyle for an occasion.

Updated: Although in the end I did find someone else to do my hair the day of the wedding, I am upgrading the salon to five stars because Elie went out of his way many times to reach me and honor the original prices offered to me by Nathalia. Elie is an amazing hair artist and if things had worked out w his coordinator, I would have felt very comfortable and lucky the day of my wedding to have Elie with me.

Frist of all, let me say like most girls, I am very picky! However, Elie Esper and his team fulfilled my expectations. I had a formal wedding to attend so I went to get my hair styled, I wanted to wear it down with big/​loose waves. He achieved exactly the look I wanted, my hair looked full and perfectly waved/​styled. I walked out feeling like a celebrity. It sounds like a simple hairstyle, but I have tried many salons and the look just falls flat or is overdone. Elie’s styling came out beautiful! Also, I received lots of compliments throughout the evening ;)
I recommend this salon and will be visiting again soon!

I used a Groupon at the salon for Keratin treatment and haircut. It was a great bargain and I don’t demand too much of my haircuts, so I thought «What could go wrong?»
I hate being wrong.
I looked up the treatment online before purchasing the Groupon. I’m glad I did. I told the stylist that this was my first Keratin treatment but he didn’t tell me anything about the procedure or what to expect until I asked. Actually, my stylist didn’t talk to me at all. He asked me what I wanted from the haircut and I told him «a trim, with just a few long layers put in». I showed him a picture I found in a magazine, which he looked at for approximately 15 seconds. I got the distinct feeling that this cut was beneath him. Needless to say, he didn’t do what I wanted at all. I will give him credit, he asked me if chopping off 3 inches was too much, to which I said it was. But he then proceeded to cut a thousand layers all over my head. Front, back, sides… and by the time I saw what he did to the front, it was too late to tell him to stop. My hair is noticeably thinner and I hate it.
The Keratin treatment they used (Coppola) is nice. I have no prior experience with them, but I like the results. I am a bit peeved though, that they insisted I pay $ 70 for a shampoo and conditioner that is «required» after the treatment. The sweet receptionist rang up and packaged the wrong stuff (at $ 35 a bottle), and the salon owner came over and corrected her. He gave me a different type to use. But now, I see it is not the shampoo that Coppola recommends. And by the way, I found it at half the price they charged online today.
The ambiance in the salon was really lacking. Stark walls, a crew of three people polishing the chandelier while I was getting my hair done, my stylist didn’t have any of the equipment he needed (there was a lot of wandering around and borrowing stuff), and everyone was speaking another language, including one of the other customers. I felt like I was in a foreign land. Elie himself was very nice and gave me coupons for my next visit (he didn’t know how unhappy I was). From what I gather, he does amazing hairstyles, like for weddings and whatnot, but I will never go back to this salon again.
Overall, I am pleased with the Keratin treatment they did, but very unhappy with my particular stylist. But it’s just hair, and it grows, right?

Got an excellent haircut here! My stylists technique was a little different, but he got the job done well!
I was not so concerned with the price because I used a LivingSocial Deal.
Parking was a bit of a challenge, especially during rush hour, so make sure you leave a little early!