Anthony Garubo Salon - anyone good? archived

I love Ampy. She did my hair for years. It is baby fine and a real PIA. I also will spend no more than 4 minutes on it in the morning. She cut and colored me so that, even running out of the house with a wet head, it looked good. She has a great eye and will tell you if you want a color or style that would be unflattering. She's ruled out many styles which would have looked good on me, but she knew that I wouldn't take the time to do.

You'll find that Garubo regulars are very loyal to their stylists. I don't think that I've ever heard a complaint related to their work. It's usually about the cost. Which, frankly, is the only reason I stopped going there.

how much are they? I'm at the point where I'd rather a good cut vs. being horrified at the cuts I have received lately. I say that without preparing myself for your response.

Where else do people go for a cut? I mentioned Anthony's place since it is right in town...

Well, it's probably been about a year, but a cut with Ampy is (was?) $75. Color (partial highlights on short hair and glaze) were about $110 or so. Add the tip, I recall usually spending about $200-$225.

The prices vary, based on the experience of the stylist. They do a lot of training and the stylists are assistants for awhile before they can have their own clients. So, you could go with someone junior for less money. Stephanie used to be Ampy's assistant and now has her own clients, so she's cheaper. I don't know how much.

I used to use Alma at Chelsea Set (until she went on maternity leave and then I found Ampy). She is very good, too.

But I have to say that, hands down, Ampy was the best cut I've ever had and she has the best eye for style. She never gave me a bad cut and I never failed to get complimented. I'd probably bite the bullet if my work schedule weren't so crazy. It's hard for me to get appointments with my schedule.

$75 seems a little steep for maplewood although I may just try it! Thanks - appreciate the post!

I used to go to Chelsea Set and would never recommend it. Awful.

I use Larissa at Garubo's - she understands my hair.. which goes every which way. Like GT, I don't spend much time on my hair in the morning and Larissa understands this. She also tells me "no" - when I say "I think I want..." when she knows it won't work. I think my last bill for just a cut was around $70.

My daughter, who has very straight hair, likes Kenya... don't know how much she charges though.

One of my daughters likes Basil. My daughter has very curly hair.

I use Eduardo for my very curly hair and have for years.

I LOVE Adrienne - I have straight thin (not thinning!) hair. Adrienne gave me a layered cut that makes my hair look downright wavy-ish.

Also, like Greenetree, I won't spend any time fixing my hair in the morning. Adrienne's cut is so precise, that I don't even comb it after I shampoo - I just spray on some leave-in conditioner and make a part with my fingers.

I think Adrienne's cuts are $65 - but they're so good I only get my hair cut 4 times a year.

Sorry you didn't like Chelsea Set. I love Alma there. She has been cutting my hair for about 2.5 years and I've gone from long to short and trying to go long again. (It's my usual M.O. for the past 20 years!) Matter of fact, a bunch of people I know, all brunettes go to Alma. Long, short and everywhere in between. Her cuts are relatively reasonable in comparison, about $50 or so.

I just went to Chelsea set for the first time to Erica, she was great. My daughter gets her hair done by Alma who I love.

Adrienne from Anthony Garubo, is my regular stylist and I love her, she does a great job!

I like Erica at Chelsea Set too. Nice person and I get a good haircut.

I had the MOST horrible salon experiences of my life at Garubo - should have sworn off after the first time, when the stylist (mentioned on this thread by name above, but positively) colored my hair Bozo orange without my permission (or even notification) which probably lost me a really good job (I had an interview the day after what was supposed to be routine highlights). She generally cut or colored my hair according to her whims, not mine, and implied that I was a loser lacking in style if I asked any questions.

She clearly felt that working on me was beneath her or something. She told me on a number of occasions that I embarrassed her when she saw me walking around in the village - she didn't want to admit to people that she cut my hair. (Yes - she really said this.) It still infuriates me that she felt that she could say this to me, and even worse that I put up with it for such a long time. I paid a lot for my haircuts, I tip well, and I did not deserve to be treated like this.

When she told me that I "had to" come back two hours later because another client was late for her appointment, I told her to go to hell (pretty explosively) and swore never to go there again. And I never have.

Wow CLK that is horrible! I can't believe anyone would say that.....

Believe it ... every word is 100% true. The only truly unbelievable part is how long I put up with it.

I've been going to someone mentioned positively here (also Garubo) for a bunch of years and got mostly great haircuts but I finally got sick of her attitude. If she was in a good mood great for me - if not well too bad. The straw that broke the camel's back was I went for a cut and color and was there for 4.5 hours...! When I questioned her at about 2 hours about when I could expect to be finished she bit my head off and said it wasn't her fault the front desk had booked me for the wrong thing and practically yelled at me that she missed her lunch. For this I was charged $275. I don't think so.

I'm thinking it's probably the same person who did CLK's hair.

Could CLK and Eliz please tell us who it is? After my latest experience with a hair dresser, I just can't take another bad one and I too was going to try Anthony Garubo's salong after this posting but I cannot determine which hair dresser you are talking baout. Please save my hair from this women - who is she - cuz trust me - there will be days she'll be embarrassed by my hair and how I leave the house. Welcome to Maplewood, home of stressed out mothers who could give a crap...

I had that rude snotty person too!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even know her name anymore, but there can't be 2!! It was just for a color job, but I felt the whole time like it was somehow beneath her to bother with my less than glamorous (I guess) head of hair.

Geez, I'll never forget how angry I was when she handed me the hair dryer and told me to dry it myself. I got up and left. She tried to stop me....."I need to see the color.........blah blah"

Me: "I don't really care what you need honey"

On the plus side: A young woman at Garubo named Kettarina cuts my hair very well. She's relatively new, so it's $45 + tip. Very nice, very attentive, listens well.

Larissa. I thought about just whispering this to newneighbor but you want to know something? She treated me VERY badly, and I have no interest in protecting her. And apparently I'm not alone.

Practically every time i went there, she mentioned at least once how she could be making big bucks at one of the "good" salons in NYC instead of out here in New Jersey. I never said to her, but wish that I had - "So who's stopping you honey? Go ... have fun ... don't bother to send a postcard and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out ..."

I LOVE Adrienne. She's been wonderful, gracious, a GREAT cut... HIGHLY recommend.

That said - somehow the way they do color, etc, it takes a looooong time at Garubo...

CLK - I'm so sorry you had that experience, but I'm also surprised. I've been going to Larissa for 11 years and have never had a negative or abusive experience. I've sent people to her who love her, two of whom moved more than an hour away and still return to her for their cuts and color.

It does take a long time for color at Garubbos - so much so that I've started doing my own lately. The only comment Larissa made was to tell me how to do it better.

And, Garubbo's policy is that if you're only in for color, you dry your own hair. This happened to me once, but it was the end of the day and Larissa assistant asked if she could do it for me.

My Larissa experience was pretty much like the others, which is why I left Garubo for awhile.

One of my issues with their pricing is that you aren't told up front about what is & isn't part of a service. TS used to have her hair done there, too. She'd cut & relax. Once she just needed a relaxer & the bill came to $80. We both thought it was a bit expensive. When she asked about it, she was told that blow-outs are extra unless part of a cut.

However, once the relaxer was done, the stylist asked "do you want me to dry it?" TS said yes, not thinking it would be extra. The correct thing would have been to say "blow out is a separate service with a relaxer; would you like me to do it?"

The services are very good. I'd just ask about every price before you say "go ahead." The other thing I didn't like was that they all get paid extra based on how much product they sell. I learned quickly to say "no thank you" to the question "do you need any products today?"

I have gone to Adrienne at Garubo for about 3 years here and I have never had better color. I love her! She always gets it right even when we change up the shade a bit and I think she is actually really fast for highlights. For a full head of highlights with a few low-light mixed in and then a full toner (to keep it bright and shiny)- it takes about 75-90 minutes start to finish which I think is excellent considering the color stays on 20 minutes as does the toner so With shampoos that means it takes her only about 25-30 minutes to do a full head of highlights- that is pretty fast.

For a while, I went to Kenya at Garubo. I thought she did a great job. When I left, it was only because I was going through a lot of changes and simply made a change.

Fast forward a few years. I went to Larissa for a corrective color (which she didn't quite correct) and then (okay, my mistake) cut and color. After that second visit, I had orange hair in some weird style. THAT was when I vowed not to go back to Garubo, and I have not.

I now go to Antonio's in Livingston. I would like to support local businesses, but I seem to have struck out in town. At Antonio's, I get the best cut and color that I have gotten in NJ. Ever.

Another place that might be worth checking out is Hair Chalet (by the Betty White dance studio). I've never gotten my hair colored there, but I have gotten it cut and have had many updos done and I find myself very satisfied each time. Monica there is wonderful. My mother, sister, and I all use her and we each have very different hair yet are all happy with what she does. The service there is good and I'm usually in and out. I'm not sure how it works with coloring timewise, but my sister has gone there for highlights and such and has always been pleased as well. Good luck! :smile:

I go to Antonio's also. I too have gone to Garubo's. I also had Bozo orange hair by "L". Would you believe that Anthony walked by and had said "awesome". I was embarrassed. So a friend told me about Antonio's in Livingston.
Melissa has been the only one who has colored my hair since August. Not bad. We're tweeking it still. $65 single process. Brian has been the only one to cut my hair since August. I'm letting Luigi cut my hair this Saturday.
Ess, who does your color and cut at Antonio's?

My name is Dawn and I am a manager at Anthony Garubo. I want you to know that our goal is to make our clients look and feel their best. At times creative people have a tendency to see things differently, and sometimes that shows in their work. If you ever feel you are not 100% happy we will stand behind our work and will be more than happy to do whatever it takes to make it right, and you happy. We learn a lot from the feedback our clients give weather that be by direct or indirect information. We appreciate all of your input. Thank you.

I love Larissa's work. After I moved here this summer, I called and asked who is good with really short hair. They named Larissa and a couple of others (Eduardo has moved away). I went because I had a $250 gift card, thinking I'd find somewhere cheaper after it ran out. I've never done color there, but Larissa gives me the best short-short cut I've ever had. I've decided it's worth $67 to know it's going to look good. So, gift card now used up, I'm still going. And, she has been nothing but nice to me.

I went to Kenya (and AG) for the first time and I loved my hair. Someone else has a similiar post and I said on that post that I would definitely go to Kenya again. I liked Kenya's vibe and I thought the salon was very comfortable.

Just to second what Garubogirl says, I went to Adrienne and had my hair colored. Unfortunately the color was not what I was looking for. She said after a few washes, the color would lighten. It didn't come close! I called, and they were SO NICE. The women at the front desk made another appointment for me, I went in the next week when Adrienned corrected the color for me. She refused to take any money or tip. (It was three hours out of her day) They were truly a class act!

I only get compliments on my color and cuts by Larissa. I have also had lots of compliments when my hair was done by Anthony or Adrienne. I changed because of my schedule. A friend of mine who thought Anthony gave me the best color and cut I had ever had went to him. He advised her to grow her hair out. She did, but we both agreed it didn't look good. I guess everybody has his/her strengths and weaknesses.

I went to Adrienne a few years ago and she did a good job and was nice but frankly, I think Garubo is too expensive. The cut wasn't THAT great, and I didn't appreciate products being jammed down my throat.

My brother went to Ampy because he got a gift card and she gave him a haircut he hated and pressured him to buy some nasty orange gel he never used.

Oh and they overcharge for waxing (at least eyebrows). I think it was 20, 25 dollars and I realized that my left eyebrow wasn't even done properly. It was ridiculous.

But on the positive side, I know tons of loyal customers of Adrienne and Eduardo who won't go to anyone else.

I recommend Bangz in Montclair (Raymond is great, they only charge $45 for a cut and blow and the atmosphere is great) or, if you want to stay in Maplewood, Erica @ Chelsea Set.