BPGP: Tides Salon Review
May 11, 2010
When I came to work on the Hill, (eons ago, when the world was new and dinosaurs roamed the earth) I was amazed at the city within a city that is the Capitol complex. From post offices to eateries, from shoe shine counters to doctor’s offices, the Hill seemed to have everything that a person needed in order to survive. I later realized that we have all of these things because our bosses never want us to leave the building, but at the time, to a young naive intern, it seemed very cool.
However, while my fellow Hill staffers were content to use the House dry cleaner, the House cobbler, and the House bank, no one, and I mean no one, used the House beauty salon. Capitol Styles as it was called back then, was, in a word, sketchy as all hell.
Earlier this year, the House salon was leased by new management and given a full remodel, including a new name. Yesterday, I visited Tides Salon for a midday mani-pedi.
I have always been shocked by how much Washingtonians are willing to pay for beauty services like manicures and pedicures. Unwilling to shell out $65 for a Bliss Spa pedicure, I became a do-it-yourselfer. But when I saw that Tides Salon offers a full service pedicure for $25, I had to try it.
Taking with me a pile of work-related reading, I strolled over to Tides for my lunchtime appointment. I wasn’t expecting much, given the salons previous reputation, so when I turned the corner and came face-to-face with a clean, modern, peaceful salon, I was pleasantly surprised.
My pedicure took about an hour and the technician (Mary) was extremely thorough. She scrubbed, trimmed and polished my feet while I relaxed and read my National Journal. It was the most amazing hour of my day, and the perfect start to my week.
The salon uses eco-friendly products, including the nail polish line SpaRitual, which is DBP, toluene and formaldehyde free. While the color selection was by no means expansive, I was able to select a pretty blackberry color for my toes. In the future, I will probably bring my own Nars polish with me and just have her use that. I recommend that you do the same if you want a certain color.
All in all, my pedicure was a pleasant and satisfying addition to a lazy out-of-session Monday. The technician did a fine job and was pleasant to talk to, though she didn’t expect me to entertain her for the entire hour, which I appreciated. And given what nearby salons are charging for a pedicure, I would say that this experience was worth every penny of my $25.
Tides Salon is located in the Cannon House Office Building Rm 139, phone number 202.225.4008. It is open to staff as well as the public. According to the owner they are busiest on Fridays so end of week appointments should be booked in advance. Call to confirm, but I believe that they are open until 8:00PM.
I too work on the Hill and was excited to discover that a new salon was opening up. I agree that it looks clean and nice but I would not recommend it for a manicure. Not only is the polish color selection inadequate, but my manicure itself was lousy. I usually go to Tammy’s Nails (3rd and Penn) and my manicure stays in tact for 1 1/2 weeks. However, after my Tides appointment, my nails were chipping and bubbly the very next day. I was very disappointed.
I second that Tammy’s Nails recommendation! Since coming to work on the Hill, I never seem to be able to make it to a nail appointment at a time when most salons are open, but the ladies at Tammy’s have stayed late for me to get there more than once. The service is fast and high quality – I’ve been wearing this pedicure for a month now and I’m still getting compliments on the color.
I had a haircut at Tides last week and I would totally recommend. The stylist was incredibly informative but not chatty, the products were amazing and it was super convenient.
i heard the products including the nail polish, are completely organic, huge in California. Its a possibility that thats why its chipping so fast so i get an extra coat of clear to hold and it last me for about a week.But everyones told me that they give great cuts, extremely convienent.
I have been here a few times for my haircut. I love Vince.
I have since cut my hair short so as soon as I grow it back out I will be going back to him, he is the only person that I have found that cuts curly hair in an excellent manner!
I suggest you stop by- you will like!
Had a fabulous experience at TIDES SALON.
After moving back to washington DC after a 7-year. I found it difficult to find a salon that wasn’t pretentious, expensive or a big scene. I am a female with really curly and frizzy hair and it took me a long time to find a stylist that asked questions but was firm enough to tell you what NOT to do with or to your hair. I went to high-end stylist who charged over $350 plus but were the only ones who could cut.
I have never gotten so many compliments on the hair as I have since find TIDES SALON. STEPHANIE she has got a very good working knowledge about curly hair and color.
Stephanie took her time and explained me how she’s cutting and why, also witch product she use from the shampoo to the hairspray, very professional.
She have a nice personality, beautiful smile, an authentic genuine Italian accent . She made my somewhat boring hair color into a real show-stopper shade. Tides Salon is very conveniently locate, especially for those of us who work in a Cannon, Rainborn and longworth building, they are open very early in morning and they close pretty late at night. Excellent price for the quality and location.The whole experience is very relaxing, warm and very clean Modern-European style.
they deserve 5 stars.
I too have been there since the new opening and was flabbergasted by the appearance and how peaceful it was. I had a facial and waxing with Nancy followed by a haircut with Courtney. They were both very pleasant and very knowledgeable. I loved the skin care products and my hair felt very soft after leaving. Everyone was very nice and accommodating. I had to move my appointments around several times and never detected any aggravation when having to reschedule so many times.I highly recommend Tides
STEPHANIE ROCKS like no other!!!! 🙂
I am not the type to write reviews, but I had an amazing hair experience recently and wanted to tell others about it. After having kids, my hair has completely changed. It went from being sleek and straight to being a thick frizzy mess. I have had no luck with any stylists, all promises and no delivery. I tried TIDES SALON based on the reviews. I was skeptical that anything could be done to rectify my problem. STEPHANIE listened to my concerns and recommended a different cut to complement my facial structure. She also spent time educating me on different products and styling techniques. I left the salon looking amazing, but even more importantly, I am able to do this myself on a daily basis. I would recommend STEPHANIE at TIDES SALON to anyone looking for a change.
AVOID COURTNEY 🙁
I recently got a hair color correction and highlights from STEPHANIE AT TIDES SALON and absolutely loved her work. I have gotten the best lowlight and a very pretty highlight. She did a great job correcting my hair.
She was also able to fit me in her schedule early in morning. STEPHANIE is very talented at what she does. She is very well mannered and a real professional. She is very accommodating and fairly priced as well. i just lover her work, personality and her beautiful accent.
STEPHANIE I WISH YOU THE BEST!!!
STEPHANIE is a very talented and beautiful young woman .
I’m very happy with my hair.
Best hair cut ever !!!!
Stephanie rocks!!!
I had my first appointment last week at TIDES SALON after reading all the great reviews about the salon.
Stephanie gave me a great cut, which is a feat in itself considering I have very thin hair. Best part was that even as it was growing out it still kept it’s shaped well. The only guidance I gave Stephanie was that it needed to be long enough to put up in a ponytail. I came out of the salon with an amazing bob-length cut. I couldn’t stop checking myself out in the mirror. It is the perfect cut for my face, are more manageable.
I’ve gone to Salons all over Washington D.C and Virginia, and now I finally feel like I’ve found a stylist that really understands my hair and my needs.
The salon itself is a great mix of relaxed professionals who all seem to be great at what they do without a hint of pretension.
Pros: Great staff, convenient location, good price, late hours, very clean and relaxed environment, very knowledgeable.
I used I go to Stephanie when Tides was still open. Does anyone know where she works now? She was fabulous!