Primal Decor

I had a really unprofessional experience here. Twice! This past year, I have gone in for two consults and never heard back from the artist.
I was looking to get my first tattoo back in October 2015 and really liked the vibe I got walking in to the shop, everyone was courteous and friendly. I wasn’t even close to getting tattooed but still nervous. I had researched Luis ahead of time and scheduled an appt for my best friend and I. Luis was very understanding that we were navigating new waters and talked us through the process. He said he’d have our designs back to us in 2 weeks and we never heard back.
Second time, this past March, walk in with a different friend, consult goes quickly and efficiently with Luis again. He says he backed up, might take 3 weeks to draw it up and text it to me. Never heard back.
Really frustrating because I had really wanted to work with him and liked his art. Both my friends and I went elsewhere because we felt ignored.
I would give one star but the jewelry they have is top notch. Fun to look at while waiting for my appointments.

well i wouldn’t really call this a review i guess it is more like a question. I was wondering how much a regular nostril piercing would be with a hoop ring?

We took our 5-​year-​old to Jennifer to have her ears pierced & it was a wonderful experience! Jennifer is very careful about making sure the *child* is making this decision & explaining *everything* before you make an appointment to actually have the piercing done. We were treated wonderfully & respectfully & enjoyed our time at Primal Décor!

This place is awesome! I’m from the Bay area where there is so much diversity when it comes to tattoo shops so I was a little hesitant walking in but I couldn’t be happier with my tattoo. It is definitely my favorite now. The staff is super friendly and the whole place is super homey and comfortable. Luis was awesome in designing my tattoo and working with me to get exactly what I wanted. I couldn’t be happier and I will definitely be coming back for more. Will recommend every time!
Thank you Primal!

Whoot! Had my other daith pierced by Valente this time. Love the peeps there at Primal they are AWESOME!

I was pierced by Jen and she did awesome!!! I felt so comfortable and at ease. Walked me through the whole process. I am so in love with my piercing! Recommend 100%!! Woohoo! And definitely made my mama cry!

I got my forward helix piercing done here a month ago and had a great experience :) The people at the front desk are very friendly and welcoming, and my piercer, Jen, was really sweet and funny but still professional. My piercing was quick and painless, and aftercare is super easy with no problem. They give you a little kit afterwards that includes salt and a measuring spoon (to make a saline solution for cleaning) aftercare instructions, a sticker, and even a couple pieces of candy!
What I really liked about Primal Décor is that they make sure everything is super sanitary. When you pick out the jewelry before the procedure, they heat it in a little machine to make sure no bacteria can survive on it. After the piercing, Jen let me keep the pen she used to mark my hole because they don’t reuse the pens on different customers, even if the skin it touched was disinfected beforehand. I don’t want to go to any other piercing place because Primal Décor set such a high bar for me :)

I have been to primal many times over the last two years, and have to say BEST shop I’ve ever been in! Super clean, family friendly, knowledgeable employees & such a warm atmosphere!
I have gotten a few tattoos from Dan, in which he did a family tattoo for 4 other family members & myself… IN ONE DAY! … Dare I say superhero?
One thing, do not forget to tip!!! I realized after my last session I had forgotten, and now feel extremely embarrassed about it! Luckily I have a follow-​up session with him & can compensate for his time and energy then!!!
I have never gotten any piercings done here, however, would definitely be the first & only place I’d go!
Random thought: you can always tell how clean a place is by the bathroom, in which, theirs is always pristine!
Keep up the good work, Primal!

Just took a road trip down to see Jennifer for a septum piercing. Shop has been remodeled since I had visited last and looks amazing! The staff is wonderful, the shop is clean and everyone is super informative. Every piercing I’ve had from this shop has healed perfectly and the jewelry is always high quality. Love this place!

Primal Décor is wonderful! It is shiny; sparkling clean; professional; non-​pretentious; and piercing positive. I am a late-​bloomer and came in with 6 childhood ear piercings and zero tattoos after deciding to pierce my nostril for my first sober birthday. Everyone was so kind and accommodating. The jewelry selection is classy and there is a wide range of options. Beautiful!!! I ended up with jewelry that is perfect for a beginner and also really unique/​special. Valente did a thorough job helping me get ready to get on the table. He explained everything patiently and answered all my questions. We joked we laughed… He took the time to get everything right. The piercing felt extremely professional and was relatively painless. We even took deep breaths before during and after. I feel completely prepared for the aftercare. I think we were all happy with the results. I am jazzed! I think we are very lucky to have such an amazing spot in Humboldt. I will go back and I will bring my friends by when they also want piercings.

(Long awaited review)
Got my tattoo done a year ago on my birthday by Dan.
Really cool, chill tattoo artist. It was my first time and didn’t know what I was getting myself into but he made the experience bearable. The shop has that homey and warm feeling to it. It was very clean and I really like how the place is well lit-​it may just be my inner filmography talking-​but the place is Instagram worthy. Dan also let my friends come in the room to watch me get tatted (which I thought was pretty awesome).
#1 rule, don’t make your artist sad by not tipping, always tip the artist or any type of service for that matter, especially if you feel they have done a swell job!
Though I’m quite embarrassed and feel very sorry for not tipping him. I payed for the down payment after I got consulted and got my tattoo a week later. I assumed after being tatted, I would be charged the hourly fee and so I would use my card to pay for that as well as tip him. But Dan, is so kind (bless his heart) and said, since it was a small tattoo, the down payment covered it. But I couldn’t tip him because I didn’t have any cash with me. I feel sorry and ashamed for my incompetency.
But I would definitely come back and get my big piece done here and I WILL TIP YOU DAN!!! (tip you for the last one too!) LOL :)

I am ferociously loyal to the folks at Primal Décor, particularly Jennifer. She’s warm, kind, gentle, and I only see her once a year when I travel here for Christmas, but she remembers me every time and picks up the conversation right where it left off the last time. Working with her is one of the highlights of my holiday.
This time I came in for changing out my nose jewelry, and she’d already picked out the perfect piece, and she made sure I could afford it. It looks beautiful, and I can already tell through the immediate soreness that it’s going to be really comfortable. It’s a gorgeous piece of jewelry, too, of very high quality like everything they sell. They’re not the cheapest shop in the world, but it is worth every penny and then some, and I look forward to this every year.

I went there for my fist tattoo. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The people were friendly and helpful and understanding of my new experience. I told the artist a basic idea of what I wanted and he quickly came up with a beautiful mock-​up. I am 100% satisfied and will go back for my next tattoo.

This is by far the best piercing place around! The owner Is super cute and sweet, wears only purple gloves and decorates her rooms with such detail and care. I went to get a repierced filtrum because mine got infected from an irritation and I had to remove the piercing. They walked me through rows of options of beautiful jewelry I could get pierced with and they recommended trying to open the piercing instead of a repierce. The reopen didnt work since I had accumulated scar tissue inside the lip so she gently repierced it and I have to say that it hurt much less than the first time!
Was very impressed with the customer service presence if Valencio (?) and the cleanliness of the entire place. Plus/​/​/​they have the greatest selection of jewelry ive ever seen. I want to get pierced over and over now! Uh oh, new obsession. ;)

I got my second lobes pierced by Jennifer. She and the rest of the staff were absolutely wonderful! The parlor was spotless and everything that came into contact with my ears was sealed and sterile. My piercings still look great, almost a year later.

UPDATE…
After my initial posting I received an email from the owner asking me to reconsider my rating and review.
I did.
She went into numerous details and reasoning about her business operation. I can appreciate all she said.
She has a successful business plan and is sticking to it.
Still, it escapes me why they can’t quote the piercing price over the phone.
Really, shouldn’t they have a pretty good grasp of how much it costs them to provide such a service?
Seems pretty routine to me.
Of course there is a variation in price for jewelery but the piercing seems pretty straight forward to me.
I understand why they can’t compete with Piercing Pagoda. I might have still gone to Primal Décor paying more if they had just told me how much for one ear lobe piercing.
I prefer spending my money locally supporting folks who live here but part of that arrangement is knowing how much services and items cost beforehand.
Since all this dust up I have returned to Piercing Pagoda for my second and other ear piercing.
Those women know what they’re doing.
Good hygiene is practiced.
No problems. No infections.
Exactly what I wanted, where I wanted and done without any attitude.
…and it was very inexpensive especially the second visit as I had a coupon that basically took half off the second piercing.
That just can’t be competed with. I understand.
This mole hill has turned into an unnecessary mountain.
I’m only one complaining customer.
Still, I now wonder if she writes anyone who is less than fantastically enthused trying to change their rating as well.
Still, should I ever desire a tattoo I would consider going to Primal Décor… but using a different name as now mine has become persona non grata.

I’ve had piercings done elsewhere and they have always turned out funky or infected… that is not the case when it’s done at Primal Décor. I now refuse to go anywhere else! The staff is super knowledgeable and talented.
In terms of tattoos, also great. The shop is clean, professional, and comfortable to be in. There’s no question when you’re getting a tattoo that your permanent body modification is going to be a lifelong joy and not a regret! :P
If you’re worried about the price, their work is worth every penny and the jewelry they have for piercings is incredibly high quality. I refer anyone looking for tattoos and piercings to Primal Décor because they are as good as it gets! Woo!

Primal Décor is the only place I go to for piercings in Humboldt County. They recently were remodeled so everything is even more clean and organized. Everyone that works here is very professional, nice, and accommodating. I’ve been pierced on three different trips within the past year and a half, and every one of my piercings has healed very well.
The folks at Primal are very concerned about cleanliness and maintaining a sterile environment. They are also very serious about their art. Every piercing I have had done, the piercer is extremely attentive to making sure it will come out the best way possible and with the least amount of pain. Jennifer pierced me for my last piercing about a week ago. I got my lower belly button done with a friend. She pierced me, put the jewelry in, and then we realized my jewelry was slightly off center. She decided that she wouldn’t be happy with her work if we couldn’t try again, and so she convinced me to give it another go and this time we did it again and made sure it was right. I was very happy she talked me into it because it was only a little more pain for 100% happiness. She also charged me half price for the piercing part because of the little oops.
Love this place and the people. Will keep coming back!

I went to Primal Décor today for a bit of advice on a cartilage piercing that was giving me trouble and the girl behind the counter provided excellent service and advise. She also gave me a small bag of sea salt to help me start getting my healing process back in control. I have every intention of getting more piercings when this one has healed up and this is the place I would trust to do the job.
On a side note I was noticing their selection of jewelry as I was in the lobby and it looks very cute and of high quality!

Wonderful little tattoo shop!
I’ve got both my conch and belly button pierced here and I can’t help but want to come back every day for more! Love the people working here and the jewelry room, totally worth checking out even if you’re not planning to get a new piercing just for the jewelry. Great to come by or call and ask questions about healing time or concerns about a piercing too. Great service all in all