Not So Plain Janes Salon & Spa

I worked with Amy for my wedding this past Sept. She was absolutely amazing! I had already booked a different hair stylist who CANCELLED a week before the big day. I was totally flustered but Amy really saved the day! I obviously couldn’t do a trial in such a short time and being out of town so we just spoke over the phone and through email. I sent her pictures of what I wanted for my hair and for my bridesmaids hair. She really came through and gave me exactly what I wanted. What a relief! She was the perfect addition to what became a perfect day. Everyone looked beautiful, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to hang out with in the morning and a better stylist. I would 100% recommend Amy for any hair styling needs. She really puts the customer needs before her own and delivers on point! Would see her again in a heart beat. She’s amazing!

Received a gift card and went – had never been to before. It was only $ 25 so I opted for the manicure, $ 28. Kim did a beautiful job, French manicure, and I swear it almost last two weeks! (It was not shellac, and I did put on a clear coat a few times over the 10 – 12 days.) Even got a little goody bag for being a first-​timer! Would definitely go and ask for Kim again.

I went to NSPJ for a body scrub/​exfoliating treatment. Let me just say… I wish I could afford to get this daily!
I saw Stephanie, she was incredible. She was extremely personable and friendly, which I was relieved by after reading some of the reviews here.
Most importantly, she did her job amazingly. The 30-​minute nap on the heated bed was heaven on earth. My skin was silky smooth and radiant when I left. She was so professional, with 15 years of industry experience. I will DEFINITELY be back! Thanks, Stephanie!
ALSO, they offer complimentary blow-​outs with the service I received. I opted out because I have very curly hair and I get nervous when new people try to style it, so I can’t comment on that, but I appreciated the offer.

Stephanie did a great job on my brows and Melissa did exactly what I wanted with my hair! The salon was clean and comfortable. I would’ve given it five stars but I thought it to be a bit pricey.

Oh boy where do I begin? I heard of Not So Plain Jane’s from a friend and figured I could trust her recommendation but sadly that was not the case. I had platinum blonde hair and told my stylist that I wanted to do highlights to break up my roots for a more dimensional look and she flat out told me she couldn’t do that (ummm okay???). I should have walked out right then and there. Continuing on with the consultation she told me I should go back to my natural (dirty blonde) which I was open to and so we began what would end up as a 6 hour fiasco… Not even exaggerating at all. I was at the salon for 6 HOURS.
Once the color was complete, I was absolutely horrified. I was left with DARK BROWN hair with ashy ends. It was a terribly awkward shade of brown and I was just about in tears. After explaining that I was not happy with the color, she did not empathize with me AT ALL or offer to fix it. Instead I was walked up to counter to proceed to pay over $ 200 for the horrible color job.
In tears and shaking with rage, I asked to speak to the manager who was incredibly kind and offered to try and fix the monstrosity of what her stylist had left me with. Ultimately, I left with a few blonde foils and ugly brown hair. I went back to my usual salon and they fixed my hair, and gave me the color and dimensional look I had asked for in the first place. Needless to say, I will never return to Not So Plain Jane’s.

I came here to get an updo for a wedding that I was attending. It was a little hard to find, so better signage would have been useful. The front entry is very inviting, with lots of cute jewlery, clothes and beauty products. It feels glamorous and chic, and then you remember you are in a mill in Manchvegas.
The front desk was helpful, but wasn’t that friendly in that they were very involved with their jobs and not in greeting. My stylist saw me right away. Apparently there was confusion. she asked the last time I washed and did my hair, and I said that morning. She must have been confused too since she thought i was getting a blowout. For those of you who know me, I have never blow dried my hair a day in my life so this was a shock. Fortunately, they were able to fit me in and change my appointment to an updo. However, the next problem was that my stylist «hadn’t done an updo in a long long time». Yes, I was scared. I was scared to ask what a long time meant. To my benefit, or misfortune, I wasn’t sure, they were also accommodating and had her do an updo. I will say that they did a great job in reacting to unanticipated events. I fearfully showed her the pictures of what I wanted, took a long swig of my mimosa, and just thought it was going to be a sunk cost.
Throughout the styling she was friendly, and offered me tips for some hair problems that I mentioned. After about 45 minutes, and we weren’t even halfway done with curling, I was thankful I had had an earlier appointment. She explained that she always took her time. I was happy as long as she knew how to do an updo at this point.
At the end, my hair came out great and I was overall very happy with my experience. I will note that it is a bit pricey for an updo, and with all the ones I have had done in Newport, this, for Manchester NH, was much more expensive. I was willing to pay anything though, given my fears during the first 30 minutes of my experience.

Called to make an appointment they were extremely rude over the phone. Cancelled & won’t be visiting. Wished they were a little nicer I would have liked to try them.

I went there for the first time and it was a horrible experience. My haircut was atrocious. I had to go to another salon to get it fixed. The stylist made no casual conversation with me during my appointment. Paid a fortune to hate my hair.

I saw Amy for a haircut. It was just horrible. My 8 yrs old could do a better job !!
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I moved to the year and I had been jumping around from salon to salon not happy with any of them. I finally found myself going to NSPJ and I’m happy to say I’ve found my salon. The atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. I’ve gotten my hair cut and colored, along with pedicures and I couldn’t ask for a better service. My hair stylist Eric is amazing and is always welcoming and gives awesome suggestions for my hair. I’m excited to try out some of their other services!

I love NSPJ’s– the staff has always been friendly and very accommodating. They have lovely items for sale, coffee and snacks to enjoy while you wait… although I have never had to wait unless I arrived early. Nikki is my stylist and she does a fantastic job! At other salons I have gone to, I have left with a sense that the cut will be fine once I get home and wash out the crazy blow-​dry or style that is never really me. Here, with Nikki, I leave with my hairstyle looking LIKE ME, only a bit nicer than I usually pull off at home. I think the prices are right in line with most other salons. I have also had a manicure here and it was perfectly fine. I do agree that parking can be limited at times, but they are in the heart of downtown and the Mill yard where every business has the same issues. The owners are almost always on the premises and happy to be of assistance. If you have a rough experience or a cut you don’t like (sometimes it happens, its hair!) — ask to speak to the owners. They want you to be happy and will only know there is an issue if you tell them.

I’m done with Not So Plain Jane. I had a ninety minute massage scheduled for today. They called me to confirm and I ended up with a sixty minute massage. When I mentioned the shorter massage time to the 3 girls at the front desk they all insisted I had a sixty minute massage scheduled. Luckily I had the appointment card to show them that I had a ninety minute massage scheduled for today. Not that it did me any good. I asked them if they recognized the handwriting on the card but all 3 denied knowing who wrote out the appointment card. I called the owner but he was unavailalble. Not only is it impossible to get an appointment if you work during the day but the staff could care less if you don’t get your scheduled appointment. Maybe NSPJ is just too busy to care about customer service.

I LOVE NSPJ’s. I have been going here for 5 years, ever since I moved to New Hampshire. Amy has done my hair each time and she is phenomenal, I don’t think I’ll ever go to anyone else.
Up until this weekend I had never colored my hair — just gotten cuts/​blowouts, but decided I needed a change. Amy dyed my hair «ombré» style and it looks amazing. She did such a good job, giving me the change I wanted while keeping it subtle and natural looking. Love her!
I’ve also gotten facials here (in the months leading up to my wedding a couple years ago) and they’re wonderful as well.
While Not So Plain Jane’s is a little pricey, you definitely get what you pay for.

I have been here a few times. First on my own then because I got gift cards. It is a good thing I did have gift cards because they are very over priced and I wouldn’t have gone back. If their service was better I could see spending more but every service I have had there has been average.
The place is located in the mill section of Manchester like many businesses. However they are under a restaurant so I got to smell the lovely smell of a grease trap that needed cleaning walking in and out of the place last time. Certain times of day it is also almost impossible to find parking.
I have had two massage’s there and both times I had to wait too long after appointment time to get started. One of the girls was very chatty which made it hard for me to relax.
I had a facial where the girl got product in my eye.
Last time I went I did have a nice pedi. It was their sports pedi the girl did a good job and was pleasant. She let me read a magazine and only talked a little. My only complaint was she told me the scrub was pumpkin and asked if that was okay. When I told her it wouldn’t be my first choice she said it not that strong and didn’t offer an alternative. I knew when I went in it was over prices $ 50 with no polish but I had a GC from 11 months ago.

Got a really great deep tissue massage from Amber. She found all the bad spots and really dug in perfectly. Walked out feeling substantially better. The ambiance of the waiting room, locker area, and massage room isn’t high end or anything, but I’d rather have a great massage than a fancy waiting room and Amber gave me just that!

Had a haircut and eyebrows done here, both were excellent! Took my husband back for a couples massage and it exceeded our expectations. Comfy robes and warm neck wraps while we waited. Lovely relaxation room with snacks and water. The massage was simply amazing! I wanted to purr like a kitten. Thanks for the great atmosphere, professional staff and truly reasonable pricing Not So Plain Jane’s!

I keep going back hoping for some service but finally I’ve learned my lesson. NSPJ’s is good for pedicures only. I’ve never had a bad one. Massage, facial, and haircut at your own risk– you have been warned!

I haven’t used their spa services (yet), but I have my hair cut regularly here and I LOVE it. Like another reviewer, I go to Amy and she is amazing. The hair wash/​massage always relaxes me to the point where I’m almost asleep when she’s done (seriously). And she does a dream job on my hair. I get a ton of compliments, it’s easy to care for, and unlike herself and the other reviewer, my hair is naturally super straight. This girl is a whiz with hair, and for only $ 35… can’t beat that.
I also like the atmosphere. it’s not snobby and no one has ever tried to push hair coloring like they always do at other salons. Their accessories/​gifts area is fun to browse too. Love this place.

I made an appointment on short notice and I had my hair cut by AMY… wow! She was amazing! She listened to what I was looking for in a cut and really knew what would make my curly hair look its best! I loved that she did not try to involve me in meaningless chatter and let me enjoy my spa experience. The head massage she gave me while shampooing and conditioning my hair was unbelievable… I would pay to go there just to get my hair washed by her!
The price was very reasonable, only $ 35… and I was given a welcome bag that included a $ 10 gift card toward my next visit and a bottle each of NSPJ’s peppermint shampoo and conditioner… which I am in love with– makes my hair look and feel awesome AND makes my hair smell like peppermint taffy!!!
I could not have been more pleased with my overall experience!

Hated my cut and paid a fortune.
Never again.