Manifesta

So, I admit it. I am a hair snob. For the past 9 years, I have been getting my hair cut in SF. (Before that, I was a NYC and Boston hair salon snob.) When I recently moved to the East Bay, I was reluctant to go to a salon in the East Bay, stupidly (and admittedly arrogantly) believing that SF stylists had to be better. My bad and I am so glad I have learned how wrong I was. I recently had my hair cut and colored by Amy at Manifesta. First, the salon is really cool, well decorated, and super convenient to the 12^th BART /​City Center Area. Second, and more importantly, I LOVE my cut and color. Amy did an amazing job. I first met her for a consultation and really liked how much she listened, had a variety of well-​explained suggestions, and that she REMEMBERED when I came back for the cut /​color. I am one of those people who rarely like the way my hair is styled when I leave a salon, even if the cut is great. Here, with Amy, I LOVED how it was styled. The cut is great and I when I look in a mirror and see the color, it makes me really, really happy. Amy was also not trying to upcharge and reccomended ways to try to stretch my dollars when it comes to cut /​color. Frankly, as much as I loved my SF hair stylist, I think Amy’s cut and color is better. I’m looking forward to many more cuts and colors at Manifesta.

Great haircuts and color, Aveda products and locally made stuff too. KC is fantastic. Manifesta is one of the best places of any kind to open up in Oakland in the past couple years.

I. Love. Manifesta. This is a delightful, conscientious, and lovely salon filled with kind people. I want to move in! Amy has been my stylist for four years and I don’t know what I would do without her. She is one of the most creative, attuned, generous, and responsive people and I am so grateful to receive her wonderful services. I always love my haircuts and am eager to return.
Visiting Manifesta is a pleasure. It is a treat to be pampered in such a warm and welcoming space!

Have you ever walked out of getting a haircut and you feel like everyone is looking at you because your hair is just that fly? Well, that was the feeling I got after a haircut with Jasmine. Walking down the street it felt like everyone was smiling at me, not because I have a friendly face, but because I looked goooood ;)
On a more serious note, it has been almost two years since I cut my hair last and I was due for some change. On the recommendation of a friend I decided to give Jasmine a try and she did not disappoint. My hair looks and feels amazing. Service was outstanding from the moment I walked in the door to the end of my visit. This is a gem in the area and I will be back in 8 weeks instead of my usual 1 to 2 years :) Thank you again for the wonderful cut!

I have been getting my hair done by Mireya for 12 years and trust her completely! She is such an amazing artist and always knows exactly what I want even when I’m unsure. The conversation and skill go above and beyond. Manifesta salon is so inviting… Couldn’t recommend a better spot!

I’ve been getting my haircut here for about a year if not longer. I always have my hair done by KC and she kills it every time. She’s great at understanding what I want even when I don’t know how to put it into technical terms. I can’t imagine going to anyone else at this point.
The location is beautiful, and everyone who works there is super friendly. I’m always greeted and asked if I would like any refreshments.
If you’re looking for a new place to get you’re hair done I would absolutely recommend this place! You won’t be disappointed.

Amy is quite simply, amazing. I have tried for two years to get a certain color and depth of red into my hair while keeping it professional, and she achieved it in only one session. She’s also great with etching designs into a shaved patch. This is not surprising, given that she has a Masters of Fine Arts. Oh yeah, and she has curly hair, so she knows how to deal with mine.
She makes sure to listen and asks you different ways about what you want, to make sure she understands. She doesn’t rush you through the consult – after seeing how closely she paid attention, I felt confident in her hands.
More than that, she’s friendly and interesting to chat with. It makes such a difference to be able to have a nice talk with your stylist if you’re going to be in a salon for over two hours.
The salon itself is fresh and fun, without being intimidating. They take a deposit for most new clients with a reasonable reschedule policy, which totally makes sense when you think about all the flaky customers out there. To top it off, the prices are super reasonable!
What can I say, it really was one of those experiences that tops the charts.

I always feel great leaving Manifesta. First of all the physical space is great. I admit the first time I walked by it, I rolled my eyes, thinking another hipster spot was moving into the neighborhood. But once I actually went in, I appreciated the rustic charm and open space. One of the owners built the furniture with her husband (i think), and they have placed an emphasis on opening up the place for community events. It’s also great that the salon gets tons of sunlight.
I’ve gotten my haircut twice with Amy, and she always does an amazing job. She is the sweetest person, and always makes me feel super confident and ready to tackle the upcoming day/​week/​month or until whenever I see her next :)

I’ve been coming here for over a year now so I thought I’d update my review.
With free bang trims in between cuts, I actually get my hair cut regularly for the first time in my life. So I see my stylist (KC) pretty often and they’ve really gotten to know me. When I’m in ~the chair~ we chat about everything! It’s kinda like therapy except that instead of ugly crying, I walk out with fantastic looking hair. How can you say no to that?!
Everyone here is so sweet and incredibly talented. Definitely come here if you’re thinking about it!

I followed Mireya here from her former salon when she and her partners opened up Manifesta last year, and I’m so glad I did. She is one of the rare people who understands the nuances of curly/​wavy hair and has given me great haircuts for almost three years now. I’ve never walked away sheepishly, wishing she had understood me better – she understands EVERY SINGLE VISIT. What’s more, Mireya is smart and savvy, and I walk away just as pleased with the conversation as I am with my new haircut.
I recently recommended a friend to Mireya. My friend had a regular person she was seeing in SF but was disappointed by the high price and the regular coloring she needed. Since getting her hair done at Manifesta, it has sincerely looked better than ever, the color really complements her complexion, and the price is fair for the quality you get.
Manifesta is a beautiful salon filled with consummate professionals. They don’t try to push product on you to increase their sales, and they are very connected to the community around them. Local artisans come by the salon on a regular basis to show their wares and gain exposure. And Manifesta is the hub that makes this all happen.

I’m SO happy with my experience here. I can’t for my hair to grow out so I can go back. :)
I called and got a same day appointment, which was wonderful. Amy was my «hairapist» as she called it, and I think it was a perfect fit. She gave me a very detailed consultation to help me try to go in a new direction. She was warm, personable, and gave me an amazing cut and styling tips. I don’t think I’ve ever loved a new haircut as much as this one! Safe to say I will be going to Manifesta for many haircuts to come.

This is one of the few times Unilocal reviews have let me down.
I got a cut with Jasmine, and I’ve never not liked a haircut so much.
I asked to keep the length long, with a 1 – 2 inch trim, and thinned out. My usual.
After the wash, she must have forgot, because she cut off 3 – 4 inches! And the ends look so terrible and boring, just a blunt end, with no style at all. It was originally nice V shae in the back, and then she chopped into this horrid blunt straight end. SO MAD! I wanted to fix it, but didn’t want to lose more length, so now i’m stuck waiting for it to grow out so that I can have someone else fix it. I can’t wear my hair down or even in a pony tail. A bun or laborious curls is the best way it will look.
I guess just make sure you reiterate to her what you want after the wash, before she starts cutting your hair. But I will never go back to her.
Additionally — she didn’t seem like she wanted to be there. I don’t care about chatting it up or anything, but she wasn’t very friendly and didn’t give my cut much attention. Seemed like she just wanted to do it quickly and get me out.

I desperately needed to update my look. Amy does a fabulous job with color and style. I love coming here — getting my hair done is finally fun! Definitely recommend Amy for all your styling needs.

I don’t know why, but my second cut just wasn’t as good. I felt like she was distracted throughout most of it (dealing with people who had events planned for that weekend who kept needing her advice and help), and as a result I got a cut that is somewhat high-​maintenance, is exactly the one thing I said I didn’t want the first time I came here, and is growing out really awkwardly. :/​I think the high Unilocal ratings and overall coolness of the place and what they are doing there made me want to love it, but in the end — I just don’t. Just not a good fit.

This is one of the best salons I’ve ever been to. I have very curly hair, and it’s hard to find someone who really knows how to work with it. Mireya is a master. I came in one day, showed her a few photos of what I wanted, and let her chop off my hair. Best decision ever! My cut was perfect. I’ve been going back ever since. Mireya is also great to chat with, and she lets me come in for a free bang trim in between cuts.
I’ve heard great things from a friend about KC too. 5 stars all the way.

I was tired of going to my old salon so I did a search on Unilocal and found Manifesta. I read the reviews on here and the stylists’ profiles on their website and decided Lindsay was my best fit.
My first time (3 weeks ago) was an amazing experience. The moment I walked into the door, I felt welcomed and relaxed. The environment was friendly and as I sat there looking around, I could see that other clients were happy and excited to get their hair done as well.
Lindsay did a spectacular job with my hair. She answered all of my questions and made great suggestions as to what I can do with my new hair cut and products to use. I ended picking up the Aveda Control Paste because it fits my current get-​up-​and-​go lifestyle.
I highly recommend this salon and I can’t wait to go back; already made two appointments! :)

I LOVE THIS SALON. I have been coming here to see Jasmine or over six months. She is absolutely amazing. She has really helped me explore new hair styles and I love the cut she gives me every time. She understands my hair (which is pretty curly) and is completely honest on what will and will not look good on me. I have never had someone cut my hair for this long.
Jasmine also remembers all the conversations we have and always asks about my family and my boyfriend. She even remembers how much my boyfriend hates bangs and gives me options to have bangs or swoop to the side.
Another shout out to Ben the receptionist. He is amazing and will always find time that fits my schedule.
As long as I live in the bay area I will come here no matter what.

I. Love. This. Freaking. Place.
This place is filled with amazingly talented, hard working women (and men-​Ben!) each lady is unique and has her specialty, I feel like I could go to each stylish and be equally thrilled! But I must say I am stuck on K.C., she is so kind and welcoming, with a wealth of knowledge. I use my appointments to pick her brain about my own business venture!
If you are in search of a welcoming, impressive and fun stylist, run to Manifesta!

This place is the greatest. I have had five inches and hair dyed there in the last two months, and both services left me really pleased. Jasmine did the cut and later the color, and both were awesome. I went from long and frizzy to short and sassy. The cut is even growing out really well. They also give free bang trims!
The space is also gorgeous– hand carved wood and great décor makes the place really nice to spend time in. I really liked how they also are committed to being closely tied to the community. They have held community centered events in the past and sell things made by local artisans in the windows. All in all, I’m really impressed with this place and will keep coming back.

What’s not to LOVE?
Awesome rad ladies who cut hair REAL GOOD!!!
Affordable pricing?
Feminists?
Great conversation, unless they are wanting to just focus on making your hair as badass as it can be?
Female business owners who want to use their space to benefit the community with art classes, yoga classes, you name it?
I love Manifesta. Followed KC here from her last place and will stay with her!