Casa Urbana Salon in Hudson, NY

I have very good successes here each year. Last year, I walked in for a haircut, and the stylist/owner gave me the best cut in ages. She was blunt, honest, and spoke minimally. Quite enjoyable. A bit rough with the hair handling. But an excellent cut. The shop is a reliable source of gifts for my mom--everything from unique lotions and candles to sweet little earrings. Very pleasant staff.

The retail part up front is amazing. (Hair salon in rear.) Well-curated very top-of-the-line unique and natural body and facial care products. Big on aromatherapy -- there's candles and diffusers too, which all smell great. It's pretty expensive overall, but there's some less expensive stuff, including soaps and hand lotion, which I bought. The store part changed ownership about a year ago. It's nicer than I remember. It's a lovely store to buy something extravagant for yourself -- woman or man -- and I think a great place for truly lovely scented gifts for the holidays. Oh and there are New Yorker cards. Nina and Peter are both super nice and helpful in a non-pushy way. Never used the beauty salon in the back.

Now they have some "antique" ginger jars in the window for $85 each i think. Guess what? I've got the same one! It's still got the sticker on the bottom... $19.99 from Marshall's! & I've had it for several years so I guess that makes me a millionaire according to Casa Urbana standards.

$64 for less than average manicure and pedicure, which for some reason took over an hour. No massage, nothing customized as the brochure description promises. The place smelled like food. Towels were not properly cleaned and had dry hair on them. The experience did not suit the price at all.

I have been twice, the first time 6 weeks ago and I was explicit about the fact that I like my hair long (maybe odd for a guy in this neck of the woods but hey, its my hair). The hair cut that time was OK (only a 1/4 inch off and it helped it grow longer neater) so I went back. What a MISTAKE. This time, the same stylist who I said it had been 6 weeks since she last cut my hair, started cutting the top and front taking about a 1/4" off. She never asked how I wanted it, I never said, it seemed like she knew because it was 6 weeks to tidy it up without taking too much off. BUT, when she got to the back she took nearly 3" off the length and turned my long hair (at least 1.5-2" below my collar) to collar length hair! When I could see it I said, its short and I like it long. She said, "You should've told me" to which I said you cut it 6 weeks ago and so should know how its cut. She said, "I've done hundreds of hair cuts since then and I don't remember what you want." So, is it my fault for not saying DON'T CUT MY LONG HAIR SHORT? I think she should have said, "How much off the back would you like, do you like it long or should I shorten it?" ASK the customer. Don't assume I want all my hair cut off so that now I basically look like a businessman rather than a bohemian artist! Whatever YOUR opinion as a stylist is, its MY hair. It is going to take 6 months for me to regrow my hair after this butchering. SAVE YOU MONEY AVOID THIS PLACE! I wish I had read the other reviews about hair being cut too short on Yelp before I trusted my hair to this butcher.