Florescence Designs

An update to say that my hair looked fantastic for five full months after my first haircut, and only started to look like it needed a trim halfway through the sixth. Jenn fit me in and once again, I had an amazing experience — soothing, grounding, and the exact cut I wanted. Definition with hardly any loss of length.
I get complimented on my wash-​and-​go hair frequently, which is not really something I’ve ever experienced before. I give all credit to Jenn’s cut.

Jennifer Archbold has been cutting my hair for many years. She knows what looks good on me and what works for my hair. Lately, the texture and curliness of my hair has been changing. She’s explained these changes to me and suggested style alterations to fit these changes. Her salon, Florescence, is very clean and relaxing with its soft music, muted color scheme and backyard garden. And Jennifer herself is both friendly and easy to talk to. All in all, a haircutting session with Jennifer is a pleasant interlude that results in a hairstyle that really works.

Just went here for the first time today. I have been using henna on my hair for about four years but usually do it myself. My hair is a little too long for me to manage on my own now and the people I am living with weren’t really comfortable with me dyeing my hair in the bathroom so I searched for a place to get my hair dyed naturally. I figured if anywhere would have somewhere to fit the bill it would be Berkeley, and I was right. This was an all around great experience. The salon is small and clean and Jenn played soothing music. She quickly set to work dyeing my hair and then sat me under the dryer to let the color set a bit. This may have been my favorite part. Instead of an uncomfortable drying chair like at most salons, the chair here is a really comfortable chair. Weird thing to focus on but if I am going to cook my hair for 45 minutes, I like being comfortable. After that she sent me home with my hair still wrapped up and told me to let is sit for a couple more hours for the best color. I
It is all washed and dry now and is such a beautiful color, couldn’t be happier.

I was referred to Jenn Archbold by a good friend and thought I’d give her a shot, not having very high expectatons after 45+ years of experiencing varying levels of skill from hair stylists. She, and her salon, Florescence Designs, are extraordinary! She’s one of those few people who’s sensitive, smart and skilled: in fact, an artist. I walked in the first time and she asked such specific questions about my haircut desires I was taken aback; even more so when she actually applied my answers to the cut. Each visit – it’s been a year now – she asks what I’d like to do this time and is present to my response, demonstrably! Recently, I was out of ideas and she suggested a whole new direction when I invited her opinion… well! My 24 year old daughter was filled with praise for my new «do.» Doesn’t that say it all?

Short hair? The woman I saw leave before me had one of the most stunning short hairdo’s I’ve ever seen… if I could wear short hair I wouldn’t go to anyone else!
I love Jenn’s commitment to clean products and the intimacy of her solo salon. I couldn’t recommend Jenn and Florescence Designs more highly. Looking forward to many more years of terrific haircuts and serene, intelligent ambiance. Jenn feels like an «old friend» at this point, in the best way.

I have been getting my hair cut and colored by various people over the past several years with decent results, but I was really concerned about the toxicity of hair dyes and none of the stylists I was working with seemed to think there was a satisfactory alternative. Finally I did some research and found Jenn Archbold.
She gave me the best cut I think I have had in years. I get so many compliments about my hair these days. It is a stretch for me to pay salon prices, but well worth it! You hair is one of your most important accessories, no? I think she has a special gift as she makes it look so effortless.
She really understands wavy hair. What a gift! Perhaps because she has it herself. I can’t remember all my life EVER having a stylist who could do justice to my natural waves. They just could cut it OK but they couldn’t style it in a way that I would walk out feeling good about my hair. After getting a cut from Jenn, I do.
She really listens to what you want and cares very much about satisfying her clients wishes. She will make suggestions when asked but she doesn’t try to insert her own will over your hairstyle if you have a clear idea of what you like already.
She didn’t cut my bangs too short! (A sore spot with many stylists in the past.)
Also, the dyes she uses are very low toxicity and don’t leave my head with that chemical smell afterwards that I can’t wait to wash off.
She also does not push products on you at ALL. She can make suggestions for things to try, but there is no sales pressure to buy products. That is not her focus. Her focus is on giving you what you like.
I was using some things like Moroccan oil and Bumble and Bumble defrizz which were leaving a coating on my hair. Something Jenn was able to pick up on right away after handling my hair. I was only getting very inconsistent results with them anyway so at her suggestion I stopped using them.
I have extremely dry wavy hair. It can look HORRIFIC with out the right products — frizzy bent at weird angles, uncontrollable. I have read and used the «Curly Girl» system and that has helped but I tried the Devashon products developed by the author and they only worked for me for a limited time frame and then stopped giving nice smooth results. It has been so frustrating in the past, searching for the perfect conditioner and styling products. It has been like a lifelong quest for the holy grail. I have tried SO MANY things!
In fact, through Jenn I found out that my very best styling product is olive oil. That’s it. I put it on my hair after conditioning while it is wet and my hair has not looked so good, so consistently in years. I have never been happier with my hair.
I strongly encourage you to give Jenn a try especially if you have had frustrations with your wavy or curly hair.

Jennifer Brass is amazing! She has given me the two best haircuts of my entire life (I’m 30) and she found ways to bring out my face that I could never have imagined.
She first cut my hair (found her through Unilocal actually) because I was chopping it for locks of love. She took tons of time to ask me questions about my personal style, work, and lifestyle so that she could make sure my haircut fit it. She took a lot of time to really make sure the cut was what I wanted, even doing a second version when I realized I had wanted to go a couple of inches shorter. I was blown away by how amazing it looked.
This was only surpassed by my second haircut when I decided to go shorter. Jennifer Brass knew my hair. She knew which way certain locks would fall and what/​how to cut them so it would be just right. It was the best hair cut I have ever had in my life and made me look elegant and pretty in an incredible way that again, I could never have imagined was possible.
I am due for another haircut with her this week (months later) and am almost tempted to cancel just because it has even grown out well at every step, however I know that what she will do will make it that much better. I cannot recommend Jennifer Brass enough to anyone with any hair type.
I also appreciate the interesting conversations we have and the fact that she uses organic products.

Jenn A is awesome! She’s good with naturally curly hair. She takes her time to get to know you, your style and what you’re looking for… She’s always giving me ideas and suggestions for my dry crazy hair and they always work. She’s open to my hair care régime (natural vs chemical) and works with me — not against me on that.
I recommend her for anyone /​any hair type /​any style.

I’m not sure I know enough laudatory adjectives to describe Jenn Archbold and Florescence Designs, but I’ll give it a shot. First off, her design space is an absolute gem. As someone who is used to those franchise haircut places with scary photos of people with mohawks and mass-​produced prints of boats on the walls, I was really impressed by the one-​chair salon; the décor is soothing grass– and earth-​tones, the music is lilting classical that sort of sinks into your unconscious after ten minutes of listening to it, and the entire space is just planned to provide the most comfortable, relaxing experience ever. Jenn herself is incredibly personable and friendly. Five minutes after her scissors touched my hair we were off and running talking about world politics, good books we’ve read, and cultural norms. Seriously, I wish my friends were half this interesting. And we haven’t even gotten to the haircut yet.
Right off the bat I must say I’m not a brave person when it comes to my hair. I usually grow it out to the middle of my back, cut it all off and donate it to Locks of Love (which is what Jenn did for me today, and by the way, she does Locks of Love cuts for free, but book early!), and then start the whole process over again. For the last 19 years I’ve had a side part, occasionally experiment with layers so long you can’t tell they’re there, and have never ever dreamed of getting bangs. But Jenn gave me the confidence to experiment after we cut off the 10+ inches for Locks of Love. She really knows what she’s doing, how to work with hair that refuses to cooperate with anyone at all and does its own curly, wonky thing just because. When I left her salon, I had hair so short you can see my entire neck, lots of tiny layers, and a cake-​topping set of bangs that do this cool swoopy thing that I would never have dared to try before. Even if my short-​hair-​hating friends don’t like it, I am truly one happy bunny. Jenn, if you read this, I hope you know how thrilled you made me today! So what are you waiting for? Call her! Go, go, right now! Why are you even still reading?

I used to be afraid to get my hair cut. (So did my sister, actually– childhood trauma…) In fact, before I found Jenn, I had been cutting my own hair for a while. I hadn’t found anyone I trusted, particularly on my curly hair.
I found reviews of Jenn Archbold on another site, and I decided, based on them to give her a try. Here’s what I knew about her going in: she can cut curly hair; she uses organic products; and people like her.
That is all true, but it doesn’t even begin to express how awesome Florescence Designs and Jenn are! She is really compassionate and listens. She cuts my curly hair in the most attractive ways, adjusting my cut as my hair grows out and working with me to find the cut that will work best for me right now. She has hennaed my hair, and it comes out looking spectacular.
The ambiance is awesome. It is so relaxing to just walk through that door. I know it sounds a little hippie, but the energy in there is amazing! You can sit down with your hot tea and a magazine (she’s even got the guilty pleasure kind!) and bask. It smells nice, not chemical.
And Jenn herself is a pleasure. She is not just a skilled hairstylist, but also a warm, kind person. Talking with her has been life-​transforming– not to oversell the haircut, but, you know how cutting off your hair can be liberating? Well, so can getting a trim, apparently.
The best. I’ll never cut my own hair again.

Jennifer Archbold has been doing my hair for years now, and I’ve never been disappointed. She’s great at giving me exactly the haircuts I ask for, and I’ve loved what she’s done on the times I’ve said, «I have no idea, just cut it.» She’s also colored it several times, and again every time it came out better than I had imagined and I got tons of compliments.
Her new salon is gorgeous — a really peaceful, calming place with a lot of attention to detail.
Oh – and she’s my step-​mother. Since we all know how evil stepmothers are, just imagine how great she must be at doing hair for me to rave like this!

Jennifer Brass is both an accomplished stylist AND visual artist. Her intelligence, creativity and artistic skill comes out of head straight through her fingers and scissors! I have wavey frizzy hair that was hard to manage before I started seeing her. Even though my hair grows fast, I can go for 10 weeks without a cut, and it still falls beautifully because Jennifer has carefully cut with the natural curl of my hair. She listens carefully, and approaches her work with great attention and skill.
Even though this salon is rated «pricey» I think I save money because my hair is cut so well with my natural curl that I can go longer between cuts.
I don’t have to wash or restyle my hair for 4 days after I see her, it just falls in place when I get out of bed. Truly amazing.

My stylist, Jennifer Brass, just moved from Hermosa on College to this AMAZING little space on Solano Ave. It’s a one chair salon, which makes you feel like a rock star. It’s very private, peaceful, and tucked away from the street.
Jennifer is into organic and non-​toxic products, and this salon uses them exclusively. She shares the space with the owner, also a Jennifer. Jennifer B. is an incredible listener, so if you’re picky and know exactly what you want you’re in good hands.
The salon also does free cuts if you’re donating to Locks of Love. In case you’re thinking about pulling a Britney.

Jenn Brass did a great job with my Thermal Straightened hair. The salon is completely organic and Jennifer really takes her time to design the perfect style. Although, she didn’t straightned my hair, she knew how to make it flip just the right way :-)

Jennifer A is a great stylist and colorist. I love that the color she uses is about as non-​toxic as it gets. I have very dark brown, almost black hair, and I got some color about 6+ weeks ago that still looks great. I have some grey hair that is usually hard to color, but the color she uses seems to do the trick. I had tried the henna in the past, but that didn’t work out very well for my thick and (I think) hard to color hair.
I always love the haircuts I get from her. I’m usually ready for anything she suggests.