Karma’s Angel

Tha absolute worst business owner ever! Glad Julia is out of Long Beach!
Good riddance…

I tried the Organic Spray Tan and it was awesome! I went to bring my sister in law something to eat at work afterwards and her boss loved my tan so much that she called Karma’s Angel and made an appointment for that day!
The next day I got a call from my sister in law saying that her boss loved the store and loved Julia and wanted to thank me for telling her about it. :)

At first everything was fine but shortly got uncomfortable. I believe there’s room for improvement w/​how staff treats customers.
Ryan & Julia were 2 ladies operating the establishment.
Once our masks hardened, we were told to wash off in the bathroom downstairs. They told us that «the water is a little cold; it’s good for you».
The water felt freezing, uncomfortable & dripping down my sleeves. Small vanity. They didn’t say before-​hand about no warm water.
At first I didn’t think much of it & went with the flow.
I’ve never been to a beauty product store w/​spa-​like services that didn’t have warm water.
I don’t think that asking for warm water is unusual, since this establishment has events where they put face masks on clients. They said a licensed aesthetician comes to give facials.
As I was washing my face, I realized the mask was tough to take off, but at first I didn’t complain & did my best.
Ryan walked over to see how I was doing. I was in the bathroom for a while as the mask wasn’t coming off in a timely fashion.
I told Ryan this is uncomfortable w/​cold water. The wash cloth dipped in cold water smudged the mask, but no luck coming off.
Ryan offered to bring warm water. I said I’ll try it.
She gave me half a cup of warm water but more was needed.
Julia approached me. I said I didn’t realize how difficult it is w/​cold water. I also said the wash cloth wasn’t doing the trick w/​cold water. Its smudging the mask but not removing it.
It felt like Julia spoke in a patronizing manner. She said «well we told you we ONLY have cold water». But she didn’t disclose this until after our masks were on.
The tone she used was as if I asked for something unreasonable. I find Julia to be happy & bubbly when she hears positive feedback, but I sensed a sarcastic edge once I said I was uncomfortable.
If the establishment has spa-​like services, they should hopefully have warm water & a little more bathroom space. If they can’t accommodate, then they would hopefully be more cognizant of customer experience.
The other girls I was with said they got hot steam to loosen their masks after I spoke up. One of them said to me that they realized that I bared the grunt.
After Julia spoke to me, I felt like I was supposed to accept cold water as «the norm». I felt like she thought I brought up something unreasonable. I felt like Julia had a strong preference for positive feedback only.
As she was saying different, non-​helpful things to me, I said that I was already waiting on Ryan to come back to me w/​more warm water. Julia said «Well it DOES take time to heat it up». (I wasn’t rushing her. I was just explaining why I was still waiting).
It felt downhill when Julia approached me. My impression is that she doesn’t know how to properly handle an unhappy customer. I felt like she preferred that I acted happy. It felt like anything Julia said exacerbated the situation.
I removed the mask when Ryan came back w/​a cup of warm water. Then I came out & joined the party. But I was quieter than before. I felt turned off & uncomfortable w/​how Julia said some things. As a result, I seemed less enthusiastic & continued to be less engaged.
Next when it was time for the spray tans, I said to Julia, «what does this consist of?» Julia said «what do you MEAN ‘what does this consist of?’. Do you mean ingredients or texture?» So I said «I’m not sure how else to phrase this question, what does it consist of». So Julia said «You’re asking me the same question again; What do you mean?». So I said «if I’m asking what does this consist of, then I’m asking what ingredients are in it?». So Julia says «Ok noooow I know what you mean. Well, we can google this and you can read verbatim». Her tone was sarcastic and condescending. So I said «no thank you, I’ll skip the spray tan».
I wasn’t getting a good vibe & though I paid substantial money to this event, I didn’t feel good about Julia performing more services on me. Besides, Julia said she was not a licensed aesthetician. I’m aware that wasn’t promised, but I’ve clicked better w/​many others in this field, but no luck for me w/​Julia. I understand that Julia is saying that other girls in my group had fun, but this doesn’t mask the experience I had.
When I read another review indicating questionable customer service here, I was able to relate. I started to feel uncomfortable after this small situation that I spoke up about. I saw Julia’s reply to the other bad review. It had a hint of sarcasm at the end of it.
My purpose for this review is for Julia to make positive changes. I see that she’s trying to engage more customers for better reviews after I wrote my feedback. A customer-​service workshop is good. I’m not the only customer who didn’t give a good review. I hope Julia improves. This felt like a symbiotic stalemate.

I can’t say enough about this hidden gem! I went there for the first time today and was blown away. The facial was relaxing, using all natural products that felt great, to the point that I purchased them afterward. This place is unique in that there is a mini spa, boutique, and lounge area. The owner was very accommodating, offering complimentary snacks and coffee as I waited. Both she and her staff were friendly and easy to talk to, a rare customer service find these days! Amazing experience, I will definitely return!
Update: As I have been back to this store, I only have more great things to say. The products are all organic and top of the line brands, but for prices that won’t break the bank. The best part is that you are allowed to test the skin care and make-​up products before buying. This is my favorite spot in LB!

Was sadly disappointed about how the staff treated us when we visited Karma’s Angel yesterday. We were excited because we had read they had what looked like really great gift baskets. I’m a Long Beach resident and try to buy as many of my Christmas presents at small businesses in town. We walked in and it was busy with the clerk seeming very overwhelmed. As we looked around my husband went to the upstairs portion of the store and was talking to a sales rep at the counter, inquiring about the baskets since the clerk downstairs was swamped. As he signaled me up the three steps, the woman at the register told me I was not allowed upstairs since I was not part of the private party. She then told my husband he needed to come down. When my husband said ok, I’m finishing with your clerk now, he was told «No, you need to come down right now.» had there been a sign that said private party please come back next time we would have complied and never gone up in the first place. So we left, without baskets, which I likely would have purchased several of. It seems counterintuitive to promote a small business sale and then shoo away customers, or plan a private event on your busiest day. I hate writing bad reviews and want to give her the benefit of the doubt that maybe she was understaffed or not ready for the rush. However we definitely will not be going back. They could take a lesson from the Blue Bungalow where the staff and owners are super amazing and professional.