Natural Shapes

DO NOT waste ur time going 2 this place. I wished I read the other reviews posted b4 I called, b4 I showed up. I was visiting my friend in MD decided 2 get my natural hair done. Was kind of adamant about finding a natural hair care salon. Well Natural Shapes I found online, the prices look good. Website stated they were in DC, starting price for cornrows was right up my alley. I called a Sun afternoon 2 set up my appointment told the person on the phone what I wanted, when I would like to get my hair done. I also asked her what my stylist name was. She informed me she didn’t know yet, however she would be sending me a text. I had scheduled my appointment for a Tues @930am. Well luckily the day before she sends me a text 2 confirm my appointment w/​a new address in Hyattsville, MD, then tells me cash only. I’m like ok no big deal. I text back confirming my appointment, thanked her for letting me know address. She was very pleasant in the text, continues 2 ask where I was coming from since I informed her I wasn’t from the area. She also told me 2 call just in case I ran into any problems. Well Mon night I make sure I go 2 the ATM & take out some cash. I get up early Tues morning because I’m driving a friends car using my GPS again I’m not from the area but I don’t want 2 be late neither. On my way there I get a text @855am asking how I was finding everything. She informed traffic was congested, if I got there b4 she or staff did just call because someone was there 2 let me in. I text back, said I was about 5 minutes away forgetting city 5 minutes is like a football game so I was more like 15 minutes away. I pulled up 2 the «shop» at 910am. Well the location was weird. I knock on the lock door no answer, I called the number and she says oh your there and I say yes and she says ok let me call so &so to let you in. I said well you must be my stylist since you’re not here yet? Neither is anyone else. She said no someone will be there soon. I sat and waited in the car. At 940am she texts, says sorry for the delay. I should have left but I really wanted my hair done so I thought. At 1000am someone shows up the place is bare as they have just moved (sound familiar? look at the other reviews) it’s clean I guess just no organization. The female that comes in introduces herself at the car I follow her in and there’s a man inside there. I’m like ok. Then we waited another 15 minutes because she couldn’t find the key to get into the actual shop part where they do hair. At this time she was saying «oh my this is not a good first impression» I agreed and said no it really isn’t this is ridiculous. She just got back from a family funeral 2 weeks in Antigua. Well she asks me what I want I tell her she gives me a book 2 look @ but I describe it 2 her. She says well a shampoo comes w/​it, I said I rather not wash my hair is that ok? She said yes, she ask me is it because of time? I said yes that part of it plus I had just washed my hair Sun night no need to wash it again. Well then as I sit back down she says the starting price will be @ $ 95!!! I got up out the chair & said oh no that’s way too much when ur website says the starting price is @ $ 45! I start twisting my hair, she pleads w/​me not 2 leave, maybe they can work in a discount & that price is 4 kids. I’m like well that’s not what the website says. She’s like shock saying I know we need 2 update it. She tries 2 call the manager who I had been texting, couldn’t get through. I waited no longer once my hair was back in place I walked out that shop got in the car and didn’t even look back! Well maybe cellular network was horrible, manager sends a text at 240pm apologizing, then telling my stylist was stuck in traffic, she’ll have her give me a complimentary herbal rinse. I immediately text saying well @ 1^st you didn’t know my stylist name was & informed her I left hrs ago. She goes on 2 text saying they don’t give the stylist name until a client is established, she learned I left because I expected my service 2 be $ 45 & that she wished I had inquired about the price b4 making my appointment, stating that the website gives a starting rate! I CALLED her back, told her, u over here texting instead trying 2 call & speak 2 me u were quick 2 tell me where u were located & u were a cash only business. I told u what I wanted when I made my appointment that’s when u should have said «our starting price is $$$» but u didn’t I even told u I checked the website for ur address, ur stylist even agreed the website needed 2 be updated. It’s ironic though as soon as I got home, looked @ the reviews & saw others had the similar if not the same problem so the warnings were there I just didn’t look. Please be cautious & read the reviews. This place was not informative, outdated website info, doesn’t offer or provide u info until they think it’s too late, staff 30minutes late, manager poor customer service skills. This incident happened 6 Sep their website is still not updated! 9÷17÷11

Disclaimer: I had my locs retwisted here once, back in 2009. So I am a little fuzzy on some details, but quite clear on most of them. But in an effort to help my fellow natural Unilocalers (and to make my list about my hair adventures in DC as complete as possible), I will tell you what I without a doubt remember about my experience here.
Finding the location was a breeze. But parking was an absolute nightmare. As I recall, I was parked in an odd place (I think it was an abandoned lot next door… if it wasn’t completely abandoned, then it belonged to a business that was slow or closed for the day. Also I vaguely recall feeling like I was parked either on or near the sidewalk and was really worried that my car would be towed or vandalized when I got back.)
I also recall being confused when I came in because the salon is upstairs (and there’s like an auto body shop or some kind of other thing going on downstairs), but there weren’t clear signs letting me know where to go. I recall a kind of window downstairs (kind of like gas stations where you can talk to, but wouldn’t be able to touch the attendant), and I don’t remember if there was a person there who helped me figure out where to go or not. In any event, I eventually got to the salon.
The salon was ok overall. It’s like being in a house, as there are several different rooms. It had a fairly nice waiting and styling room, but only «decent» (older, cramped) shampoo room and dryer room. I remember having an appointment time, but having to wait a fair bit of time (30 minutes?) before it began. I remember the wait because the owner’s son (who was young at the time — maybe between 1 and 2 years old or so) was infatuated with me and my car keys. And I spent quite a bit of time entertaining him. He was very friendly (e.g. giving me a hug) and enjoyed «reading» the hair magazines with me. I mean, you would’ve thought I was the kid’s nanny/​au pair the way we «hit it off» together. I’ve been known to have a magnetic effect on kids, but this was more than even I was used to. Now I thought at the time that it was a bit odd that she allowed him to stay alone with me in the waiting room, but the owner later told me that she has trained her son to be very friendly and not to be afraid of strangers. He also is given free reign of the shop (e.g. she doesn’t worry that he’d fall down the stairs even though he almost gave me a heart attack as he headed that way) because she’s trained him, so he just kind of popped up everywhere while I was there.
Anywho, I remember very little about the wash and conditioning other than it was very thorough. I also remember talking to the owner (who was my stylist, in case that wasn’t clear) a lot during it. She was friendly, sharing details about her family, homeschooling, etc. I got the impression that she is a doting mom who strove to make good choices for herself and her family. For that, I applaud her.
I don’t remember much more other than:
1) The other stylist in the salon was unprofessional. I distinctly recall having that impression when I dealt with her when booking the appointment, paying for my service, and just generally while listening to her conversation while I was being styled. (Random memory — I think king of pop MJ had just died, and this had the whole salon upset.)
2) My stylist had to stop my service SEVERAL times to attend to her son — who was getting crankier as the day wore on. (You and me both buddy, I was thinking to myself!) It’s clear that he’s her number one priority. She would stop and sing songs to him, get him food, just cuddle him, and talk to him, but she eventually had to stop and call a relative (a teenaged boy? her brother or something like that) to come and get him because he needed more attention. While on the one hand I understand that a mom’s work is never done, at the same time I expect that my stylist has made proper arrangements to allow her to focus on her work when I’m paying her (both in terms of the money and the time I’m sacrificing) to do my hair.
I then remember being shuttled into a small, narrow room to sit under the dryer. Truth be told, I don’t remember much about the style now. I think I might have gone in wanting an updo, but because of the sheer amount of time (I can’t say for sure anymore — but I’m guessing 4 hours) I didn’t want to spend a second longer there. So I’m thinking I probably just had the locs retwisted and left hanging. I don’t remember being 100% thrilled with my hair, but I certainly don’t recall absolutely hating it either. So I’m guessing that I probably liked the work, but this was tainted so much by the «Adventures in Babysitting» experience that I vowed never to return.
And I haven’t.

Let me first start off by saying the people where really nice BUT I had to wait for 40 minutes before my hair was started. When I first came to the shop I was greeting and then taken to the shampoo bowl, my stylist still was not there. After the shampoo I was told that my original stylist had an emergency and another lady was coming. When she came there was a dispute of rather she could do the type of twists I requested. When she finally started she worked very quickly. But here’s the catch, the original stylist came offering an apology and a pineapple, yes she gave me a pineapple. Five hours later I left with a decent twist style, minus $ 245 and with a large fruit.

G to the HETTO!
The girl who did my hair was working on FOUR other people at the same time. This is one of those shops that gets you in and washes your hair immediately so you won’t leave with sopping unstyled hair.
The girl WRECKED my flexi-​rods so that my hair was so tangled that I spent more than two hours detangling it a few days later. Flexis usually last two or three weeks for me!
Then they want to take your picture and force you into their style book. Sorry hon, if you’re gonna photograph me for promotional purposes, I need to be paid for that!
Plus you have to park illegally on the sidewalk ’cause there is no other place to put your car that isn’t the New York Avenue highway!