The Refinery

Best Brazilian! Loyal Customer!

by rgri1101 at Citysearch

I found The Refinery after google-ing "minneapolis best brazilian" and was immediately attracted by the price. I made my first appointment and have been back three times since. The Refinery, in my opinion, may be on of the cities best kept secrets. What could be a painful, uncomfortable, expensive disaster is instead a quick and easy job, due to the cheerful and professional estheticians, who have always done a great job for me. I always leave a happy customer, and would continue going even without the great $30 price tag. I love The Refinery, and would recommend it to anybody in need of a great waxing.

I've never been treated so mean.

by Ginger2011 at Citysearch

Now I've been here before many a time and never really had too much to complain about until today. I will never go back to the Refinery again after the way I was treated. I called about 10 mins before my appointment to let them know I might be 5-10 mins late, the girl on the phone was not only rude but told me if that was the case I'd miss my appointment completely, but I might be able to still get one if i showed up . What the hell? Just tell me: "I'm sorry we won't be able to fit you in today, we're totally booked, would you like to reschedule?" I would've been okay with that, instead when I arrived I was treated poorly by the desk girl (obviously the one I talked to on the phone) and the woman who did my Brazilian. She was short, sarcastic and down right unpleasant. I'm sorry I was late, but I paid full price and tipped 20% for a shitty Brazilian. Sorry ladies, you've lost your touch.

Great experience...again

by Carrie80112 at Citysearch

I'm new in town and found The Refinery through Cityserach. Nice ambiance/decor. Friendly staff. Free parking first hour with stamp. And most important for me--beautiful wax (got a Brazilian from Chris) and affordable! I'm very happy. I also like the grapeseed oil they use at the end. It's odorless and nongreasy. If you're just trying out a Brazilan for the first time, ibuprofen makes it much more tolerable....ALSO...just saw Jenna for a haircut and foil. Very happy. She did exactly what I asked. My fine, thin hair is can be unforgiving of a distracted snip, but she gave attention to each snip and cut it dry as I requested. I've had so many stylists botch a simple cut, that I'm relieved to have found Jenna! I also loved that the hair color didn't smell of ammonia (I don't actually know what's in it). And being that I can get sensory overload pretty easily, I loved that the salon was on the quiet side--you didn't have to shout to be heard.

Cheap Brazillian! Quality NOT so good!

by 1daydreamer at Citysearch

My experience was not so great! At all. Unfortunately, the woman at another spa who typically does my waxing was ill. I was going on vacation & needed a wax immediately.

I got the owner (she told me she was the owner) very quickly did my wax. I couldn't believe what typically takes 20-30 minutes could be done in half the time at nearly half the price I was paying!

I was in & out so quickly that I didn't know what hit me. When I got home & checked it all out, I was so angry...I wasted $30! The job was so incredibly sloppy that I had to shave what was missed. And, througout the vaction, I had to shave daily. Not at all worth the savings!!

But...if you want cheap. This is the place. Want quality for a little bit more? There are places out there...you just have to search for them. I typically pay $40 & the extra $10 is so worth it.

I told the girl who typically does my waxing about my experience. She said they are known for poor quality of work...they try to get as many people in & out as they possibly can & don't concern themselves with quality.

I do NOT recommend this place unless you are very tight on money & don't care about quality.

• Pros: Cheap, fast service...in & out in less than 10 minutes!
• Cons: VERY sloppy work...even by the owner!!

Excellent Shiatsu Massage From Alison

by nightrocket at Citysearch

One's experience at any establishment is greatly determined by the quality of the individual service provider selected. So, I feel that it is important to specify exactly whose work "spoke" for The Refinery and established my impressions.

Alison gave me an excellent Shiatsu massage that was preceded by a series of thoughtful questions designed to establish particular areas of need. She was serious, sincerely interested, welcomed feedback and any other information that would help maximize the experience.

As someone trained in both Swedish deep-tissue and Shiatsu massage, Alison has a strong and diverse knowledge base. I felt like I was in good hands.

The treatment areas are separated by dividers and curtains so there is less privacy. And the 3rd floor felt noticeably warmer; particularly on a summer day. However, she asked me a number of times how I preferred the fan to be angled for my comfort. The environment of The Refinery is simple and utilitarian. It wouldn't take much to bump up ambiance a little. Having said that, this also means the day spa lacks pretension and that the price menu is not increased to cover the cost of environmental "niceties".

Particularly given the promotion that is being run on Shiatsu massage - 75 minutes consists of a 15 minute consult and 60 minutes of subsequent massage - this was an excellent value with a solid provider.

As a man, I can't speak to the quality of this establishment's waxing or nail care. The front desk does have a wide variety of receptionists that man it through the week so I can see how that might make it easier for the quality of initial contact to vary. Having said that, I spoke with three different people; Erin and Loren were both particularly helpful and accommodating.

I'll be back. And if I choose a different treatment next time - a facial? - I'll recall the importance of getting some info on available providers so that I can find someone on par with Alison.

In other words, fellow consumers, doing a little footwork in advance insures a higher likelihood of satisfaction in the end.

Peace.

• Pros: Broad knowledge base, attentive, dedicated, well-priced
• Cons: 3rd floor treatment areas a bit warm, lack of ambiance