By snoadmin
Call me stubborn. Call me childish. Tell me I’m stuck in a beauty rut. But don’t criticize my long hair.
That’s been my motto since I could remember, so my attitude wasn’t going to change when meeting the young, über-hip hair stylist Lori at the new beauty salon on Broadway Avenue, Flaunt Salon.
But there was no need for a fussy, uptight attitude at this place, because firstly, the setting is as comfortable as it gaudy for any swankster kid in Long Beach who’s just dropping in for a few touch-ups. Secondly, Lori, despite her fully flared tendency to resuscitate my lank, stiff hair (which ultimately led to snipping an inch off the bottom) was very gentle and, unlike so many of my previous hair stylists, was a kindred spirit – she understood my attachment.
She and I started our meeting with a brief chat over the probable aesthetics of my long locks. The word “short” never entered the dialogue; it was that good. Instead, Lori perked my excitement with an endless speech of incorporating “shape” into my new cut. Seconds later, we were both at the shampoo sink where everything above my neck transformed into a pod of marshmallow with Lori’s deep, nutrient scalp massage. She used a rich version of minty shampoo, one from the exclusive line of Bumble & Bumble, so the experience was seamlessly effective for all smell and touch senses involved.
After a rinse, Lori prepped my hair with a glaze of primer, and then she parted through my thick, bulky mop and began with the trimming one section at a time. After about three minutes of painless cutting, Lori skillfully whittled through at an angle throughout several parts of my hair to create long, invisible layers.
One sleek blowout later, my head was light, but my hair was still long. I could tell by my hair’s easy movements that my hairstyle was revitalized. The only thing left to call me was “the girl with the great hair.”
Or, I might just win the prize altogether for finding one of Long Beach’s newest gems. The services include quite a range, – deep-pore remedying facial masques, makeovers with Napoleon cosmetics, and glamorous Japanese hair-straightening and beyond.
Saturdays are ballsier days. Flaunt Salon brings out the wine glasses and invites its DJ friends to spin some of their favorite tracks. You could spot Alex Hurt, one of the owners, chatting over warm cups of tea with his client-friends, while Dionne De La Vega, the other owner, gabs comfortably with clientele inside.
During the week, things are calmer. The gold, glaring settee, which sits in the middle of the room, isn’t as loud.
The high ceilings and old factory-style windows fill the place with calmness. Vintage weighty lamps and other furnishings work the other end of the spectrum that allows for such frilly modern-day accents, like Wallpaper magazines and a polished book of “Hair Heroes.”
And the faithful barber sits at his booth, resting his careful talent until his next client desiring the luxurious straight razor shave walks in.
Oh, yes. I call myself, “the girl with the great taste.”
