7 posts tagged "Fred Segal"
A Blow-Dry Bar Grows In Santa Monica
With the proliferation of one-stop blow-dry shops saturating major metropolitan areas, how does a newcomer set itself apart from the well-coiffed pack? For Matthew Preece, owner of Santa Monica’s Fred Segal Salon, the answer revealed itself through proxy—the just renovated reception space of his already established salon was a prime location for his newly opened Blow Dry Lounge—and partnership; Preece has teamed up with PHYTO to exclusively offer the line’s plant-based products and botanical treatments, a coup no other blow-dry destination has managed to secure, and a score for Los Angeles’ eco-obsessed. “It was a perfect time to work with PHYTO because they’re going through a bit of a resurgence now with everyone looking for all-natural products,” Preece explained of the serendipitous timing.
In the name of staying competitive, all blow-outs are $35, with five different styling options to choose from. But the lounge also features two updo options and select PHYTO treatments (scalp exfoliation and moisture repair) that you can add on to any service. Preece is also banking on another important differentiator: quality of service. “Our stylists are stylists from the salon, so you’re not just getting people who become licensed to just do blow-drys. You’re getting the full Fred Segal Salon service here,” he says. And then there’s the vibe of the four-station destination, which is a bit less hustle and a little more flow; just a few short blocks from the Pacific, the energy is decidedly more relaxed, an atmosphere that’s helped along by the yoga studio Preece opened off the reception area in 2011. “I just didn’t want to be the same as everybody else,” he explains. Mission accomplished.
The Blow Dry Lounge at Fred Segal Salon, 420 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA; 310-907-4022.
A Bi-Coastal Hair Oil Craze Looms Large
At Fred Segal’s in-house beauty emporium, which is in the midst of rebranding itself from Studio Beautymix to New Beauty, the shelves are lined with all manner of shampoos, scalp treatments, serums, and hair boosters. On a recent visit, though, we noticed that one line in particular—Amika’s Obliphica Hair Care—seemed slightly more popular than others. The story behind the eight-piece collection is a bit reminiscent of Ojon or Moroccan Oil: It’s made with Argan along with a rare ingredient, Obliphica or sea buckthorn berry oil, that’s loaded with antioxidants and has been used as an ancient remedy to revive dull, dry hair in remote regions (in this case, Russia) for centuries. The key difference with Obliphica is that most of the products are silicone-free, which allows the nourishing extracts to absorb more readily into the hair cuticle and repair damage without any chemical interference. The hot sellers in the range, which arrived about a month ago, include the Obliphica Pure Oil, an intense wet or dry conditioner that tames frizz, adds a ton of shine and is further enhanced by omega 7 and vitamin C, and the Obliphica Shampoo that’s topped off with fatty acids and proteins and does the impossible task of infusing hair with softness and volume at the same time. Last we checked, Fred Segal’s next shipment is due in about a week but for East coasters and others in need of a more immediate fix, a little online sleuthing revealed that the brand is also stocked at Beauty.com—for now, that is.
DIY Fragrance, Now At Bloomingdale’s
Those of you familiar with Robin Coe-Hutshing’s Studio Beautymix, the legendary purveyor of hard-to-find skincare, fragrance, and cosmetics brands located at Fred Segal, also know that it’s an indulgence exclusive to beauty junkies with an L.A. zip code. This month brings some good news for the rest of us, though. In addition to the store’s grand entrée into cyberspace with the launch of its new comprehensive Web site, Coe-Hutshing’s Memoire Liquide bespoke perfumery concept has recently taken up residence at Bloomingdale’s in New York. The East Coast outpost features 75 exclusive fragrances that can be worn alone or combined, customized on site in a single flacon, or distributed in a set of three for layering at home. Bloomingdale’s in San Francisco is next on the list to receive a Memoire Liquide boutique, and Coe-Hutshing tells us that ready-to-wear fragrances are also in the works for later this year. Stay tuned.
Beautystat.com: A Seemingly Self-Serving Pursuit (With A Touch Of Altruism)
With a past that includes 20 years of research and development gigs for some of the biggest names in the primping industry, Ron Robinson has done both good and evil for the beauty biz, as far as he’s concerned. His knack for concocting everything from antiaging serums to acne fighters allowed him to open his renowned Apothia beauty boutique at Fred Segal, but releasing this barrage of choice to consumers has recently made him think that he has contributed to women’s confusion about which skincare products will actually work best for them. To rectify this wrongdoing, Robinson recently launched Beautystat.com, a members-only Web site that is intended to provide women (and men) with unbiased views and opinions of products, as well as advice on which items may actually target their specific needs. Currently, the site offers recommendations on facial and eye treatments, and come spring, it will deliver color, foundation, concealer, mascara, lip, nail, and body treatment recommendations as well, with hair treatment forums to be added in the fall. It’s a good idea to be sure, but one that doesn’t seem all that new to us seeing as how TotalBeauty.com provides the same services. If, however, Robinson intends on using the information generated on his site to inform new products he may or may not yet have in the works, it seems as though he has created the perfect sampling device for his own enterprise—and one that could also help bewildered beauty junkies along the way.
Touch And You Shall Receive
If, like us, you’ve been patiently waiting for the day when vending machines of urban legend proportions finally arrive from the technologically advanced street corners of Tokyo and Seoul, bringing with them the instant gratification of a cell phone or an undergarment purchased on the fly, read on. As reported in this month’s W magazine, former Dove consultant Mara Segal has taken this more-than-just-a-receptacle-for-Doritos concept and L.A.-ified it, filling her souped-up U*tique consoles with high-end beauty and personal care products from the likes of Smashbox Cosmetics and MD Skincare. Intended for use in boutique hotel lobbies, upscale gym locker rooms, exclusive nightclubs, fancy malls, and airports, each digitized device can be customized and was designed to be as much of a learning tool as a time saver; a touch screen will display brand profiles, ingredient lists, and video demonstrations at the simple swipe of a finger. The machines are set to roll out over the next two years, although a proper debut is scheduled at Studio, the specialty beauty boutique in Fred Segal, this month.