No color or cuts at Laguna’s new blow-dry hair salon
Laguna Beach now has a place specifically dedicated to braids and up-dos.
Belo Blow Dry Bar opened Friday in an upstairs space at Forest Avenue and Beach Street. The sleek salon features Venetian-plastered walls, marble countertops and vanity mirrors with lighted borders, and it offers hairstyles with names such as “Milan” and “Paris” as a nod to the centers of fashion.
A blow dry bar is not a full-service salon in that hair is neither cut nor colored. Patrons still have a variety of options to choose from, including a wash and scalp massage, or they can arrive with clean dry hair and simply submit to braiding or curling.
Owner and Laguna Beach resident Patricia Musselman has had a knack for hairstyling since childhood, when she would twirl and cut the locks on her Barbie dolls.
A conversation with her mother following high school graduation convinced Musselman, 32, to pursue a career in the industry.
“‘You need to go to beauty school. You’re always doing something with hair,’” she recalled her mom saying.
Musselman graduated from Lake Forest Beauty College, which is no longer in operation, in 2001 and worked as a stylist for the past 13 years at Legends Hairstyling Co. in Rancho Santa Margarita.
The space on Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach became available in May, and she knew she had found her spot.
“I jumped at the opportunity and the location is fantastic,” Musselman said. “Plus, there wasn’t another blow-dry bar in Laguna.”
Interior designer Natasha Minasian assisted in the makeover — the salon includes Italian-made sinks. Customers can relax in air-conditioned bliss with a complimentary glass of champagne.
Belo has eight stations and an outdoor patio that Musselman hopes to use for bridal parties and get-togethers.
Prices range from $30 (blow dry only) to $85 for a consultation, wash, condition and blow dry. The latter option is designed for girls and women headed to a prom or a wedding.
Packages are available for customers who plan on making multiple visits.
“The goal is to make the particular style last a week,” said Kimmy Breeding, Belo manager. “You cleanse the hair first, then add another type of shampoo to add shine or moisture.”
Musselman decided on the name Belo when she and husband Jace were looking up the word “beautiful” in different languages. Belo means beautiful in Portuguese, said Musselman, who was born in Brazil.
Belo Blow Dry Bar
Address: 302 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach
Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays.
Services: Shampoo, condition, scalp massage and variety of styles including braids, curls and up-dos.
Online: https://www.beloblowdrybar.com