Upper Arlington’s The Blowdry Cafe is quickly becoming one of Columbus’s most popular salons. Started by Jessica Daniels and Ashley Blackstone in March, the salon offers a unique experience – no cut or color, just some shampoo, conditioner, and a blow dryer.
When I walked into the salon, I was greeted with polished wood floors, cream-colored furniture, and soft lighting. There was a plate of chocolate cookies with a thick layer of vanilla icing sitting on a table and the scent of a rooibos tea candle wafting in the air. It almost gave off the feeling of being in a friend’s trendy apartment, not a hair salon. The overall feeling was very inviting and warm.
I was greeted by Jessica and Ashley, who were extremely friendly and accommodating, and asked if I wanted any tea or coffee before beginning my blowdry experience. The offer of tea and coffee was actually very fitting, as all of the Blowdry Cafe’s “menu” items are inspired by popular cafe beverages. “Since the name of our salon is the Blowdry Cafe, we wanted our service menu to be all coffee drink inspired,” said Daniels. The standard “Local Brews” ($35) that the salon offers include the Smoothie, which is a simple, smooth blowout; the French Press, for those ladies that favor a sleek, straight look; the Cappuccino, for luscious, loose curls; the Spiced Chai, the most popular style, that promises messy, beachy waves; and the Macchiato, for big hair with lots of volume. The salon also has clever upgrades which are inspired by classic coffee condiments, such as added cream ($10), a conditioning treatment; and sweetener ($10), a 10-minute scalp massage. There’s also a skinny latte ($20), for girls ages 3-12; and Cup of Joe ($15), a men’s style which includes a 15-minute scalp massage.
For my Blowdry Cafe experience, by hair was styled by Lindsey, who’s one of the trainers at the salon. Daniels and Blackstone want to make sure that their stylists deliver the best product possible, so all stylists are trained and taught the proper techniques before being put on the salon floor. “There’s definitely a special technique to doing a good blowout,” Blackstone said, “We want consistency in our styling, so all of our stylists are trained before going out on the floor, and have continued training throughout.” Lindsey has an impressive resume herself, including working at successful blowdry salons in New York and styling hair at New York Fashion Week.
For my style, I chose the Spiced Chai, beachy waves are always a style I’ve attempted to do at home, but for some odd reason it’s never quite worked out the way I’ve wanted it to. I figured I’d let a professional do it this time.
From the start, Lindsey was very good about choosing products and techniques for my fine, thin hair, not just doing a general style. She explained every step throughout the process, and even gave me tips and tricks to use at home. When Lindsey finally turned me around to reveal the final look, I was stunned. My fine, limp tresses had been transformed into bouncy, heavenly, messy waves. It was the hair that I’d always dreamed of having, and I was finally seeing it on my head. I couldn’t stop touching and caressing my new waves, I couldn’t believe it was actually my hair, I’d never had this much volume or body in a style before.
The tips and tricks Lindsey gave me during my blowout were also gold in and of themselves, my hair’s had so much more bounce and volume since I started using her suggestions. Overall my experience was wonderful, and I will definitely be visiting the Blowdry Cafe again.
For those of you that have as amazing of an experience as I had, the Blowdry Cafe does offer packages and monthly memberships that make the whole experience a bit more affordable. There’s The Bean Club, which offers either a 3, 6, or 12 pack of blowouts at a discounted price. There are also two monthly memberships, The Addict and The Insomniac. For those that are just starting out, there are some recommendations for packaged deals.” If you’re just starting out, just trying this, I would recommend a 3 pack of blowouts, where you’ll save $5,” Daniels said. The Blowdry Cafe is located at 4740 Reed Road in Upper Arlington, and can be reached by phone at 614-273-0123.
For more information, visit www.blowdrycafe.com.
All photos via The Blowdry Cafe.
