brittany barnesSource: Samantha Tyler Cooper / Samantha Tyler CooperWhen I am going to get my hair carried out, it’s uncommon that I step into salons that provide a ravishing inside, a welcoming ambiance and high quality Black hair care. When I go to the African braiding salons, they’re cluttered, messy, outdated, have mismatched furnishings and are typically roach-infested. I even should arrive with my hair washed and conditioned. When the hair braiding expertise begins, I’ve to warning them to not braid my hair too tight, one thing I shouldn’t should do. But this may be disregarded contemplating there could also be three individuals braiding your hair at one time in a rush to complete your hair type to allow them to get to the following head. After eight to 10 hours of styling, my braids are lovely however my scalp feels tight and I get up the following day with a throbbing headache.Growing up, I frequented the Dominican hair salon in my Queens, New York neighborhood. I beloved getting wash and set, however the course of was so uncomfortable. Not solely was there a language barrier and a big wait, there was by no means a time the place my scalp wasn’t burned whereas my hair was blow dried. Neither of these kind of salons provide good hair look after Black ladies and this isn’t an expertise particular to New Yorkers. So when entrepreneur Brittany Barnes opened her GoodBody Salon in Oakland, California, her objective was to supply Black ladies a high quality, luxurious expertise.“This began as a enterprise centered on black girl, centered on the truth that black ladies are actually typically disregarded and dismissed from the wonder trade, particularly in terms of upscale, you recognize, luxurious providers,” Barnes advised MADAMENOIRE. “And I, as a Black girl actually may establish simply all of the totally different experiences I’ve had whether or not I stroll right into a salon, no one talks to me. I don’t know who my stylist is as a result of they don’t come and introduce themselves or, you recognize, I’ve an appointment and it’s alleged to be two hours and finally ends up being eight hours as a result of there’s engaged on 5 heads at one time. It was a really clear factor that Black ladies skilled. And I after I say black ladies, I imply, black individuals who establish as ladies. So I began with that in thoughts.”Story continuesGoodBody Salon is a self-funded, Black-owned magnificence bar that opened in May of 2020. Unlike different demographics, Black ladies don’t have the luxurious of strolling into any salon on the road and getting high quality hair care from a talented beautician. Our hair requires particular remedy, so when Barnes established GoodBody, it was to make sure that Black ladies had a spot the place their hair expertise is known and revered.While Barnes’s precedence was Black ladies when opening GoodBody, she mentioned she additionally needed it to be a gender-inclusive area.“It’s actually simply not Black ladies who’re type of marginalized, marginalized on this market, she added. “It actually does cross over to Black male figuring out shoppers or Black non-binary shoppers who’re in search of a haircare expertise that may be full service, a singular vacation spot, they usually don’t should go to the barber store for one factor, after which you recognize, discover one thing on sale seat for the following.”Another precedence for GoodBody is wellness. Yes, their essential focus is hair, however Barnes believes in taking a holistic strategy to the wonder routine. So when working with one among their stylists, it’s not all about choosing out a stylish hairdo. When you go to GoodBody, after receiving a heat welcome you’ll get a hair session. This consists of stylists asking a collection of inquiries to establish your hair wants, your drawback areas concerning hair care and how one can maintain your hair wholesome. Before the shopper even steps foot into the salon, a questionnaire is shipped out to totally assess what you want.“We’re not essentially simply right here to have you ever strolling out of the salon trying cute. We need you to really feel good from the within out. And what which means is now we have to take extra time and extra focus to you recognize, tackle The wants that current a holistic strategy to the way you see and the way you deal with your hair and self care routine.”GoodBody additionally provides an aesthetic that I’ve by no means seen in a salon. The excessive ceilings, curved seating, LED-lit arched mirrors, earthy coloration scheme and mid-century design are certain to amaze you upon first look.“When I used to be creating GoodBody, the self-care portion, the wellness portion, actually began with creating a ravishing area. Because in my expertise, after I step into a ravishing area no matter what why I’m there, whether or not I’m there to buy, whether or not I’m there to get my nails carried out, whether or not I’m there to get a facial no matter it’s, that’s the place my that’s the place I both transition from self care, or I simply acquired to get this carried out.”goodbody salon insideSource: Aubrie Pick / Aubrie PickBarnes opened GoodBody throughout a fragile time for the Black neighborhood. Along with the COVID-19 pandemic taking place, it was a time of racial tensions, vandalism and protests all through the nation. Offering a secure area to Black individuals throughout a time of social unrest was a driving pressure for Barnes opening the salon in 2020.“I may simply be like, Okay, this isn’t going to work, there’s an excessive amount of taking place. But how vital is an area like this, within the midst of those instances, the place Black our bodies and Black persons are so disregarded? How vital is it for us to refocus typically and focus inward, and discover the issues that talk to us, as a individuals, discover the issues that unite us and convey us collectively? And assist us admire who we’re, and one another as a individuals? And I imply, I believe that anyone, any Black individual understands that, in so some ways, the wonder salon does that.”goodbody salon stationSource: Aubrie Pick / Aubrie PickBarnes doesn’t need any buyer to return in and really feel like they should tolerate something lower than they deserve. With Black people already having to take care of so many microaggressions and oppressions in society, she desires us to have a high-caliber expertise from begin to end and go away feeling good not solely on the surface however the inside too.“It’s not your job to to tolerate, it’s not your job to make your self smaller, so individuals really feel extra snug. Anyone for that matter. So, I believe that this performs in on it like we’re not simply right here to respect your hair and your hair care and your magnificence care and self care routine, we’re glorifying and thriving in that.”
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