Imagine a hair salon experience where you walk in with an idea and walk out with your hair looking exactly like that. The new Live Love Locks blow-dry bar at Gulf Coast Town Center brings this concept to Fort Myers.
Co-owner Leslie Naoom said the inspiration for the salon came from personal experience. She likes getting her hair done by professionals on a weekly basis. But, often times, regular salons either don’t have the staffing available for just a blowout, or the more experienced stylists are focusing on the cuts and colors.
Naoom said the motivation for Live Love Locks was “to find a place where you can go and feel secure that every blowout you get is going to be to perfection.”
“We are not a full-service salon, so we leave your cuts and colors to your stylist,” Naoom said.
Stepping into the blowout bar, you’ll find yourself surrounded with modern décor and a professional, friendly staff. To make your experience even more pleasant, sip on your complimentary wine, mimosa, soda or water while having an initial conversation with one of the stylists on what service you’d like to have done. To add even more comfort to your experience, browse through Netflix on one of the multiple Apple TVs they have displayed above the blow-dry bar.
Whether you want curly, wavy or straight hair, the stylist girls will not let you down. They have years of prior experience in the industry. Not to mention, the more extreme your idea, the more excited they are to take on the challenge.
Not sure of what you want? No issue. Stylists will work with you and try to come up with the best look for your facial structure. They even have iPads set up at each seat where clients are encouraged to look up hairstyles to draw inspiration from.
“I kind of had an idea of what I wanted when coming in, but I wasn’t really sure,” said Zoe Ashley, a first-time client and University of Florida alumna. “My stylist pulled up Pinterest and helped me narrow down exactly what I want done with my hair. We decided to do an updo with a braid because I will be going to an outdoor event, and I didn’t want to have to worry about my hair. I definitely will be returning.”
Cheyenne Tanenbaum, a stylist at Live Love Locks, moved here from Manhattan, New York, so she knows all about what’s what in the world of hairstyles. She said she has always loved doing hair.
“I’ve been doing my own hair since I was 9,” Tanenbaum said. “I really loved touching hair, doing different things with hair, what you can create with hair.”
To sneak in some more pampering, ask for scalp massage or a hydrating or conditioning treatment, and to spice up any hairstyle, ask for a braid or an updo.
Co-owner Christopher Wenzel, an FGCU alumnus, said the entire process of making Live Love Locks a reality took 18 months, and his long-term plan is to grow into a franchise.
He said they chose Fort Myers because it was overlooked.
“Blow-dry bars are a luxury item,” Wenzel said. “It’s an affordable luxury, so people automatically think of Naples and Miami. And, they are there, but Fort Myers has a lot of people, too, who want affordable luxuries.”
