Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it’s not what you think! This is a story on Dry Bars – a hair salon where all they offer is professional shampoos and blow jobs (as in blow dryer!).
It’s kind of like your mom or grandma used to do, once a week, and never touched it until the next week she went to the beauty parlor.
This is a hip, new updated version of the concept, and the perfect pick-me-up for your hair.
It’s only $35, less than a mani-pedi, and you come out looking much better than you did walking in. And one just opened in Santa Monica.
I took a friend there today, who is always looking for the perfect relaxed curl for her long, very curly hair.
We walked into the sunny place, with yellow as the anchor color of the interior and accessories, and cool dance music flooded the airwaves.
We were led to the dry bar and asked to take a seat.
By the way, it wasn’t quite a “dry bar” – we were offered mimosas the minute we sat down, which we gladly accepted.
The next step of the process was choosing a specific blow-out.
The owners are super-creative with their branding – descriptions of everything mimic a bar menu.
There were five styles to choose from. We were asked to “Pick Our Poison.”
“Straight Up” was simple and straight; “Manhattan” was sleek and smooth, “Southern Comfort” was big hair with lots of volume; the “Cosmopolitan” was lots of loose curls and the “Mai Tai” was messy and beach-y.
My friend chose the “Cosmopolitan,” aka “lots of loose curls.”
The first step in the process was to shampoo her hair, using Happy Hour shampoo. I learned that the key to a good blow dry was to have really clean hair.
Then the Happy Hour weightless conditioner was applied, with Chufa Sedge Root Oil, which binds to the hair to help prevent dryness and dullness.
After a thorough shampoo, it was back to the styling seat for a “Hot Toddy,” which seals and protects hair from the heat of the “Buttercup,” a bright yellow blow dryer.
It’s super powerful and light and gets the job done fast.
After a custom blow dry, and curling the ends of my friend’s hair to finish off the “Cosmopolitan,” “100 Proof” treatment oil was used, creating amazing shine.
Once her hair was in place, a little “Money Maker” hair spray and voila!
She had the type of curls she always wanted.
Other little extras include a “Floater,” which is a 10-minute head massage, for only $10 bucks! And, if you have kids or grandkids, the “Shirley Temple” is available for those 10 years old and under for only $24.
Founded just a few years ago by longtime stylist and working mom Alli Webb, did you know that Dry Bar (with numerous locations around the country) does 50,000 “blow jobs” a month? I don’t think anyone in type of business could top that!
Dry Bar Santa Monica
1426 Montana Avenue, Unit 8, Santa Monica, CA
877.379.2279
Barbara Bishop is President of Santa Monica-based BBPR, Inc. For comments, suggestions, email
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