Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DRYBAR (BLOWOUT) YOU, EVEN BETTER finishing touches to a blow-out at a Los Angeles- area Drybar, Adding the opening soon in Vegas continued from page 90 Drybar (which is currently deliberating the perfect Vegas location), and the blowout bar opening soon at Tivoli Village's The Market LV, will differenti- ate themselves. Alli Webb has opened more than a dozen outposts of her LA-born Drybar, yet she saw something unique in the Las Vegas market. "While women get blowouts even when they don't have a special occasion, the fact that there's always some- thing exciting going on in Vegas creates even more of a need," she says, adding that our dry climate is also far better for maintaining heat-styled locks than a more humid one. "Vegas blowouts hold up beautifully." Part of our current devotion to the hair dryer can be traced back to recent high-tech product developments that allow our hair to take the heat (liter- ally) of regular blowouts. "The ability to deliver conditioning and heat protectants has fundamentally changed how we style and wear our hair," says trichologist Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips, who has been studying hair and scalp health for 22 years. "We have, over the past three decades, gone from 'setting and spraying' the hair into a helmetlike shield, which lasted a week, to sleek, shiny, tactile hair that we can wash daily." Along with a raft of low-watt, ionized dryers and prep sprays designed to work at 200 degrees-plus, there's also a new generation of super condi- tioners at our disposal. "You need to balance the toll you take on your hair with powerful hydrating products," says Webb—whose hero product is the Hydrating Styling Cream by Moroccanoil, offered for sale at both Dollheads and Platinum Entourage. The Vegas blowout-bar boom is indicative of what's happening in the industry as a whole: Blow-dry chains have prospered as economic for- tunes have floundered. Toronto-based Blo, the salon that kick-started the trend, opened its first location five years ago, just as the sub-prime mort- gage crisis started to unravel. But the company blossomed (they now have 21 locations with more openings planned for 2012), while Sin City-bound Drybar (the only chain in the Vegas bunch) will more than double its num- ber of salons from 13 to 28 by the end of the year. For now, the era of leisurely afternoons at the salon are over. In these times of job insecurity, a fast, affordable coif is the name of the game. "If BLOW-DRY DIRECTORY n Platinum Entourage, $35. 6670 S. Tenaya Way, 702-410-5459; blowdrybarlasvegas.com n Drybar, $40. Coming soon; thedrybar.com n Dollheads, $40. Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, 702-431-4315; dollheadslv.com n iBlowdry, $35. 5120 S. Decatur Blvd., 702 256-9379; iblowdry.com I have a key presentation or event, getting prepped with a great blowout is an essential part of feeling confident and put together," says local account manager Alisha Puella, who gets her long hair coaxed into elegant waves several times a month at Platinum Entourage. "But more than that, it's the chance to take time out of your day, even if it's just an hour. As a busy working mom, it's heaven to sit and be pampered and have a little down- time." Local TV personality Lacey Jones, who says she's "addicted" to blowouts, agrees: "If I've had a blow-dry, I always get compliments." And perhaps that's the real reason behind the boom. In these uncer- tain, stressful times, we are also enchanted by the throwback ritual of being massaged and styled on a weekly basis. Todd White puts it best: "Vegas is all about glamour, escape, and dress- ing up. So retreating to a blow-dry bar and emerging looking like a star fits perfectly into that fantasy. It's the most affordable way I know of looking like an A-lister fast." V AFTER THE SALON Maintain your flawless locks with these hardworking products. Moisture lock: Give dry hair a super boost of shine with Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream ($36). Dollheads, 3663 S. Las Vegas Blvd., 702-431-4315; dollheadslv.com Deep-clean: Protective sprays and serums can build up on the hair shaft, resulting in dull, lackluster locks. Return to a clean slate with sulfate-free Pureology Purify Shampoo ($27). Regis Signature Salon, Las Vegas Hilton, 702-732-5757; hilton.com Amp up: Extend the lifespan of your blowout by using an oil-absorbing dry shampoo. We love the lightweight feel of Redken Powder Refresh 01 ($18). Euphoria Salon and Day Spa, 6482 N. Decatur Blvd., 702-968-4247; euphoriasalons.com 92 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM