thePULSEBy Rachel Shuster
Located at 101 Pleasant Street in Worcester, Salon 101 is focused on hair, makeup, nails and waxing ~ but what makes them unique is that they take these salon staples and kick them up more than a few notches. Owner Amy Grady opened the salon in May of 2010 with every intention of making her business stand out from all the rest, and that’s just what she’s done.
“I’ve been doing hair for 22 years. I had a space in my house I used for hair, but was getting ready to move out, so I started looking for a booth to rent. Instead, I found this location on Craigslist and ended up renting the whole salon,” Grady recalls of how it all began.
Salon 101 offers certain services you might not find anywhere else in the city. “We offer hair tattoos and temporary hair art, like animal print,” says Crystal Raucci-Robert, one of the salon’s stylists. “I went to a New York hair fashion show, saw it, and wanted to bring it to the salon. I tested it out by wearing it at a club one night, and knew it was a hit when I was bombarded with people complimenting me on it,” she says. How exactly does the process of getting temporary hair art work? Crystal explains, “Temporary airbrushed hair art is hair makeup that washes out when you shampoo your hair. It’s for people of all ages, male and female! You can have a logo, letters, animal print, or even a custom design. It’s great for sporting or special events, nights out on the town, for showing school spirit, or for the everyday fashionista looking to add a little temporary flare to her style.”
Other unique things about Salon 101? They’re open on Sundays, they do men’s, women’s and children’s hair ~ making them extremely family friendly, and they offer GKhair oil rejuvenating hair color and the GKHair taming system, which Crystal described for me: “The hair color we use, GKhair oil hair color, which not many salons in Worcester use, contains no ammonia. It has Argan Oil, wheat proteins, and Juvexin ~ which is proven to repair the hair, add shine, and the color is vibrant. As far as the GKHair taming system, there are different formulas for people with fine hair to people with thick hair ~ the product is for all hair types and is formaldehyde-free. The taming process takes 1- 2 hours depending on the type of hair and will last 3-5 months and comes with shampoo/conditioner to take home as after care. This treatment adds shine and health, plumps and smoothes the hair, and eliminates frizz. It is NOT a relaxer!! It is a Taming System for curly/unruly hair or a Volumizing System for fine limp hair.”
The Salon 101 team constantly takes classes and attends shows to keep their offerings and knowledge fresh. “We attend shows in New York and take continuing education classes every month with the Worcester Cosmetology Education Association at Worcester Vocational High School. We get certified and trained in new services,” Raucci-Robert says. Next year, they hope to offer their own beauty and “how-to” classes to customers.
Another aspect of the salon that’s very important to the team is affordability. “We are a mid-range salon. Very pocket friendly,” Raucci-Robert says. For example, a cut and blow dry is $32, an up-do is $35, and a keratin treatment is $250.
Salon 101 is open Tue: 10am – 4pm, Wed-Fri 10am – 6pm, Sat: 9am – 4pm, Sun: 10am – 5pm and closed Mondays. They even offer after-hour appointments!
Want to know more? Call Amy or Crystal at 508-791-1030, or check out www.salon-101.com. Also be sure to visit them on Facebook!
Top photo courtesy of Iggy Photography. Middle and bottom photos courtesy of Daniel Robert Photography.
If you are looking for a salon that provides excellent hair care, awesome customer service, reasonable prices and a relaxing & convenient environment then Salon 101 is for you. Myself and two daughters go there and we love it! I highly recommend Salon 101 – you will not be disappointed!!