Spring Beauty

Beauty Beach Lounge highlights the season’s most coveted trends

Story by Kamala Kirk | Photo courtesy OF BEAUTY BEACH LOUNGE

As we step into a new season and leave winter behind, change is upon us. With salons reopening, many are ready to update their looks and bring forward the best version of themselves.

“Spring is a sense of renewal,” says Jennifer Nairn, hairstylist and owner of Beauty Beach Lounge in Playa Vista. “The weather becomes sunny and beautiful. Like when a snake sheds its skin, people are ready for something fresh, new and uplifting when it comes to their look.”

Nairn opened Beauty Beach Lounge five years ago with fellow hairstylist Shay Merchav. Beauty Beach Lounge offers a full range of hair services and high-end beauty products, providing an exceptional experience for guests while capturing inspiration from the latest trends in hair, art and fashion.

Nairn and Merchav previously worked at the prestigious Jose Eber Atelier in Beverly Hills. Merchav was trained by top stylist Patrick Jagaille and has worked with many A-list celebrities, in addition to being one of LA’s top hair extension specialists. Nairn learned her craft from renowned stylist Maxime Salvador and worked on “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and ESPN, as well as at Cannes and the Venice Film Festival.

“Since we reopened, we’ve been fixing a lot of clients’ COVID hair,” Nairn says. “A lot of people want haircuts and easy hair. They want to look good but after what everyone has experienced over the past year, they want a style that is easy to take care of and maintain on their own.”

From brow lamination to curtain bangs, Nairn highlights the hottest spring beauty trends that offer universal appeal and will look good on everyone.

Beach waves

This popular hairstyle looks good on everyone — tousled, natural-looking waves with lots of texture and dimension.

“Since we’re located by the beach, we do a lot of beachy hair for our clients,” Nairn says. “When I’m at the beach and go in the ocean, the saltwater gets in my hair and air dries differently than when I shampoo my hair and let it dry on its own. It’s such a pretty, natural and sexy look.”

Nairn blow dries her clients’ hair then uses a curling iron to create the perfect beach waves in the salon. For those looking to replicate the look at home, Nairn’s favorite trick is to take a shower before bed, then apply a little bit of curling cream to hair. Separate hair into three sections and create three French braids — one down the middle and one on each side. In the morning, take out the braids and use a flat iron to straighten the ends of hair for an unfinished-yet-cool style.

“For clients with balayage or highlights, beach waves make hair look especially dimensional and sun-kissed,” Nairn says.  

Curtain bangs

Many celebrities including Camila Cabello and Gigi Hadid have been seen rocking curtain bangs, which are extremely versatile and enhance hair’s natural texture. They’re also flattering on any face shape and hair length. 

To achieve curtain bangs, hair is parted in the middle and long bangs are cut and feathered out on each side to create face-framing fringe. Nairn uses a razor and texturizing shears to create the look for her clients, although curtain bangs can be achieved in different ways and each hairstylist has their own method.

“My best reference for this look would be Brigitte Bardot during her younger years,” Nairn says. “Curtain bangs are great because you’re not as committed to them as you are with regular bangs. They fall into your face nicely when hair is worn up or down, they can be pinned back when you want them out of your face, and they can be easily grown out when you don’t want them anymore.” 

Brow lamination

For those with unruly or sparse brows, eyebrow lamination is a fairly new procedure that makes brows appear fuller with a desirable set shape, similar to a perm. It’s a less invasive method than microblading, which involves making cuts into skin in the eyebrow area then implanting pigment into the cuts with tiny, fine-point needles. 

Beauty Beach Lounge has an eyebrow bar that offers lamination services, in addition to brow waxing and tinting.

“Brow lamination is the most amazing thing I’ve discovered,” Nairn says. “I’m Mexican-Italian and grew up with thick eyebrows, but years ago when I was getting waxed, I got burned really bad. It killed the hair follicles, and the hairs never grew back, so now I have thin eyebrows. Brow laminating straightens and stretches out the eyebrow hairs to make it look like you have thicker and fuller brows, and it makes it easier to fill them in.”

First, a cream is applied to brows to lift, straighten and soften the hairs, which are then brushed upward, trimmed and can be manipulated in any direction. Afterward, a neutralizer is applied to seal the brows in place, and add-on services, including tinting for color enhancement and waxing to create a desired arch, are also available.

A brow lamination service can take between 30 and 40 minutes, with results lasting any anywhere from four to eight weeks. Anyone is a candidate for brow lamination and after a treatment, it is recommended to avoid washing one’s face or getting eyebrows wet for 24 hours.

“On the weekends when I wear less makeup, I just fill in my brows and apply mascara and I’m good to go,” Nairn says. “This service has been a huge hit with our clients, who tell me how much more confident they are with fuller brows.”

Extensions

If you have short or thinning hair, hair extensions are a great way to add instant length, volume and body. They can be used for a variety of things such as adding color, filling in sparse areas, making hair appear thicker or longer, and creating more versatility in styling. 

Beauty Beach Lounge offers Beauty Beach Rows, a special technique created by Nairn and Merchav. The Beauty Beach Row technique helps protect and keep the natural hair healthy while encouraging growth. It also includes a detailed consultation so that the client’s hair color, type and length is exactly what they desire. After the consultation, it takes 10 business days for the extensions to be made, and it typically takes an hour and a half to two hours to install the extensions.

“For a client with fine hair that wants to go blonde or have highlights, I’ll add in extensions because I don’t want to overbleach or damage her hair,” Nairn explains. “Our Beauty Beach Rows are patented sew-in weft extensions that are made from top-quality hair. They can also be reused when the clients return every six to eight weeks to get them taken out and reinstalled as their hair grows. Extensions are super-hot right now and we work with each client to assess what their needs and goals are in order to create the perfect look for them.”

Updos

Updos are versatile and can be worn for special occasions as well as in your day-to-day life. It’s a fun way to add some casual glam to your look while keeping your hair out of your face. 

Whether it’s a formal, professional or casual event, updos can be customized according to the occasion. They’re also great for when you want to enhance your look for those countless Zoom events and meetings. 

“I love doing updos,” Nairn says. “I used to do a lot of hair for weddings and we’ve been getting a lot of requests for updos recently. From messy buns to braids, there are endless styles to choose from.”

One of the most popular updo options is the low chignon, which is a simple yet chic style that is created by twisting hair from the nape of the neck to the ends and coiling it into a bun shape, then securing with several bobby pins. 

The sleek topknot, which has been seen on celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Zendaya, involves pulling hair back into a high ponytail then winding it around the base of the ponytail and keeping it in place with bobby pins.  

Another fun updo style is the Dutch crown braid, which consists of a Dutch braid that wraps around the head like a flower crown.

Complete any updo by adding different accessories like headbands, barrettes and hair pins for the perfect finishing touch.

Edgy mullets

The mullet, an iconic hairstyle that was at the peak of its popularity in the 1980s, is making a comeback. This time, however, it’s a more modified and edgy version that is quite flattering and suits a variety of face shapes.

To achieve this look, the hair has to have some initial length to work with. Nairn uses a razor and texturizing shears to create the style for male clients, and it has a less abrupt transition from the shorter front section to the longer back section, and is more graduated and soft. 

“For a lot of guys coming out of quarantine with long hair, this is an opportunity for them to have some fun and do something cool with their look,” Nairn says. “Not your traditional mullet, it’s almost faux-hawkish but a little thicker on the bottom. Some guys even go as far as getting highlights in their hair to add extra dimension. This cut looks especially great if your fashion style is more on the edgy side.”

For more information, visit beautybeachlounge.com