Come for the color and stay for the chic interiors, master stylists and a custom “Sweep Soda.” On August 1st, Sweep made its Denver debut in the Hale neighborhood just one mile outside of Cherry Creek. Katie Manz opened the balayage bar right next door to the Alchemy Face Bar on E 8th Ave to create an inviting space for a range of women looking for a fresh cut, trim—and touch of color. Using the traditional French technique, balayage involves creating custom colors for each client then hand-painting the hair for more natural-looking highlights that are low-maintenance, but when done right looks red-carpet ready.
Sweep (SweepBalayageBar.com) is a French-inspired space that nods to the effortlessly cool fashion you might find along the Mediterranean in the peak of summer in the 1970s. Think waxy green foliage against burnt-orange walls, punctuated with vegan leather-bound mirrors, architectural macramé and custom wall graphics splashed across the blush-toned walls. The best part is that Manz enlisted mostly local females for the bespoke build-out.
Beautiful? Yes. But the business is also a reflection of Manz’s own principals, including treating everyone with what she calls “living-room hospitality”.
“We are here to love and not judge. You never know what that person is walking in with,” Manz shares.
Health and wellness are top priorities at the salon, too. Not only is Sweep the only clean-air certified salon in Colorado, but they use plant-based hair care products and feature a better-than-organic biodynamic hair color that deposits nutrients directly into the hair.
“Most people leave the salon and their hair feels better than when they came in even though they just got a chemical service.”
Treatments range from their ever-popular lunch-hour appointment that takes only an hour-and-a-half to touch up roots and add face-framing highlights, while their classic lay balayage is the most affordable ($135), and gives you those sun-kissed highlights you had as a kid. Brunettes can join the fun with pops of brightening blonde throughout. And for those cold Colorado winters, Manz recommends indulging in a hair mask or scalp detox to help bring new life to your locks. Pro tip: Make sure to ask for their exclusive low-alcohol “Sweep Soda” to sip on while your color processes.
Manz insists that even beyond the impeccable stylists she employs, clients can expect that unique connection that happens when spending a morning or afternoon in the chair.
“It’s our gift to serve everybody that comes in the door. We make sure anyone we hire has that spirit of hospitality to not only serve our clients but each other, to create a togetherness in the salon,” says Manz.
Sweep’s sister bar in Boulder offers the same services and superb hospitality—for a salon experience that feels as good as your new do.
Local Love
+ Architect and space design- Mosaic Architecture and Interiors @mosaicarchitects
+ Woodwork and upholstery- Dancing Grains @dancinggrains
+ Branding- Cast Iron Design @castirondesign
+ Leather mirrors- Alexa Allen @alexaallenis
+ Plants/florals- Fiori Flower and Sturtz and Copeland
+ Mural Hand paintings- Chloè Besson @_chloemakes_
+ Macrame by Wandertree @wandertreeco
+ Mirrors- Boulder Glass
ALCHEMY HED: Edit Your Skin the All-Natural Way at Alchemy Face Bar
Bre Morris is cultivating positive skin transformations at her newest Denver location. Set on Hale Street in a residential neighborhood with a burgeoning urban locale lies the wellness retreat your skin has been waiting for. Alchemy Face Bar (AlchemyFaceBar.com) opened its doors on August 14th right next door to Sweep and is the third location from the brand following it’s Boulder and Highland’s storefronts. Offering 30-minute to one-hour all-natural facial treatments, the concept aims to offers a more affordable (and time-sensitive) indulgence to the traditional day spa.
“For me, it’s about creating a connection for people to feel good about themselves and what they are putting on their skin by using organic and biodynamic clean beauty products,” says Morris, the founder of the brand.
Their neck-up treatments include a rose quartz crystal facial to help you shine from the inside, a hydro-glow micro-dermabrasion machine for an oxygenating and instantly-brilliant appearance, as well as makeup applications featuring their custom American-made cosmetic line Alchemy Minerals. The ethereal and light-infused space is an inviting blend of velvet curtains, hanging lights and healing crystals to craft an earthy and totally relaxing environment.
Opening a business during recent times of distress and anxiety is no easy feat, but Morris recognizes the power of self-care and its importance now more than ever.
“Being an aesthetician is more than doing facials, it’s an exchange of energy,” Morris says about elevating every client’s experience to one of self-love. Alchemy Face Bar is currently offering educational classes online led by the brand’s experienced alchemists for a remote spa day wherever you may be in the world.
Need to Know
Open every day, Monday through Saturday 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday 9 am to 5 pm.