At Barbara Ween’s Visage Salon on Northampton’s Main Street, clients might well find themselves hearing in their heads, Jackson Browne sing “Stay, just a little bit longer.”
That’s because the salon’s atmosphere is warm and relaxing - a series of inviting rooms awaits guests at the top of a flight of stairs that leads to the second floor of 225 Main St.
Barbara describes the salon as having a boutique atmosphere with a “cozy artistic feel.”
“It makes people comfortable,” she says, adding that many clients do indeed want to stay “a little bit longer’ after their appointments.
Because styling hair is a form of being artistic, Barbara loves to feature the work of artists on the salon’s walls.
Favorite quotes of Barbara’s and the staff can be seen throughout the salon. Clients have shared their favorites as well. Framed in gold on a wall in the front room of the salon, a quote by Albert Einstein is the one that serves as the motto for Visage, “The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty and truth.”
There are other quotes, too, such as “Beauty is a talisman which works true miracles, and, without a fable, transforms mankind,” by Hannah Cowley, which perhaps best sums up what happens at the hands of the talented stylists at Visage.
“Beauty to me is a wide range of things. It’s finding that thing that makes a person feel their own uniqueness, their own strength," Barbara says.
Personal consultations are the strong suit of Visage stylists, who Barbara describes as a versatile and creative group who listen to what clients tell them about their hair and what they want. “We can tell them whether the style would look good and work with their hair,” she says.
Besides Barbara, the Visage team includes stylists Roxanne Golec, Amy Kirchner, Emerald Glenn, and receptionist Pearl Kilpatrick.
“We can do anything hair, Barbara adds, “Anything you can do with hair, we do - wigs, straightening, color, highlighting - from the wildest colors to the tamest. It’s all about what the client likes and wants - we make it happen.”
While many clients come to Visage for wigs because of hair loss from cancer treatments, there are many other reasons someone might want a wig - sudden alopecia, hair loss due to medications, or because they are transitioning. Wigs can also be worn just for fun.
Wigs have come a long way, according to Barbara, who says there are so many more beautiful, realistic style and color choices now.
Bumble and Bumble, the salon’s signature line, brings steady education and products that support hairstyles for clients. Salon Visage also carries Griffin Remedy, an all-organic line of hair products as an alternative for those who can’t use standard products because of ingredients or fragrances.
While client and staff quotes may grace the walls of Visage, there is one quote from Barbara that perhaps says it all, “If what I can do makes someone feel their own beauty, their own unique specialness, that gives me great pleasure.” This sentiment is echoed by all at Visage.
Visage Salon
225 Main Street, Northampton
413-586-9393
www.VisageBWeen.com
“Anything you can do with hair, we do - wigs, straightening, color, highlighting - from the wildest colors to the tamest. It’s all about what the client likes and wants - we make it happen.”
Owner, Barbara Ween
