Business Profile: Indulgence Blow Dry Lounge, Mt. Kisco
When Dianna Ettari was a little girl, she always wished for long, luscious hair. Now that dream has come true as Ettari, a hairstylist and an expert in blow-drying and hair extension application, has not only added to her own hair’s length but she helps local women who are looking for a full, natural look.
At Ettari’s recently opened salon, Indulgence Blow Dry Lounge, at 69 S. Moger Ave. in Mount Kisco, this brightly lit space is the first business in the local area to offer such services. In fact, blow-dry-only salons are an emerging trend in the beauty business, catering to women who want salon-perfect hair between appointments without spending hours doing it themselves.
Ettari, a Yorktown native, hadn’t planned on going into the beauty industry. She spent six years in college, two at Westchester Community College and four years at Drexel University pursuing an art degree. Although a friend predicted she might end up in the hairstyling business, it wasn’t until she enrolled in the Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES cosmetology program that she felt she had a future in the trade.
After graduating, Ettari trained at Plush Salon in White Plains and Rye, learning everything from the latest cutting techniques to the application of color and, of course, blow-drying. She also became a qualified hair extensionist while working there.
“Blow-drying today is like getting one’s head set in the ’60s,” said Ettari, referring to the common wet set hairstyling method that involved rolling wet hair around rollers and then drying it under a hood dryer.
The method produced a long-lasting style that remained for days, similar to the effect that is created when hair is professionally blow-dried. Ettari’s stylists can create a straight or sleek look or a style that provides lots of body and volume.
With the popularity of hair extensions in the United States at an all-time high, due in part to celebrity endorsements from Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson and others, Ettari believed it was a great service to add to her business.
“Extensions are huge right now, and you can achieve just about any style with them,” she said.
No matter the length or type of hair, Ettari can provide a look that was perhaps impossible a few years ago with 120 different colors to choose from.
“In fact, anything is doable in this day and age; the only thing I can’t do is plastic surgery,” she quipped.
Ettari uses products from So.Cap USA, a hair extension company that sells to salons throughout the United States. Ettari’s fiancé, Ron Cardillo Jr., is vice president of So.Cap’s business development division.
All of the hair extensions that Ettari uses in her salon are 100 percent unprocessed human hair with no silicon coat.
Ettari said her client base is diverse, ranging from teenagers to middle-aged women and older ladies who might be experiencing what is known as female-pattern thinning. A typical hair extension application takes about 90 minutes.
At Indulgence Blow Dry Lounge, customers can avail themselves of other services, too, such as up-dos, cold fusion smoothing and restoration treatments, deep conditioning treatments, waxing, highlights, color and a special wedding services package.
Like other industries, the beauty business demands continuous training to stay ahead of the fast-emerging trends. Ironically, Ettari’s background in art has helped turn her own creative abilities into a viable business.
“This just happened for me,” she said. “But clearly, this is where I’m meant to be at this point in my life.”
Indulgence Blow Dry Lounge is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
To make an appointment, call 914-218-3420. Some of the salon’s current specials include a keratin complex treatment for $150, a blow dry by Dianna for $35 and a blow dry by one of the other stylists for $27. There is also a bionic cold fusion vegan treatment for $75. Visit www.indulgenceblowdrylounge.com for more information.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.
