While Washtenaw County, specifically the southeastern portion of the County, ranks highly for ethnic diversity, very few salons in the area offer high-quality beauty services targeted to meet the needs of people of color.
Three minority & woman-owned beauty businesses, Original Moxie, Anaya Beauty Salon, & Forever Beauty Co. aim to change that trend. Located in neighboring suites at 2925 E. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti Township, each business owner is passionate about their mission.
In the highly competitive beauty industry, they support each other by sharing resources and cross-promoting their services. Building on their unique ability to offer comprehensive, inclusive skin and hair services in one location, the three salons collectively brand themselves as The Beauty Block. Together, they hope to establish the area as a center for elevated beauty that prioritizes the needs of their underserved populations.
Original Moxie offers inclusive, natural curly hair products and services. Discussing her motivation, Blistein explains, “Curly hair is traditionally a marginalized and misunderstood ‘niche’ within the beauty industry. Perhaps because of that, since the brand’s founding in 2009, we have worked hard to make our business accessible and welcoming to everyone. Feeling good about your hair in its natural state is liberating and empowering and can have an instant and significant emotional impact. That is an experience we want to share, not just with our clients, but with the wider community.”
Neighboring business Anaya Beauty Salon specializes in protective styles such as braids, wigs, and weaves and also aims to disrupt the status quo. Boasting a sparkling interior with stylish décor and comfortable stations, Anaya Beauty Salon is not your typical hair braiding establishment. With over 12 years of experience, Owner, Rickeilia Shah explains that her goal is “to change the narrative of traditional braiding parlors by creating perfectly crafted styles that are installed in an upscale environment, with appointments that start on time, and methods that promote hair and scalp health.”
Forever Beauty Co., jointly owned by three family members, Lynette Jordan Burrell, Jasmin Jordan, and Lauryn Jordan, is similarly motivated by a vision to offer professional spa services and cutting-edge techniques in a natural and uplifting space. As Aesthetician Lauryn Jordan points out, “darker skin reacts differently to conditions like acne and needs specialized products and treatments to help it look its best.” By teaming up with her Aunt Lynette and Cousin Jasmin, both licensed cosmetologists, the three offer a range of hair, skin, and lash services under one roof.
