Hey babes! Today, I want to gush about The Beacon Salon, an absolute neighborhood beauty sanctuary in downtown Charleston, SC! If you haven’t been, you are missing out! This cute, cozy little gem is female-owned by the wonderful Jamie Dorothy, and let me tell you, her staff is the sweetest crew ever. They make you feel like you’ve known them for years the second you walk in the door.
The Beacon Salon offers everything your heart could desire—Cuts, Colors, Scalp Treatments, Bridal Services, Blowouts, and Keratin treatments—you name it. And the best part? You can even walk in without an appointment. Yep, they’ve got your spontaneous beauty moments covered!
But today, I want to talk about my hair extension experience! Now, I’ve never had extensions before, so this was a big step for me. After chatting with Jamie, we decided to go with tape-ins from the brand Showpony. Since it was my first time, I wanted to start with tape-ins before fully committing to sewn-ins—baby steps, ya know?
Here’s a little backstory. I’ve got Hashimoto’s, which is an autoimmune thyroid condition. For those of you who don’t know, Hashimoto’s can cause hair thinning, brittleness, and even hair loss, which is not fun. I’ve been feeling a little insecure about my hair lately, so when Jamie reached out to me I couldn’t resist. I figured extensions might be the confidence boost I needed. Spoiler alert: they totally were!
The whole process started with a consultation. Jamie matched my hair to these gorgeous swatches of “lived-in blonde” shades, and we settled on a dreamy Cool Brown Ombre. We went with 20-inch length extensions (go big or go home, right?). About two weeks later, I was back in the salon for installation day.
The lovely stylists Sam and Payton were beyond amazing! We touched up my money pieces first, and then they took their time with the installation, making sure every piece was perfectly aligned. If you’re new to tape-ins like I was, here’s the deal: you’ll need to get them reapplied every 6-10 weeks so the bonds stay close to your scalp. And you can always pop in for maintenance appointments to keep everything smooth and fab.
OK, can we talk about the results?! STUNNING doesn’t even cover it. The extensions are so lightweight, and I got exactly what I wanted: length AND volume! The Beacon team totally nailed it.
Now, if I could give you one piece of advice, it’s this: do your homework on hair extension care. I had to learn the hard way! I got a special brush and sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner from Showpony. Make sure to brush gently from the bottom up, and don’t go too close to the tapes. You’ve gotta blow-dry your hair after every wash (goodbye, air-dry days), and sleep with your hair in a loose braid or something protective to prevent tangling. It’s a whole new routine folks!
Honestly, I feel like a new woman with these long, luscious locks. I’m obsessed! If you’re considering extensions or just want to treat yourself, hit up The Beacon Salon. I promise you’ll leave feeling like the queen you are.
Till next time, babes!
Xoxo,
Courtney Fabiano