Hair Wars is an annual touring event, created in 1991 as a showcase for stylists and salons to create unconventional and elaborate hair styles and fashion, often based around a central theme. The event has grown steadily through the years, turning into a huge production in multiple cities and making winners of the competition very well-known in the industry. In Sacramento, there is a local version of the Hair Wars competition that takes place annually at The Park Ultra Lounge. The competition is held over a three-month period, with some of Sacramento's top salons competing on the runway. In previous years, each night featured two salons going head to head with an overall winner selecte

A new nail and wax salon focusing on using natural products is now open at the corner of Alhambra and S Street in the Alexan Midtown building. “We really wanted to be green,” said GG Salon owner Thuy Ho, 37, who also owns Melody Salon, 1809 S St., in Midtown. “Most of our products are almost 100 percent natural.” Ho said she called the salon “GG” as an acronym for “going green,” and she uses O.P.I. products of Los Angeles, which don’t contain a lot of the harsher chemicals such as formaldehyde that other nail polishes use. A sea-salt scrub is used for pedicures, Ho said, since it is a more natural product. BeBe waxes are also used, since they are all-natural. The salon does work with a

Lily Ann Lam grew up in two worlds. Her Chinese parents instilled traditional Eastern values in her, while her upbringing in Sacramento exposed her to American culture. She said the mix comes together in her Midtown salon – Hanami, which opened March 1. Hanami (HAH-nah-me) is a Japanese word that describes the beauty of cherry blossoms, and Lam said it was a natural fit for a salon. “The cherry blossoms are the result of a process,” she said. “They’re beautiful for two weeks ... and that’s like hair. It goes through a process, and then it’s beautiful for a couple of weeks.” Hanami is the first salon for Lam, who has been styling hair professionally for three years. Before that, she put

Close to 125 people packed The Park Ultra Lounge's outdoor patio Thursday night to watch models showcase the styles of the Lush and Spanish Fly salons. Ten models walked a runway parallel to a lengthy fire pit during the opening night of the third-annual Hair Wars competition. Co-hosted by The Park and "Sactown Magazine," the competition will feature two salons every Thursday through June 10 competing to enter a final round. The first place winner will receive a full page ad in "Sactown Magazine" valued at $3,000 and the second place winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to The Park Downtown/Cafeteria 15L. Spanish Fly and Lush are under the same ownership and coordinated together f

Master Barber Shop was established in 1958 and was acquired by Earlie D. and Mary Brown in December of 1974. During that time, the shop was located on Stockton Blvd. and 7th Ave. Since those early days, Master Barber & Beauty Shop, has had several locations. Each location being better than the last. In 1989, sons Rodney and Marichal, joined the family business. The late owner and master barber, Earlie D. Brown, established business in the hair industry in the mid 1940's with Brown's Barber Shop (two locations, San Francisco and Marin City). What started out as nothing more than a dream and a dime and a nail in his pocket has turned into a family business. He died in February 1998. Mary Br

Up at the crack of dawn, get the kids ready for school, remind the husband for the umpteenth time of the honey-do list he has conveniently forgotten about for weeks now. Traffic - when will people learn to drive? I skid into work, annoying office stalker looking at her watch. Emails – oh, look the boss wants me to redo work I have already completed because he didn’t bother to do his job and provide me with all the information I needed. Lunch - day dreaming with the girls about spending a day at the spa and promising each other that one of these days we were going to do it, because we deserved it. Sound familiar? I finally got to have my day and was it all that I had dreamt it would be? Y

  A dozen salons will compete in a six-week hair adventure which commences this Thursday and runs weekly through Sept. 3. Sactown Magazine and 100.5 The Zone present "Hair Wars: 2009," at The Park Ultra Lounge at 15th and L Streets. Each week, one of Sacramento's top salons will be competing on the runway. During last year's "Hair Wars: 2008," salon Rowena and Takashi reigned as champions. They will have an appearance during this year's Hair Wars on August 27. On July 30, the opening night, there will be a special appearance by Salon 701 with exclusive product gifts provided by PHYTO. Salon 701 will be competing with Taki Salon on the runway. The party will start at 9 p.m. with a runwa

The Sacramento Bee showcased on its homepage Saturday a feature article on the growing popularity of the haircut sported by the soon-to-be Chief Executive. The Bee reported that Obama's barber is known only as Zariff and says the cut costs $21. The reporter then visited numerous barbers in Sacramento to get comments from cutters about the cut. Yes, indeed, customers have come in to ask for some Barack barbering. Since I needed a haircut for the local Inaugural festivities, I went to my barber, Master Barber Melton, who cuts hair in a shop a few doors down from a Starbucks. Isn't anyplace a few doors down from a Starbucks? He said that customers have come in asking for the Obama cut. It'

This week I was given a very soothing hair cut. I visited Honey Salon located on 19th St. between H and I. Not only was I greeted by warm faces and smiles, but also by a beautiful atmosphere. This salon exhibited art from a local artist, throughout the salon. Keri Carr, the owner, finds a new artist every two months to display their art for sale. When I first walked in, there was a man that approached me and immediately offered me a beverage. The salon offers an assortment of drinks ranging from tea, coffee, hot chocolate, wine, beer, and for those who are just simply parched, water. I was really impressed by the plethora of drinks, but that was until I received my shampoo. After K