I love supporting small businesses. But, what’s something I love even more? When a small business supports me right back.

I had just moved to Los Angeles from Boston without ever having stepped foot in California. My freshly unpacked mirrors saw the light of day for the first time in over six months. Some of you may know where this is going… Cut to: what my dog might describe as “an hour of full-on hysteria and an unfortunate amount of tweezing” as I grappled with reality: I had really stopped trying to feel my best – and I needed professional intervention to restart my dusty self-care engine again.

A way-too-strong coffee in one hand and my banged-up laptop in the other, it was time to find a salon in my new city. But instead, I quickly found myself falling victim to that all-consuming rabbit hole we all know too well: biased articles funded by Big Shampoo, overly critical Yelp reviews, thousands of potential Reddit threads, seriously unhelpful Google Maps recommendations.

Overwhelmed by choice, I finally found hope in the form of a cute, simple Instagram page: Bloom Salon. 

Professional-looking photos of gorgeous flowing locks in a clean, airy salon filled my screen. I clicked through the recents posts: a balayage so beautiful that I audibly gasped, a before and after compilation that nearly brought me to tears, a gorgeous salon space filled with calming colors, squiggly mirrors, and lots of natural sunlight.

And then, there it was: the hair of my dreams. A soft, buttery strawberry blonde with vibrant pops of rich pastel colors like pink, blue, and even green. I had to have it.

Booking my appointment online was quick and easy. Unlike many salons in LA, Bloom even had availability that week for a cut and color. Fate? I think so! 

So, I hopped in the cab at LAX (read: my Subaru in Los Feliz) with my dream and a cardigan (read: excitement for my new look and, well, actually… a cardigan!). Located in adorable downtown Highland Park, I was thrilled to find plenty of free or low-cost parking surrounding Bloom Salon. As I walked into the salon, I was greeted by the smell of a subtle-yet-delicious candle, the hum of hairdryers, and a beaming smile from Bloom Salon’s owner, Courtney.

Courtney is that kind of person who immediately makes you feel comfortable. Her southern hospitality comes through right away, followed closely by her clear expertise in all things hair – plus, a badass sleeve of colorful tattoos. Courtney offered me coffee, tea, or water and when I politely declined (as any good New Englander should, no matter what their actual needs), Courtney grabbed me some cold water anyway. The sweetest.

We talked at length (hah) about my hair and lifestyle as Courtney kindly attempted to unknot the messy “bun” atop my skull. “It’s always my priority that clients leave Bloom feeling confident and refreshed,” explained Courtney, “But also that they have all the tools and knowledge to realistically maintain their new cut or color. There’s nothing worse than leaving a salon feeling yourself and then never being able to get it looking good again.” And as an avid shower-and-go kind of lady myself, I was eager to learn more about my hair’s natural texture and how to enhance my own beauty rather than force a new, trendy look.

After beginning her career training under celebrity stylists in West Hollywood, Courtney headed to the hip but more casual neighborhood of Silver Lake where she worked as an independent hairstylist at Summer Hours Salon. Her bread and butter? “Any kind of dimensional color, like balayage or vivids.” she says. But most of all she’s passionate about “keeping beauty sustainable and treating her guests with top notch hospitality.” And, wow, I can attest to that.

While Courtney transformed my wild pandemic hair into a movie star’s mane, I watched as her team at Bloom buzzed around the salon, laughing and connecting in ways we’ve all longed for since 2020. Courtney was the perfect level of chatty and focused, allowing for a low-pressure conversation to ebb and flow while we spent our afternoon in a sunny corner booth at Bloom. We talked true crime podcasts and Bravo reality TV and commiserated over how much time you spend in Texas when driving to and from the east coast. As a newcomer to the area, I was beyond grateful for Courtney’s recommendations which ranged from restaurants to small concert venues to her go-to stop for a weekend away in Ojai. (More on that in another article?)

I’ve honestly never left a salon feeling like anything other than a soccer mom with an outrageous blow-out. But, after spending my afternoon with Courtney and her team at the Bloom Salon, I’m never going anywhere else — and neither should you.