FEATURED STORY FROM THE BEST OF BG 2019 ISSUE
Golden Vanity Beauty Lounge:
Gets It Start By ‘Accident’
If someone had told Haley Reese, owner of The Golden Vanity Beauty Lounge, that a car accident would change her life, she might have believed them, but not in the way that she or anyone would have thought.
“After a car accident, my mom and I were driving down Wooster to pick up my rental car in Bowling Green, when we drove past this cute little salon that was for lease and had a number on the window to call,” Reese said. “Jokingly, my mom told me that I should do it, and initially I was against it, but I ended up calling.”
That call was on May 6, 2015. The business launched July 21, 2015.
Raised in Deshler, Ohio, Reese grew up coming to Bowling Green for shopping and food, but never knew the town would end up being her home away from home.
“I think what I like best is probably everybody that works here,” Reese said. “All of us stylists are really close. We are all motivated and working towards the same things. It feels so homey when I am here.”
As one of a several hair salons in the community, The Golden Vanity focuses on giving their clients an all-around beauty experience, denoted by the title of a beauty lounge rather than a hair salon. Offering hair care and color, extensions, styling, makeup, men’s grooming, and waxing services, the seven stylists at this woman-owned business are kept busy.
“We are always learning, going to classes, trying new techniques and growing our skills on timeless techniques to keep up with the trends,” Reese said. “I think it is nice that we do get younger clients in here, with the mix of our townspeople– it adds a lot of diversity to our days.”
“This brand was a huge leap of faith for me. It was a huge undertaking and I have learned so much in the process,” Reese said. “You don’t realize how much you have to offer until someone asks a question and you have the answer.”
This mentality is something that carries over into the success of The Golden Vanity.
One of the biggest collaboration efforts tied to the Golden Vanity is Mode Elle Boutique. The Golden Vanity and Mode Elle Boutique share an open concept layout, sharing a space that fills out the corner of Wooster and Main streets.
“We had to convince the landlord to let us cut a hole in the wall between the two, but now we have an open concept partnership. It has been so fun,” Reese said.