Her whole life, hair stylist Kristin Best dreamed of opening her own salon. After 18 years of working in high-end, Beverly Hills salons and catering to the rich and famous, the 34-year-old single mother had always wanted a place that would primp and pamper everyday women like herself. With her life's savings in hand, Best was torn between spending it on a new home for her and her four children or taking the risk of opening her own business. And as a busy, working mom, the timing never seemed right, so the dream remained as one in the back of her mind.
But last March was a tragic turning point for Best. After her 7-year-old son, Dylan Keith Best, died after an accidental fall, the Burbank resident said she needed to turn her grief into good. Rather than allowing her depression to disable her, Best said she wanted to go after her goal in order to inspire other women like her.
Seven months later in October 2010, the Dylan Keith Salon opened in honor of the memory of Best's son, and the salon held its formal grand opening yesterday, January 10. The event, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Burbank Mayor Anja Reinke, marked what would have been Dylan's 8th birthday.
Best said she wanted to allow people to get high-quality service at affordable prices. In this economy, she said, anyone wanting a 90210-worthy haircut "won't have to think twice about getting pampered" when they come to her salon. "I wanted to create a place where [everyone] can heal," she said.
The 3,000-square-foot full-service salon offers everything from haircuts to tanning, teeth whitening, waxing and massages. Prices start at $22 for children's haircuts, $25 for men's haircuts, $47 for women's haircuts and $75 for color or partial highlights (see their site for a full list of services). Along with its own line of cosmetics, the salon also carries organic facial products by Eminence, cruelty-free nail polish by O.P.I. and more. They're currently offering specials for the month of January, including 1-hour blueberry detox facials for $79 and teeth whitening for $99.
The salon is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. most days, but check their Facebok site for complete hours. For appointments, call (818) 433-7819.
