Inside L.A.’s Hottest New Hair Salon

by Natasha Wolff | April 11, 2016 1:45 pm

It’s a homecoming! Hairstylists Mara Roszak and Alex Polillo have partnered with friend and master colorist Denis De Souza—Roszak and De Souza met while working at the nearby Andy LeCompte Salon—to open the new, much buzzed about Mare Salon[1]. Until recently, the in-demand Roszak, who styles the tresses of Nicole Kidman[2], Emma Stone, Olivia Wilde, Cara Delevingne and Brie Larson, was constantly on the go traveling with clients and decided she wanted a new home base. She teamed up with her friend De Souza, who counts Ashlee Simpson and Jenna Dewan[3] as clients, and Polillo and they found a charming space in a residential stretch of Beverly Hills. But it needed a substantial renovation (it had previously been a beauty salon but was untouched for years). “I’m a very visual person,” says Roszak, “and the environment where I’m working working plays a huge part. Hair can be incredibly intimate, I love that part of the job.”

Luckily, they had a perfect partner in the overhaul of the salon. “Working with Richard Petit and The Archers design firm on this renovation was a dream,” says Polillo. “We had been friends for a long time prior and we had always seen his work and bits and pieces of projects he was working on so when it came time to do the salon and Rich offered, we jumped at the opportunity.” The salon features a glass brick façade, skylights which flood the space with sunshine and sleek Oluce sconces. “We wanted Mare to feel like home as much as we could,” explains Roszak. “Being that it was a high-end hair salon, we needed to deliver some glamour which we tried to accomplish with lighting and the glass block and a copious amount of marble. “Mare was meant to start out as a manageable-sized remodel,” says Polillo. “Within the first few weeks, it was apparent that we were going to need to do much more.”

We sat down to talk with the talented trio about the aesthetic of the salon and their current hair obsessions.

How did you choose the furniture for this space?

MR: Most of the furniture in Mare comes from [L.A.’s midcentury furniture mecca] JF Chen. These pieces include the Putman sofa in the waiting area, the Brandolini Propeller coffee table in the smaller lounge (along with the four Dutch suede chairs), the pair of Gio Ponti glass end tables, the Marble fountain and the long Behringer bench.

AP: We tried to choose furniture that would bring out the feel of ‘home’ and also would be appropriate for a salon.

What products are you currently obsessed with? 

AP: Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine is an all-time fave. Sachajuan Ocean Mist, Davines Hair Refresher and Leonor Greyl Eclat Naturel

MR: Santa Lucia Styling Oil from my Roz haircare brand[4], Davines shampoo and conditioner, L’Oreal Paris Elnett hair spray, L’Huile de Leonor Greyl hair oil and Eclat Naturel are always in my arsenal.

DD: LumiShine hair color by Joico. 

What hair trends have you seen recently? 

AP: I’ve noticed an abnormal amount of people seem to be growing out bangs right now. And long shags with long fringe.

MR: I’m loving the shag and it doesn’t have to be severe at all. So, a soft shag, I would say.

DD: There is a need to go back to classic old school hair color, beautiful fine highlights all over that are effortless, less trendy and more timeless.

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