New full-service salon adds glamour to Sea Cliff

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What was once a boarded-up, out-of-business Sea Cliff dry-cleaners has been brought to life in just one year. Glamour Salon & Beauty Lounge on Glen Cove Avenue, the brainchild of Old Brookville resident Katherine Reyes, had its grand opening on Monday, welcoming the community to celebrate the latest local business. Alongside his wife at the opening was none other than Jose Reyes, shortstop for the New York Mets.

The Reyes family moved from Manhasset to Old Brookville five years ago. Katherine was proud and excited to be opening her own business. “We have ‘lounge’ in the name because I wanted it to be a place where people could come, enjoy and relax,” she said. “When I go into a salon, I want to feel comfortable, I want to feel like I can stay, and that’s the concept we have here. The area needs something like this.”

Glamour specializes in much more than just hair and makeup. The salon also offers eyelash extensions, manicures and pedicures, massages, facials, braiding and even boutique shopping. A small selection of Reyes’s designer threads from her clothing line, KR by Katherine Reyes, is available for purchase as well.

“Most salons focus on one discipline, but most moms don’t have the time to go to a bunch of different places to do things for themselves,” Reyes said. “Here you can find a little bit of everything.”

She designed the salon to attract the attention of the community. A year’s worth of reconstruction has resulted in a fully modernized facility, complete with state-of-the-art equipment accented with hues of silver and soft purple. A sparkly chevron backsplash behind the front desk adds a glitzy touch to the space.

Glamour actually opened two weeks ago, and has been full almost every day, Reyes said. “Customers were surprised at first, but so far they’re happy with our services,” she said, adding that she attributes the customer satisfaction to the comforting family atmosphere of the salon.

That atmosphere is reminiscent of what Reyes remembers from the salon her family owned in Santa Domingo, in her home country of the Dominican Republic. Instead of rushing customers out of the chairs, Reyes and her family made sure every customer at True Beauty felt at home.

“You’re coming here for a service, and we’re going to make you feel comfortable, so you won’t want to leave,” she said. “The most important thing is having a connection with people.”

Seeing customer’s reactions and singing the salon’s praises has been fun for Reyes, who said that opening the business is a dream come true. “This is something I love — it’s not about show,” she said. “I love serving people, and to help create a memory for them is a dream for me.”

Deborah Gordon, president of the Gold Coast Business Association, said she was excited about Glamour, because it has spruced up Glen Cove Avenue. “This location was almost like an eyesore,” Gordon said, “but they came in and totally renovated this place, made it beautiful, and now it makes the town look a lot nicer.”

Like Reyes, Gordon said she believes the area was missing an all-in-one salon. “Glamour has a lot of different services that are unique to this community, and I think she’s going to do really well,” she said of Reyes.

When he wasn’t signing memorabilia for visitors and fans, Jose Reyes expressed pride in Katherine’s new venture. “I’m very happy for all the support that people are showing my wife,” he said. “The community is unbelievable. There’s a lot of nice people, and that’s why we moved here, and that’s why she opened this beautiful salon. I think people are going to like it.”

Katherine is opening a second Glamour location in Roslyn Harbor for girls ages 4 to 14. It is slated to open by the end of the year.

Glamour Salon & Beauty Lounge, at 600 Glen Cove Ave., is open seven days a week.