Los Angeles - June 07, 2005

Byu-ti Bound

Byu-ti Salon Opens

Beauty, as you’ve no doubt heard, is notoriously, tiresomely, overstatedly skin deep.

But Byu-ti is a different story. That, friends, is all about the hair.

We speak of Santa Monica’s lovely new salon, Byu-ti. The spot, whose name is the Japanese spelling of “beauty” (those folks sure know how to take a romance language and make it their own), is the latest venture from two of our favorite hair people: hairstylist Natasha Sunshine and colorist Frederic States.

On a breezy corner just a stone’s throw from the beach, Byu-ti offers a serene, Asian-inspired experience — a bright space decorated in white, dark woods, and red accents. Slip into some comfy slippers, tie on a kimono-style robe, sip green tea, and settle in.

Sunshine is a great communicator when it comes to hair (and other stuff, too) and has an intuitive feel for her clients’ tastes, while States’s warm personality and genius with color will leave you aglow. They also offer custom-mixed hair treatments made from essential oils, to treat whatever ails your tresses. You’ll leave looking — and feeling — gorgeous.

A Byu-ti-ful experience, indeed.

Byu-ti, 145 Bay Street, at Main Street, suite 9, Santa Monica (310-452-2782).