Olive's Hair Salon - The Best Hair Salon For Women Of Color In Boston
When I first relocated to Boston from London, one of my first priorities was to find myself a trustworthy hair stylist. Most women of color understand how important it is to find a good stylist. The ideal stylist understands about the maintenance of healthy hair and knows just how to cut and style hair without the need for strict instructions from the client. Particularly, someone who does not leave so much grease in your hair that it runs down your face when it rains!
I asked women of color I encountered in Boston about good hair salons. I visited two salons in Boston. The first salon offered an ok service but my hair was full of split ends by 3 months of regular attendance. I decided not to visit the salon again. The second salon left me with a set of hair as hard as a rock after I had a wash and set. I vowed never to go back there. Surely there must be good hair salons for women of color in Boston-this is America after all!
I took to the worldwide web in pursuit of my dream salon and I came across Olive’s hair salon. The owner Olive Lee Benson had an excellent reputation within the industry, which I will summarize here.
She started this salon in 1959 and throughout her career was recognized as a premier hair stylist and an expert in relaxing and straightening hair. A holder of numerous awards, she created and marketed her own line of hair products. The line known as Universal Textures included a relaxer for all types of hair texture—called “universal relaxer," a protein hair conditioner, a shampoo and a leave-in conditioner. Sadly Olive Benson has passed away but her ethos and memory lives on in Olive’s hair salon through all the stylists, including her daughter Diana.
Armed with all this information I set off on my travels to this salon. I was impressed- from the calm and sophisticated decor to the professionalism of the staff-this was my dream salon. After six months of regular attendance my hair is in great shape, with no split ends. This is the only salon I have ever visited that really emphasizes the importance of conditioning the hair, especially with the use of relaxers and hair color. Another observation from my visits there is that all the stylists have great hair- a testament to how great this salon is. With regard to cost, I think this salon is reasonable given what a great service they offer.
In summary, in my opinion Olive’s hair salon is the best salon for women of color in Boston. However, you do not have to take my word for it-after all it is only an opinion, so why not find out for yourself!
Contact: Olive’s Beauty Salon, 1198 Boylston St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Tel: (617) 734-3944
