Latin Essence Salon joins vibrant commercial area on lower Chicago Avenue

by Elanine Klaassen

The other day I made an appointment for the first pedicure of my life. Up until this time, as I approach retirement age, pedicures and manicures have never been part of my lifestyle. I grew up in a frugal, austere environment where nobody did such things and somehow that ethos has stayed with me. As a child, the most frivolous thing I ever heard of was a school chum’s mother taking long bubble baths, smoking and reading in the tub.

How very curious, I thought. The place I went for this life-changing experience was the new Latin Essence Salon on lower Chicago Avenue. It’s a place with a vibrant, Latin feel to it, but it’s not just for Latins.

Like many small businesses opened by immigrants, hair stylist and hostess Isa Scavo hopes to attract a diverse crowd. She has cared for a broad spectrum of ethnic hair types, for 10 years in her native Dominican Republic, an especially multicultural society, and for 10 years here in the U.S.
If you want to watch a little Spanish TV, practice speaking Spanish, maybe try out your salsa or merengue to a Latin beat while waiting to get your hair or nails done, Latin Essence Salon is the place for you.

Everything in the place has an aesthetic consideration, which makes you feel good when you walk in. You want to stay. As one of the guests at the open house said to her husband, “Honey, [if] I’m not home, I’m gonna be here.”
The ambience is strikingly pleasing. Scavo, together with her husband, David Scavo, worked day and night to transform an old used clothing store into a modern, upscale salon. Deep, underwater coral walls fire up the atmosphere; cobalt blue glass lights and furniture plus a blue glass head create a striking contrast; a silver curved counter and manicure tables illuminate the space; while gleaming, beautifully shaped glass and shiny black accoutrements complete the décor. Isa says she’s been thinking about these colors for seven years. Dusky coral suede chairs (one of which is shaped like a flower) and a blue suede couch gather together around Andy Warhol designer rugs in stormy hues.

David says they took out the acoustical ceiling tile and pulled out the conduit that was everywhere and then put up all new sheet rock and revived the hardwood floors. He ordered all the shaped glass from Italy, the latest in salon magic. The product they use is Alter-Ego, very big in New York and top of the line in Italy, he says. Some of its special features are a product to remove hair color and a hair loss product. The ingredients are natural, such as cotton oil, cocoa butter, extract of yeast, vitamin E, sweet almond oil, rice milk, sage, birch and rosemary. No petroleum products are listed.

Isa, a gorgeous, petite woman, is warm and gracious. She wears stylish, sculpted outfits and always works in high heels – because “flat shoes hurt my legs.” Her goal at the salon is to provide quality service at reasonable rates for Spanish and English speaking customers. Obviously she speaks Spanish, and her English is excellent.

Back in the corner, I sat in one of two blue chairs with soapy footbaths attached. Up in front Isa was fashioning a hairdo and visiting in Spanish with her customer. Next to me, a woman who worked down the street was having white tips painted on her toenails. She worked at the Center for Child Abuse Prevention and I asked about her work. She described the workshops they hold for parents-to-be and the steps they take to put future parents in touch with a support network. I’ve worked quite a bit with Alternatives to Violence Project so it seemed we had a lot in common. You never know where you might connect to people.

After nearly two hours of undivided attention to my digits, I tripped away, my freshly massaged hands and feet light as air and my gold toenails reflecting in my glasses. Next, I hope to be there to rearrange my hair, as well as later, when Scavo gets set up for facials and massage. This kind of physical self-care—after years of looking out for my spiritual, mental and emotional well-being—makes me feel I’m affirming my most delicate and fragile self. And it’s about time.