World-class salon services, modern looks and styles and the best beauty brands lie within the walls of Saks Fifth Avenue in the Walt Whitman Mall. For upstairs is the holy grail of beauty: The Salon Project by Joel Warren.
And if Warren’s name sounds familiar, you probably know it from Warren Tricomi, which he cofounded in 1990 with Edward Tricomi and Roxana Pintilie. While Warren is no longer associated with the brand, he is still a leader in the haircare industry for the past three decades and his love for hair styling is more passionate than ever.
“I believe in beautiful hair,” said Warren, who wanted to revolutionize the concept of the traditional salon. “I came up with a presentation for Saks Fifth Avenue and the creative director asked me what I wanted to call it. I didn’t have a name at the time so she just wrote down ‘The Salon Project by Joe Warren’ and it stuck.”
Warren’s deal includes exclusive rights with all Saks Fifth Avenue stores. As for why the first Long Island location of Salon Project was established in Huntington, Warren said it just made the most sense.
“Walt Whitman is closest to New York City so it made sense to pick this location as many Long Islanders go into the city to get their hair done. Now, we bring the city to you,” he said of the location that opened in 2017. “It’s an uber experience for hair. We have iPads at each station, high end products within arms reach of the stylists and we have the best trained staff I have ever seen.”
Using technology, the tablets also allow clients to virtually try on a series of hair styles and colors before making a final decision.
Warren, who is also the new spokesperson for Goldwell hair color, is all about keeping it simple and natural, as clients trust the professionals for great advice, which is why he works with his former assistant and master colorist Rick Wellman.
Widely recognized as one of the most talented and innovative colorists in the world, Wellman developed a breathable hair technique over the past 10 years that utilizes 100 percent biodegradable cotton pads. Aside from being better for the environment, the material does not soak up color, allowing the hair to truly be enriched by every drop of dye. The less aggressive treatment utilizes about 25 cotton pads on the average head and can be used with the popular balayage technique for highlighting hair in which the dye is painted on to create a graduated, natural-looking effect.
“If you want a streaky look, you use foil. But for a better blended look, use less hair in the cotton swatches,” said Wellman of the luxury highlight service with an upgraded experience for the client. “We’ve taught classes and a few eco-friendly salons have picked up the technique. The diagonal coloring technique means no lines anywhere as you work around the head in patterns that avoid that strip look. And, you don’t have to sit under a heat lamp.”
The Salon Project is the first Long Island salon to utilize the treatment of dye on hair, and the signature, more sophisticated technique is perfect for touch ups and biolights.
“It’s a one-stop shop and a true client-focused experience from the minute they walk in to the minute they walk out,” said Warren.
A charity event on Oct. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. with Saks and Pink Aid Beauty will benefit breast cancer as the salon is offering complimentary services. A percentage of the salon’s proceeds raised during the month of October will go towards Pink Aid.
For more information, visit www.thesalonproject.com. The Salon Project by Joel Warren is located within the Walt Whitman Mall at 230 Walt Whitman Rd., Floor 2, Saks, Fifth Avenue, in Huntington Station.