Welcome The Luminous Bride To ALBB's Business Directory Guide!

Welcome The Luminous Bride to ALBB’s Business Directory!

A most discreet and lovely beauty secret destination in Beacon is The Luminous Bride, nestled in The Makeup Loft at 1 East Main, the historic factory building down by the famous Dummy Light. Owned by makeup artist Jules Waldoetter, whose signature style is a soft look with clean, natural makeup, Luminous Bride's team of hair and makeup professionals apply their palettes to clients who love looking like themselves, but seek the enchanting lift makeup can give them. Established in NYC, Jules was a regular artist at NY Fashion Week, and continues styling celebrities for press, print, TV and the red carpet. Luminous Bride can style people for events, portraits, branding, presentations, meetings, productions etc., and can do on site hair and makeup for weddings. Find them inside of Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique. Book with them on their website by filling out their form, checking their schedule, or sending them an email.

PS: Jules also offers one-on-one makeup lessons for those looking to learn how to increase their makeup knowledge and skills!

Beauty Guide Update! Welcome Mane Street Hair & Co To Beacon

Beauty Guide Update!

Welcome Mane Street Hair to Main Street in Beacon! Mane Street is where you go to turn your hair dreams into reality. Genta created a "comfortable, inviting space where clients feel welcomed and stylists feel at home".

If you're a blondie, you'll want to know that Genta offers a "lived in" service to create the most beautiful, dimensional lived-in blonde.

Other services that are offered include "Bright and Blonde", "Reverse Balayage", "Pick Me Up", Gloss Refresh", and more!

Check out our Beauty Guide for all things Beauty on Main St! Including Mane Street Hair & Co.

Beacon Mercantile Perfume Names Are Always On Point - Check These Out

One of ALBB’s favorite places to stop into is Beacon Mercantile. Not only you can stop in to refill a scent, but you can pick up some scents for friends while you’re there too! Based on the clever names that owner Toni Hacker of Beacon Mercantile always chooses for her scents, we immediately thought of some friends.

Here is some insider info for you:

If you’re an avid reader of A Little Beacon Blog, you’ll notice that we quote an anonymous Citizen Reporter with the name “Cowboy” in their name. This person is always out and about and sending us scoop with photos from their experiences in town. For them, we felt Beacon Mercantile’s scent, “Cowboy Vetiver” was a great fit.

Next, we saw “Stolen Bike” and immediately thought of our dear friends at Homespun Foods. Why you ask? Because we happen to know that the owner, Joe Robitaille, has kids. And those kids have bikes. And those bikes sometimes get stolen. Sometimes, those bikes show up on Beacon’s Facebook Marketplace! So watch out LOL.

The Vanilla scent for ALBB out sister company, Katie James, Inc., because it’s summer and vanilla cake is yummy!

Beacon Mercantile is a sustaining sponsor of ALBB and is featured in our Shopping Guide. Beacon Mercantile is the home base for local maker Toni's handcrafted candles, perfumes, skincare, and apothecary goods which are lovingly made by hand and are a favorite of folks far and wide. Located in Beacon's historic Matteawan train station on the East end of Main Street, the shop also features a seasonal selection of fun finds from fellow makers for home and gifting. A must-visit for the scent and skincare obsessed!

PS: Stop in and check out all of the new goodies like the amazing summer woven bags and tote bags that will go perfectly with any outfit on any day!

Boscobel Reimagines Its Experience; Waives $50K Rent Of Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival; Opens For Outdoor Social Distancing

One view from Boscobel.
Photo Credit: Tyler Mell

Like many farms, camps, and museums, Boscobel was getting ready to launch its spring season into summer when the pandemic hit and mandates shut down every business. Back in March, thinking that outdoor gatherings in warmer weather would be safe, they tried to move forward with an Open Air Flex Pass ticket program for their popular tenant, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF), so that customers could buy tickets to the upcoming Shakespeare performances.

However, out of safety precautions, HVSF was unable to hold any performances due to rehearsal and gathering restrictions. This was quite a jolt, as the theater company had performed in repertory on Boscobel’s grounds since 1988. In light of the pandemic, Boscobel waived the HVSF rent of $50,000, and moved forward with re-imagining how it can continue, according to a press release they issued this week. “In the wake of HVSF’s 2020 season cancellation and its own COVID-19 hardships, Boscobel waived the Festival’s rent,” Boscobel stated.

“Boscobel is mourning loss, navigating new health protocols, and suffering major budget impacts from COVID-19, but the outpouring of community support keeps us strong,” says Executive Director and Curator Jennifer Carlquist, who notes that maintaining the site alone costs more than $2,500 every day. “The heartfelt thanks we’ve received from pandemic visitors underscores what psychologists have long studied—that experiencing profound beauty increases people’s sense of well-being, and makes them feel more connected to their loved ones and the world around them.”

Boscobel Opened To Healthcare Workers - For One-Household At A Time Enjoyment

“As soon as we realized that it would be some time before we could open our gates as wide as we’d like, we started to think about what we could do to contribute to our community during quarantine. Focusing first on the selfless healthcare workers who risk so much for the greater good, we opened up our gardens and grounds for one-household-at-a-time, free respite visits for healthcare workers,” says Director of Visitor Engagement Ed Glisson.

Boscobel is an ideal place to take a well-earned deep breath. As respiratory therapist Margaret Degan Dorangricchia put it, “It was a beautiful and much needed escape from the confinement of our home and the daily mental and physical exhaustion of our work.”

Boscobel Now Opening Access To Their 68 Acres To The Public

Now offering a limited number of timed gardens and grounds tickets to the general public via Boscobel.org, tickets remain free to healthcare workers and Boscobel members. Guests are welcome to picnic, stroll the gardens and grounds, and hike the trail—there are 68 acres for safe, social distancing.

The location is one of the most beautiful places in the Hudson Valley, with its Great Lawn overlooking the Hudson River, and Constitution Marsh. A pollinator-friendly Herb Garden and Formal Garden with plants that were popular in the 19th century are also available to experience, as well as a mile-long Woodland Trail along the river.

The Cold Spring Farmers Market is also hosted at Boscobel. Every Saturday, Cold Spring Farmers Market and Boscobel open Boscobel’s gates to host local vendors and hundreds of market-goers seeking fresh, local food while adhering diligently to public health guidelines. In other words, Mask Up! And wait in line very far away from each other (6 feet). Then come to Beacon on Sunday for Beacon’s outdoor Farmers Market near the post office.

Distancing Learning Of Boscobel

To bring Boscobel’s historic site, Neoclassical mansion, and decorative arts collection to anyone wishing to have a personal experience of Hudson Valley design, history, and nature, Boscobel created a pilot virtual tour, accessible from Boscobel.org, which is just as illuminating from home as it is on the grounds. The museum also created virtual programs for K-12 students who had to miss their field trip visit. There is also yoga on the grounds sometimes.

Boscobel Researches Early Black Inhabitants

Boscobel’s staff has been reduced to a core focusing on building a more sustainable, inclusive museum for the future. Together with committed trustees, staff are developing a long-term Interpretive Plan, which involves researching and incorporating the histories of Boscobel’s early Black inhabitants. Earlier this year, Boscobel joined the Hudson Valley Slavery Roundtable and is mining 18th- and 19th-century papers for references to slavery and manumission. In 1810, four of Boscobel’s ten inhabitants were “free” Black people. “It is long past time to better understand how ‘free’ they really were,” poses Director Carlquist. “How did everyday New Yorkers cope with the seminal conflicts of war and slavery?” Boscobel recently received a Humanities New York grant to advance this research.

You can support Boscobel at any time here with an online donation or membership.

Pair with your visit a trip to Beacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Use A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide to help you plan where to eat, and the Shopping Guide to help you know where to shop the boutiques.

Barber Shop Employee In Kingston (Ulster County) Operating Illicitly Tests Positive For COVID-19; Kingston Announces Temporary Layoffs

A barbershop in Kingston has been cutting hair “illicitly,” as announced by Ulster County on Wednesday via press release on their website and Facebook post. The post, which went up yesterday, has 1.4K shares and 462 comments. A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to Kingston’s Mayor and Ulster County’s Executive to see if this knowledge was gained from a contact tracing program.

Kingston had not announced the news on their website as of this publishing, but did announce that the city is entering into a Phase 2 Recovery Plan, which means they are temporarily laying off select city workers.

Ulster County’s Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith encouraged people who had gotten a hair cut at a barbershop on Broadway within the last 3 weeks should pursue testing. The press release reminded people about the low priority level of salons and barber shops during the pandemic: “During the ongoing New York Pause directives from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, no barbershops, beauty salons, nail salons or other personal hygiene services are allowed to be open and operating for fear of spreading the potentially deadly virus.”

Governor Cumo’s Position On Barbershops and Salons

Hair care has been one of the hardest things to live without during quarantine. In theory, it seems like a semi-solitary activity. Only two people are involved, though direct contact is required. Governor Cuomo told Trevor Noah on Noah’s Daily Social Distancing Show in April 23, 2020, that he didn’t view salons and barbershops as essential, as too much risk is involved to operate. As reported in Vulture, “It has to be phased in,” said Cuomo when asked whether or not he’d pull a Georgia and open everything at once. “It has to be slow and building and watch that infection rate as you start to open up the valve to reopen … Basically, it’s a matrix. How essential is the business and how high a risk does the business pose?”

Meanwhile, At A Salon In Texas…

A salon owner in Dallas, Texas tried opening before she was allowed to, was issued a citation for doing so, but kept the salon open. She was arrested and held in contempt. The judge gave her the option of apologizing for opening, and she declined, then was sent to jail.

As reported in Time the salon owner told the judge: “I couldn’t feed my family, and my stylists couldn’t feed their families,” Luther testified, saying she had applied for a federal loan but didn’t receive it until Sunday. The federal loan, if she is referring to the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) does cover payroll for 8 weeks if granted to the business based on the previous year’s payroll, but can only be issued to people on payroll. If stylists are contract workers or pay rent to the salon in lieu of payment from the salon owner, as is the case many times in small salons, the PPP money cannot be paid to them.

The Texas Attorney General stepped in by sending a letter to the judge, appealing for her release. He wrote: “I find it outrageous and out of touch that during this national pandemic, a judge, in a county that actually released hardened criminals for fear of contracting COVID-19, would jail a mother for operating her hair salon in an attempt to put food on her family’s table,” Paxton said.

Meanwhile, Back In Kingston…

Mayor Steven T. Noble announced the enactment of Phase 2 of Kingston’s Recovery Plan. “Phase 2 of the plan includes temporary layoffs of 10 part-time and 9 full-time staff through July 31, 2020 across eight City departments, including the Assessor’s Office, Building Safety, City Clerk’s Office, Civil Service, Comptroller’s Office, DPW, Parks & Recreation, and the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Per an agreement with CSEA, impacted employees will retain their medical and other benefits during the layoff period. Layoffs will predominantly affect positions whose duties have been curtailed or restricted as a result of COVID-19.

“We have worked hard over the years to place the City in a strong fiscal position, which has allowed us to weather the initial financial impact of this pandemic.” said Mayor Noble. “Now is the time to make hard decisions to overcome this unprecedented challenge and embark on our path to economic recovery. To date, we have been able to maintain all essential City services, but the full extent of the pandemic’s impact has not yet been realized. It is critical that over the next few months we continue to exercise strong fiscal oversight and advocate with our federal representatives for funding for Kingston and its sister cities across the country.”

Mayor Noble added that due to businesses respecting the shut down, sales tax revenue has declined significantly, and impacted what was budgeted for 2020. According to the press release: “The first two sales tax payments received this week are down 27% (March) and 38% (April) from 2019. Additional income sources such as investment interest, parking revenue, fees, permits and others will also be impacted. With available data, the City Comptroller, John Tuey, is now projecting that the City of Kingston will have revenue decreases between $4,00,000-$6,000,000.”

Ulster County does pass the metric test for reopening, but because it is lumped into the Mid-Hudson Region, it will not open, as reported at Daily Voice. “I am proud of the progress Ulster County has made toward meeting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s guidelines for Phase One opening, but the Mid-Hudson Region as a whole still has work to do before the State will permit anyone to reopen,” County Executive Pat Ryan said in the Daily Voice article.

As of today, according to Ulster County’s Dashboard, Kingston has 109 active cases, and 1 fatality. In total, Ulster County has 1,542 confirmed cases, 732 active cases, and 64 fatalities.

Editorial Note: Based on comments seen at Ulster County’s Facebook post, please know that any comment that wishes anything other than a healthy recovery to those infected or impacted will not be published here.

SallyeAnder's "Heavy Duty Hand Therapy Moisturizing Balm" Really Works For Dry, Painful Hands

With all the hand-washing going on, your hands are a wreck. Fortunately for you, Beacon is filled with people who make the most amazing creams and balms. SallyeAnder Soaps is a brand you see in a lot of shops in Beacon, and you’ve seen it online or in other shops in other states as well. It’s a major brand that is manufactured right here in Beacon, in the same building as Brett’s Hardware, Beacon Pilates, CineHub, BCAP, and a few others whose names aren’t coming to the forefront at moment.

This blogger’s hands were dry from the hand-washing, which triggered eczema flare-ups across the whole back of the hand. If you’ve never had eczema, it’s quite annoying because it can feel differently at different times. Sometimes it makes for scaly skin on a certain area of the finger, for example. This first happened to this blogger while being a dishwasher in a French cafe.

These days, the eczema can cause cracks that split like paper cuts. When a sensation of stress happens, the stress feels can spread across the entire hand in a burning sensation.

Enter in: SallyeAnder’s “Heavy Duty Hand Therapy Moisturizing Balm.” Put a little dab on the dry area, and begin feeling the sensation. SallyeAnder was started by a dad, Gary Austin, who was trying with his wife Karen to heal his son’s eczema as a baby; the company is now run by his daughter. That was back in 1982. Now their daughter, Sallye, runs the soap manufacturing business here in Beacon.

Want some soaps to switch off from what you normally use every now and then? Try the best selling soaps: Milk & Mint and Lavender Moon. Says their project manager (and megastar food photographer) Eva Deitch about the balm: “All of our soaps are safe and effective to use for severely dry or eczema-prone skin and won't contribute to drying your hands with constant washing. This is because we use an olive oil base for our soaps.”

Find this cream at Beacon Pantry, Brett’s Hardware or Mountain Tops. Order any time online from SallyeAnder’s website. As of today (3/21/2020, hardware stores (Brett’s), and food establishments for carry-out (Beacon Pantry) are deemed as “essential businesses” and are able to remain open. Always check the Essential Business List at the New York State COVID-19 website.

Women Are Reconnecting With Their Inner Dancer at Beacon's Ballet Arts Studio Adult Ballet Classes

Great article in this week’s Highlands Current by Alison Rooney about ballet class for adults at Beacon’s Ballet Arts Studio. It features three students who are former dancers who stopped dancing after they had children, and have taken up the practice again to reclaim sanity through the meditation that is ballet for them.

One featured dancer/student is Juliet Harvey of Beacon Pilates, who steps out of her own fitness studio as the instructor, to be the student in another part of town, in another person’s studio. All of the women featured share what the ballet class means to their minds. According to the article, Patrice Shea, 58, who also stopped dancing when she had children, says about the ballet class that it is “the only thing I do for myself all week; I make every effort to get here. As an adult, I feel it’s important to feel strong, flexible and balanced. This class is a judgment-free zone.”

Further down the street, the owner of the new cryotherapy center, Cold Fit Cryotherapy, is also a dancer who pulled back due to injury. While she still dances, she credits cryo treatments that healed her toe and other body parts to keep her moving and doing some dance.

Find classes like this in A Little Beacon Blog’s Adult Classes Guide.

PS: The Highlands Current is seeking readers to hear from in a focus group they are hosting in Beacon here at A Little Beacon Space on Saturday, January 18. Find information on how to participate at the Highlands Current’s form.

Misty Gray Day In Beacon Inspires Beauty Shown Through Photography

Graphic designer Ken Rabe of Rabe and Co. captured Beacon’s historic dummy light on the east end of town near the mountain.
Photo Credit: Ken Rabe

The gray mist has enveloped Beacon for the past several days, the only benefit of which can be seen via local photographers who have captured its special lighting and mood. We caught a few of them on Instagram, and are pulling them up to the surface for you to see. With rain in the forecast for the next few days, you can bet that the next sunny day will have people bouncing out of their houses to get back outside - if they haven’t already been getting fresh air with their slickers and rubber boots on despite the rain.

Photo Credit: Donna Belej of ALLSWELL Productions

The kayak pavilion at Long Dock Park is reflected in the incredibly still Hudson River.
Photo Credit: Carl Van Brunt of Carl Van Brunt Art

New Stores And Hair Salon On Main Street - See Our Guides!

This just in! We’ve got updates to our Shopping and Beauty Guides we wanted to let you know about: There are two new boutiques and a new hair salon worth checking out.

b. expressive, b. beautiful, b. you!

Back in October, Ryan Leoni opened b.Hair Studio at 323 Main Street, next to Binnacle Books, where Pink Optical used to be. Their mission is to provide a hair salon that is not only a friendly, judgment-free atmosphere, but has the highest quality of work as well.

One Of A Kind Hand Crafted Furniture

PTACEK Home/LLTO provides an exclusive source of artisan-built furniture and cabinetry as well as interior design through LLTO (Live Light Travel Often). They’re located behind Colorant at 146 Main Street; take a walk along the building to get to their entrance. They’re known throughout the Hudson Valley for their collaborative work in people’s homes. Now they are bringing their talents to Beacon!

For Love Of Fashion

Lucky Thirty One opened their doors in November 2019 where they offer carefully hand-picked collections to bring you classic pieces and the latest trends. Find them at 217 Main Street, where the Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co. used to be before they located to the other end of Main Street.

Community Mercantile and General Store

Take a walk over the short bridge at Beacon Falls to East Main Street, and check out Solstad House, at 17 East Main Street. Also opened in November, this a great stop for gift ideas for the home, book lover, accessories, candles and more.

While our Events Guide is updated almost daily, our other guides get updated on a regular basis so keep checking back!

Beauty Tip: The Original Moroccan Oil Is At The Green Room

Ladies - and gents and everyone with hair to care for! - your hair miracle is here. The original Moroccan Oil at the Green Room, located allll the way around Main Street near the mountain, past The Blushery, and near a free parking lot. Pair this oil with the conditioning mask. Some people use it daily (ahem)! Accept no imitations. We’ve tried ‘em. This is the real deal to get your hair in the best shape ever.

Find this tip and more in A Little Beacon Blog’s Beauty Guide! Which is proudly sponsored in part by Cold Fit Cryotherapy, also on Main Street but heading the other way - near Brothers Trattoria. Cold Fit Cryotherapy is where you can now go for a full-body, super-cold, super-quick treatment to treat aches and pains, jiggle stubborn fat, and other benefits. Popular on the West Coast right now, and now in Beacon too.

Find the Beauty Guide on the blog!

The Lady Barber Who Clips In Comfort To Transform - A Lucky Cut Turns No Hair Away

Photo Credits: Lucky Longo

When Lucky Longo first walked into a barber shop to get her short hair clipped and shaped, she was turned away. Barber shops tend to be run by men for men, and just as salons tend to be a hangout for ladies, the barber shops tend to be a hangout for manly men and dudes. Which usually results in a very gender-divided place on both ends of the spectrum that most people don’t think about, including owners who don’t make a conscious decision to exclude anyone when cultivating the culture inside of their salon or shop.

So, when thinking hair - which is a defining part of most people’s appearance - it’s just taking a moment to step back and look at the vibe of a hair establishment. All those years ago, after being turned away for a cut, Lucky left the barber shop confused. She had short hair. Wasn’t a barber a specialist in cutting short hair?

Getting turned away was the genesis for the seed of an idea to open A Lucky Cut, the quietly cool, “good vibes” barber shop on Main Street near the library. You may have wondered about the shop as you wandered by, but have never walked into because it is very seriously reserved as an appointment only, one-on-one establishment.

Maybe Edgy Hair Cuts And A Barber Concept Intimidate You

Photo Credit: A Lucky Cut

I’ll admit - I’ve been watching the hair cuts on A Lucky Cut’s Instagram come out. All of them - from the fades on the dudes, to the fade swoops on the little dudes, to the incredible short cuts, the head shaves to super-long layers to all out transformations from long hair to short.

But I was too intimidated to consider going in. Which, it turns out, is completely ironic and the opposite of what A Lucky Cut wants to put out there to the world. This was until Lucky Longo herself reached out to A Little Beacon Blog during June, which is LGBTQ month, to let us know that she is a barber shop who specializes in cutting the hair of transgender and gay people who otherwise are not comfortable going into a traditional salon or barber shop that may feel too girly or too manly to them. A Lucky Cut positioned itself as an in-between place that is very hip and cool and comfortable.

A-HA! I was intrigued - and still a little intimidated because the language and culture for trans life is new to me, so even asking the questions for an interview had to be carefully crafted so as not to offend - or so I thought.

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But First… Before ALBB’s Interview, Listen To Kingston Radio’s Interview

Turns out, Kingston Radio also wanted to explore the gender-slanted salon and traditional barber shop experience, and interviewed Lucky on their show for the episode “Queer Hair Roundtable!” It’s a great listen that interviews three hair stylists who cut hair of everyone, where you’ll discover just how young the hair passion starts in a person, and what it may feel like for a gay or transgender person walking into a salon or barber shop, where gender probably wasn’t considered when building the brand, but is ingrained into the experience of that salon or barber shop, leaving some people feeling uncomfortable in the chair.

Meet Lucky Longo, Creator and Owner of A Lucky Cut

We’re going to let Lucky take it from here, in a Q&A style interview. Her voice is pretty real and her spoken word good to read, so you’ll be able to absorb it direct, not sliced and diced in quotes.

Q: You are known for cutting hair of transgender people. Is there a reason for this? Do they feel comfortable and safe with you, as opposed to a “traditional” salon, whatever that means?

LUCKY: Yes. I believe people come to me for comfort and safety. I have a very chill environment, and I try to create a safe space to share feelings. [This is a difference from your] non-traditional barbershop so people aren’t gawking at you during your cut. I am appointment-only, and I feel very sacred with that time. Private sessions make that helpful. During transitions, people are faced with new things like beards and hair loss, and I guide them, teach them, and talk about what to expect.

Some new styles are based around wherever their transition is bringing them. Even young and newly identifying people come to me for that “edgy cut,” something to make them feel good, almost as if they slipped on a new crown. I take my job very seriously for this topic specifically.

Q: “Edgy hair” (aka hair shaved on one side, long on other), what is that style? Where did it come from?

LUCKY: It comes from people being bold and wanting to have an identity. Sometimes it comes from people who have thick hair and they say “fuck it… I want half.” Sorry, I was projecting. I did that. But I had both sides shaved and grew it long. But shaved side is definitely edgy and fun and you can do stuff with it.

Q: Anyone can sit in your chair and get an amazingly styled cut. Man or woman. Long hair or short. Man transitioning to woman, or woman transitioning to man. Hair is in and of itself a major emotional piece to someone’s identity. You are working with someone in a journey, and you’ll encounter them again on their journey and things could be much different physically and emotionally for them. How do you help them feel comfortable finding themselves in your chair as you help with the crown (hair) part?

LUCKY: Oh wow. Everyone is so energetically different here. With what and where they are in their particular journey. It’s my job before I even begin to cut anything, to feel them somehow. I get deep fast so I can find what they want, hear what they need, and know how they want to be seen. I like when people bring photos. Even though people apologize usually at first, because someone teased them for it I suppose. But I love a photo to go off of. It’s just one more idea or clue to where I take it. I always hug everyone before they sit down usually.

Q: Did you always cut hair?

LUCKY: I studied graphic design at Pratt right out of high school and worked in animal hospitals during that time. I tanked miserably after three years and shit got too computery, so I went in hard with the vet tech stuff while living out in Brooklyn and tapped out emotionally and cut hair at night with dreams of getting out of the city. I apprenticed at night at Dickson Hairshop for two years then went on to the Barber Academy and moved out of the city. I did both for a long time, until one day I just said “fuck it” and traveled with Coal and cut hair all up and down the Hudson Valley, starting 100 percent in 2008.

Editor’s Note: Lucky grew up in hair salons, and declares them her comfort zone (as you’ll hear in Radio Kingston’s episode). But it took her a while to settle in to her permanent position behind the chair. Lucky did a lot of hair clippering during home visits. Some of her trans and gay clients were not comfortable leaving their homes to come into a traditional salon or barber shop. As is common with hair stylists, when Lucky left or moved, many of her clients followed her wherever she went. During Lucky’s travels up and down the Hudson River, she fell in love with Beacon and set up a hair salon in the old Beacon High School, which she describes as “a speakeasy private barbershop right inside of the old guidance counselor’s office.” Recently, she moved to Main Street, in the little brick building near the public library and Glazed Over Donuts.

Q: What was it like when your barber shop was in the old Beacon High School?

LUCKY: So good. I shared space with Mimi Longo, the musician, so between us there were always people in and out all day and we would hang hard even after work in our space.

Q: You describe yourself as a Lady Barber. What does that mean for someone visiting your shop? Do you do men’s hair only? Do you do women’s hair?

LUCKY: I am just not a man’s barber. I cut everybody’s hair. I exclude no one from my chair. It’s a place to create the safe space to become more you. So I really help try and embrace that feeling. There is no room for judgment there. It’s a predominantly men’s trade. But I like to make it known that I’m a woman just mostly for the other person’s comfort and preference. I have had men turn me down for a haircut when I am in a walk-in barber shop because I am a woman.

Q: What is the difference between a hair salon and a barbershop?

LUCKY: The million dollar question. Sounds so simple but it’s really very broad. The difference between the shops and not just the workers is, usually barbershops are walk-in and people come and go way faster than a salon, where [the client is] getting more services. Barbershops are usually predominantly full of men.

Q: As a lady barber, when you cut lady’s hair, do you wet it? Shampoo it? Blow it dry?

When I cut long hair on any gender, I don’t wash it. As a barber, I spray wet it. I blow dry it after. I don’t do blow outs or curls and shit like that. People are coming and paying for just a cut. Usually you’re paying more for that [extra styling stuff] anyway. Most people just go home and shower anyway.

Q: Can you trim long hair? Or do you just cut it all off?!? Just being real here…

LUCKY: Good question. And no way. I envy long hair. People think I just do drastic cuts only, but it’s not true. I cut all hair. Long. Short. Trims. Big cuts. Bangs. Beards. Sometimes people even apologize when they come in. Like, “sorry just a trim…” As if I’m bored. But I love my job. [I’m here to] make people feel good. Be more themselves. Whatever that is for them. No judgment.

Q: Continuing in my realness… What if my hair is too boring for you? Mine’s just long and straight (well… it’s confused between frizz/curl/straight). I don’t know what direction to go. But your cuts are intriguing.

LUCKY: I love what I do. And I love the opportunity to cut anyone’s hair. I know how long people wait for my appointments, so I don’t take anyone’s patience lightly. I know they waited to get to that chair. And if you want just a trim, I respect you for liking your hair enough to want it done right. [Edgy] or not.

Q: As a woman who wants to get short hair, do you think women in the same circumstances feel more comfortable in your establishment then with a traditional barber who tend to have men?

LUCKY: Oh, of course. That’s definitely the consensus! Usually the traditional barber cuts hard lines [that] aren’t long-lasting and don’t serve the softness of a feminine touch to a short edgy haircut that some women prefer. But nonetheless, whatever you want and whatever woman you are, any person just wants to be heard. And not assumed what they want.

From left: Kendra, Eileen, Lucky.
Photo Credit: Monica Simoes

Q: You’ve gone “even more epic” by having two Beacon-famous stylists in your place - Kendra and Eileen - who do color. What does that mean for your lady barbershop? Is it a hybrid salon/barbershop?

Great question. It’s still a barbershop ‘cause it’s where I work. These ladies - I am lucky enough to just share my space with here and there. And they have their own clientele.

Q: Is unisex a word anymore? Mr. Bell’s storefront window says “unisex” on his storefront window, as women and men stylists have both cut all hairs there. Is there a new word now?

LUCKY: My mom was a hairdresser and I grew up in all her salons seeing that word. It feels old. I don’t know what word I wanna use. But I usually just answer “I cut all the hairs. Get in my chair.”

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Just for fun, click on the picture below to get to the speed video of her mom cutting Lucky’s hair.

Amy's Braids Relocates To Mr. Bell's Main Street Beauty Salon

Amy’s Braids has been on Main Street for a number of years, albeit in different locations. When we first knew her, she was near Sexy Nails. Then she skipped on down the sidewalk and set up shop near the car wash. Now, she has found a new home inside the warm and welcoming space of Main Street Beauty Salon, run by Mr. Bell.

The best way to book an appointment with Amy is to walk into the shop and speak with her or her stylists. Main Street Beauty Salon is located at 209 Main Street, near BJ’s Soul Food and Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co.

Alvin Bell Sr. Turns 85 - Awarded "Unofficial Mayor Of The City Of Beacon" For Service To Beaconites

Alvin and Shirley Bell opened their salon after Mr. Bell’s job as a pressman disappeared when the Nabisco factory closed. That factory is now the Dia: Beacon.

If you need a dose of inspiration to continue, and to follow your own path, here is the story of Alvin and Shirley Bell to inspire you. We have written about Alvin before, but here’s a recap to remind you: Mr. Bell moved to Beacon from Virginia in search of a job, and found one at Beacon Piece Dye, and then moved on to be a pressman at the Nabisco factory (now the Dia: Beacon art museum). According to his interview in the Highlands Current: “I don’t want to brag, but I worked my way up to become the top pressman. I made $15 an hour and later with overtime as much as $40,000 a year. When Nabisco closed, I opened my barber shop.”

When that Nabisco job was downsized, Mr. Bell was 54. His wife Shirley was doing hair, and he himself actually wanted to open a salon. As a youngster in Virginia, Alvin cut the hair of his friends and family, as he revealed in the Highlands Current article, when he wasn’t tending the tobacco fields with his family. “It was like a miracle; cutting hair just came back to me.” Mr. Bell opened Main Street Beauty Salon on Main Street, and has been operating his unisex barbershop for 30 years, with different barbers and stylists operating from it with him.

Love Your Work; Work Your Love

Loving your work makes a difference. As he stated in the article: “Tobacco was backbreaking but there’s nothing hard about being a barber. People are good. It’s one of the best trades in the whole world… I have as many white customers as I do black customers. Men and women. People know my work; I’m good. I even do traditional hot towel, straight razor shaves. My hands are still smooth.

“I’m also a very spiritual person; I’m a deacon at Springfield Baptist Church. A lot of brothers and sisters come here and we get right into Scriptures and the Bible. And we talk politics and baseball. I’m a Mets fan.”

Mr. Bell Honored By Beacon’s Mayor Randy Casale

Upon turning 85, Mr. Bell was honored by Beacon’s Mayor, Randy Casale, with a Certificate of Recognition as the Unofficial Mayor of The City of Beacon. Said the Mayor in a letter:

“I would like to wish you a very happy 85th birthday! For 85 years you have been the unofficial Mayor of the City of Beacon. Your barber shop has served Beacon residents in an exemplary fashion for nearly three decades. This community is grateful to have such a friendly and helpful role model. As a good friend of Pete Seeger, I know you have a good heart. Your children and those around you are blessed to learn from you every day. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for the City of Beacon.”

One of Mr. Bell’s clients opened his own shop in Beacon as well. To read more about Mr. Bell, see our article here.

Abscission Barber Shop Moves Across The Creek - Near Dogwood

The new storefront of Abscission Barber Shop, at 25 East Main Street.
Photo Credit: Chris Fontakis

Scoops come from everywhere. One evening in March 2019, while at an Open House for an elementary school, a parent approached me with a hot tip: “Hey - I got some scoop for you! Abscission has moved!” This indeed was a hot tip because Abscission, located on Beacon’s east end near the mountain, has been a trusted barbershop in Beacon for a long time.

Justin sits in Alvin Bell’s chair on Main Street in Beacon. Justin has since opened his own shop, Abscission, which just relocated to the mountain side of town.
Photo: Beacon Free Press, Don Worthy

A young man named Justin opened up shop on the east end of town. He used to get his own hair cut by Mr. Bell, whose barber shop is an anchor point on the other end of town near BJ’s Soul Food. In fact, Mr. Bell and Justin were featured in the Beacon Free Press in 2001 for a story on Mr. Bell’s endurance when he created a new career as a barber. Now Justin has his own shop, and endurance of both barbers in Beacon is strong.

Abscission was on a corner lot on Main Street, and is now across the street from Mr. Mozz, that storefront near Dogwood that you might always wonder about (we’re going to do an article on it!). Abscission is now located in the strip of shops that is down the block from Dogwood and next to the laundromat and Artifact Beacon.

What’s in the name, Abscission? Says owner Justin: “I opened up the dictionary looking for shop names and it was the first thing I came across and thought it was meant to be.”

Justin hard at work, clipping hair in his new digs.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Happy Soggy Saturday and Sunday In Beacon

Happy Saturday (and Sunday), Beacon. Both days were very soggy, and wet. But that didn’t deter people from coming out. Soggy is great for greenery. Not so great for straight hair. Go curly today! 😊☔️

Need hair ideas? Visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Beauty Guide. We’re updating it with the move of Abscission Barber Lounge and checking to make sure we have the latest salons in it.

Are you a beauty-related business with a storefront on Main Street? You get a free listing in this Guide. Hit us up and let us know where you are: Editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com