Free Nation of Beauty

Went for a blowdry with Joelle. She is great. My hair looked perfect well into the night. Her prices are very reasonable. Next i’m going to try her for both cut and color.

Eyebrow threading by Adriano… the guys knows his brows. Pays lots of attention to detail. Expensive for threading ($ 20), but it’s Oak street.

I’ve been following Maud for over 5 years! She is the absolute most talented stylist I’ve found. From classic to trendy, she has always given me the perfect look I wanted!

Maud is wonderful. She is one of the most professional hair stylists I have had. She is great with the scissors. It is amazing. My hair looks beautiful and very healthy with her expert layering technique.
I feel like falling asleep in her chair every time I am there, She is so gentle and trustworthy. Thank you Maud for all of your great work. Love You, Maddie

After a year of ‘meh’ hair after losing my wonderful stylist in Arizona (I moved across the country), I stumbled across an article in Time Out profiling Maude Jannin and Free Nation of Beauty. Throwing caution (and a hair flip) to the wind, I called and made an appointment for color and cut. Now, my blond is back to rockin’ and I’m so glad I took a chance. Here are some highlights (pun intended) about the salon and the people that work there:
The Space– From the minimalist black walls mixing with ornate fuchsia-​flock wallpaper, to the floor to ceiling bookshelves anchoring the shampoo area, the salon speaks volumes about FNB’s style and aesthetics– modern, understated + a hint of irreverence. That’s not to say the salon is devoid of warmth. On the contrary, I never feel uncomfortable. And, there is a good magazine selection (bonus for all you highlighters).
The Staff– Kelly, who works the reception desk, is thoughtful and witty. I love her laid back, yet professional attitude. Adriano gives an amazing blow-​out, and doesn’t bother with a lot of chit chat. Overall the crew seems to be cut from the creative cloth, rather than the salon gossip cloth, and if I do hear anyone speaking, it’s usually in French. Finally, I’ve gotten some of the longest lasting manicures (I have real nails, FYI) from Zena (I might be butchering her name here).
My stylist– Maude rocks. She is fearless and confident and rips through a box of foils faster than an atomic particle accelerator. After color sessions with Maude, my hair feels and looks healthy– and I use bleach, people. I always come out of the salon with the proper blond for my skin tone, and I can usually squeeze 6 – 7 weeks in before going back for more. Maude is also charming, stylish, and quite the foodie. I enjoy the process of getting my hair done as much as the result.
Bottom Line: The cool international vibe with excellent service keeps me coming back for more. Free Nation of Beauty is located on the second floor of the building they occupy and offer services ranging from Cut/​Color to Brazilian Hair Straightening.

I have been seeing Todd for a few years, I’ve followed him from his last salon. I’ve had a few visits at Free Nation of Beauty. Though I think the name is a little silly, the salon is great. It is not an overly fancy, spa like experience — more like an Oak Street salon experience.
The salon is located on Oak Street but not on the street level, so you have to walk into a door and then go up 2 flights of stairs. The hallways are decorated with fun, velvet wall paper — very boudoir-​esque. When you arrive at the front desk, the receptionist gets your stylist (in my case TODD) and then you’re taken to get your chair — just like any other salon.
Todd does both my color and my cut. After a long relationship, we’ve managed to really understand each other, and although we don’t always agree on style, we are able to communicate to one another what we want in terms of my look. He doesn’t always agree with me and usually explains why a certain look I am trying to achieve will not work and I’ve grown to trust him more as a stylist.
My last experience with Todd, he «painted in» very subtle highlights, just a few, so I look sun-​kissed. They look extremely natural with my very dark hair. The highlights are perfectly toned and work well with my darker, summer skin.
What I like most about Free Nation of Beauty is that I feel very welcomed at the salon. The staff is friendly and I feel like I am getting upscale service yet from warm, funny and personable staff.
Look for specials, they run specials all the time BUT make sure it is for the Oak St. or the Broadway salon — they run different specials at either location.

Like the above poster, I have been going to Sharon Slater for about 6 years now. I went through countless stylists before I found her, and I feel so lucky that I did. I have super curly hair, which she knows how to cut (for whatever reason, every stylist prior to her couldn’t grasp the fact the when you cut my curly hair wet, it shrank up shorter once it dried. Needless to say I had many terrible too-​short haircuts pre-​Sharon.)
She is also great about listening to what I saw on someone and being honest about whether or not it will work for my face/​hair. She does beautiful color, both risky and natural, depending on my mood at the time. The salon is cute, and uses Aquage (sp?) products, which I love. Go see Sharon, you will not be disappointed.

Sharon Slater has been my hairstylist for more years than I can count and I cannot recommend her highly enough. Not only is she an extremely skilled colorist and cutter, but, unlike the stylists I’ve gone to in the past, she’s consistently up for the challenge of evolving with her clients. I like to change up my ‘do quite a bit, and she actually listens to what I am saying when I say I want something new, rather than nodding absentmindedly and giving me the same color and cut I had previously.
She stays on top of new techniques and product and always brings suggestions of her own to the table. You can also count on her for an honest (but polite) opinion; if she thinks something won’t work with your particular hair type of face shape, she’s not afraid to say so. It’s evident that she takes a lot of pride in what she does; in short, she won’t let you leave her chair looking like a jackass.
I have extremely thick, coarse hair that remains a challenge to style, and Sharon has not only recommended products that have helped me tame my WASP ‘fro significantly, but has managed to give me the option of spending a minimal amount of time on my hair without looking like Rosanna Dana Dana, and for that I am forever grateful.
The salon is super cute too!