Beauty & Spas in 'Ewa Beach

Twelve years ago, husband-and-wife team Chris and Shirley Yawata envisioned a community-oriented salon specializing in island-inspired looks. Drawing on a combined 18 years of experience in the hair industry, the couple made their vision a reality when they opened Island Style Cuts.

Thousands of cropped tresses later, the salon’s stylists continue to craft hairdos for customers of all ages and preferences—from timeless to funky and many styles in between. Feather and vivid extensions make loud fashion statements without damaging hair, and highlights find inspiration in the local islands with accents available in volcanic red, deep-ocean blue, and sunburned-tourist pink. Committed to supporting their community, the Yawatas can often be found doling out free haircuts to children’s soccer teams and supporting the local Citizen’s Patrol.

While she worked as a massage therapist in physical-therapy clinics and hotel spas, Nikki Sanchez still found time to beautify clients on the side. She earned her aesthetician's license, planned weekly "Beauty Bars," and eventually built a loyal customer base at a rising salon before opening her own lash and wax boutique. At Lash Love, she personalizes each set of silk and mink lash extensions to the eye shape and winking style of each client. By fashioning fibers of different lengths, curls, and thicknesses, she amps up gazes with natural or glam-style looks that require minimal upkeep and no mascara. Her waterproof extensions also permit patrons to swim and give congratulatory butterfly kisses to their reflections after each lap. In addition to augmenting lids, Nikki eliminates unwanted hair with soft or hard wax and refreshes mugs with the vitamin-rich fruit and vegetable ingredients of Skinfood express facials.

Balinese traditions fuse with European techniques at Mandara Spa, whose more than 60 locations seem to be everywhere, from Cairo and Thailand to Aruba and Dubai. Each location adopts its city's culture into its extensive list of services, using indigenous ingredients and traditions to create massages, facials, conditioning scalp treatments, and mani-pedis. Regardless of the location guests visit, Mandara's aestheticians execute each service using such high-end beauty products as Elemis, Bliss, and the spa's signature line of bath products, which are scented with the aroma of the bath towels that grow naturally in the Amazon rainforest.

Rock music and pizza. It’s an unlikely pairing as the inspiration for an Aveda salon, but in the hands of friends Jentry and Katy, it grew beyond that as the foundation of their local hair and makeup hub.

An Austin native, co-owner, and stylist, Jentry would sneak into his hometown’s Black Cat music venue while still underage to catch sight of acts such as Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Over the years, the hall came to represent Austin’s unique charm and live-music foundation, never succumbing to gimmickry or the status-quo throughout its lifespan. The venue’s ability to stick to its roots stayed with Jentry, remaining an inspiration when years later, he and a client, marketing whiz Katy, dreamed of opening their own salon. After months of late-night pizza-and-brainstorming sessions, the concept for their salon came full circle when a black kitten curled up on Jentry’s porch. In a unique move toward remembering a tenacious rock bar and what it stood for, the twosome founded their salon: The Black Cat.

Today, a fleet of stylists brandish their shears, color, and powder puffs amid decor that reflects The Black Cat’s grittier roots. Clients see the vintage script of the “Sorry, We’re Open” front sign before encountering the salon’s gray and blue walls accented with rustic wood furniture and panels. The result is a carefully curated contrast of sleek and scuffed, much like a hitchhiker’s diamond cufflinks.