Jersey City Business: Blo Jersey City & UniK Wax Jersey City

Photo courtesy @blojerseycity on Instagram

I'm not great at keeping up with all the grooming that typically goes into being a girl. I'm good at the minimum, like I can make myself look presentable, but I've never been the girl with perfectly coifed hair or who is perfectly hairless all the time. This weeks featured businesses inspired me a bit though. Located right next to each other, Blo Jersey City and UniK Wax Jersey City are so close they actually share an entryway, and make the grooming process easy.

Blo JC is perfectly pink and white, clean and fun. There are products all over, a couple of hair washing sinks and a makeup counter. I think it's safe to say that most Hudson County women have been to a blow dry bar. We know that they only offer washing and styling (blow outs, up dos, and braids) and we know you can book group visits (whether a bachelorette/ bridal party or girls night). So what's different about Blo? Well, they also offer makeup services for starters. And they will go to your home for all of these services as well.

I get to sit down with Gigi, Chief Style Boss, and start the actual process, which starts with picking out a style. I never really know what to pick here so I just ask for lots of volume and a few curls, and Gigi points me towards the Hollywould. Then it's my favorite part fo the process: the wash and massage. After a thorough rinsing we head over to Gigi's chair where the blowout begins. Despite my long, thick hair, Gigi manages to finish the whole process in about 45 minutes, and it looks AMAZING. Convenience, peace of mind (not worrying about my hair for days) and speed. 

Photo courtesy @unikwaxstudios Instagram

Next up we head right next door to UniK Wax. Again, we've all been to a version of these wax centers, and maybe even been to one of the older UniK Wax models. This revamp is particularly interesting, as I see so many improvements. Firstly, the actual visual image is different-- the colors and textures of the inside of the store reflect the all natural feel they're going for. The service menu is HUGE, and complete with diagrams so that whatever your need is, they have identified it and priced it. But my favorite part is that as soon as you walk into the Wax Center, there's a little room to the left called "The Lab". In this room, there's a person who measures, pours and heats the exact amount of wax needed for your service(s), to eliminate that pesky double dipping wax issue. 

As they usually do, my eyebrows need a little cleaning up, so I volunteer them as our tester. I'm taken in the back, past the lab and front desk, to an area where they have a vanity counter with three chairs. Such a great idea! Why need to go into a little room, if I'm having such a small, not private area waxed? The rooms are still very much alive and well for those having some more intimate body parts done. While getting ready for this part of our shoot, about 3 different people tell me about the wax and how it's "painless", elastic, and only hardens to the hair. They tell me the owners story about her daughter being allergic to wax and all the pain she went through, but wax is wax right? And I've been having my eyebrows waxed for years, so nothing can really phase me. One swipe of the wax and a pull, and I get it. It is different, and I guess you can really call it painless.

Blo Jersey City and UniK Wax Jersey are the perfectly placed one-two punch for a lot of the beauty services we all use pretty regularly. For more information on Blo Jersey City you can check out their website here and Instagram here. For UniK Wax Jersey City you can check out their Facebook page here and Instagram here. And don't forget you have until tomorrow, October 12th at noon to enter our giveaway where you can win 1 blowout at Blo and a $40 UniK gift certificate for the waxing services of your choosing!

Jersey City Business: Lourdes of the Vine

It seems to me there's a wine drinkers spectrum-- on one end you have the people that drink wines like Yellow Tail and Barefoot because wine tastes good, and on the other end you have people like Sommeliers and Paul Giammatti in "Sideways" that need to know every single last detail about wine. I fall somewhere in the middle. Will I drink Cupcake? HELL YEA. But I actually enjoy wine. I enjoy the taste, the bonding that comes with talking about wine, and that feeling of accomplishment when you find a great bottle that perfectly pairs with a beautiful meal you've made. 

Enter Lourdes of the Vine, aka Lourdes Arena, a Jersey City based wine educator who also buys for places and people. A New Jersey native, Lourdes previously managed and purchased for the Jersey City wine boutique, Madam Claude Wine. When we had our preliminary conversation I was automatically into this feature. I love any opportunity to talk and drink wine, and Lourdes is just plain fun to chat with! She's made an entire career out of hosting wine events at restaurants, stores and even private parties. 

We immediately decide to take the opportunity to break down some of the intimidating aspects of wine: buying it and tasting it. She suggests we film at Madame Claude Wine, and as soon as I walk in, I understand why. The shop is so cute! Firstly, it's just plain pretty inside, the wines are separated by country, and in some case region, and they sell other fun things like Ricard glasses and cured meats. 

So what knowledge can Lourdes offer people who are overwhelmed by walking into a wine store? A lot. She breaks down some basic rules for buying:

Rule One: Shop at a good store. Find somewhere that isn't huge but still offers a large variety. Wines should be organized by place. Make sure the store is a nice cool temperature. Have you ever had hot wine? Yuck. Gross. (This is where Madame Claude Wines comes in, guys.) 

Rule Two: Determine your price point. I really like to be in the under $10 area for an any day bottle, but can be persuaded to enter the under $15 area for the right accompaniment to a good meal. 

Rule Three: What're you having the bottle with? Are you making Ina Garten's beautiful roast chicken recipe? Maybe you're having a cheese and charcuterie board? At a great wine shop you'll often find notes about the wine and what it pairs well with. Sometimes the back label of the wine will have tasting notes and flat out tell you what you should pair it with. And if the store is lacking all of these options, ASK FOR HELP! Any good wine store has clerks that know wine, and that's what they're there for. Don't be intimidated to ask for help-- this is why you went to this store!

Bonus Tip: Keep track of the wines you like. There are apps out there (duh, but honestly I didn't think of it until Lourdes mentioned it) to keep track of what you enjoy. You can take pictures, keep tasting notes, and even MENTION THE IMPORTER ON THE BACK LABEL. You may find that you like multiple bottles by the same importer. And guess what? There's someone who works for that importer that tastes all the bottles, so it may turn out you have the same preferences as that person!

Now we get to the tasting. Lourdes suggests we do a blind tasting to make it the ultimate drinking game. Plus, this is what the woman does for a living! She explains that tasting wine isn't just about taking a swig. To get a full feel and idea, you should use your other senses like sight and smell. I close my eyes and Lourdes goes to pick a wine. She puts it in a brown bag, hiding the label, and pours it. We then proceed with the tasting process:

Step One: Look. This is done best against a white backdrop like a sheet of paper. To properly determine the color, tilt the wine over the piece of paper. What's the color you see? We were having a red, and this particular one looked like Garnet. You may be thinking red is red, and white is white, but not quite. There are varying shadeStep Two: Smell. Swirl that bad boy around, stick your nose in the glass and take a nice big sniff. This particular bottle smelt like cranberries, but you can smell all kinds of things like floral scents, vegetables and even wood and dirt. 

Step Three: Taste. The moment you've been waiting for, but don't just gulp it any old way. You'll want to suck in the wine, making sure to take in a lot of air. Swish it alllllll around your mouth, and let it coat every surface in there. What do you taste? Does it burn a little? All these things play a part in tasting and learning. 

In this instance we were playing a tasting game, and although Lourdes 100% led me in figuring out what I was drinking, I learned it was Sauraus Pinot Noir from Argentina. I was supposed to determine what kind of wine and where it's from based on all of these details, but Lourdes would tell you that taking note of all of these details are important in learning what you like and don't like.

I enjoyed my time with Lourdes so much I ended our shoot with a "can we be friends IRL?", and a "you should come over for dinner one night", which is exactly what you want from someone you're going to have in your home at parties! For more information on Lourdes check out her website here and her Instagram here. And don't forget to check out Madame Claude Wines here.

Jersey City Business: Roses and Rebels

No, I didn’t get a tattoo this week, although I’m kind of regretting not taking the opportunity. How many people get tattooed by a tattoo master on their own show? But here’s the truth: I’m really scared. I love the way tattoos look, and I had a baby ALMOST without an epidural, but I’m still kind of scared of pain. And I’m even more scared of the permanence. Full disclosure, I almost got a tattoo of the comedy and tragedy masks at 16. I just really think the realization that I almost permanently marked my body with something as cheesy as that, has made me second guess my own judgement. And what about all the people who permanently have tramp stamps?!?

Anyway, on to our amazing three part feature this week! We got the opportunity to film at “Tattoo Rescue”, and “Inkmaster” tattoo artist, Christian Masot’s Downtown Jersey City shop, Roses and Rebels. This is a guy who’s been lauded as a tattoo master. Not one to miss out on a tattoo opportunity, I asked HudsonCounty60 Director, SanMartin Garcia if he wanted the opportunity. And boy, did he. The shop itself is cooooool. We’re talking exposed brick, open work stations, there are some of Christian’s awesome paintings on the walls, and Chi.Flo & Roses and Rebels merchandise hanging on a couple of clothing racks. Did I mention there’s something like a one year waitlist?

Christian, himself, is a Hudson County native, which is really nice for me. I rarely meet someone from the area when we shoot, and it’s especially nice to reminisce with someone about the old days of Jersey City. He reminds me of kids I used to know, and it’s fun to talk to someone else about how things have really changed. After television success and opening a shop in Hawthorn, he returned to JC to open Roses and Rebels.

The entire tattoo process itself was a mystery to me. I thought you walk into a tattoo shop and pick some preconceived design off a wall. Instead, Christian asked San to send over an image of what he was looking to get. It started simple— the yellow umbrella from one of his favorite films, “Harold and Maude”. He sent over the image from the Criterion Collection cover. When we arrive, Christian pulls up the image and uploads it to a super fancy iPad program and goes to work. He begins tracing, removing colors and resizing all while discussing the meaning with San. And I guess this is as important as the process— what does it mean to SanMartin? The film is about an elderly woman who meets a suicidal 20 year old at a funeral. They begin a romantic relationship, but it means more than that to San. She shows him how to live. So after talking and explaining the personal significance, Christian takes what starts as a tattoo of an umbrella, and ends up as a tattoo of the woman holding the umbrella and taking the disappearing hand of a young man.

After deciding on a final design, Christian takes a picture of San’s arm and places the tattoo in the intended spot. I mean, how cool is that?? He then prints on to tracing paper and we move over to the tattoo station. Christian begins setting up. He pulls out brand new needles, paint, solutions, etc. Next thing I know, we’re off. San has setup the camera to film the process, his arm is on the rest and the tattooing has started. In about 45 minutes he’s done! I thought this was something that would take hours, but that’s it! And it’s wonderful! So beautifully done. SanMartin is incredibly happy with the results, and it’s abundantly clear why Christian is the master that he is. And here I am, wishing I had taken the opportunity to get the tattoo I’ve always wanted (minus the masks).

For more information on Christian, you can follow him on Instagram here, as well as Roses and Rebels here. And lastly did you check out my super cool Chi.Flo shirt? You should check them out here. Now go forth and mark yourself.