Getting Ready for a Trip? Get Everything You Need AroundLA!
Anybody that has gone on a trip knows that it takes plenty of preparation prior to takeoff, if you plan to slay while you’re away. Even for my girls that keep her nails did and her wig fixed, in the words of Lil’ Baby, you’ll still want to pay special attention before traveling, especially if you’re going abroad and/or will be gone for a while.
From weaves, to clothes, to nails and toes, these Black-owned businesses based in Los Angeles will have you vacation-ready!
You may want to schedule to have all your self-maintenance done the day of, or day before, departure in order for everything to be its most fresh. Or, maybe you’re a girl after my own heart that lives in neutrals, but you want to mix it up with colors since you’re going somewhere tropical. Whatever the case may be, it’s a good idea to prep for a trip, and here are some places in L.A. that’ll get you together, honey!
Get That Hair Whipping (Or, Out of Your Way)
Conscious Curls
8000 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
The Bible says a woman’s hair is her glory, and if you don’t feel like being bothered with your glory while on vacation, Conscious Curls Hair Company has some Crowns for you.
I purchased their 24-inch “Quick Crown” in the texture “Peace”. Quick Crown is their name for a headband wig, which is super beginner-friendly. Even though I’d never worn a wig in all my natural born days, after Angela showed me on Instagram Live how to put on a Quick Crown, I was slapping that bad boy on and off in Jamaica like it was nothing! One evening, I even threw it up into a big bun with a few cute curls dropping down. Y’all, doing hair is not my anointing by far, so if I can do it with ease and make it look good, anyone can!
Now look, it’s not one of those Easy Bake Oven wigs popped out of China nor off of Amazon. It’s not made quick, fast, and cheap. This isn’t synthetic, nor the kinda-real-looking-for-five-seconds synthetic blend. Conscious Curls Hair is 100% unprocessed, human hair. I don’t know if you’ve clicked the hyperlink above yet, but let me just say, it’s a quality item so it comes at a quality price.
Flirty Lashes to Flutter at Foreigners
Beauty by Breezy
1368 W. Willow St.
Long Beach, CA 90810
I’m not one that gets lash extensions often, but they come in handy for a trip where you’ll want to be cute everyday (and put the least amount of time into getting there).
When your lashes are done, and your eyebrows are shaped, you don’t have to have on a drip drop of foundation, bronzer, nor blush, and you’ll already look somewhat done up. In addition to an effortless, light glam, it’s also convenient for a full glam. You don’t have to glue on and rip off strip lashes everyday!
Beauty by Breezy has reasonable pricing, a decent shop space, and you’re sent home with aftercare tips and tools.
Heat it Up with Some Hot Girl Attire
Kennedy Pico
5007 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
You know that red-faced emoji with the tongue sticking out and a drop of sweat on its forehead? Yeah, insert it when talking about Kennedy Pico. This store should have a minimum age limit to shop, that’s how HOT the pieces are here.
I noticed this new storefront when I was going to eat at the longstanding Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles on Pico. It’s located directly across the street. I knew I was going to Jamaica the coming week, so when I saw mannequins posted on the sidewalk dressed in bright and sexy outfits, I had to go run over there. The cozy boutique is clean and neat, with sage burning. A mature, brown-skinned woman greeted me, and in conversation ending up revealing that it’s her daughter’s boutique. I pleasantly exclaimed, “oh! this is a Black-owned business?!” I had to buy something at that point. The items were hot and it being owned by a Black woman was icing on the cake.
Yon Rebel
online store
based in Long Beach, CA
If you plan enough in advance, you can order an edgy little number from this budding online boutique. The owner of Yon Rebel is the “Breezy” in Beauty by Breezy, mentioned earlier on this list. If you’re a last-minute girl, like myself, that doesn’t give yourself enough time for something to be shipped to you, you can place your order online and arrange for pickup from her when you go to get your lashes done. That’s what I did. I ordered her “Pink Lemonade” set in yellow from her one day and she had it packed up, ready to go, for me the next day.
It’s a tad too risky for my somewhat conservative self to wear at home, but it aced the assignment in Jamaica! The vibrancy of the color and the coolness of the somewhat see-thru material couldn’t have been better for the Carribbean.
Ladylike Hands and Feet Are a Must
Powder Beauty Nail Salon
Row DTLA
777 S Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90021
This upscale nail salon is a pure delight! Should I start with being offered an assortment of beverages, or the Balmain Beats by Dre to jam out during your service?
By the time you read this, the shop will be fully opened. I visited by invite during its soft opening because I was already an existing client from their previous location on La Brea. They took all their beauty and transferred it downtown Los Angeles. Row DTLA is a 30-acre historic district filled with retail shops, restaurants, pop-up shops, and office spaces. I’m pretty sure it’s the nicest chunk of downtown Los Angeles I’ve ever seen.
Take a peek inside of this lovely nail lounge in my aroundLAwithTK YouTube vlog.
YouTube: aroundLAwithTK - vlogs
You have to do it anyway, may as well make it Black.
The number of Black owned businesses across the country seem to be growing daily. Let’s make sure we keep up this trend by supporting the ones that exist. Going on a trip or a vacation is often times when people are willing to open up their wallets wider than usual. Let’s put some of those dollars that we would be spending anyway into Black-owned businesses.
What other things do you do, or shop for, prior to taking a trip out-of-town? Let me know in the comment section below.
See me run aroundLA getting all of this done in preparation for a trip to Jamaica on my YouTube channel. While you’re there, please be sure to subscribe!
Please note that I did NOT receive a discount nor deals from any of the businesses I mentioned on this list. Though I look forward to the days where I receive free products and services in exchange for featuring businesses, I humbly recognize that’s not where I am as a blogger and influencer, yet. I’m simply sharing with nothing to gain but knowing I may help the next girl out. When the day does come that I do almost-all paid promotions, because it will come, I will maintain transparency with you.
