Festoon Press
San Francisco Magazine: Ready, set, Skype
June 2011 issue
It’s 5:50 p.m., and you’ve just left the office, though you still have to do battle with the evening fog while running to Muni. You’ve looked better. Now your latest crush is on a layover at Heathrow, and just emailed that he has 10 minutes for a Skype session. Fortunately, Melissa Ong Ryan—founder of Festoon Salon— and her husband, John Ryan, are ready with quick tips on how to have Skype- ready, work-ready, and gala-ready hair in five minutes. Working out of two locations, the original in Berkeley and another in San Francisco, they have honed their speedy techniques on tech-obsessed clients, and stay current on the latest clickable time-savers (you can request appointments with Festoon’s iPhone app). And now that both salons have just opened new cosmetic counters carrying the cult Australian line Becca, the Ryans have become go-to gurus on hair and makeup for the video-chat set. You’ll never fear the HD webcam again.
MELISSA ONG RYAN, OWNER OF FESTOON SALON, RECEIVES AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ACHIEVEMENT
(San Francisco, CA – June 8, 2011) On Tuesday, June 7, 2011 the Women’s President’s Organization, 100 Black Men of America, and American Express OPEN recognized Melissa Ong Ryan, owner of Festoon Salons in San Francisco and Berkeley, for her outstanding entrepreneurial achievement and dedication to her community. Ms. Ryan, along with 10 other women, were honored at the City Club of San Francisco and presented with the 2011 Achievement Award.
The Bold Italic: Shampoo Planet
April 7, 2011
Until I moved away from home to go to college, every single haircut I’d received was delivered by my beauty-school dropout mom. Her cuts were convenient, consistent, and always free. She’d use a simple set of shears and a tablecloth for a smock. She never asked me those dreaded questions I now get when I sit in the stylist’s chair, like “So, how do you want your hair?” or “What are we doing with your hair today?” Instead she took charge and just gave me what she wanted.
Last fall marked my SF five-year anniversary, a commitment to a place I like to call the “weird capitol of the world.” Once settled in, it was time to search for that barber, stylist, or hairdresser I could trust. To this day I still don’t claim loyalty to any one person in particular. I’m like a hair drifter in a sea of stylists.
SF Indie Fashion: Festoon Salon’s Tips for Stretching Your Salon Budget
November 29, 2010
Hair today, (budget) gone tomorrow. That kinda sums up what can happen when you throw down for frequent visits to the salon (which we’ve been known to do). But there are things you can do to make your coiffure cash stash last longer. For that, we checked in with Festoon Salon owners John and Melissa Ryan.
With salons in Berkeley and San Francisco, the Ryans have treated the tresses of many a Bay Area beauty fan during their 23 years in business. Notably, their salon happens to hold the unique distinction of being the first to carry the Oribe product line from the famed stylist-to-the-stars of the same name.
To save big on cuts and services, you could always opt to offer up your locks in the name of education as a hair model at one of their locations. But for those with less tolerance for risk, there are, thankfully, other ways.
Seasonal Indulgences: Unique Beauty Products For Giving…or Simply For Making You Shine This Holiday Season
(San Francisco, CA – November 16, 2010) – Searching for a pre-holiday pick me up? Want to shine at every event this season? Looking for the perfect gift? Stylists and beauty consultants Melissa and John Ryan, owners of Festoon Salons in San Francisco and Berkeley, share a few of their favorite beauty products for giving…or for keeping all to yourself.