Beauty destination: Kokomo salon's new Dry Bar

The first dedicated dry bar - that I know of – to arrive in the Ponsonby area can be found in Kokomo hair salon, a popular spot that has been a Ponsonby beauty staple for 16 years. Owner Richelle Gott decided to add the Kokomo Dry Bar service to the salon after seeing the international trend for express styling go through the roof over the past year, and put a lot of thought into getting her own salon’s version just right. She has added the trademark Kokomo quirky retro personality to proceedings throughout, and even pays homage to the surrounding Ponsonby community by featuring styles named after popular cocktails, all presented beautifully within a leather bound folder. “It’s given us a fun theme to play with and we’ve really gone to town with it,” says Richelle. They even have branded coasters placed in nearby bars and cafes (you can’t miss them) together with a ‘bar tab’ whereby clients receive a free style after five visits. You can also ‘pre pay’ your bar tab and save, making it an even more attractive option or a superb gift idea for a loved one.

If you fancy a Manhattan or a Mojito or want to embrace your curls with a Shirley Temple, there’s something on the list to please even the most discerning of clients, or you are welcome to come in with an idea of your own. Styles are priced from $40.00 upwards, and the very cute menu covers everything from classic looks to the latest trends.  The options change out every six months too in order to keep the looks fresh and modern, which I for one think is a great idea. “While the listed looks help clients decide what look they want to opt for, it’s not limited to what’s on the menu.  The options are endless and as long as it fits within the timeframe, we’ll do it,” explains Richelle. You can also opt for a shampoo and treatment beforehand if you have time and a little extra cash to invest, with the salon also offering Steam Pod, Repair and Anti-Frizz treatments that have some serious power to transform tortured locks in one hit and in a relatively short amount of time.

The addition to the salon lets stylists get as creative as is required and encourages clients to pop in for a quick hair fix before an event or an important meeting, and the big, bouncy waves I left with after a visit there before Christmas lasted several days (and a couple of Christmas parties).

If you have something special on or just feel like spending some time treating yourself then I highly recommend you pay the lovely stylists at Kokomo a visit – get adventurous and go dry this Summer!
** This is an abridged version of a story I wrote for the latest issue of the fabulous Ponsonby News. You can read it online here **