11.01.2012 | 
ABOUT: In an area of town most known for its bars and restaurants, lives a salon that might make you rethink your past hair salon experiences. Roar Salon is the creation of hair stylist Rory McNeil who got introduced into the hair industry at a young age by his aunt who owned her own salon. Hair seemed like the perfect fit for Rory who says “I’ve always been an artist and liked to paint but I also love working with people. The hair thing kinda fell in my lap.” After living and studying in Chicago, the native Austinite came back to Austin to open up Roar Salon, which will be celebrating its 5 year anniversary in February.
AMBIENCE: Kerastaste hair products and Austin Fashion Week golden boot awards line the exposed brick walls of Roar. By the hair washing stations, you’ll also notice several framed covers from local magazines, such as Austin Monthly and Tribeza, decorating the walls. Roar often contributes its styling to local editorials and has also styled several Austin Fashion Week shows including this year’s kick off runway show. The look of Roar shows off its rewards and experience but is also a mix of modern and vintage decor. The salon overall has a warm and inviting feel but still looks clean and fresh. Several lion statues (the mascot and symbol of Roar) make an appearance throughout the salon by guarding the entrance and other doorways.
For my haircut I knew exactly what I wanted, long shaggy bangs and some long layers. I showed Erica Rae an inspiration photo and she was very good at trying to emulate the look I was going for. I’ve never had a stylist be so precise with my haircut! She talked through every detail with me making sure I was okay with the amount she would be cutting, where the layers would be cut, and made sure I was okay with a textured razor cut. Because Erica was so careful with my cut, I actually question some of my past haircut experiences where the stylist barely talked through my cut at all. If you are extremely nervous about getting a drastic haircut or color change, I definitely recommend going to Roar because you will be in careful hands.
IN CROWD: When leaving Roar I recognized one of my past college professors walk in who taught one of the coolest classes I ever took in school, costume history. That alone makes me believe the crowd going to Roar is a stylish one!
WALLET WATCH: Womens haircuts start at $70 and partial highlights start at $95. Click here for a full list of services and prices.
NEED TO KNOW:
phone: (512) 474-ROAR (7627)