Shear Essentials will celebrate 10 years in business next May. The salon opened on East Main Street in 2006 and recently moved to a new location at 404 W. Main St.
The building had been empty for a few years and had never been set up to be a salon. Owner Jen Taylor put in countless hours on a complete remodel of the interior space.
“I figured out the front room and then everything else kind of fell into place,” she said.
Her decision to move to the west side was based on a number factors. First was that the east side was starting to get a little crowded.
“When I opened Shear Essentials in 2006, there were not many salons over there,” she said. “After I opened an influx happened.”
Eventually, there were five salons in a one-mile stretch. Taylor decided it was time to remarket her business.
She said she has always loved working with hair, but found a new passion in eyelash extensions.
“I had been going to Kenosha to get my eyelashes done,” she said, “so I decided to bring it to the area.”
Taylor looked to industry leader Xtreme Lashes and got certified to work with their products. She is the only certified Xtreme Lashes stylist in northern Wisconsin, with the other closest in Green Bay and Appleton. The lash studio has the potential to draw customers from other communities that lack that service, Taylor noted.
“Xtreme Lashes look so natural,” Taylor said, “somebody standing a foot in front of you couldn’t tell. They’re great for brides and people who have lost lashes because of illness or age. You can do all kinds of looks with them.”
Another reason for the move was a new connection to the west side for Taylor.
“I just bought a house on the west side and I love the west side,” she said.
While the lash studio is a new and exciting addition to the business, Shear Essentials still prides itself on the collective hair styling talents of Taylor and Mary Beth Peterson. Taylor and Peterson have been working together for 17 years.
“We have a good following of customers,” Taylor said. “I knew when I made the move that I’d be okay.”
Taylor came to Merrill from Chicago and worked at another Merrill salon for seven years before opening Shear Essentials.
Shear Essentials offers hair styling services, coloring and full nail services.
Taylor is also planning to bring a laser specialist into the salon, providing ultrasound and ultratherapy services, non-surgical skin tightening procedures, tattoo removal and hair removal. More information on the laser specialist can be found at cosmeticlasercenterswi.com.
Shear Essentials is open Monday and Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tuesday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday 9 am..-5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; and Thursday and Saturday by appointment. The salon can be reached at 715-536-4455.