She is elegance personified and ensures that her clients are truly happy and beautified. Meet Alanood Al Khalifa, owner of Gloss Salon & Spa whose dedication makes her salon a true haven of beauty.
Tell us something about yourself: where you were born and raised, any special childhood memory?
Bahrain has been home to me for as long as I can remember. I was born and raised here with fond memories during the different phases of my life. Although of all the memories I cherish, the one closest to my heart revolves around my doting grandfather. Like most Bahrainis, I spent a large part of my childhood at my grandfather’s house growing up surrounded with the love and affection of my uncles, aunts and cousins. One day, my cousin and I were trying to build a tree house, but weren’t able to get it right for three days. Construction clearly wasn’t our forte. We finally gave up and cried a lot. On the fourth day we were pleasantly surprised to see a pink colored tree house right outside our house! My adorable grandfather had been watching us struggle to build the tree house and the moment we gave up on our dream, he stepped in and made one for us and painted it pink, as it was my favorite color. That loving gesture touched me a lot and it taught me a valuable lesson in life that nothing is unachievable when you have the support of your family and loved ones. It is the biggest asset to every individual especially ones who venture into the line of business that face so many testing times of doubt and difficulty.
Did you always want to set up a salon, was this your passion right from the beginning?
Interestingly, I did not plan on opening my own salon. I was always very interested in beauty and grooming techniques and would pamper myself with simple products and methods. As the years went by, I wanted to share my passion with people. This led me towards opening Gloss Salon and Spa and focused on re-defining the essence of the market within Bahrain and I am constantly developing our concept to meet the evolving needs of customers.
Tell us briefly about Gloss salon, when it was established, etc.
Gloss Salon & Spa was established in the year 2009 and is conveniently located in the heart of Juffair at the Marriot Executive apartments. It is an exquisitely furnished salon and spa offering luxury treatment in a luxurious setting. Gloss Salon and Spa features a highly coveted hair and beauty salon as well as a tranquil and relaxing spa. The Gloss experience promises exclusive, 5-star treatment that is uncompromising—a relaxing and welcoming environment where clients can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city to unwind.
What are the various services provided at Gloss Salon?
At Gloss Salon and Spa you can expect modern chic hair cuts, vibrant color, highlights, special occasion styling as well as waxing and hair removal, pedicure, nails, facials and make-up. Our experienced team will help you determine the best services and will assist you to tailor them for your specific needs. Our staff delivers the highest quality service and value with the utmost professionalism. Our quirky and chic salon is designed to offer you an exciting experience and make you feel glamorous.
How is Gloss salon different or unique in a market of other existing parlours and salons?
Gloss Salon and Spa not just focuses its offerings based on its stylists and services but also aims at giving the client a holistic spa experience. We take our client very seriously and believe they are modern, beauty savvy and know what they want. Firstly, we let our clients brief our stylists and then the stylists offer solutions and suggestions to them. Another key USP of Gloss is that we regularly host celebrity make up artists and hair stylists through workshops where clients get to meet experts on a one-one-on basis and get personal attention and learn a lot. This way our clients associate us as a quality salon, worthy of its professional team and services.
How would you define ‘beauty of a woman’?
At the risk of sounding like cliché, I believe beauty comes from within and confidence plays a huge role too. As Audrey Hepburn once said – a girl’s best accessory is her smile, and I could not agree more.
Which services are most popular with your clients?
Out of all the services we offer at Gloss Salon and Sap, hair color, haircuts and beauty treatments are definitely the most popular services.
What are the basic rules of a perfect make-up?
I love wearing make up and have some simple, fundamental rules about it. I believe a good primer is mandatory for a good foundation base, which will make the skin look radiant and flawless, making it ready for the complete makeup look. I am currently raving on Bassam Fattouh’s makeup range and would strongly recommend that to anyone who loves quality makeup products. Apart from the base, I believe a good pair of falsies/ eyelashes can transform any make up look completely. Also, an overall rule while applying makeup, irrespective of where one is applying, is to blend, blend and blend to create a natural yet made-up look.
Where do you see Gloss Salon in the next 5 years?
We are a passionate team of enthusiastic professionals who believe in constantly innovating and bettering our services and offerings. We have many plans for Gloss Salon and Spa, which we will share with everyone at the right time. However I just want to emphasis that all our efforts would be towards making a client feel her true worth and see her real beauty.