When I first met Wanda Kent, she was calm, kind, collected, and just like any other friendly face that I might pass on the street. Sitting inside the back office of her salon, her attention was focused on sharing the formal, more professional story of her life’s career: how she’s grown her business from a small salon into an all-inclusive salon, spa, and boutique. At our second meeting—the cover photo shoot at a local park on a typical sunny, Southern California afternoon—I saw another side of her. A beautiful smile flashed across her face as she was filled with infectious laughter—one of her most endearing qualities.

Accompanied by Mireya, the salon’s manager, Amanda, her niece and salon hair stylist, and Stephanie, her niece and salon aesthetician/makeup artist, Wanda’s previously subdued personality vanished. Business Wanda was lost to Wanda’s innate joy for the beauty industry as her team surrounded her with their support and assistance, helping her pose for the perfect cover shot.

Her salon team operated around her like a well-oiled machine—adjusting a sleeve here, retouching makeup there, and making sure each lock of her red hair was precisely in its place. Wanda was in her element. With over 30 years of industry experience under her belt, she knows beauty from head to toe.

Wanda is the proud owner of Salon Sauvage Day Spa/Boutique, located in the Laguna Niguel Clubhouse Plaza. This month marks their 19th anniversary, celebrating fashion, wellness, and beauty in a heartfelt environment. Created in 1991, Salon Sauvage started with a familial passion for beauty. From the very beginning, Wanda and her brother Dennes knew they were destined to work in the industry. In their early teen years, in their hometown in Northern Minnesota, they began earning money by cutting their friends’ hair. Their small town roots inspired their love for people, and an authentic Midwest hospitality that you can’t miss when you walk through their doors.

Today, many members of the family work closely together at the salon. “It’s wonderful!” says Wanda. Her brother, Dennes, is the boutique’s buyer and a hair stylist. Her sister, Sherry, is a manicurist. Her nieces Amanda and Stephanie work in the salon as a hair stylist, and an aesthetician/makeup artist.

Salon Sauvage started as an 8-station, 1-facial-room, 1300 sq. ft. beauty salon with 2 or 3 hair stylists sharing each station. Wanda says they were literally bursting at the seams. Today, the business has grown to occupy a three-suite space with a 3379 sq. ft. salon and spa that employs 30 hair stylists, 5 aestheticians, 3 makeup artists, 2 massage therapists, 2 manicurists, a hypnotherapist, a life coach, a permanent makeup artist, and a medical spa doctor.

The salon was just the beginning, and a few years after its debut, it expanded to include the day spa. In 2004, the boutique was added to the mix. They call it the “icing on the cake.” From hair and spa treatments to manicures, and apparel, this place truly has it all. I’d call it a triple threat; a one-stop shop; a dream destination for anyone in need of a little rest and relaxation. “We were one of the first spas to come into Laguna Niguel. We had a vision of doing it all. That’s what’s happened and this location is a perfect fit,” reflects Wanda.

Salon Sauvage is not your run-of-the-mill beauty salon. It's one of a kind. When you first walk through the doors, you'll be captivated by beautiful salon products like Privé, Brocato, René Furterer, White Sands, Epicuren and Phytomer, and Dennes’ choice selection of the latest fashion trends, including handbags, jewelry, and clothing. Then you'll be charmed with a kind “hello” from the receptionist as you glance around the corner into the hair salon, always bustling with joyful chatter and happy clients, smiling as they sip on fresh coffee or iced lemon water. On the far side of the salon, you'll be enticed to walk through a frosted glass door, into the exclusive spa escape, where it is quiet and pleasantly serene. It’s the perfect setting for a rejuvenating facial, massage, or body treatment.

The salon wouldn’t be where it is today without its devoted, talented, and professional staff. Mireya Conroy, the salon’s manager since 2004, refers to them as a strong and capable team, a team that she herself plays a very vital role in. Wanda calls Mireya a godsend. “She keeps us on the cutting edge of our business by bringing us to a higher level, keeping us a step ahead of the sophisticated client. Her presence in the salon has helped heighten the level of services we provide.”

“I listen and respect everyone’s opinion,” says Mireya. “From the cleaning crew to the front desk; everyone is of equal value to me and is just as important. I take all obstacles head-on and always find the good in everyone. I believe communication and a positive attitude are all you need to have a happy and successful team. And if my team is happy, then that means I’m doing my job.”

“We really do have some of the best stylists in Orange County,” Wanda adds. “We are very versatile and we focus on bringing new people in all the time to keep up with young stylists moving into the industry. It shows that the salon has longevity. We are really proud of that. We are like a big family. Our mission is to provide guidance and on-going education. Whether it be a new product demonstration or bringing in a guest master stylist to teach a new trend, we strive to ensure successful careers for our stylists.”

It is this longevity, and the staff’s genuine care for each other and their clientele, that has kept the salon afloat in the current economic crisis. The salon team continually surprises Wanda and Mireya with their kindness and endurance despite a hard economy. “We keep going,” Mireya says. “We keep doing events and promoting new products and services, and because of it we did very well last year, even when other businesses were closing.”

“Our clients can have everything done here,” says Wanda. “You don’t have to go anywhere else. You can get a new outfit, a great facial, a new look, and even find that special masseuse that will take care of you throughout the year.”

So whether you are in need of keeping up with your personal beauty regimen, or desire a more modern escape, Wanda and her salon team invite you to relax and rejuvenate; stay for an hour, an afternoon, or even the whole day. Salon Sauvage is a place where you can let your hair down and unlock your wild, innate, free-spirited self.