Self-care is necessary for busy Purdue students, but close-to-campus options can be hard to find without running into high prices.
After exploring nearby possibilities, the Exponent has found some solutions.
Hair
At 115 N. Chauncey Ave. sits Eclectic Salon. Upbeat pop music fills this cozy studio with dim lighting and rows of dark salon chairs.
This lowkey and inviting atmosphere is perfect for students looking to revamp their hair game.
Eclectic Salon’s clientele consists mainly of Purdue students and their services include haircuts, all color and chemical treatments, Brazilian blowouts, facial and body waxings and natural mani-pedis, stylist Nikki Mecklenburg said.
Shelves are full of hair products in Eclectic Hair Salon. Inside the salon, there are scattered shelves of various products displayed.
Eclectic Salon sees male clients as well and their most common service is a men’s haircut with prices starting at $21. But Mecklenburg said she has seen a new trend emerging.
“A lot of guys are getting perms now,” she said.
A popular service among women is a cut and color. During this service, Mecklenburg said a client can expect to be in the chair anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the style.
Prices for a cut and style start at $27, and $60 for a color.
Eclectic Hair Salon is located at 115 N. Chauncey Avenue in West Lafayette.
Eclectic also offers facial waxing. A full facial wax is $30, while eyebrows alone is $12. A manicure starts at $22 and a pedicure is $37. They also have body waxes ranging from $37 to $63.
Appointments can be made by booking on their website, but Mecklenburg said they also talk walk-ins depending on availability.
Nails
A short drive from Purdue’s campus resides DJ Nails at 1056 W. Sagamore Parkway.
The quaint salon has a glass front where the sunshine illuminates the entire room. A wall right past the door is adorned with shelves of vibrant colored nail polish and bright white massage chairs.
On the opposite side are workstations with nail techs perfecting their craft. The sounds of chatting clients and electric nail buffers filing away fills the air.
Owner of D&J Nails Sonny Toung says he has a strong friendship with his employees. Toung has many Purdue student employees among his staff and clients.
Owner Sonny Toung said prices and services are geared toward Purdue students, and they are very accommodating to schedules. DJ Nails offers an express service for manicures and pedicures, and discounts are built into their prices.
A full acrylic set can range from $45 to $65. They also offer dip sets from $45 to $55. Pedicure services range from classic at $32 to royal gel spa at $80. Their express services do not cost extra.
The welcoming and cozy atmosphere is fostered by Toung’s refusal to be seen as an authority figure.
“I do not believe (in) bosses,” he said. “A friendship is better.”
The most distinctive aspect of DJ Nails is not the prices,or friendly environment, but the relationship built between Toung and his clients.
The salon celebrates each client’s birthday with a Nothing Bundt cake, balloon and rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
Because going to the salon isn’t always an option for students, freshman in animal sciences Calia Dehner found another way to accommodate manicure-seeking students.
Freshman in animal science Caila Dehner shows her current nails. Dehner posted various pictures on Snapchat of her nail art and pricing advised by her friends.
Dehner said clients can pick either a basic set for $15 or a designed set for $20 or $25, depending on the complexity of the design. She said one of her preferred designs was a purple swirl set.
“A lot of line work is my favorite stuff to do,” she said. “It’s really fun.”
Dehner said the polygel nails typically last about 2 weeks depending on how much a client works with their hands.
Dehner said that she can either go to a client on Purdue’s campus, or they come to her, as long as there is an outlet available for her LED machine.
To book an appointment, people can message her on Snapchat at @caila1237.
