Pride Beauty Lounge: N.S. salon provides pampering, empowering experiences for all

More than a beauty salon Crystal Garrett visits the Pride Beauty Lounge, an inclusive salon where everyone can be themselves.

A beauty salon in Lower Sackville, N.S., is providing a welcoming and safe space for people of all genders, sexualities, races and abilities.

Pride Beauty Lounge offers a variety of beauty services and was opened by Tori Sullivan-Yeomans in June 2021.

They previously worked in the mental health field, but felt burnt out and wanted to pursue a new adventure during the pandemic.

“I always used beauty as kind of a self-care method – facials, nails, things like that – so I decided to go into aesthetics,” she says. “My time in aesthetics school, and talking to people, really inspired me to really focus on the queer community, disabled people, and BIPOC folks because of the stories that I was hearing about the discrimination going on in our local beauty industry.”

The business has policies and procedures in place to create a welcoming environment for their customers.

“So being non-gendered, having non-gendered services, not assuming pronouns, not assuming gender and being a judgement-free zone with education to our staff about being trauma informed and consent based and anti-oppressive,” says Sullivan-Yeomans.

She adds that customer’s reactions have been “very positive” so far.

“We definitely hit a clientele that don’t normally go to spas or salons because of the intimidating nature, or traumatic experiences elsewhere. So people are very excited that we just exist and we’re able to provide a discrimination-free and judgement-free environment.”

Despite only being open for a year, the business already has plans to expand below their building on Sackville Drive.

“It’s going to focus more on providing a more spa-like experience for our guests here… as well as enhancing our lash extension experience with a lash studio downstairs,” says Sullivan-Yeomans. “And an education centre, so educating both beauty professionals, our staff here and other business owners, on disability justice, racial justice and the queer community.”

Sullivan-Yeomans says she uses her training as a mental health professional into her current work as an esthetician “every day.”

“As a manager and managing staff that’s obviously something that comes into play,” they say. “Educating my staff in anti-oppression, making sure that people know that mental health, safe practices and judgement-free practices go hand-in-hand.”

Aside from their customers, Pride Beauty Lounge is also helping other small, local businesses with their Pride Beauty Box service.

“It’s filled with local, queer businesses, businesses owned by Black, Indigenous and people of colour, as well as disabled businesses and business owners,” says Sullivan-Yeomans. “Every month you get a subscription box and it’s just filled with goodies related to self-care and beauty.”

Pride Beauty Boxes and salon appointments can be ordered online.