Desert Aire gains hair, beauty shop

DESERT AIRE - Ignacio Sanchez has moved his beauty business from Mattawa to Desert Aire, and he believes the change will be good for him and Desert Aire.

The new location for the Bella Nena beauty salon is 513 S. Main St. in Desert Aire. It is more spacious than the former location, and Sanchez will offer additional services.

Sanchez moved out of Mattawa because the building Bella Nena occupied was below the standard needed for his clients. He struggled without air-conditioning.

"My clients would be sweating in the summer and freezing in the winter," he said.

Sanchez could not come to an agreement with the property owner over improvements so he looked for a new location. So far, he said, Mattawa clients are following him to Desert Aire. And Desert Aire residents are finding him.

A significant new addition to Bella Nena is Harmonie Havens. She recently graduated from the Sunnyside Beauty Academy. She is versed in cuts, styling, perms, braids, updos, waxing, shampoo sets and foiling.

Hair care is an entirely new career for Havens. The 2001 graduate of Royal High School worked for UPS for 10 years. Then she worked one year at Tiddaly Diddaly's in Mattawa.

But this is not Havens's first experience with hair care. That came when she was eight years old. She braided her mother's (Dana Fox) hair.

"I've loved doing hair ever since," she said.

Havens also braided the hair for all of the Royal High volleyball girls on the bus when they traveled to away games.

Sanchez's sister Maria will be at the business two days a week doing nails, pedicures and manicures. Faith Doebler will do facials, body wraps, chemical peels, body treatments and eyelash extensions.

Joy Coble, who has a treatment office at the Mattawa Medical Clinic, will take massage therapy appointments at Bella Nena.

Bella Nena will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.