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You Glow Girl Bringing Blow Dry Bar, Spray Tans to Mount Greenwood

 Bridget Carey of North Beverly will open You Glow Girl Wednesday at 3205 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood. Carey has been offering spray tans since 2013 and will couple her existing business with a new blow dry bar.
Bridget Carey of North Beverly will open You Glow Girl Wednesday at 3205 W. 111th St. in Mount Greenwood. Carey has been offering spray tans since 2013 and will couple her existing business with a new blow dry bar.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

MOUNT GREENWOOD — The newest bar in Mount Greenwood will open without a liquor license Wednesday at 3205 W. 111th St.

You Glow Girl will introduce a "blow dry bar" —   quick styling salons for women don't cut hair or offer coloring — to the neighborhood on the Far Southwest Side as well as offer spray tans, according to owner Bridget Carey.

"Blow dry bars are all the rage up north, and I noticed there was nothing like that here on the South Side," said Carey, who was living in Lincoln Park until several months ago.

She moved back with her parents in North Beverly just ahead of opening her new storefront and quickly recognized the void in the market, which coincidentally is what launched her into spray tanning four years ago.

Blow dry bars focus on "blow outs," which begin with a wash, followed by a professional blow dry. The drying procedure is typically paired with an infusion of leave-in conditioners. The use of a flat iron and the addition of a few loose curls will also be available for no extra charge, Carey said.

The blow out sessions take about 20 minutes and will cost $25 at You Glow Girl. Carey expects the bulk of her customers to walk in, likely ahead of a wedding, weekend party or other special event.

"I think this will take off because it is the first of its kind here," said Carey, a graduate of Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Mount Greenwood.

Traditional salons offer blow dry services, too. But Carey said it can be difficult to get into regular salons for quick appointments. She also added that stylists in these salons tend to prefer more lucrative work such as haircuts and coloring.

Carey, who also attended Christ the King Elementary School in North Beverly, launched her own spray tanning business after being asked at the last minute to attend a wedding in 2012. Unaware of a local shop, she headed downtown for a spray tan ahead of the event.

You Glow Girl
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

She's since found a few South Side salons that offer spray tans but the market for such services is expanding well beyond just young brides and girls headed to prom. In fact, Carey said she recently "sprayed" a pair of grandparents ahead of their trip to Disney World with their grandchildren.

Spray tans will cost $40 at You Glow Girl. Carey hopes to package the service with a blow out for $55 and envisions women getting "sprayed" on Thursday and coming back for a hair appointment on Saturday.

You Go Girl will have its grand opening at 5 p.m. June 11 in Mount Greenwood. The 1,200-square-foot storefront replaces a spot nearly half the size at 9500 S. Avers Ave. in south suburban Evergreen Park.

The hours of the new salon will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Spray tanning will be done by appointment only, Carey said.

You Glow Girl will also get a new neighbor July 1 when Barre It All moves next door. This fitness salon is another trendy spot for an otherwise traditional neighborhood, according to Brenna Dwyer of Evergreen Park.

"It's nice because it gives you a downtown feel right around here," said Dwyer, who works out at the barre studio and will fill in as a stylist at You Glow Girl once a week.

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