Pedicures focused on massage and reflexology and Japanese-inspired scalp treatments are among the new spa services offered by Haus of Scandal.
Courtesy Photo/Haus of Scandal
A new business in Craig is offering more than traditional salon services. Owner Clara Tomlin says the goal is to create a space where personal care, wellness and social connection come together.
Tomlin recently opened Haus of Scandal, a salon and retail space located at 473 Yampa Ave., which is designed to blend beauty services with wellness treatments and community space. The business offers hair and nail services but is also intended to be a place where people can relax, meet friends or spend time outside their usual routines.
“I want it to be seen more as a social space than a salon or a day spa,” Tomlin said. “A place where people can hang out with their friends.”
Tomlin’s path to opening the new business began more than a decade ago in Craig.
She graduated from beauty school in Craig in 2012 and received her cosmetology license the same year. Tomlin began her career in Steamboat Springs working at Rocky Mountain Day Spa and moved between several salons early in her career.
When she was about 20 years old, Tomlin took over a Steamboat salon called Salon M after the owner decided to leave the business. That opportunity gave her an early introduction to running a business.
“It was a really big learning experience,” Tomlin said. “I was super young at the time, and I knew little about running a business.”
Tomlin opened a Steamboat Springs business called Vulgar, which she described as the first true business she built from the ground up. Nearly five years later, the salon remains open. It also played a key role in shaping her approach to Haus of Scandal.
“I’m the type of person that likes to work for myself,” she said.
Eventually Tomlin returned to the salon world and went back to work at Rocky Mountain Day Spa. Not long after, the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to close temporarily across the country.
During that period, Tomlin said she realized how uncertain working for someone else could be when unexpected events occur.
After businesses reopened following the COVID shutdown, she decided to start her own salon.
Tomlin opened a Steamboat Springs business called Vulgar, which she called her first true business that she built from the ground up. Nearly five years later, the salon remains open.
It also played a key role in shaping her approach to Haus of Scandal.
Vulgar combines salon services with retail and lounge space, which allows customers to shop, relax and receive services in one location. Tomlin said the concept proved popular in Steamboat and inspired her to bring a similar model to Craig.
Haus of Scandal builds on Vulgar’s concept while adding a stronger emphasis on wellness and social space.
A retail space blends with both traditional and nontraditional spa and wellness treatments.Courtesy Photo/Haus of Scandal
The Craig location will offer traditional salon services such as blowouts and pedicures while also providing areas where visitors can spend time even if they do not have an appointment.
Tomlin said the business includes a small lounge area with Wi-Fi where people can sit, relax or work remotely.
Comfortable seating, open to both customers and noncustomers, is part of Haus of Scandal’s effort to create a community atmosphere focused on health and wellness.Courtesy Photo/Haus of Scandal
During the summer months, the salon will also have a fresh fruit smoothie bar where customers can grab a drink and enjoy the lounge space.
“We want people to feel like they can just come in and hang out,” Tomlin said.
Along with salon services, the business offers treatments that focus on relaxation and wellness. Those services include reflexology-based pedicures and scalp treatments designed to improve hair and skin health.
Tomlin said Craig presents an interesting challenge when it comes to introducing wellness services. While salons are common, services focused specifically on wellness are less common in Moffat County.
Instead of marketing treatments strictly as wellness services, Tomlin plans to incorporate those elements into traditional salon appointments.
“You really have to make people aware and support them in getting into those habits,” she said when asked how she plans to build awareness in the community.
She pointed to the salon’s pedicures as an example that will emphasize massage and reflexology rather than focusing mainly on nail polish. Some services may not include polish at all, as they place a focus on relaxation and foot care.
Hair services will also incorporate treatments designed to improve scalp health.
One example is a Japanese-inspired scalp treatment that can be included with blowout services. The treatment uses a device that gently moves water across the scalp in a process similar to hydrotherapy.
Combined with scalp scrubs and conditioning treatments, the service is designed to cleanse the scalp and promote healthier hair.
Tomlin pointed out that many people regularly color or style their hair, but rarely receive treatments designed to repair hair afterward.
One service offered at Haus of Scandal focuses on that need: a chemical recovery treatment that provides deep conditioning and scalp care intended to restore hair after coloring or other chemical processes.
“Everybody loves to get their hair colored, but your hair also needs some love afterwards,” Tomlin said.
The business also features a sauna designed for relaxation and recovery. The sauna combines traditional dry heat with infrared heat, allowing guests to use one method or both.
Tomlin believes Craig’s business landscape presents an opportunity for a hybrid salon concept.
“When people think of opening a salon, they think of services and maybe hair care products,” she said. “But it can be so much bigger than that.”
Haus of Scandal currently employs three people and is open seven days a week. The schedule may change during the first month as the business adjusts to customer demand.
Monday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We want to base our hours around the community’s needs,” Tomlin said.
As the business grows, Tomlin hopes Haus of Scandal will develop into a gathering place where people come not only for salon services but also to spend time together.
“I do hope it evolves into that social aspect where people come in just to hang out with their friends,” she said. “But it’s also about bringing a new take on wellness.”
For more information on Haus of Scandal, visit HausOfScandal.com.
