Long Island moms Kristina Salvaggio-Montana and Lauren Testaiuti met at an East Rockaway cafe to chat about careers in the beauty field. Coffee flowed. Dreams too.
Salvaggio-Montana, an eyebrow specialist and Testaiuti, a lash pro, knew each other in passing from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore. They worked at separate salon suites and were ready for a change.
Babe Cave co-owners Lauren Testaiuti, left, of Lynbrook, Kristina Salvaggio-Montana, of Oceanside, have been friends since high school. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
That coffee date five years ago led to the launch of a women-forward beauty facility, known as Babe Cave. The multi-suite hub of stylists, estheticians, nail techs and others in Rockville Centre is part of a booming trend. Babe Cave — like Salon Culture Suites, Sola Salon Studios, and Phenix Salon Suites — clusters independent entrepreneurs in one upscale location with solo or semiprivate suites. There are six rooms offering services, one vacancy and a shopping boutique on-site.
“We shared a vision of creating a space alongside other women,” says Salvaggio-Montana, 36, mother to a 20-month-old daughter, Myka. “But we imagined a smaller, more intimate scale and no overlap of services.”
During that initial three-hour conversation, Salvaggio-Montana threw out a name, recalls Testaiuti, 35, whose son, Santino, is 2. “Kristina said, ‘What about Babe Cave?’ And it stuck.”
Joining the Babe family
In March, the site with “a boho Zen vibe,” as the co-founders describe it, marked its fifth anniversary. Babe Cave residents sign yearlong leases and pay a monthly rent of $1,500 and up. By ditching a traditional salon commission structure, they gain business autonomy, plus scheduling and pricing flexibility.
Some of them met while working at other salons, and have since marked milestones together — weddings, births, ups and downs. They rely on each other for professional services and personal advice.
Julieta Teran, of Central Islip, right, is a hair and makeup artist at Babe Cave. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
“Babe Cave is my little family away from home. I’m the mama bear of the group,” says hair and makeup specialist Julieta Teran, 41, a mother of two, ages 21 and 3, who’s inspired by the pros around her. “I feel like that’s why we all get along so well. We’re all businesswomen. We keep pushing and moving forward.”
“A babe is somebody who is confident, works hard, strives to grow and just be a boss,” adds Teran, who’ll rely on her fellow Babes to help her look her best when she gets married in November. “I’m 20 years into this field, and I still take classes.”
Kalin Sorto, of Bay Shore, runs her nail art business, Tailored Enhancements, at Babe Cave. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
School is a two-way street. Case in point: Nail artist Kalin Sorto, 31, who’s energized by the company she’s in at work. “Everyone just empowers each other,” she says. When she’s not doing manicures, gels, and tips, she’s a nail instructor at Long Island Beauty School in Hauppauge.
Support & perks for working moms
Financial adviser and tax pro Deanna Blandino, 33, has a double distinction. She’s the newest Babe Cave-r and the only nonbeauty pro at the moment. “I’m the different one,” she says. “The similarity is that a lot of my clients are in the beauty industry.”
Blandino is an example of the power of networking built into Babe Cave. “I’ve been here since November 1,” she says, “and I’ve already had 10 referrals. That’s impressive.”
For clients seeking hair removal and teeth whitening, Nicole Xanthos, 40, is the woman to see here. After graduating from Molloy University and planning to teach math, she pursued a different path. “I got my esthetics license,” she says, “and I fell in love with it.” Babe Cave occupants get a key and 24-hour access to the facility, so they can make their own hours. “Being a mom is my No. 1 priority,” she says the mom of a 3-year-old daughter. “I love the flexibility of my job.”
Licensed esthetician Nicole Xanthos, of Long Beach, demonstrates a teeth whitening machine. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
She also appreciates that her colleagues are well-versed in many things and have different life experiences. “It’s kind of like having a live ChatGPT at my reach,” she says with a laugh.
Carolyn Lee, 27, offers body waxing, lymphatic massage and body contouring. While pursuing a pre-med program at LIU Post, Lee’s interests shifted to esthetics. She got her license at Christine Valmy in Manhattan, where she now teaches body sculpting.
Nevaeh Lopez gets a body sculpting treatment from Carolyn Lee, top, of Queens, who runs Nura Aesthetics at Babe Cave. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Several of Lee’s clients also see her colleagues — a win-win. “It becomes a team effort, instead of just being alone,” Lee says. “When I started my business, I was by myself. I really prefer the collaboration. It motivates me every day.”
Nurse practitioners Micaela Virgilio, 30, with a 19-month-old son, and Stephanie Manzo, 32, who’s expecting her first child in May, met in 2018 while working at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park.
Micaela Virgilio, left, of Lindenhurst, a nurse practitioner, owns medical spa Babe Aesthetics inside Babe Cave. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Since launching their medical spa for injectables and other services in 2022 at Babe Cave, they’ve branched out to other freestanding sites. They’re now in Sayville, Commack, West Hampton and Bay Shore.
They’ve stayed at Babe Cave because of its Nassau County location and proximity to New York City and its rich source of referrals. Networking is invaluable in the beauty and wellness world, where word-of-mouth speaks volumes.
“It’s worked out well at Babe Cave because of the referrals of the other businesses here,” Virgilio says.
Such togetherness and interconnectedness goes with the territory. “You should see our group chat,” Salvaggio-Montana says. “It’s everything from ‘What should my baby’s first solid meal be?’ to ‘OMG, a client just showed up without an appointment!’ We’re like a sorority.”
Inside Babe Cave
Take a room-by-room look at the enterprise on the second floor at 200 Sunrise Hwy., Rockville Centre; @babecaveny
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Nicole Xanthos: Laser hair removal, facials and body contouring; @nybodybarCarolyn Lee: Body waxing, lymphatic massage and body sculpting; @nuranyc
Room 4
Room 5
Kristina Salvaggio-Montana: Brows, microblading and permanent makeup; @nycbrowbabe
Room 6
Micaela Virgilio and Stephanie Manzo: Cosmetic injectables; @babeaesthetics
Room 7
Boutique
Theresa and Laura Barone: Mom Made Designz, a mother-daughter clothing business.
