New in town

Root doctor

If you want to dye your hair green for Halloween, a variety of specialty shops around town could probably cater to your whim. If, however, you want to go green year-round at the beauty shop, Lansing’s new Root Cellar salon specializes in styles and colors that are environmentally friendly. Owner Kristine Gilbert-Gigante, who opened Root Cellar three weeks ago, calls it “Lansing’s first eco-friendly salon.” So what exactly makes it eco-friendly?

“We only use organic and renewable resource products — even the hair coloring is ammonia free,” she says. “Plus everything in the salon is recycled. We don’t even have a magazine subscription.”

Contrary to conventional wisdom, Gilbert-Gigante says that the prices for organic products is “pretty comparable” to name brand products, with some actually costing a little less. She says that she screened all the products to ensure that none of them utilize animal testing and have no animal by-products

“I wanted to be as green as I possibly could,” she says. “We offer people something they can afford to do and feel good about what they’re doing.”

Root Cellar offers all hair services as well as reflexology, with nail services coming in the spring. Gilbert-Gigante says she’s been doing hair for 14 years, including work at Cutters Point East three blocks away.

“It was a very friendly parting of ways,” she says. “We refer back and forth. Besides, we’re practically family — (the owner’s) son married my cousin.”

To celebrate the store’s opening, Gilbert-Gigante says that Root Cellar will offer one hour of reflexology for $25 throughout the month of November. Furthermore, she says the salon is looking for a qualified stylist to fill the third chair. But be warned: it’s not easy being … oh, nevermind.

All Star break

So now that the ladies are all set, where can the guys go to get their hair did? Anthony McLiechey recently opened All Star Barbershop in the bustling Michigan Avenue corridor near U.S. 127, among other recent new businesses Rubie’s Paradise Salon and Sunrise Market.

“We do everybody’s hair — we don’t turn anybody away,” McLiechey says. “Some shops only do a certain amount of styles, but we offer a diversity of cuts for people of all ethnicities. In fact, I’m thinking about bringing on a stylist and expanding to include women’s services as well.”

McLiechey graduated from the Lansing Barber College in 2007 and worked at shops in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Grand Rapids before coming back to Lansing to open All Star.

“I just always wanted to open my own place,” he says. “It’s nothing fancy. I wanted to create a family friendly barbershop where someone can feel safe brining their kid or coming in and not having to worry about hearing cussing. That doesn’t go on around here.”

In keeping with the kid-friendly theme, McLiechey says All Star features $6.99 cut specials for kids, which also extends to college students and senior citizens.

“As far as I know, no other shop runs specials at that price for students and senior citizens,” McLiechey says. “Anything we can do to accommodate.”

The Root Cellar4515 W. Saginaw St. Suite A, Lansing 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tues.-Sun. (or later, if needed)Mondays by appointment only(517) 455-3671 therootcellarsalon.com

All Star Barbershop2306 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. (517) 803-9771