Inspiring Nezi Arbib Enhances Beauty at Shampoo Too!

Walking into Shampoo Too! on North Cedros in Solana Beach was like a breath of fresh air. Nezi Arbib is the owner of the year old hair salon and he brings more than 30 years of experience to the industry – he’s been an expert at hair since the tender age of 14.

Throughout my time writing for DiscoverSD.com, I’ve interviewed quite a few local hair salon, spa and yoga studio owners, and Nezi has been quite the exception to the rule.

Many owners in the beauty industry just have a few minutes to sit down with me, explain their inspiration and philosophy behind the space, hand me a service menu and tell me to call or email them with any additional questions. In the midst of looking at real estate property in La Jolla and greeting his regular clients, Nezi somehow managed to spend over an hour with me chatting about his passion for hair and happiness.

Nezi came to Solana Beach a couple years ago to visit an artist friend who had a gallery set in the Cedros Design District. After walking around the area for a few moments, he knew he had to set up shop in the booming area of North Cedros. At the time, there were a few vacant offices and gallery spaces, but he knew the eco-friendly building had tons of potential. “I fell in love with the location,” Nezi said. “I was looking for a more creative space for Shampoo Too! and at that very moment, I wanted the space.” Since then, Nezi has created a ton of character in the area and encouraged many creative and imaginative visionaries to also mark North Cedros as their home.

“I have amazing stylists. I call them my flowers because they make their clients bloom,” Nezi continued. “Just like any plant, when you put them together and give them the right resources to flourish, they grow together and become beautiful.” He went on to say that he is in the business not just to make money, but to make people happy. This is also why he picked a location steps from the beach and why his salon is full of natural sunlight and paintings of beautiful women by local artist Gretchen Kyle.

As soon as clients walk into the airy salon for a cut, color, style or conditioning treatment, they’re greeted and offered coffee or tea while they lounge on the deck and take in the ocean breeze. A massive industrial garage door and the recycled wood flooring are one of many interesting focal points that also give away the building’s creative character. Nezi describes the space to be contemporary in style and casual in nature, but not intimidating. Shampoo Too! is an exclusive Kerastase salon and Nezi believes he should only offer the best products to his employees and clients.

The original Shampoo salon is located near The Grove in Los Angeles where his two brothers operate and maintain. Their clientele range from movie stars and the like to editorial shoots for high profile magazines. Nezi’s other claim to fame: He was the inspiration behind last year’s Adam Sandler comedy, “Don’t Mess with the Zohan.” Sandler spent some time in the L.A. salon to learn Nezi’s mannerisms of how he worked and the way he danced and sang while he styled his clients. Sandler wanted to mimic the happy vibrations in the movie and took Nezi’s movements and made them his own for the movie.

Since childhood, Nezi has inherited a philosophy of working hand in hand with neighbors. Nezi has worked with many area artists, shop and gallery owners to help his salon flourish. His framed mirrors were created by neighbor Once Upon a Frame; he worked with local business Develop Dream Home to furnish the space; he asked next door neighbor and eco-friendly furnisher Kirei to make their reception desk; his canary yellow awning was created by John Skoglund of Liquid Canvas; West Edge Gallery sculpted their unique business card holder; art is on display from Aaron Chang Gallery and Trios Gallery; and Mabino Contemporary Furnishings is currently creating office furniture for the salon – Nezi makes it a point to incorporate local business into the creation and upkeep of his unique salon.

“People always come into my salon and ask me to make them beautiful,” he says. “My stylists and I only enhance their beauty, we don’t make them beautiful. Beauty can only be found within.”

Discover more about Shampoo Too, and find more San Diego salons. Get to know North Cedros at cedrosnorth.com.