Scottsdale Salon Celebrates Diversity With One-Of-a-Kind Services

At The Sparkle Bar in Old Town Scottsdale, they don’t serve drinks, they serve looks.

You can't order a cocktail from the artists at The Sparkle Bar in Old Town Scottsdale, but it is their mission to provide the type of confidence to their clients that liquid courage can’t through their one-of-a-kind makeup services that aim to enhance the unique beauty of all individuals.

Unlike traditional makeup studios, The Sparkle Bar has revamped the makeup counter experience and adopted a model that emphasizes diversity, offering services tailored to the desires that are as unique as their clients. Driven by the spirit of inclusivity, one of the goals of The Sparkle Bar is to remind their customers of all backgrounds that they belong here, and that no matter who they are, they deserve to be transformed into their most confident selves.

With one step into The Sparkle Bar, customers are welcomed to their personalized makeover appointment by the studio's bright and elegant ambience, as well as the energy and excitement of the makeup artists. Inside, the studio’s walls are draped in art deco wallpaper, and chic gold accents embellish the salon, giving it a classy and royal feel.

“It was such a great vibe just walking in,” says Donna Dickerson, who, intimidated by doing makeup herself, booked a glam session the morning of her son’s wedding. “They were very professional while also being fun and welcoming, and they made us feel so beautiful and at home,” she said. .

“One of my favorite things about us is we celebrate all things beauty here,” says Eli Medina, part-time drag queen and part-time makeup artist and studio manager at The Sparkle Bar.

Medina, who considers himself the “fairy godfather” at the studio, finds comfort in giving others confidence through cosmetics. “I found this place because I really wanted to be where I could just be creative and expressive, and really help women kind of unlock that inner glamazon,” Medina said.

“What makes us so special is that here at The Sparkle Bar, we celebrate diversity in beauty,” echoes Alexandra Bradberry, founder of The Sparkle Bar in a video featured on the studio’s website.

After an uncomfortable interaction at a department store kiosk, Bradberry saw the need for a studio that would offer full-service makeup that catered to all individuals, and with that, the idea for The Sparkle Bar was born.

“Too many times I had walked into a department store where representation wasn't a thing or I didn’t necessarily see someone who looked like me,” Bradberry says in the video. “As a woman of color, I have found it challenging to find places where I could go and get my makeup done knowing that I was going to get exactly what I wanted or have the products for me,” she adds.

With the help of co-founder Leiah Scheibel, The Sparkle Bar opened its doors in November 2015, and was designed with the customers' experience in mind; conscious of the fact that people from various backgrounds require different tools to feel their most beautiful.

“We were created to have space just for the babe who ever felt that there wasn’t necessarily a space that was designed for her,” says Bradberry in the video. “Rather than trying to fit into a box that didn’t exist, we created our own.”

Unlike other makeup salons, The Sparkle Bar is the first studio in Arizona to solely provide makeup applications without any in-store retail space or additional services. In that way, pressure on artists to make sales or customers to buy products is eliminated, further catering to the comfort of the client and concentrating the session on the makeup look itself.

Additionally, The Sparkle Bar has expanded its services to include a virtual, one-on-one beauty lesson, allowing access to clients all over the country, and accommodating clients who may face medical or transportation barriers.

“Now babes from all over the world, not just Scottsdale and Arizona, can experience what it's like to have that interaction and that really authentic introduction to your next makeup experience both here and everywhere,” says Bradberry in the video.

Whether it be the choice between services ranging from a five-minute, $20 faux lash application to the half-hour men’s grooming session or the two-hour, $200 bridal trial package, there is a little something for everyone at The Sparkle Bar.

With a few waves of a makeup brush, The Sparkle Bar and its employees work magic on their customers, reminding them of their own natural beauty in a space dedicated to the pampering and appreciation of the beauty among all differences.