Get Dressed Head to Toe at Local Salon

The owner of Stephenie's Manhattan threw a moonlit launch party May 27  in honor of her spa's luxurious addition: the Cougar Lounge.

For nearly three decades, Stephenie Olson has run a full-service salon and spa in Manhattan Beach specializing in skin and body care, facials and wraps and has earned a favorable reputation for her permanent-makeup skills. Olson is also a hair stylist and colorist.

So, why the need for a shop selling clothes and accessories?

"After 28 years in the business, the Cougar Lounge evolved as a natural extension [of the spa]," Olson said. "It just made sense."

The energetic entrepreneur wanted to make her business a "one-stop-shop" where women could have their skin treatments, hair and makeup done but also browse for a new outfit or purse.

On its Facebook page, the business promises a high-end boutique, and its upscale apparel and accessories didn't disappoint in that regard. Vintage evening gowns prompted visions of nights on the town as colorful as the silks and brocades from which the garments were fashioned. Hand-beaded clutch bags dangled from the walls, along with the "ultimate necessity"—tiny ballet slippers that roll up in an even tinier drawstring bag. Obviously, you slip this parcel into your evening bag for when your heels become unbearable. (Who knew this would be a learning experience?)

The word ''lounge'' should not be overlooked. In the new space, guests will have a posh spot to rest their feet and wait for the rest of their party to finish their shopping or beauty treatments. The bottles and jars holding the line of face and body products that Olson created fill the back walls of the Cougar Lounge in a colorful apothecary. Refreshments enhance the inviting atmosphere.

Now with spa and lounge in a flowing feng shui, Olson hopes that visiting her establishment will be a unique experience—"the first of its kind in the South Bay," she said.

At the launch party, guests received mini-facials as a free preview of the special evenings to come at the Cougar Lounge. Upcoming events include demonstrations of makeup applications and at-home peels, as well as girls movie night. The lounge will also be available for private parties.

For those who don't quite think of themselves as fashionably fluent or who may feel daunted by the vintage dresses, beaded handbags and tiny backup shoes, the store offers the services of personal shopper Gina Williamson. She also helped Olson with the design of the store and its website, as well as an online marketing campaign.

At the launch celebration, Williamson explained that not everything will be couture, nor will it all be expensive. She pointed out a rack of more beach casual clothing and said the shop is waiting for a shipment of the popular Havaianas flip-flops. The lounge, she said, ''is not just for cougars, it's for curious kittens too.''

Stephenie's Manhattan and the Cougar Lounge are located at 806 Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. For more information, visit the store's website.