Jennifer Tripucka 
If you haven’t tried out Up & Out’s Hoboken Blow Dry Bar, it’s time to give it a whirl (even the local celebs get their ‘dos done here). This adorable little shop has two locations: one at the corner of 4th and Bloomfield – across from Empire Coffee & Tea — and another at 1106 Washington Street!
On any given day when you walk into Up & Out — you’ll find white countertops (a bar, if you will), music playing, and a welcoming staff. Who doesn’t want to sit at a “bar” (albeit the height of the bar is a little high but it fits your purse and the blowdryer underneath) while getting a blowout? It’s super cute:
There are two shampooing chairs with an air massage capacity – super relaxing for the shampoo/conditioner process. One of the stylists, Michelle does a great job not getting water in your ears (pet peeve), and the water was a good temp. If you want a 10 minute head massage during this part, just add $10: similar to a pedicure 10 min massage.
Once your shampoo/conditioner is done, you’ll get a mimosa. YES, please. There is also coffee and water, and if you’d like to BYO you can do that too.
The owner, Niki, is the sweetest — and is brilliant at her craft (follow her on Insta @idohairdo). She specializes in updos for weddings, and she actually had just come in to the salon from attending a class of “cutting edge” updos (think fishtail braids and other edgy ‘dos). KUDOS to her for continuing to grow and learn.
Another major plus: U&O takes early AM appointments; usually, they open at 7am — but Niki said that sometimes she has come in as early as 6 to get someone’s blowout in. That’s dedication. Updos by an updo specialist (such as Niki) start at $65, FYI. Blowouts start at $38 – you can also buy packs of them and save a bit of $ ($111 for 3, etc).
So how did the blowout turn out? Well, I opted for a casual blowout (nothing too curly, just a bit of wave at the end). I’ll let the pics do the talking:
Michelle did an excellent job if I do say so myself (and ONLY used a blowdryer, no other hot tools) — can you say impressed? This adorable little spot is just what Hoboken needed (YES, we have a ton of hair salons, but there are no blow dry bars specifically geared towards just blow drying).
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Have you ever been to Up & Out? What did you think?
