California Beauty and Wellness Black Book.
The top healers, colorists, injectors, and aesthetic shamans, according to Feed Me readers.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Today’s letter includes: Feed Me’s California beauty and wellness Black Book, an Ojai dispatch, the SF billionaires buying houses in Nevada, a group art exhibit honoring recently-demolished Taix, a Ringer podcast host joins Substack, and the Anduril marketing team is apparently made up of Studio Ghibli fans.
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I’m writing to you today from my apartment in New York, where I have bowls of avocados, passion fruit, and tangerines I smuggled home from the Ojai Farmer’s Market last night. I spent the weekend in Ojai because I wanted to finally stay at Hotel El Roblar, the oldest hotel in Ojai, which was recently renovated and restored by Eric Goode (the man behind The Bowery Hotel and the producer of Tiger King), Jeremy McBride, Ramin Shamshiri, and Warner Ebbink. I had to be in LA for a few days for work, but instead of flying home on Friday, I drove 90 minutes to sunny Ojai for a few days.
The lobby of Hotel El Roblar is dark and leathery, with paintings of the Ojai Valley by Stefano Castronovo. There were parallels to The Bowery, like the yellow light coming from the hidden bar, and the memorable room key, and the patio furniture with red and cream upholstery. I paid for my room, but they upgraded us upon checking in to a room in their Sycamore House – a California Craftsman 8-room house on the back of the property. As the front desk agent walked us down a hallway, through a garden, and past the property’s giant tortoises, she told us that the pool closes at 8 p.m. “If you night swim, we won’t tell.”
Our room was spacious and smelled like wood and incense. On the desk was a printed guide to the property, a stuffed animal condor, and a handsome set of stationery. The sunlit bathroom was a sanctuary – wood paneling, aquamarine tiles, Autumn Sonata robes, and a massive crystal staring down into the soaking tub. My only note on the room was that the towels could’ve been thicker.
But we spent most of the day by the pool. On Saturday afternoon, a woman walked up to me and noticed my copy of London Calling. She told me her husband was mentioned in the book, a friend of one of the central characters, Akbar. Dubious association. Easily 5 carats on her finger.
What else to do in Ojai:
The world’s largest outdoor bookstore, Bart’s Books. This winding bookstore, which took up about half of a suburban block, felt like a place out of a California fairytale. Shelves upon shelves of vaguely organized books, in the great outdoors. I got a copy of UFO...Contact from the Pleiades Volume I, UFO Chronicles of the Soviet Union, and Golden Guide to Stars. A man behind me in line asked why I was buying all these books if we already “know what’s going on,” in reference to the Pentagon Papers released earlier this year. I also grabbed a few packets of seeds from Ojai-based Plant Good Seed (good logo).
If you still can’t get tickets to The Odyssey in New York, there were plenty of tickets at Ojai Playhouse. This 110-year-old theater (which was renovated in 2020) is located right across the street from Hotel El Roblar. I would say about one third of the audience was drinking their boozy slushies in the theater. I opted for a tequila soda with lime.
Rainbow Bridge Natural Market. You’d be surprised at the way I can work the beauty section of a health food store. Rainbow Bridge is my ideal natural foods market – glass jars of local yogurt, a buzzing juice machine behind a deli bar, attentive staff helping shoppers decide between medjool and deglet dates. But it also had an impressive apothecary, with crocheted headbands and very ‘90s iridescent pink headbands. I bought a few hair accessories, as well as a scented oil called “Aura” from local apothecary From the Heart of Ojai.
Mark my words, by the end of August I will have reverse-engineered the watermelon-infused white negroni at Rory’s Place (which is also across the street from El Roblar). My introduction to Tomato Season 2026 happened in the form of a tuna crudo with tiny golden tomatoes and tarragon. I also loved the blistered Japanese sweet potatoes with miso butter, scallion, bonito, and finger lime. Round of applause for the lighting in the restaurant, which made everyone look like they were in Black Mirror S3E4, “San Junipero.”
The Turtle Conservation Center. In addition to co-owning Hotel El Roblar and The Bowery Hotel, and producing movies about the wild animal trade, Eric Goode runs a conservancy for turtles and tortoises. At the start of the tour, he came over and introduced himself. Somehow, in the first several minutes of our conversation, the Aspinall family came up. Of course I brought up their zoo, which also appears in London Falling, which he had plenty to say about. Visitors of the conservancy are able to meet and feed giant tortoises, as well as learn about the rescue and breeding work that the center does. Our guide, Manci, told us that a few years ago, a new paper was published that turtles actually speak to each other, which I thought about as we walked through the orange trees and cacti on the property. When the tour ended, we washed our hands in one of the houses on the property that Goode built himself, and were given a copy of the conservancy’s publication, The Tortoise. I fell in love with an oyster shell chandelier in the otherwise bare California bungalow, which I later found on Chairish.
If you enjoyed this dispatch, let me know. I’d be happy to write more about the hotels and cities I visit in the future.
The California Beauty and Wellness Black Book, According to West Coast Feed Me Readers.
Over the weekend, I emailed a group of California-based Feed Me readers to help me assemble a comprehensive guide to the best healers, injectors, masseuses, colorists, and facialists. The reason I wanted names of people and not just names of practices or spas is because I was looking for clients who actually know the names of the people taking care of them.
One reader replied to my email, “*Something I’ve noticed about California wellness culture is that you have to be a bit more vigilant about protecting yourself from energy vampires. There are people that want to perform as healers but are more interested in their own brand than they are in meeting you where you are, where your body is - which can be dangerous. It’s really important to me to find people that understand how to care for a nervous system as much as they are skilled in their craft.”
The final list includes: a Silver Lake colorist who delivers “the perfect Amanda Seyfried blonde,” a West Hollywood herbalist, a San Francisco eyebrow threader worth flying across the country for, a Thai masseuse who can cure hangovers and depressive streaks, and a Marin County acupuncturist who helped one woman get a handle on her migraines.
LOS ANGELES
Hair
Kiley Fitzgerald, Hairstylist at Mare, West Hollywood. “A true artist with an exceptional eye — she consistently nails the look you’re after, especially if you come in with reference photos. A former assistant to Mara Roszak, and her skill and attention to detail show it. Well worth the wait.” (~$300, waitlist) - Jayme Cyk, founder of And Repeat and author of the Substack I’m On An Antidepressant
Molly and Josh, Haircuts at Goo, Fairfax. “Obviously I heard this rec originally from Poog years ago, but they will give you the best haircut of your life and you’ll have an amazing hour hanging out with them. I drove there across town the morning of my wedding, there’s no one else I trust as much. Txt Molly for an appointment, it’s around $125.” - Tori Schachne
Toyomi, colorist at Kim Vo Salon, West Hollywood. “While you’re in the chair, ask her about her favorite Japanese spots around town, she knows all the greats. Starts at $175, email/DM her or call the salon.” - Sheila Yasmin Marikar, author and journalist
Mark Anawalt, hairstylist/colorist. “One of LA’s best-kept secrets. Previously, only took appointments in his private home salons in West Hollywood or Palm Springs. Now taking limited appointments at Canale-Martinez in the Palisades. Good, fast (a perfectly blended, full set of highlights AND a cut in record time), not cheap. Call the salon at (310) 454-3444 or DM him @styledbymarkanawalt.” - Anonymous
Sayaka at Blow Me Away, Beverly Grove. “I’ve been going to Sayaka for years, long before head spas started popping up all over SoCal. She doesn’t use all the bells & whistles that successors have but I still haven’t found anyone better at scalp massage.” - Jean Ortiz-Luis, marketer & writer
Aaron King at Crane on Robertson Blvd in West Hollywood. “Aaron came up through red carpet grooming, so he really understands what cut/style will make you look the hottest, objectively. Yes, it’s tough to get on his schedule, and yes, it costs $200+, but…beauty is pain. You can text his assistant Mimi for scheduling: +1 (310) 780-1926” - Anonymous
Ryan at Unison Men’s Salon in Mid-City. “I drive across town for this, which is crazy, but Ryan went out on his own and started Unison a few years ago and has built out a great community and crew around it, they’re all so nice and the cuts are great. And it’s next door to Republique, so perfect for a snack after.” - Harry White
Kelsey at Studio33 on Miracle Mile in LA. “When I lived in LA, I got my hair cut at the incredibly cool (and equally hard-to-book) Unison. Luckily, two of their best barbers have since opened their own shops, where you can get a Unison-quality haircut without waiting months for an appointment (though if you can plan ahead, Ryan at Unison is still amazing). Kelsey recently opened Studio33, her solo salon inside Sola Salons on Miracle Mile in LA. Whenever I’m in town for TBPN and need a haircut or beard trim, I see Kelsey. She does an incredible job, and men’’‘s haircuts are $100. When I’’‘m home in the Bay, I see Tala, who also recently moved up from LA. She owns Bookwithtala in Burlingame, and short haircuts start at $75. I have incredibly curly hair, and both Kelsey and Tala are exceptionally good at cutting and styling curls, a skill that’’‘s been much harder to find on the West Coast than it was in NYC.” - Dylan Abruscato, President, TBPN
Kat Cali or Allison DeMoss at Freija Collective in Highland Park. “Almost every cool girl who lives east of the 101 gets their haircut at Freija. Both Kat and Allison are incredibly gifted at giving that cool, tousled haircut that works just as well for rolling out of bed as it does styled. My husband and I both see Allison now that Kat splits her time in Nashville, but both are amazing.” - Sarah Freedman, writer
Ryann Bossetti. “My hairdresser in LA is Ryann Bosetti, who I found in a Feed Me thread (I believe rec’d by Grace Doherty). To put it the most Californian way I can, she has the best, most calming energy. She cuts hair to be manageable and air dry gracefully.” - Julia Woods
Gel Lyle for color at Summer Hours Salon in Silver Lake. “Gel always delivers the perfect Amanda Seyfried blonde.” - Leonora Epstein, writer/Schmatta
Ashley Flores at Gold on Grand Salon in DTLA. “Hair is so important, changing anything is nerve-wracking, you want to feel like you’re in good hands... this is the spot. I send all my friends here. Ashley is the owner of the salon and can do anything, I go every time I need a boost and want to feel pretty! Best cut and color (and blow out) in town.” - Lisa Hanawalt
SKIN
Sora Connor, Esthetician. “Sora just gets skin. Her treatments leave you looking lifted, sculpted, and refreshed. She has an incredible touch, and her facial massage is pure magic. You walk out of her studio feeling both energized and deeply relaxed.” (From $350, referral only) - Jayme Cyk, founder of And Repeat and author of the Substack I’m On An Antidepressant
Amy Velten, facials at Blush Spa, Pasadena. “She’s the absolute sweetest! Prices vary depending on treatment. $175 for standard facial.” - Tori Schachne