ROOTS the Beauty Underground

Such amazing service & informative staff. It is a bit pricey, but can you really put a price on products that aren’t toxic? Even some makeup & skin stuff at Whole Foods & Sprouts aren’t completely free of harmful chemicals… keep in mind that 100% vegan only means no animal byproducts.
This place really has everything… and more than a few options for everything! They’ve got makeup, nail polish, face wash, shampoo, deodorant, scrubs, soap, candles, and even some jewelry. Oh and a lot of SPF stuff… face moisturizer, body lotion, sticks, sprays, and a powder with brush applicator built in… so you can reapply as often as needed right over your makeup. Broad spectrum SPF is sooooo important to stay protected against the increasingly damaging suns rays… and to prevent premature aging. And most of these are zinc… physical blockers… which are best over chemical blockers.
They also have some hair stylists here… only one chair… so you’d need to make an appointment for a cut & color… but no harsh chemicals used here! This place is really great… and the owner is awesome! The whole staff is! Just one thing to keep in mind… you can’t return for a refund… only exchange… but I think everything has a tester… so you can try it all on before buying… or ask for a sample.

After some research, I came in specifically for some water-​based nail polish. They had two different lines and lots of pretty colors to choose from. I was really impressed by their selection of cosmetics. This is a chemical-​free beauty needs paradise and the lady who helped me was so nice! I walked out with a few polishes, remover and a sunscreen. I’ll be back soon for some more goods!

What a fantastic night! The Laguna Beach Parents Club had a Mom’s Night Out event at this fantastic place! I can’t say enough good things about the service, the quality of products, and the staff. I’m excited to tell my friends about it and to shop here for all my makeup!

I started researching natural beauty products a couple of years ago and it was completely overwhelming. In my hunt, I noticed this business here, made a note in my phone to stop in but never made it. Intimidated? Downtown parking? Not sure why I never did but I could kick myself for not stopping in sooner!
It makes most sense to do this review in two parts: one for hair goddess, J. Lee and one for the queen herself, Laura!
Hair: I have highlighted blonde hair and its been this way for most of my life. After living in several cities, I could write a book on blonde horror stories (brassy, breakage, etc) but I’ll save us all the misery and not do that here today. Not to mention, slathering awful chemicals on my scalp every six weeks. Well since becoming pregnant and being a bit unhappy with my last colorist, and really not happy about these pregnancy roots I was having to endure, I scheduled a consultation with J. Lee. She gave me a list of all of the ingredients in her color products to share with my Doctor and guess what… Doctor approved! So on to my appointment… I’ve never seen a colorist in all of my years as a blonde, pay so much attention to detail! It’s quite incredible to watch! I leave so happy every time and often get compliments from my husband, friends and even strangers on how great my hair looks. She always does exactly what I ask and sometimes it feels like she just knows! And the icing on the cake, she is such a beautiful person! It’s a treat to sit in her chair and feed off of her energy! Oh and I must add, I had my first haircut with her yesterday and she nailed it! She did what I thought couldn’t be done and fixed some unfortunate layers I got a few months ago. Seriously, she’s the best!
Retail: Ok so for a while now, I’ve wanted to switch out all of my hygiene and beauty products for safer, more natural alternatives. But it’s quite a daunting task! Until you walk into Roots and visit with Laura… Basically this is how it works: gather up all of the not-​so-​great-​for-​you products you have at home and bring them in to Laura or one of her other helpful staff members. Laura will consult with you and make recommendations for a better substitute and she will create a file for you with all of the items you pick. I’ve never once felt pressured to buy any one product that was suggested, but I promise, you’ll want to! She’ll give you a sample of anything you’re hesitant about, or you can slowly replace your old products as you run out of them with the new items that are conveniently saved on your file — which is what I did. My latest endeavor at Roots was tackling my makeup so I had a wonderful makeup consultation, basically a makeover with Laura yesterday. Just like J. Lee, Laura is a breath of fresh air and she’s full of positive energy! I consider myself pretty savvy in the makeup world but I learned a few tricks from Laura. I have quite the collection of higher end products that I’m a bit sad to replace but the products she carries are top notch and so much better for your skin! I didn’t absolutely love every single product that she used for my makeover, some were a bit of a change from what I currently use, like a cream highlighter when I’m used to powder, but I plan to try them eventually and they’re all on my file whenever I decide to!
Best of all, every service or product that I’ve paid for from Roots has been on par with the higher end products I buy from Neiman or Sephora, or high end salons. And the price is either about the same or often, surprisingly less! And so so so much better for you! I’m now in the process of revamping my husband and sisters products, as well. Thank you Laura and J. Lee for completely turning my beauty routines upside down in the most amazing way ever! Xoxo

From Texas here on Spring Break– looking for a face rescue for my 13 year old daughter going through her teen years! Laura was awesome! Great place for all natural skin care!

My face had been breaking out for about two years and I just couldn’t find a more natural/​less chemically solution. Heck, even the harsher stuff didn’t seem to work. Tuesday was the day that I went in to get suggestions for my face routine and Laura hooked me up with samples to try. Within 4 days my skin is almost entirely clear and has honestly not felt this good since I was in my 20s (I had zero acne until age 32). I went back yesterday to buy all the products she recommended. Completely worth the investment. THANK YOU, LAURA!!!

The organic hair color product is excellent. It stayed on my hair for twice the time any other regular color stayed on. It also felt much healthier and is free of toxic chemicals found in traditional salon colors. The color is oil based so it also added a lot of shine. The only reason it is 4 stars is due to the price for hair color, which does not include any blow drying. Understandable though as management stated they have made their services a la carte for affordability. Very nice owner and staff and large selection of toxic-​free makeup and hair products. Very nice location!

I am a organic/​natural beauty product fanatic!!! I have very sensitive skin/​eczema. First off parking can be tough weekends but I came on a weekday and parked in lot 2. Roots is a bit hidden but not impossible to find. When I walked in I had to take a breath because its HEAVEN FOR ORGANIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS. Roots carries all my favorite brands so I no longer have to order it online. Laura did my make up and walked me through every step for me to have flawless makeup on a daily. She is very knowledgable and I suggest everyone check this place out because there are wonderful products without chemical laden ingredients which age you!!! I can’t wait to come back and learn more from Laura.

If you’re looking for natural or organic cosmetics, Roots is the place to go! Laura and her staff are super friendly and knowledgable, and make your shopping experience pretty magical! the store itself is beautiful, too.
The first time I visited to roots, Elyse created a custom ‘sample set’ for me to try before she felt comfortable with me purchasing anything– I was amazed and so thankful that she wanted me to go home and try products for a few days before spending on new products– that’s unheard of in the retail world! As a 20-​something with changing skincare needs, I’ve been back several times and Laura, the owner, has since helped me to continue to evolve my custom skin care regimen and my once breakout-​prone skin has never looked better!
Beyond skincare, Roots offers an incredible selection of safe and natural makeup. Laura will gladly sit you in her chair, brighten up your face, and explain exactly what she’s using, why she’s using it, and how it affects your features– it’s a really awesome experience!

I had such a negative experience, here, that I felt compelled to open a Unilocal account to review them. I called in beforehand to make sure they had the product I needed, and the woman on the phone assured me they did. Excited, I immediately drove to the store, and arrived about twenty minutes after the phone call. Once there, an employee informed me that they were out of stock of the shade I needed. How is this possible?! The blonde woman tried to tell me that they had just sold out of it, but it’s clear she never even checked when I called. Instead of apologizing, she tried to (1) sell me a different shade that is not even close to my skin-​tone, and (2) sell me the tester in the shade I needed. I was already pretty upset that she hadn’t bothered to actually check her inventory, but the second part I found to be both insulting and completely unprofessional. She tried to tell me that it was new and just wasn’t in a box, but it had fingerprints and nail marks all through the makeup. When I confronted her about this, she tried to deny it. Ridiculous! I’ll never be back – save yourself gas and a toll fee, and order online.

This place is a must see! First of all, what a treatment! The staff there is so nice and super helpful and Laura is amazing! From the moment you walk in you feel like you are among girlfriends and all your questions get answered. Laura has even talked me out of buying a more expensive product because she didn’t think it was the right fit for me. Once you visit this shop you wont need to ever buy products anywhere else. On top of that, the products she carries are worth the switch from your toxic ones. They work extremely well if not better and you can see how Laura has done her research on them and truly believes and understands how they work. Treat yourself to something nice and stop by!

Buyer Beware! They will not take returns or give credit even if you return an item the very next day due to a reaction!!! If the package is open NO CREDIT! Having worked in the Health & Body Care industry, I can tell you this is not the usual. There are plenty of other options including Amazon that stand behind their products, why pay more & get this kind of service? I will not a be buying anything from this store again!

This shop is an amazing resource for natural beauty products. They carry two of my favorites (RMS Beauty and Bubble & Bee) under one roof. What makes it even better is that the owner is awesome! She will help you get set up with everything you need and all of her recommendations have been spot on. Thanks Roots Beauty Underground!

Love this place! We are a very non toxic, organic family and ROOTS meets all our cosmetic needs! Recently we attended a movie première and had Laura do our makeup, normally natural makeup does not work for me for these types of events. However, the products Laura uses and the ease at which she puts it on… was amazing! We love Laura and this store!

Wow! What a gem. Laura the proprietress is dedicated, knowledgeable, passionate and has wonderful customer service. When I let her know I needed my make up done by a certain time, she offered to come in early to make the timing work. Let’s hear it for the perks of shopping at a small business! She has definitely taken the time to educate herself and become an expert at her craft and on her products. The products that she carries are special and that is just how I felt when I walked out the door! I will be back for sure!

Laura is such an awesome and selfless person! I stumbled into this store by sheer luck at 6:30 p.m. when the store was supposed to be closed at 6:00 p.m. I was taking engagement shoot pictures that started at 2:30, so by that time, my hair was kind of flat. I decided I wanted a hair tie to just pull my hair to the side.
Laura approached me and immediately knew that I was stressing out. She asked me «okay, what do you need?» (In a very sweet, let me help you, kind of way). I explained the situation to her, and she told me to come sit down in her styling chair. I said my curls were in my face, and I just wanted it straightened out. She actually talked me out of straightening my hair and just added volume to the top of my hair so that it went better with the curls. I kept thanking her for her help, and she was honestly just happy to help me out. I asked her what time the store closes, and she said not to worry about it because she was the owner!
After she finished my hair, she told me to come over so that she could reapply my lip gloss. I asked her what color lip gloss she would recommend that I buy, and she told me that she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if she let me make such a decision with such little time. She told me to come back, which I definitely will. She told me her story, and she’s the kind of mom and pop shop I love to support because they genuinely believe in their products and care about their customers. I can’t wait to come back so she can tell me what products she would recommend for me. If you hate pushy and over-​perfumed cosmetic stores, come see Laura, she’ll make you feel like you are family. Thanks again, Laura!!!

Loooove love love this place! I was first introduced to it by my stylist Janice and am LOVING the cute store and all the goodies I can pick up with my hair appointment :) The owner is very knowledgeable about everything she stocks in the store, and they use the products on you for your makeup session, hair sesh, etc.
Janice is a lifesaver! Before her, I was hopping from one hair stylist to another, unhappy with just about everything :(But once going to Janice, I won’t go to another! She actively listens to what you want, and gives you feedback based on your hair and your styling abilities!
I’ve only gotten haircuts, but I’m going back to get some color done… stay tuned :)

Laura is a wonderful person and the shop offers a great selection of beauty products. In terms of the salon, there needs to be some improvements. I went into see J. Lee to have highlights and an ombré. I am naturally brunette, so I knew it would be a process.
J. Lee looked at only one of my inspiration photos before she started highlighting my hair. She told me that she’d like to dye it super blonde, so that if I don’t like we can always dye it darker. This is a terrible game plan, but I didn’t realize that since I’m not a colorist. She teased my hair before dying it, which is supposedly an «ombré» technique but damaged my thin hair. The whole process took about two and a half hours and when she was finished she asked me if I liked it, while she was already welcoming in her next customer. We didn’t look at the end result in natural lighting nor did she leave time between appointments to really asses what she did to my hair.
The end result was bleach blonde highlights, that looked white in the sunlight, next to my brunette hair so my hair looked gray. There were also brassy highlights that were processed less and mixed in. It looked extremely obviously dyed, and not natural. I went back and Laura was very understanding and was a great listener. Laura invited me to come back for J. Lee to fix it.
When I returned J. Lee explained to me that she was an «artist» and that she liked it. Further, J. Lee said that it was my vision that changed, which was just horrible customer service. I told her that I didn’t like it because it looked chunky and unnatural, but J. Lee told me she did do «natural highlights,» which I still don’t know what that means.
Laura helped facilitate the whole conversation and suggested that we dye it all one color and re-​highlight since my hair was so many different colors at that point, but J. Lee was upset because she already spent so much time lighting it. So, she highlighted my whole top layer of hair bleach blonde that had not been previously highlighted, while leaving the under layer brown.
Then, she had to go pick up her son. She was upset because she «didn’t think it was going to take so much time,» even though I made it very clear to Laura that I did not like it. Then I felt bad that her son was waiting so I told her she didn’t have to blow dry my hair. J. Lee told me that she liked the end result even though she thought I was «conservative» and she made it «funky». I left the salon with slightly damp tangled hair. The whole process cost $ 230 and I have breakage up to my ears since my hair was so over-​processed. When I inevitably went to a new salon to get it fixed I didn’t even realize that my haircut was asymmetrical, which my new stylist pointed out. I had gone to J. Lee for two haircuts before.
A couple weeks after J. Lee called me from her personal cell phone; I did not have her number nor was I that close to her so I had no idea who was calling me. She apologized again and asked if I liked it and if I needed anything, or if I needed a conditioning treatment. Then she told me that she’d see me in four weeks to get it dyed again. Instead of calling me, she should have taken that time to asses my hair type and understand my vision before dying it.
I think Roots is great in terms of beauty products, but I wouldn’t go to the salon. I really appreciated Laura trying to make it work, she really cares about her clients. I just don’t think J. Lee has expertise or professionalism. The picture I posted was in natural lighting, no filter, before the second dye job which looked even worse.

I have very sensitive skin and am prone to breakouts, the moment I switched all my beauty products to the non-​toxic ones sold at Roots, my skin thanked me!!! I always have a million questions and the owner Laura was beyond helpful! Everything at Roots is pure magic! Not to mention the outstanding one on one customer experience… trust me, you will leave this place feeling like a queen!

I just went in to this beautiful store today. Laura is the owner and she really put her heart and soul into this boutique. All products are organic and nothing is harmful on the skin. I told her about my oily skin issues and she immediately directed me to all the right stuff for my skin. She knows her products like the back of her hand! She’s super sweet, too!
And if I didn’t mention, I want to live in this boutique. It’s super cute! (Check out the photo I added of the yellow chair. Gimme! LOL!)