Ark Hair and Beauty: Salon for individuals, supply store for retailers, stylists

Ali and Rozina Tirmizi, wanting to get away from the unrelenting hustle and bustle of Toronto, have brought big town beauty with small town prices to Kawartha Lakes with Ark Hair and Beauty. Their hope is that their business will help not only individual customers but the many salons and stylists who work in the area.

For salons and stylists in Lindsay and the surrounding area, it’s the closest beauty outlet to home. The owners believe this has filled a crucial gap in Lindsay.

“There’s no beauty supply in town,” says Rozina, the principal stylist and beauty expert in the store. Her husband, Ali, is co-owner and they work together to make Ark a destination in their field.

If you are in the beauty industry in Lindsay or just someone looking for more products than are offered at Shopper’s, Rozina says “you have to go to Oshawa or Peterborough or Toronto.”

“You have to take a day off to get supplies, and lots of stylists have this same problem all over the Kawartha Lakes.”

The days of such commutes can now be over, however, as Ark boasts a broad range of beauty products, in both price and purpose, that are handpicked by Rozina.

Ark doesn’t just sell products, however. It offers personalized beauty tips that you just can’t get at a generic retailer.

“We’re not just selling products, but educating our customers” says Rozina, who has long had a passion for beauty and years of knowledge in the industry. In the age of the internet, when it’s easy to Google questions about beauty (or anything else) it can be overwhelming sorting through the answers.

This is a problem Ark is well aware of and hopes to address it for Lindsay residents.

“How do you find the right information about beauty products? What do you do for your scalp or your skin? There are a hundred million answers and it’s very hard to know which one is right is for you,” she says, pointing out it’s better to see the the professionals.

Even a cursory glance at Ark’s reviews would reveal a pattern. Almost invariably, satisfied customers acknowledge and appreciate the expertise and beauty education given by Rozina.

Rozina also mentions her inclination to hand out samples of recommended products, as she is confident that a brief acquaintance with a professional and personalized product will entice customers once they experience the quality. Moreover, if you want a product Ark doesn’t have on hand, Ali can either get it for you – or else maybe no one can. (To prove this claim, he told me about a time he obtained a product in an afternoon’s notice for a customer who was on her way to a wedding service.)

On top of being a beauty supply company, Ark is also a salon. They offer hair services, makeup, microblading, eyelash extensions, relaxing massage services for ladies and much more. In the future they plan to bring in more skin care and makeup goods and services, expanding on the already diverse range of products. They even have their own brand of Ark makeup with “no harsh chemicals.”