MEET THE CRÜE
TINITA HARPEL
OWNER / COSMETOLOGIST
Tinita has been in the cosmetology industry for over 20 years. She originally moved to Austin from South Texas in 2000 and honed her skills in some of the best salons in town. At the age of 25 she opened her very first salon, Casbah, in the South First neighborhood of Austin. She moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her career in the entertainment industry, working on all sorts of shoots and productions. The time came to come back to the place that was home and she and Michael opened up VINYL Beauty Bar in 2018 with the mission of creating the best and most unique salon in all of Austin. No one is a better host than Tinita, and that can be seen and felt the moment you walk through the door.
MICHAEL HARPEL
OWNER / RECORD GURU
Originally from Los Angeles (shhhh! Don't tell anyone!), Michael has been playing and enjoying and collecting music since before he could remember. He plays bass guitar mainly and is a Vinyl DJ around town. His tastes are all over the board, from rock and heavy metal to soul and funk and classic country. Nothing sounds or feels better than Vinyl records and he aims to keep the spirit alive by sharing and selling new and used and local independent records. Supporting local musicians is what he cares most about and what Austin needs if it is going to remain the Live Music Capitol. We're here for you!
TONI CASALE
HAIR SLAYER
Toni Casale, aka Tornado T, hailed from the NYC Metro area and relocated to Austin 5 years ago. 15 years in the beauty industry, she has become a certified colorist, blond specialist & curl specialist. The fun doesn't stop at "painting". For Toni, "hair cannot be compartmentalized. All services lead to wanting people to feel their best through my creativity so I cannot choose one or the other." Check out her work on IG @tonimane_attraction
LIZ FORFANG
COSMETOLOGIST/MANAGER
Liz has been a Rockstar Hair Stylist at VINYL Beauty Bar since January 2020. She has 15 years of color and styling experience. She specializes in highlights, balayage, and all sorts of fun colors. Liz is trained and certified in OWAY and Pulp Riot and enjoys using her knowledge to create exactly what her clients are envisioning when they sit in her chair. She has worked with all sorts of creators and musicians here in Austin. Liz is an OG Texan from the Houston area and spent a great time in Oakland before coming to Austin 5 years ago. She's a big fan of walking her dog and jammin' out to tunes old and new, anything from Operation Ivy to Three 6 Mafia to Billy Strings.
DOLLY PAWTON
SERVICE SHOP DOG
The real Boss Bitch at VINYL Beauty Bar. Dolly runs the show and we pay her bills. This li'l pup has been around and seen it all. Her presence will fill your heart with joy and make all of your troubles fade away.
KYLIE WOLF
STYLIST
KATE BONOMO
NAIL TECHNICIAN
Kate has been rockin' nails and nail art with VINYL Beauty Bar for over 3 years now and has over 3 and a half years of experience making hands happy. She specializes in Natural Gel Nails, Gel Overlays, Apres Gel-X, Nail Art and is trained in Russian Manicures. Kate's work has been featured in music videos, photoshoots, commercials, bridal events, magazine print, community events, SXSW, and on multiple musicians hands around Austin and beyond. Kate has been in Austin for 4 years and originally hails from Ohio. When she's not crushing it behind the manicure table she is busy raising the coolest daughter in town. She looks forward to traveling more and lists Taos, NM as one of her fave destinations. Kate's diverse musical tastes include Black Sabbath, Kurt Vile, of Montreal, SZA, Aaron Frazer and more.
ALI BILYEU
NAIL TECHNICIAN
Ali has been a Rockstar Nail Artist at VINYL Beauty Bar for the past 2 years and has 11 years experience. She specializes in Nail Art, Apres, Gel Builder, Stamping & Marbling and IBX. Ali's work has been featured in photoshoots, bridal events, and on all sorts of local Austin musicians. Originally from Bozeman, MT, Ali has been in Austin for 10 years. She enjoys Tarot card reading, audiobooks & podcasts, exercising and playing with dogs. Her favorite vacation spot is Moab and she looks forward to traveling much more.
Coffee order: 1/2 Caf Honey Oat Latte
Fave Bev: H2O or Peach Waterloo