(La) Vecina is mini-emporium of products and tools for the local fashionista that is also concerned with the upkeep of their hair.  Local beauty supply stores are to go havens to get your fix, literally and shopping-wise), and this is especially in more surburan-esque neighborhoods even if they’re technically still in the city.  In my hometown of Boston, Jamaica Plain has always hosted a kind of easygoing way of life, and it rivals Allston for holding a ruck of artists that call it home.  It’s also beautifully ethnic with a percentage of the Latino community owning bodegas and stores, and that certainly includes the beauty supply, with one in particular called (La) Vecina (which appropriately translates from Spanish to English, meaning “the neighbor”, so “neighborhood beauty supply store”).

It was a friend of mine that told me about (La) Vecina, and then with the approved nod of her friend (who happened to be of Dominican Republican descent), I had to make a pit stop.  Already I was loving the vibe of Jamaica Plain that day as the weather was glorious.  When it got to (La) Vecina, though not crowded by people, it was definitely stacked with rows of products, and the two separates walls had selections of Remy weaves, brands like Milky Way, Freestress lace front wigs, and kanekalon hair.  The other wall had every other hair brush and comb imaginable and wigs on display, and by the register were nail polishes from OPI and China Glaze.

The employees were friendly without breathing down your back, and they carried quite a lot of various brands to choose from.  Since my friend and I were specifically interested in the hair pieces section, we wished there was more of that, but I liked (La) Vecina for being a simple one stop shop with an amiable homegrown feeling.

If you’re in Jamaica Plain, you can check at the Vecina Beauty Supply at its address: 364 Centre Street.  Phone #: (617) 983-5380