Tammy Coleman’s favorite childhood memories are of watching her mother get ready. They would discuss school projects and life in general as Tammy intently watched her mother apply mascara and spritz glamorous perfume.

 When she grew up, Tammy dreamed of opening a hair and makeup studio where women could not only get their hair done but also discover and strengthen relationships.

 Tammy and her mother, Marsha, decided to turn her dream into a reality and started looking at locations. A space was found, an architect was hired and plans were drawn, but luck wasn’t on the mother daughter duo’s side. Due to a zoning issue, Tammy and Marsha were forced to look elsewhere.

 Four months later, they found a new location, and La Bichette was born: offering blowouts for $35 and makeup for $40 with some varying price points. Services bare French names such as “Babette,” “Violette” and “Nicolette” in keeping with its vintage French theme.

 Tammy and Marsha found inspiration for the store’s name and theme during a trip to France. “We were enamored by French women. They dress impeccably, their high heels are a mile high, but there’s also that side of them that is so remarkable, strong and quick…[t]hey balance femininity and feminism. We wanted to embody that entire sphere of a French woman in our store,” Tammy said.

 Guests of all ages from “toddlers in booster seats with their mommies all the way to the young at heart” can enjoy the French music and movies that play throughout the store, according to Marsha.

 La Bichette’s location on Hillcrest Avenue and McFarlin Boulevard enables them to cater to SMU girls as well. Junior Emily Hooper was pleased with her first experience at La Bichette when she and a friend got their hair styled before the first football game. Emily said, “[T]hey were so accommodating. My stylist did a wonderful job, listened to what I wanted,= and my hairstyle lasted all day.”

 That same dedication to customer service is why Tammy and Marsha believe their salon stands on a different tier from other salons in Snider Plaza. “We do whatever we need to do. We also listen to what our customers tell us they need. If we can make it happen, we will,” Marsha said.

 La Bichette is open seven days a week to serve its customers’ needs. Stylists are available Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

 Marsha continues that her idea of customer service isn’t confined to solely monetary service. A SMU freshman came into the store, and confided in Marsha that she was feeling homesick. “I gave her a hug and told her she could always come by and hang out instead of always coming for a service. We want to be a second home for girls to feel safe.”

Hairstylist Brooke Murrell agrees that La Bichette has a personal feel to it. “People tend to come in here and become family very quickly.” Murrell enjoys working in this kind of sisterly environment.

She added, “I come in and do three or four blowouts and hang out. We have our little talk sessions about boys and all that fun girl stuff in between sessions.”

Junior Kim Haller feels her hairstylist didn’t work as quickly as she would have liked. “Its competitors do the same service but in less time. When getting ready for a function, time is of the essence. Although my hair looked great, I found it frustrating to wait over an hour.”

But, Haller does agree with La Bichette’s animal-friendly policy. Displeased with the products available on the market, Tammy spent 14 months developing her own line of products.

“We wanted to put our names on a product we felt good about selling. We never want to do harm to our customers or the environment.” Everything, from hairdryers to brushes, was chosen carefully to fit with La Bichette’s agenda.

Tammy is no longer the little girl playing dress up in her mother’s bathroom. But La Bichette has given them the opportunity to live the same routine all over again. “[Every morning] we have our coffee, sit in front of the mirrors and do our makeup together. This space has come full circle.”