Cozmo's Haircolor & Design Studio

Cozmo Pelia always had a penchant for art. Initially, he planned to design cars. Luckily for his customers he decided to pursue a different career – hairstyling.

Taking his passion for art into the beauty industry was a good match for Pelia who currently owns and operates Cozmo’s Hair Design Studio on East Main Street with his wife Rita Bustamante.

The couple opened the business that specializes in hair coloring in Downtown Freehold three years ago.

“We live in the borough and we love it here. We wanted to open our salon on Main Street,” Pelia said, adding that the couple waited four years for this particular building to be empty.

The elegant, yet comfortable salon features low level and high-level lighting for its clients, which according to Pelia, come closest to replicating natural light outside.

Pelia, who studied with Vidal Sassoon in California and Paul Mitchell in New York, previously owned salons in Red Bank and Matawan. He said that the salon staff will do any type of hairstyle but their true niche is hair coloring.

It’s really all about the color here. The salon does not do nails or massages or body waxing but rather concentrates its efforts on what it does best – offering its clients the best hair coloring possible.

In fact, according to Bustamante, who is an American Board Certified Master Colorist, this salon was built with the goal of coloring hair in mind.

The white walls that offer a clean, sleek look are not just for show but have a specific purpose. Bustamante said the white walls prevent any possible reflection onto the hair as it’s being colored as opposed to a colored wall which might affect the ability to do the most accurate job.

Bustamante studied with Brad Johns, Beth Minardi and the Doves at Wella, all in New York. She has also studied in Los Angeles and other cities.

The salon, designed by Pelia, has a “high-end look with a neighborhood feel along with an industrial design mirroring the downtown village in So Ho, New York,” he described.

The salon operates on two components – design and color – and the staff are experts in both areas.

The Design Team, led by Pelia, offers hair cuts based on a “classic foundation with a sexy edge.” The stylists received most of their education with New York stylists.

The Color Team is led by Bustamante, who said she tends to draw inspiration for color from nature, such as flowers, animals and landscapes.

The salon provides single-process coloring, partial foils, full-head foils, Balayage, color blocking and glazing as well as Brazilian straightening and keratin straightening treatments. It also offers haircuts and blowouts as well as deep-conditioning treatments.

And if you’ve a desire to try luxurious high-quality hair extensions, the team is here to help.

If your hair needs a completely new cut, color and nourishing deep-conditioning, Cozmo’s salon is the perfect treat for your tresses.