By GINNY COOPER MCCARLEY / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO—For cousins Lakitta Hinton and Katrina Cartwell Allen, opening their own beauty salon was a life-long dream.

“My cousin and I always said we’d open our own salon one day,” Hinton said.

“It’s been a dream,” Allen agreed. “We’ve talked about it for the longest.”

Beauty Unlimited is a family business, with Hinton’s mother, niece and cousin working at the salon as well.

After working as a nurse for 14 years, Hinton decided to pursue her passion for hair.

“God said, ‘what about hair, go back to your first love,’” Hinton said, and soon after she attended Southeastern School of Cosmetology. Following graduation, Hinton worked for a variety of salons including work with a Clairol color specialist for two years and Smart Styles.

For Allen, hair has also been a life-long interested.

“I’ve been doing this all my life,” she said.

The salon opened on July 1, and business has been going well since the opening, Hinton said.

“It’s been going good. We’ve been busy everyday since we opened,” she said.

For Hinton and Allen, both life-long residents of Montevallo, bringing a unique business to the community was important and offering amenities to customers was important. The salon offers snacks and drinks, free of charge.

“We’re bringing something Montevallo isn’t used to,” Allen said.