OUR STORY
The concept of The Beauty Bar Nosara was built on a dream that two ladies shared for over a decade. Califa Rojas and Melissa Chong met while on holiday at a surf retreat in Jaco, Costa Rica.
The ladies became fast friends and made it a tradition to return to Costa Rica annually. Califa and Melissa traveled to many destinations all over the globe together, yet they always longed to be back by the seaside of Nosara. Where dirt roads bring good people.
The ladies found maintaining a basic beauty routine in the rainforest nearly impossible unless they were willing to travel to a big city like San Jose. Their other option was to go to a high-priced hotel spa, where they often found the atmosphere stuffy and uninviting. During their annual trip to Costa Rica in June 2018, the ladies enjoyed surfing, driving quads ‘especially through the dirt’, horseback riding and playing tennis. One day sitting alongside the Pacific Ocean, their souls and spirits were full of joy and light…until they looked down and saw that the jungle had wreaked havoc on their skin and nails. Feeling a bit rough around the edges they decided it was time create a beauty space in the jungle for women just like themselves. The idea came into fruition quickly. The ladies would create a beauty boutique that was accessible, beautiful, fun and stylish.
Califa and Melissa strongly believe that no matter who you are, where you live, or what you do, everyone deserves to feel pretty and be pampered. Pura Vida.
ABOUT THE OWNERS
Califa Rojas has 15+ years in higher education/law and policy. She has worked as a VC and an Advocate on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. in the Sustainability, Medical and Technological fields. With both her boys off to University, it was the perfect time to make the dream of starting a business in Costa Rica a reality. She is originally from San Diego, California and has lived and visited Costa Rica for over 20 years.
Melissa Chong has over two decades of experience in the wellness, spa and beauty industry in addition to a marketing background. She has worked with numerous prestigious skin care lines as well as with 5-star Hotel Resort Spas in North America. Traveling as a consultant to the Middle East and Europe, she has assisted in the building of spas as well as launching brands into top tier department stores. She is originally from Toronto, Canada and has lived and worked in Boston, New York City, and Vancouver.