For Dr. Karen Diaz Meaike, beauty routines are a must. Not for vanity, but for self-care. Having worked in child welfare for 22 years before splitting her time between Connecticut and Boca Raton, taking the time to get her hair and makeup done is a tiny escape.
“When you’re young, you have so much energy, and you just go, go, go. You don’t realize that taking care of yourself is a huge component of that, right? It was my treat, being able to go get a massage or get my hair and makeup done,” she says.
Now working in real estate, she’s added “salon owner” to her repertoire. A longtime “professional client” of Blushington in New York, Diaz Meaike opened the first franchise outside of the Empire State this spring (19635 FL-7 Suite 40 in Boca Raton), offering hair, wig, makeup, and skin care services. For those needing a blowout and makeup on the regular for meetings, luncheons, and special events, there are also membership tiers.
“We provide you a very luxury experience, but also meeting time constraints that every busy person has these days,” Diaz Meaike says. (blushington.com)
How do you balance makeup with summer sweat?
In this weather, you don’t want it to be caked on, and so we have a lot of very good products that withstand humidity and also that you feel comfortable in. … Madison is one of our makeup artists, and she’s super, super popular, and we do a lot with regard to product knowledge, so really understanding the products. She’s going to be working on putting my summer routine together for me, as she knows I don’t go anywhere without some form of makeup.
How are products selected?
Corporate really works with the product lines directly; they’ve created these relationships. … We’re the first franchise, so we have specific products within those lines that we have here; however, we’ve empowered the artists here to tell us based on their knowledge and expertise, but also based on the feedback from clientele.
You have vitiligo [a condition that causes skin to lose color or pigmentation. —Ed]. How does that make you more cognizant of the products offered?
I’m obviously very sensitive. … We have BeautyRX by Dr. Schultz, and it’s very good for sensitive skin. It’s not abrasive in any which way, shape, or form. And then we have some eye patches that infuse the moisture in your face, all to kind of prep to receive the makeup application.
How important is serving different hair types?
That’s prime; that’s paramount. Blushington itself has always prided themselves on being very inclusive. Obviously, I have textured hair. Like I said, I’m a professional client, so to speak, so I’m very particular. In training the staff … I’m a tough client.
Having wig services is unique. Why offer it?
My opinion is that wigs are becoming more of a fashion statement, rather than just out of necessity. People are very intrigued by that. We’re getting everyone from all walks of life being able to change up [their] hair without having to commit to a style. … It’s like putting on a whole new outfit.
This story is from the July/August 2026 issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe to the magazine.
