Candy first opened La Bella Vita in Pocatello’s Black Swan Inn on November 1, 1998.  Besides herself, the salon originally began with three employees and has since expanded to nearly twenty. Although eleven years later the staff size and Main Street location have changed, the salon’s mission is still the same: To provide a fabulous staff committed to education and meeting our guests’ needs in a warm, welcoming environment.

What began as a love affair with doll hair quickly matured as Candy experimented with her own hair, as well as the heads of any other willing individuals. At the age of twelve, her mother took her to a salon for the first time, an experience Candy found completely intoxicating. She didn't want to leave.  Her desire to stay and watch the stylists as they cut and colored hair led her to purposely prevent the stylist from cutting enough hair. Her mother had to take her back to have it redone. 

Candy’s professional relationship with Aveda began in 1983.  Since then, Candy has grown La Bella Vita into Southeast Idaho’s only salon and spa offering Aveda products and services. Her biggest draw to the Aveda brand?  Aveda provides excellent continuing education opportunities for employees, as well as owners. As Candy explains, “being part of the Aveda network is like belonging to a huge family that cares deeply enough for each other that we all share our successes and sometimes even our failures in order that we can all grow and learn. Aveda's commitment  to care for the world we live in is evident in the company’s business practices and by providing botanically based products that are better for service providers and our guests, as well as for the planet.”

Candy’s decision to align herself with a company she believes in wholeheartedly is reflected by her choice to be part of the Aveda network now for nearly twenty-seven years.

Mandi joined La Bella Vita in July, 2004 as a stylist. In addition to providing expert styling services, Mandi now also serves as La Bella Vita’s Training Manager, providing mentoring and guidance to each new stylist that joins the salon’s team. Mandi’s favorite service to perform is color. “I love the creative side of color–it's what makes the difference in the way you look” she says. Her favorite Aveda product is Anti-humectant Pomade and Air Control. Mandi truly loves the people she serves. “I love knowing about my client’s lives, interests, and families. I think people love coming back because I care.”

Christina has been with La Bella Vita since 1999, making her the longest-tenured employee besides the owner. After a brief stint in Texas, Christina returned to serve her loyal clientele at La Bella Vita. Her favorite services to perform are color and haircuts. Christina recommends Aveda’s Phomollient styling foam because it offers “a medium to light hold that adds shine to any style and any hair type.” Christina approaches any situation with a good attitude and her fun personality will set you immediately at ease when you book an appointment with her.

Cassie has been styling hair at La Bella Vita since July, 2007. She enjoys performing cut and color services because she loves to give people a new look. She recommends Aveda’s Control Paste to its ability to add texture and piece-y-ness to hair.

Caitlin joined La Bella Vita in April, 2008. With more than five years of experience as a stylist, Caitlyn enjoys performing both color and cut services, as well as helping each client achieve their own unique look and sense of style. Caitlin recommends Aveda’s Beautifying Composition to her clients looking to add extra moisture and a healing touch to their skin. Book a service with Caitlyn if you’re searching for a stylist with a creative and upbeat personality.

Tiffany’s passion for being creative and trying new things led her to become a stylist in 2007. A recent addition to La Bella Vita’s team, Tiffany joined the salon in January, 2009. She loves to perform services for both hair and nails. Tiffany recommends Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother to anyone who needs a Detangler (leave in conditioner) and wants smooth hair.  She is a people-pleaser with an outgoing personality and passion for meeting new people.

Taryn joined La Bella Vita as a stylist in October, 2008. She enjoys color and cut services. She recommends Aveda’s Control Paste to accentuate her clients’ texture and its ability for piecing the hair. Taryn is very patient with a pleasing personality. She enjoys working with new clients to give them the style they want while ensuring that it is the best look for that individual.

Stacy became a stylist in 2008 and joined La Bella Vita’s staff in October, 2009.
She recommends Aveda’s Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner because of its invigorating scent and how soft if leaves the hair feeling afterwards. Stacy enjoys helping her clients step outside of the box to achieve a fresh new look and end up looking great. With her passion for style, Stacy is always willing to go a step further to give her clients a fabulous new look.

Britney joined La Bella Vita in October, 2009. She has been a stylist for four years and she particularly enjoys performing color services. She recommends Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother as a leave in conditioner to leave hair soft with added protection from heat damage. Britney is very easy to get along with and loves making others happy with her creative and artistic sense of style. Her ability to listen to each clients individual needs and pay attention to detail helps her ensure that every client leaves 100% satisfied!

Boasting seven years of experience as a certified massage therapist, Brenda has been with La Bella Vita since April, 2006. She excels at deep tissue massage and recommends Aveda’s Blue Oil for its ability to relax sore muscles.

As one of La Bella Vita’s massage therapists since April, 2006, Rebecca enjoys treating her clients to Aveda’s Caribbean Body Treatment. “The treatment makes skin feel nice and smooth and gives my clients a taste of massage,” she said.  Her clients also enjoy her finesse with rock, foot and hand massages. Rebecca recommends Aveda’s Blue Oil to help warm up and relieve sore muscles.

Rosalie has been performing massage since 1993. She joined La Bella Vita’s massage therapy team in April, 2009. Her favorite service to perform is La Bella Vita’s Fusion Stone Massage which combines the aromatic power of Aveda Pure Flower and Plant Essences with the sensation of smooth stone massage. Rosalie’s recommends Aveda’s Green Science Line Minimizer to make her client’s skin feel so soft and alive.

With nearly eight years experience, David trained at the College of Massage Therapy in Salt Lake City Utah. He joined La Bella Vita as a massage therapist in October, 2009. David’s enjoys treating his clients to his calming aura, especially through deep tissue massage. David recommends Aveda’s men’s aftershave.

Chelsi joined La Bella Vita in April, 2007. Her favorite service to perform is a French polish. Chelsi recommends Aveda’s Tourmaline Charged Eye Crème. Why? Because it gets rid and prevents wrinkles. Chelsi enjoys taking care of people who can’t take care of own their feet, and making them look beautiful. Not only is she a skilled technician, Chelsi’s bubbly, outgoing personality and creativity give her the freedom to design nails that are loud, sophisticated and timeless.

Emily joined La Bella Vita as one of the friendly faces at the front desk in July 2007. Emily’s favorite Aveda product is Light Elements Smoothing Fluid because of its ability to make hair soft and smooth out the “flyaways.” In addition to the salon’s friendly atmosphere, Emily enjoys interacting with individuals on a daily basis to help them find a service provider to meet their specific needs. She wishes to have every guest leave feeling great and well pleased with their experience at La Bella Vita.

Although she is starting out at La Bella Vita’s front desk, Angela has been an Esthetician since 2004. Angela’s favorite product is Aveda’s Tourmaline Charged Exfoliating Cleanser because it exfoliates skin without drying it out. Her favorite thing about La Bella Vita is working in an environment where, “the people who come in are happy to be here and happier when they leave.”