Beauty Plus in Baltimore: Full-Service Beauty Supply with Professional-Grade Products
Beauty Plus is a full-service beauty supply store located on North Avenue that stocks professional cosmetics, hair care, and skincare lines alongside everyday drugstore brands, making it a working supply stop for both licensed cosmetologists and individual consumers in Baltimore.
What Beauty Plus Actually Is
Beauty Plus operates as a hybrid retail model: part professional beauty distributor, part walk-in beauty supply shop. The store carries lines used in salons and barbershops across the city, including color, chemical treatments, and styling tools, alongside consumer brands. This dual focus means the inventory skews toward products that Baltimore's service professionals actually buy, rather than toward novelty or trend-driven items that sit on shelves. The space is organized by category rather than by price point, which rewards customers who know what they're looking for but can frustrate browsers.
Product Categories and Price Range
Professional hair color lines (Clairol, SoftSheen-Carson, Revlon Professional) run $6 to $12 per box, significantly lower than salon markup but higher than drugstore equivalents at big-box retailers. Relaxers and texturizers for natural hair care range from $8 to $15 per kit. Extensions, wigs, and hairpieces occupy dedicated shelf space, with synthetic wigs priced $20 to $60 and human hair options from $40 upward. Skincare and makeup lean toward mid-range brands (MAC, NYX, e.l.f.) rather than luxury or prestige lines; foundations typically run $8 to $16. Styling tools, including flat irons and blow dryers, start around $25 and reach $100 for higher-wattage professional models. Prices on inventory items are generally fixed; stock and pricing should be confirmed by calling ahead, as professional-grade product costs fluctuate quarterly.
How Beauty Plus Compares to Other Baltimore Options
Beauty Plus differs from Sally Beauty Supply, which operates two locations in Baltimore (Fells Point and near Security Boulevard) and emphasizes a wider range of professional brands under one corporate structure with consistent pricing and loyalty rewards. Sally Beauty carries more fragrance and nail care depth. Choose Sally Beauty if you need a specific professional line guarantee or want transaction history across locations; choose Beauty Plus if you prefer independent pricing flexibility and local inventory curation, or if you live closer to North Avenue.
Beauty Plus also contrasts with drugstore-only options like the CVS and Walgreens beauty aisles across the city, which stock no professional color or salon-grade tools and carry only mass-market brands. The trade-off is selection: Beauty Plus will have specific professional colors or extensions a drugstore won't, but won't offer the impulse beauty novelties those chains stock.
For boutique skincare and prestige makeup, downtown Baltimore locations like Sephora (in The Shops at Canton and on Pratt Street) serve a different customer base entirely, with luxury brands and higher price points ($30 to $70 for foundation alone).
Who Beauty Plus Serves and Who It Doesn't
Beauty Plus suits Baltimore cosmetologists, braiders, and barbers who need reliable stock of professional color, relaxers, and tools at prices better than salon supply houses but without the bulk-order minimums some distributors impose. It also serves individuals who color or relax their own hair and want professional-grade product without salon markup. Natural hair enthusiasts who know their preferred brands (Carol's Daughter, Cantu, SheaMoisture) will find partial selection here.
Beauty Plus is poorly suited for luxury beauty shoppers, those seeking prestige European brands, or customers who need extensive product consultation. It's not ideal for anyone seeking rare or trending items; the inventory reflects what professionals use, not what Instagram promotes. First-time visitors unfamiliar with product names or brand differences may find the store layout unhelpful without staff guidance.
What the First Visit Involves
Upon entry, you'll encounter organized aisles by product type: hair color in one section, extensions and wigs in another, skincare and makeup in a third. Staff are present but not aggressively sales-oriented; they'll help if you ask but won't volunteer recommendations unsolicited. If you arrive with a specific product name or professional line in mind, checkout is quick. If you're browsing or need guidance on alternatives, allow 15 to 20 minutes. The store accepts cash and card. No appointment is necessary.
Hours, Parking, and Logistics
Beauty Plus operates Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (confirm hours by phone, as retail hours shift seasonally). Street parking on North Avenue is available but often competitive during midday; the store has no dedicated lot. Public transit via MTA buses serving North Avenue is a practical alternative during peak hours.
Beauty Plus fills a specific supply role in Baltimore's service economy: professional enough for licensed stylists and barbers buying in modest quantities, accessible enough for home users who want better product than drugstores stock, and local enough to know what Baltimore's diverse hair and skincare markets actually need.
