Bridgewater Resident Returns As Salon-Mom

I have a confession to make before I start this column.

I am about the most tomboyish woman on the planet.

This is not an exaggeration.

I can only do about three hair styles, which is good since I haven't changed a default ponytail in about 20 years, and I only wear makeup when I absolutely have to. My normal outfit is jeans—the rattier and more broken in the better—with a punk or ska show T-shirt and black Converse All-Stars.

I've been known to text or call people on the morning of an event because I forgot how to apply some part of my makeup—is it eyeshadow then eye liner, or the other way around—and I seriously start going through withdrawal if I don't wear Cons in a 24-hour period.

I'd rather spend money on show tickets than new clothes, and a large part of my shopping strategy revolves around how the clothing holds up in the mosh pit.

I am not the person you'd find in Gatsby Salon, the star of the Style Network's reality show, "Jerseylicious."  In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd give most of the women on the show, and probably some of the men, a heart attack or a major culture shock.

Despite this, I found myself Sunday night tuned to the Style Network for the reality show's season two premiere.

For those who aren't familiar with the show, it's an hour-long reality program that follows seven employees—all stylists or makeup artists—at Green Brook's Gatsby Salon, including salon owner and Bridgewater resident, Gayle Giacomo.

The show debuted its first season in March, and features a cast of seven, namely owner Giacomo; her daughter Christy Pereira; makeup artists Olivia Blois Sharpe and Alexa Prisco; and hairdressers Tracy Dimarco, Anthony Lombardi and GiGi Liscio.

The fact that Giacomo repeats her role from season one as salon-mom, and occasional referee, is apparent from the opening moments of season two. She's not only running an event to promote Gatsby's spray tans and wondering where makeup artist Sharpe is as the episode opens—Sharpe's doing makeup at an event for one of the other makeup artist's, Prisco's, company—but breaking up the fight between Dimarco and Sharpe once Sharpe gets to the salon.

Since the lease on Sharpe's Hummer expired, she's at the mercy of friends for rides until she buys a car.

To state the obvious, the rivalry between Dimarco and Sharpe runs strong in the second season from its beginnings in season one.

In addition, Giacomo's daughter, Pereira, is seven months pregnant, and going through a slump brought on by the changes to her body. The premiere didn't focus greatly on the salon manager's trials with running a salon while pregnant, however, it's a story possibility that may pop up later in the season—and it'll be interesting to see how she handles any spats between Dimarco and Sharpe.

Pereira does agree to a pregnancy photo shoot run by Prisco, as a way to record her first pregnancy and to regain a sense of sexy.

It's reality television, however unrealistic that can be, so you know there's going to be something wild about the photo shoot. This time, it's Prisco's idea of human sex trafficking as a shoot theme, which she attempts to compliment with models dressed as burlesque dancers.

I have to agree with Pereira on this one—I don't care how artistic and risque and political it is, sex trafficking and someone's first pregnancy really don't mix. The two probably shouldn't ever mix.

There's also relationship drama for stylist Dimarco. A day as a guest consultant at her beauty school has her hoping to add photos to her portfolio, but her boyfriend, Lorenzo, seems more concerned with goofing off than taking photos.

I actually felt bad for Dimarco in this case, even though she's the show's villain—it's not easy when someone who is supposed to care about you and be there for you just doesn't get why something's important.

Actually, not easy is an understatement. It's horrible, whether you're a Jerseylicious girl or a Jersey-punk girl.

There's a mostly happy ending for the premiere. Pereira's photo shoot shifts to what she's comfortable with, producing a photo that Prisco reveals at the salon, and Sharpe buys a deal-on-wheels car to transport her to and from work and clubs.

Tracey appears to dump Lorenzo, which I'm sure will come up later in the season—and probably cause another spat with Sharpe.

It's all a day in the life of a hair salon, right?