Style Unlocked: The Beauty of Confidence
Veronica Amendola Penzone helps others embrace their own beauty, inside and out
Veronica Amendola Penzone has always had a knack for hair. She started styling friends and family in high school, then decided to go to beauty school. “You know, just until I figured out what I really wanted to do,” she laughed.
Luckily, with natural talent and the entrepreneurial opportunities the beauty industry provides, Amendola Penzone built a thriving career. She opened the award-winning, full-service BBV Salon in the heart of Scottsdale in 2008.
“Now I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said. “I was a single mom – a teenage mom – and this career allowed me to make a living, raise my son and put him in private school. It’s been an amazing trade for me.”
As a beauty expert, Veronica is no stranger to fashion. From the softball field to the red carpet, her personal style is all about embracing what works best for her body and is comfortable. “It’s about combining different things and finding what comes together and looks good on you,” she said.
In the salon, it’s all black or white professional looks with pops of color in accessories. But outside, Veronica describes her style as versatile.
“I grew up a tomboy. I’m from the Bronx, so I have that side,” she said. “I feel really comfortable in a ball cap and jeans or in my Adidas sweatsuit. And of course I feel comfortable in a nice gown going to functions with Paul.”
Veronica enjoys helping her husband, Sheriff Paul Penzone, find his fashionable flair outside a uniform.
“He thinks I don’t know this, but I’m onto him. When we’re getting ready for an event, he’ll wait to see what I’m wearing. Like, he’ll be dressed and ready to go, and then I’ll put something on and he changes. He’ll ask me for my opinion, too,” Amendola Penzone said.
When it comes to her hair, she usually wears it down – curly or straight, mixing it up with the occasional ponytail. One of her go-to techniques is applying a bit of gel and braiding her hair at night, then taking out the braids in the morning for a cool wave.
“I feel like if your hair and makeup are done a certain way, you could put anything on and you’re going to look great,” she said.
Finding the best beauty look is this master stylist’s forte. Veronica works closely with her clients to create an individual look that exemplifies each person’s personal style. “We try to bring out each person’s inner beauty,” Amendola Penzone said. “It’s amazing that we can facilitate an instant result to make people happy. There’s nothing like it.”
Veronica and her team also lend their time and talents to various nonprofits across the Valley, inspiring self-confidence in those who have suffered some of the hardest situations. For example, those people who have had to undergo Cosmetic Surgery after an illness or accident – Veronica and her team help these people regain some confidence. The BBV Salon team has impacted more than 100 individuals, from haircuts and styling to full-on surprise makeovers and everything in between. “I’ve been lucky to be surrounded with a team of coworkers that are like-minded and want to give back. I couldn’t do it myself,” she said.
About every six weeks, the BBV team goes to cut hair at Circle the City, a Valley-based nonprofit focused on innovative healthcare solutions that address the needs of those facing homelessness.
Veronica and her team have gone to jails to style and cut women’s hair for their graduation from MOSAIC, a substance-abuse and mental-health rehabilitation program. In the process, they help build the women’s confidence as they go on to look for jobs and continue their journey to success. “When you look good, you feel good,” said Amendola Penzone.
The BBV team has also volunteered services to clients at the Dream Center and Central Arizona Shelter Services, done hair and makeup for kids at the Village Academy of Childhelp for their holiday program and assisted with numerous nonprofit events.
This year, BBV partnered with StreetLightUSA, an organization focused on young girls at risk or victims of human trafficking. They hosted 12 girls in the salon ranging in age from 13 to 18 to listen to a speaker, have lunch and receive haircuts and blow dries.
“This is why I love helping these girls. Because when I was a teenager and was pregnant, and had my son and became a teenage mom, I could see the look in people’s eyes. They would look at me like, ‘Man, your life is over,” said Amendola Penzone. “I remember that look. I remember people pitying me. Now, look where I am.”
Led by her faith and empathetic spirit, Veronica believes she is where she is today so she can make a difference in the lives of other young women.
“God has been a big part of guiding me, giving me wisdom, surrounding me with the right people. That’s probably why I give back so much. Because I feel like that could have been me,” said Amendola Penzone. “I want to encourage other young girls and say, ‘Don’t give up when people look at you like your life is over. It’s not.'”
Whether in her salon, styling celebrities or in the jails, Veronica is boosting confidence and inspiring her clients celebrate their individual style.
“Helping people discover their own true beauty, making people feel great and embracing that we are all different – that’s the mission,” she said. “It’s not like old times where everyone had to have a beehive. Everybody can look different now and discover their own beauty, no matter who they are.”
