After being gifted with a free car on The Oprah Winfrey Show, makeup artist Kiley Russell sold her prize and used the profits to launch Big Girl Cosmetics, a line of mineral-based makeup and body products never tested on animals or underage mannequins. Years later, the company opened Big Girl Makeup Bar & Spa in Hyde Park, where friendly staffers regularly pamper visitors with facials, waxing, and massages infused with Big Girl products. Nail artisans augment manicures and pedicures with a chocolate scrub or honey-almond lotion before slicking talons with DBP- and formaldehyde-free polish. Feminine décor, such as bright pink walls and silhouettes of sassy gals, reflects the energetic, cheerful service that accompanies even the most relaxing of massages and facials. Eager to go the extra mile, the staff tops off every facial with a shoulder massage and a complimentary forged report card with straight As.
