Antioch Beauty and Salons

Owner Carol Carey regularly travels to London, Paris, and Milan to snatch up the latest in beauty trends and techniques which she quickly totes back to her salon, a chic beauty haven boasting a lengthy menu of hair, skin, and nail services. Bound by a strong culture of creativity, the dedicated staff of experienced stylists, manicurists, aestheticians, and massage therapists consult with clients to determine their aesthetic needs. They then carefully and skillfully execute the requested service, from anti-aging facials to hydrating manicures.

A reflection of Manhattan-style lofts can be seen in the spacious salon’s exposed-brick walls, high-vaulted ceilings, and suspended hair dryers, each an element that Carey fell in love with while studying hair coloring in New York. The contemporary retreat also boasts a row of European-style shampoo bowls, which give stylists 360 degree access to suds up manes with shampoo and Perrier, while advanced hair dryers blow-out heat from three angles for a faster processing time.

Over her more than 20-year career, Christina Morain has blossomed from makeup artist to account coordinator for major cosmetics lines to opening Christina Morain Permanent Makeup, which transcends its namesake service through a range of skincare and waxing expertise. With her nonjudgmental demeanor and understanding of beauty's importance, Christina puts clients at ease as she defines sparse brows, highlights fading lip lines, and even corrects past permanent makeup applications. Meanwhile, 10 types of facial services take specialized approaches toward banishing blemishes, erasing fine lines, and keeping facial freckles from rearranging to spell "Wash me." To retain refreshed complexions, Christina stocks her spa's shelves with a range of beauty products from brands including Image Skincare, Dermalogica, and Cry Baby semi-permanent mascara.

At Trendy Nails, pink curtains cascade between plush pedicure thrones, lending clients a bit of personal space as nail technicians fuss about their feet with masks and files. Warm footbaths kick off the treatments. Technicians attend to fingers and toes with laser-like focus as they shape the nails, treat the cuticles, massage knots from hands and feet, and dress digits with striking polish.

Elan Medical Spa was founded by two physicians—Drs. Madeline Andrew and Paul Kivela—who have struggled with the same health, fitness, and aging concerns as their patients. They have researched and trained with some of the top industry experts, learning all they can about weight-loss services such as the HCG diet and noninvasive body contouring, as well as downtime-free aesthetic treatments ranging from cosmetic injectables to fat-dissolving Viora Reaction radio-frequency sessions. The specialists also design executive health programs for occupational athletes, CEOs who take the stairs to their top-floor offices, and other high-powered clients who need to function at optimum hormone and fitness levels.

In 2002, beauty-school graduate Paula took everything she had—$5,000 and a dream of combining beauty services with holistic healing—and opened A Harmony Nail Spa. She even poured countless hours into hand-building many of the spa's unique furniture pieces and cyborg employees. Since the humble beginning, she and her fully licensed staff have pampered the minds and bodies of numerous clients with drastically different needs, from cancer patients seeking meditation classes to hardworking mothers overdue for an indulgent manicure.

Upon entering the approximately 2,000-square-foot facility, guests waltz through the gift shop's aisles before entering one of the spa's specific treatment areas. In the nail studio, clients lounge on purple thrones shaped like purple hands and dip their feet into soothing pedicure sinks. A Harmony Nail Spa also houses a garden café with free beverages, an Internet cafe with free WiFi, and a meditation lounge with freedom to close your eyes without sleeping.

Q&R Harmony Day Spa's aestheticians and massage therapists encourage relaxation and rejuvenation with skin and body services such as targeted facials, massages, or microdermabrasion. Wielding custom masks, exfoliation techniques, and ultrasonic technology, the team leaves faces smooth so that patrons can enjoy increased attention or dress up as a bowling lane for Halloween. They also draw on a menu of waxing services that whisk away unwanted stubble, eyebrow tinting to match recently colored curls, and hot-stone massages to obliterate tension. While the staff pampers, pastel-hued treatment rooms lull psyches into tranquil states and help patrons return to work or wash off sprayed-painted stress-wrinkles with available showers.