Belmont, CA Spa and Massage

Owner Toni Moore maintains a comfortable, homey salon-spa environment so that her clients can truly relax while being pampered. Swathed in earth tones, her beauty emporium boasts plush pink couches, framed artwork, and large windows, as well as verdant plants that dot the space with fresh green hues and occasionally demand new haircuts. Moore and her staff treat their clients to services for the whole body, from salon sessions in the form of haircuts, hair color, and relaxers to spa treatments such as facials and massages.

Inside A Cut Above Hair Salon, Laura of Lovely Looks by Laura adds finishing touches to her clients' looks with eyelash extensions, waxes, and spray tans. During eyelash-extension appointments, Laura bonds 35 to 40 extensions to individual lashes for a look that lasts up to three weeks. To keep up looks, Laura also offers touchup appointments to fill in any missing extensions after two weeks.

Massage therapist Jeri Parks has more than two decades of experience in administering acupressure massages in the traditional Japanese amma style. This ancient technique relieves muscular discomfort via sequenced stretches and soothing pressure targeted at particular problem areas. Oils and lotions pamper skin, and trigger-point therapy works to alleviate pain and chronic muscle tension. Parks also administers off-site chair massage services at office gatherings, fundraisers, and tournaments of musical chairs.

The Kneaded Spot specializes not only in familiar massage styles such as the Swedish technique, but also BowenWork, a three-decade-old therapy style invented by famed practitioner Tom Bowen. The outfit's massage services tend to privilege relaxation over pain relief, though massage can still lead to side benefits such as more restful sleep and an end to screaming matches with your trapezius muscle. BowenWork, on the other hand, focuses on alleviating pain, realigning and resetting the body through gentle rolls over precise points in order to aid in recovery from accidents and sports injuries.

After suffering a life-altering injury in 2009, Aimee founded Mystic Hands and Body Work to share her strategies for pain reduction through services such as massage, reflexology, and reiki. The deep relaxation of craniosacral release eases migraines and chronic ear infections. For muscular stiffness and soreness, Aimee employs the flowing strokes of Swedish massage. She also makes house calls to help pet animals with the pain, inflexibility, and chronic stress that arises from high-speed tail chases.

Former MAC artist and professional stylist Meghan Braida channels her creativity onto clients from the neck up, designing hair and cosmetic makeovers inside her bright downtown Burlingame lounge. Hair services with Redken and Kenra products may color or smooth out locks, and makeup applications add flattering tints to both men and women's features, accented by the arches of artfully waxed eyebrows.

Before their appointments, Meghan's guests can sip on wine or fan hovering butterfly clips away from sweet-smelling herbal tea. The lounge's lipstick-red dresser and florid patterned couch cast a crisp Victorian vibe over hardwood floors, and an intimate styling station stresses the personalized elements of Meghan's work. Epic Artistry borders Polished Nail Care as well as several boutiques, enabling each visitor to nab a new aesthetic in a single errand.