Beauty & Spas in Cahokia

Imagine someone approaches with a smoothie made of organic peaches, blueberries, or mangoes, but instead of offering you a taste they gently spread its contents across your forehead and massage the sweet aromas into your skin. This surreal daydream happens daily at Pure Elegance Spa, where aestheticians devoted to organic skincare nourish complexions with their six signature fruit-smoothie facials and other treatments designed to nurse skin to optimal health. Oxygen therapy revives dull skin in tandem with parsley and cucumber, and microdermabrasion promotes cellular turnover deep within the dermis using an exfoliant of pears and poppy seeds. Beyond edible ingredients, many services also blend in products by Éminence Organic Skin Care—a Hungarian line that heals signs of aging and ushers toxins from the face and body without relying on chemicals or additives.

Those who prefer to save their appetite for later can skip the chocolate and margarita manicures in favor of airbrush makeup or waxing services that clear away fuzz on the face and body. Ocular enhancements include Xtreme Lashes eyelash extensions that add natural-looking drama, as well as an eye rescue treatment that aims to save peepers from puffiness, crow's feet, and madcap pokes from nearby Stooges.

At the time Doctor Rotskoff graduated from Washington University, he was one of only 30 doctors in the country to hold dual degrees in medicine and dentistry. He went on to combine his specialty in oral maxillofacial surgery with his expertise in cosmetic surgery, and is considered an authority on facial reconstruction in addition to body contouring and laser skin rejuvenation. When he isn't lecturing to national and international audiences or authoring chapters for leading medical journals, Dr. Rotskoff joins Dr. Timothy Gillum, a board-certified surgeon specializing in both head and neck surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Together, they oversee a staff of laser technicians who help patients discover less-invasive ways to turn back the clock. Wielding Syneron laser technology, they usher unwanted stubble off the body's map and help erase signs of aging with microdermabrasion, photofacial treatments, and ReFirme skin tightening. Renew Cosmetic Spa offers complimentary consultations to all prospective patients, encouraging them to visit the center, learn about the treatments from a specialist, and claim a favorite chair in the waiting room.

From the muscle-burning exertion of a personal-training session to the tension melting luxury of a Swedish massage, Solera Health Club & Spa furnishes everything a body needs to stay primed and polished. Three separate rooms filled with cardio machines, resistance machines, and free weights make up the health club, where personal trainers lead individuals through tailored routines designed to help them reach their fitness goals. To chisel the body for less dough, group personal-training classes give the same guidance as one-on-one sessions by giving each student one minute on each machine, creating a regimen akin to a relay race or a speed-dating session with the Transformers.

It's a different experience in the spa, where massage therapists and aesthetic experts help melt away the pain of strenuous workouts with a host of soothing treatments. Nine types of massage incorporate aromatherapeutic oils or warm volcanic stones to send muscles into a blissful stupor. Body wraps, scrubs, and facials, meanwhile, draw out impurities from the skin to leave exteriors hydrated and youthful.

The Rat Pack members were known for their smooth tunes, charming personalities, and classic style. When they visited St. Louis, the quintet kept themselves looking sharp with trips to a barbershop tucked inside the basement of the historic Chase Park Plaza. Though the original barbershop is long gone, Cutters & Co. picked up the slack, and today its staff carries on the tradition at the original barbershop's location. Cutters opened in true Rat Pack style on Frank Sinatra's 90th birthday, providing the community with artful male grooming, including expert haircuts that come with a scalp massage, a shampoo, and a Sammy Davis, Jr.–mustache application. The shop's signature service encompasses a haircut, a hot-towel facial, and a chair massage. Guests are even encouraged to kick back with a complimentary beer from Cutters' fully stocked cooler of seasonal brews. Past brands have included Corona for Cinco de Mayo, Schlafly summer lager to kick off summer 2012, and Budweiser as a tribute to the Rat Pack's favorite drink.

True to its location on the second and third floors of Firehouse Place, All Seasons Salon and Day Spa elevates minds and bodies with nature-inspired spa treatments. Goldwell and Aveda products line the shelves in a reception area whose floral décor vies for attention with the purses, clothes, shoes, and handcrafted Elle Cosmetics peeking out from the designer boutique area next door. Back in the pedicure nook, toes take baths in basins of warm water before shedding their calluses and ferrying their owners to one of the nearby manicure stations, where technicians brush fingernails with vibrant OPI polishes. Soft candle lights flicker against the walls of private aesthetic and massage rooms, while out on the salon floor stylists revivify hair with custom European coloring techniques. During the wedding season, the spa’s team tends to more than 75 bridal parties, painting nails, styling strands, and dipping drab white dresses in their vibrant hair dyes.

Led by Susan Brookshier—an aesthetician with more than 20 years of experience—the body beautifiers at Lé Jardin strive to make their clients feel beautiful through services including laser hair removal, skin restoration, electrolysis, and waxing. During a venerable variety of facial-mask treatments, aestheticians slather visages with healing doses of ginkgo biloba, green tea, and organic products from Pevonia Botanica, a brand dedicated to preserving the planet through eco-friendly packaging and by never testing products on hungry bears. Unwanted hair dissipates under the glare of the LightSheer Diode laser system, and electrolysis treatments remove hair through heat-activated currents. To complement its illuminating services, Lé Jardin also dispenses a full line of natural skincare products.