Beauty & Spas in Connecticut

Robbins Eye Center

Board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Kim Robbins has performed more than 8,000 LASIK procedures in her 10-year tenure as a refractive surgeon, and she was one of the first 200 doctors deemed worthy to perform LASIK by the FDA. As Medical Director of Robbins Eye Center, she alone helms the lasers during each LASIK treatment, ensuring every patient reaps the rewards of her experienced corneal sharpshooting. Additionally, Dr. Robbins has performed more than 12,000 cataract surgeries, helping clear up patients' cloudy vision so they may continue driving, reading, and spying on the neighbor's dog for years to come. She also boosts facial aesthetics with cosmetic injections.

Laser Center of Milford’s expert staff use focused light to treat unwanted hair and unwanted inches. Although once effective only on pale complexions, lasers for hair removal now work for any skin type, and Milford’s team couples treatments with a dynamic cooling device to limit discomfort. They effectively employ Zerona lasers to slim waistlines.

National board-certified acupuncturist Dr. Chul H. Han blends acupuncture, herbal medicine, and other holistic healing techniques to treat health conditions such as joint and muscle pain, digestive disorders, and anxiety. To achieve the best results, he works with clients to devise individualized treatment plans based on their health history, making sure to educate them along the way about techniques for living well and raising octuplets.

Owner Lisa Primps and her team of aestheticians, electrologists, and permanent-makeup artists have dedicated the past 21 years to helping clients reach a state of relaxation via treatments that fuse alternative and clinical spa methods. In doing so, they reach for Jan Marini, Dermalogica, and Bioelements skincare products during facials and peels, which can further be enhanced with microdermabrasion and ultrasonic technology. Rather than relying on hypnosis, aestheticians safely subtract unwanted hair from the follicles with traditional waxing or electrolysis, which uses disposable gold probes. Lisa applies her aesthetic knowledge and years of experience—which includes postgraduate work at the International Dermal Institute—during telangiectasia treatments, which gently remove broken capillaries and skin tags from the face and chest.

Just as The Primping Place Spa’s treatments stay ahead of the curve, so does its decor. The reception and treatment room is decorated from floor to ceiling with renewable materials, including Benjamin Moore VOC-free Natura paint, natural-bamboo blinds, and cotton drapes. A series of potted philodendrons help cleanse the air more effectively than washing its mouth out with soap. The Spa also sells Scentsy wickless candles and offers free tastings of weight-loss shakes and cleanses from Isagenix.

In the late 1920s, the Great Depression was rendering most Americans professionally and financially paralyzed. But in a small California kitchen, Merle Nethercutt Norman was putting a plan in motion to formulate her own skincare products and share them with family and friends. She truly believed in her formulas, knowing that by getting them on as many faces as possible, she would develop a following of customers. She was right—within a few years she and her nephew were opening their first studio in Santa Monica, and they eventually unveiled a series of independently operated stores that enabled women to take ownership during a time of gender-based limitations such as men-only restrooms.

Today, in approximately 2,000 stores across three countries, the three basic principles of Merle's original vision still apply. Each studio is independently owned and fosters an in-depth knowledge of the company's own line of makeup and skincare products. Just as Merle shared her creations with close friends and sallow mannequins more than 80 years ago, today's aestheticians embody the business's "try before you buy" philosophy. A menu of complimentary studio services—from foundation checks to express facials—allows patrons to sample the lauded brand before committing to the purchase of products or full spa treatments.

Black accents stylishly pop against the purple walls of Jules Salon, surrounding clients in chic elegance synonymous with the styling crew’s hair-snipping abilities. With 16 years of experience of her own, the eponymous stylist proudly works alongside her handpicked staff—Gina, Julia (“JJ”), and Lindsay—updating coifs with precision cuts, expert color treatments, and a few other tricks hidden up their sleeves. Masterfully executed products by Alfaparf Milano take standard color treatments, such as full or partial highlights and full-blown color swaps, to a whole new level, and potent Blue Rain conditioning serums repair broken and damaged strands better than wallowing in a pint of ice cream and listening to “All by Myself” on loop. The team retexturizes curly-cued mop tops with La Brasiliana keratin treatments and adds hair-flip worthy length with professional extensions.