Beauty & Spas in Highland Springs

Within Noreen's Salon & Day Spa's cream-colored walls lies the solution to soothing world-weary appendages and revitalizing hair, skin, and nails. During massages, thorough hands work kinks out of muscles with strokes that draw upon Swedish techniques and aromatherapy. To instill life into dull mitts, staffers shape nails and cuticles before bedecking each thumb with a replica of the thimble worn by Betsy Ross as she sewed America’s first pair of tweezers. Waxing rids bodies of unwanted fuzz, and the salon's other hair treatments help renew tired manes. The salon also stocks its cabinets with brand-name products such as OPI gel polish, as well as custom-made concoctions designed to tackle individual clients' needs.

Mercedes Branch set out to establish a salon where clients of all ethnicities can receive quality beauty care that meets any special requirements they may have. Her team at Perception Salon & Spa includes international color specialists, master precision cutting specialists, master nail technicians, and licensed massage therapists prepared to do just that. The experienced team, who has a combined 50 years of experience, perform a whole host of services in a relaxing environment accented with deep oranges and dark chocolates. Aside from haircutting and coloring, the staff offers Bioelements facials, mani-pedis, and many modalities of massage.

The certified therapists behind Escape Massage knead away curmudgeonly knots seven days a week inside 10 private and two couples massage rooms. Three-inch high-density foam massage tables cushion bodies while warm waves of heat fend off goose bumps as they disperse through fitted cotton-flannel sheets and quiet heaters. After therapists dim the wall sconces, they manipulate sinews with Swedish, deep-tissue, aromatherapeutic, and hot-stone techniques, concluding each session with hot towels upon request. Escape Massage also provides prenatal massage tables, which come with specially designed padding and pillows that allow moms-to-be to lay face-down and solicit parenting advice from Mother Earth.

When customers step out of Rock It Tan, they often sport that fresh-from-an-island-vacation glow. This is due to the salon’s three levels of tanning beds and automated, UV-free Mystic Tan spray booth. Both options cast a bronzy hue to physiques, which can be enhanced or extended by a range of Australian Gold and Designer Skin products.

The nail technicians at We Nailed It! enhance toes and fingertips within My Salon Suite. After trimming nails and taming cuticles, staffers daub natural nails with classic polishes from Essie and OPI or adhere and fill steadfast acrylic nails. They also exfoliate hands and feet with orange-scented scrubs nourish dry skin and help hands with their Madame Tussauds auditions.

The stylists at It Salon arrived at their chairs from different parts of the world, but they all share a passion for hair design and artistry. From the salon’s president and “sovereign empress of the Richmond salon community” to their very own “perm queen” (as they describe themselves on the salon’s Facebook page), each of the half-dozen strand savants has a special talent, boasting certifications in products such as Goldwell hair color and Brazilian Blowout smoothing systems. Men and women of all ages step into the chicly weathered brick building for a clip and, if they like, a glass of wine or beer. Before the appointment, they lounge in a dramatic black-and-white waiting area lit by a chandelier that resembles an enormous pompom or exploding snowman head.