Beauty & Spas in Homer Glen

Despite a long list of beautifying hair services and soothing massages, the most important sense at C'zar Salon-Spa is not sight or touch, but smell. Stemming from natural Aveda products, aromas drift throughout the space, tinting the air with rosemary, peppermint, and lavender scents that evoke pastoral scenes pulled straight out of the organic farms on which many of their ingredients grew. The Stress-Fix line of lotions—whose fragrances help to reduce anxiety—cloaks hands and feet in sage during specialty mani-pedis, and customized blends of essential oils augment Elemental Nature massages and facials.

Plants play a role in even the most detailed procedures at C'zar Salon-Spa. Flowers contribute extracts to the salon's cosmetics, and Nufree hair-removal formulas provide a botanical alternative to wax that's more gentle than tweezing with a venus flytrap. Although they don't incorporate leafy greens, wellness treatments such as acupuncture and cupping strive to round out makeovers by goading the body’s healing processes. For special events, the staff can accommodate groups inside the calming venue or transport their perfumed practices to a specified location.

Five of the staff members at Headlines Salon & Spa have been pampering clients there for more than a decade—one as long as 23 years. Their dedication to relaxation and aesthetics is evident in their services, which range from specialty facials and peels to soothing hot-stone massages and body wraps. They also customize packages that prep brides-to-be for their big days, protecting nails with no-chip manicures, gathering hair into custom updos, and strategically positioning veils to conceal antennae. Wooden fixtures and a distressed-copper sculpture of the sun make the space as warm and welcoming as the people who work there.

Inside Ultimate Exposure Tanning Centers' 34 Chicagoland locations, a full lineup of UV- and spray-tanning equipment infuse skin with a healthy summer glow year-round. Individual sessions in the automated spray-tanning booths—such as VersaSpa—or UV beds gild bodysuits for nights on the town, and unlimited monthly packages fashion a continuous golden hue previously only available to sunbathing satellites. The salon stocks a variety of tan-accelerating lotions from Swedish Beauty, Australian Gold, and Designer Skin, which deepen bronze hues and moisturize skin to fashion a long-lasting radiance.

The gurus at Colorific Hair Color Salon believe that in order to successfully transform looks, you need a plan. Before any strands shift hues, a director colorist meets with new clients to craft an attack strategy based on their hair type, facial features, and desire to camouflage themselves in a field of wheat. A dedicated technician then custom blends a mix of Schwarzkopf color products, deftly painting and using foils to create the desired look.

Although their products are high quality and their services are indulgent, Colorific’s crew keeps costs low. To do this, they let patrons blow-dry and finish their own look at a self-styling station. But for those seeking a full-service salon day, they also offer precision cuts, styling lessons, and makeup applications using the natural, preservative-free bareMinerals line by Bare Escentuals.

Fine Skin Dermatology and Medical Spa director Renuka H. Bhatt, MD keeps a close eye on her staff of board-certified dermatologists, aestheticians, and physicians' assistants as they work to foster skin rejuvenation. Like schoolchildren solving a word problem about peaches, techs trained in IPL hair removal deftly subtract fuzz, and visages in need of a pick-me-up can turn to a range of dermal fillers and UV-light treatments. Throughout their myriad treatments, skin specialists employ skin-preserving product lines such as NeoStrata, Pevonia, Kinerase, and Obagi.

As he reported to Sheridan Road Magazine, Charles Ifergan took the first steps toward establishing his hairstyling empire at the age of 13, when he talked his way into a job at the chic Paris salon where his older brother worked. Just a decade later, he settled down in the Chicago area to establish the first of four salon locations and try to convince the John Hancock building to do something about its two glaring cowlicks, and his work has since garnered media features in publications such as Vogue and Marie Claire. Charles's continually educated stylists keep their deft fingers on the pulse of fashion trends, which they transform into edgy hairstyles for women and men. In addition to drenching hair in deep hydration with moroccan oil and texturizing coifs with Redken products, aestheticians venture to other corners of the body with a concise menu of spa services that includes facials, waxing, body wraps, and mani-pedis.