Iselin, NJ Beauty and Salons

Like jewelry on display, Lush New York Salon’s sophisticated space is locked behind a glass storefront, teasing passersby with its pearl-hued styling chairs neatly arranged across an expanse of dark wooden floors. The Brooklyn salon, once named one of 20 Salons of the Year by Salon Today magazine, mirrors the elegance and sophistication of Manhattan, as its owner intended. Here, dedicated stylists, who continually brush up on their skills, treat tresses to chic cut and color services, including semipermanent hues, corrective coloring, and highlights. After finishing locks with a sleek blow-dry, the studio’s hair experts may refer clients to a resident makeup artist, who can reshape brows, affix faux lashes, and teach pets how to apply makeup for their owners.

Bernadette Peters once entrusted her legendary crimson coils to Bruno Grillo, giving her something in common with Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, and Bret Easton Ellis besides their collective love of mud wrestling. Bruno, a hair-color specialist and FIT graduate who has worked alongside celebrated stylists Oscar Blandi and Oribe, attributes his talents to the close attention he pays to his clients' lifestyles.

Bruno has been featured on Sirius Radio's Martha Stewart Living and in the Brooklyn Paper, where columnist Lisa J. Curtis confessed to falling in love with him. To be fair, Curtis’s infatuation stemmed not only from Bruno himself but also from his team of aestheticians and massage therapists as well as the spa’s open kitchen, where complimentary cappuccinos are brewed. The salon's treatment menu includes facials, makeup artistry, waxing, and a range of massage modalities. In addition, Bruno and his staff invite brides—as well as unbetrothed guests—to pick and choose from this menu to enjoy customized days of beauty.

In a space deemed "inviting, comforting, and relaxing" by a pleased client, Escape Medical Spa unfurls a bevy of soothing services amid terracotta walls; plush, earth-toned couches; and ornate mirrors. The spa offers a claw-foot tub ensconced in a private spa room, where visitors can immerse themselves after a salt scrub or Mediterranean mud wrap. Popular services include facials, which whisk away the day's dirt and rejuvenate skin, and anti-aging treatments that instill a youthful glow previously only attained by playing 10 consecutive games of Red Rover.

Lash Out! helps clients gussy up their peepers with synthetic lashes that add natural-looking length and fullness for as long as three weeks without a touch-up treatment. The salon’s selection of lashes includes up to eight different lengths, three thicknesses, and two degrees of curl, allowing visitors to customize their lids' appearance. By affixing each lash with irritant-free, waterproof glue, the aestheticians ensure that clients can still participate in any number of aquatic endeavors, including swimming, showering, and bobbing for office supplies. In addition to eyelash extensions, the aestheticians offer their own signature services, which can include waxing services, glycolic peels, and facials with Jan Marini Skin Research products and fruit-enzyme masks.

Ziada, the owner and a master stylist at Salon H2O, has spent more than 22 years behind the styling chair, training in international locales and picking up certifications in Wella coloring and Coppola Keratin in the process. Even with all that experience, she still strives to provide her clients with cuts and colors that toe the line between looking natural and exhibiting the latest trends. Fortunately, she has a team of experienced stylists and colorists backing her up. At Salon H2O, they perform services ranging from precision cuts and coloring to Wella penetrating treatments and Brazilian Blowouts. They also beautify the rest of the body, treating clients to restorative mani-pedis and facials. Looking good isn’t the only goal, though; clients can also enjoy a glass of wine and a massage, which relaxes away stress earned while stuck in rush hour traffic or worrying about a misspelled tattoo.

A front desk topped with pillar candles welcomes guests to Hair Essentials Salon, immediately ensconcing them amid its modern furniture bathed in warm, golden tones. Inside the studio, a staff of more than 25 stylists and aestheticians caters to beauty needs with a variety of services, from men’s and women’s cuts and color treatments to manicures and waxing sessions for removing unwanted hair from old gumballs.