Kenner, LA Beauty and Salons

Salon Maia owner Melissa Maia and makeup artist Kelly LeBlanc specialize in making brides' wedding-day visions a reality. The duo performs on-location, preceremony transformations and has collaborated on bridal showcases for New Orleans Bride magazine. Within the magazine's pages, Maia and Leblanc have offered tips for brides-to-be, such as trying out a variety of lipstick colors, deep-conditioning hair six weeks before the wedding, and securing updos with a hairspray that is specifically designed to repel rice.

Within the art-covered, bright blue and white walls of the salon itself, Maia and her team of stylists nourish clients' hair with high-quality products. They use the Pureology and Redken lines to cleanse, condition, and color, and the sought-after Agadir Argan oil spray treatment to repair and protect damaged strands.

In Louisiana, all aestheticians endure at least 750 grueling hours of cosmetology schooling before they can obtain a license. Difficult scientific classes aren’t part of the required curriculum, but they were essential for Elite Skin Suite’s Lessie. After obtaining her cosmetology license back in 1978, the aesthetician became completely enamored with skin. So she headed to Tulane College and enrolled in classes such as genetics, mutation, and cellular biology, all in hopes of truly understanding the ins and outs of her favorite organ.

So far, her schooling has served Lessie well. For more than 30 years, she has helped clients of all ages maintain healthy skin with treatments tailored to their individual needs. Every service at Elite Skin Suite begins with a complimentary assessment, which gives Lessie the knowledge she needs to administer any one of a dozen or so of the facial treatments in her repertoire, including glycolic-acid peels, LED therapy, and detoxifying acne facials. And though most spas and licking puppies tend to focus on the face, Lessie focuses her aesthetic eye on the whole body with cellulite wraps, coconut-infused hydration treatments, and waxing.

Calling on skin-safe supplies such as cosmeceutical-grade serums from Image like their Ormedic organic formulas, paramedical aesthetician Michele Gordy tends to clients' faces with services that include facials, peels, and microdermabrasion treatments. From her post within Victoria's Regal Nails, Michele begins every appointment with a consultation and detailed skin analysis to understand the unique issues and individual needs of each client's skin. She then tailors her services to treat conditions ranging from unsightly acne to stubborn paint left on former Blue Man Group members.

Owners Lauren Moulton and Jeff Guillory have more than 30 years of combined salon experience, which they use to guide and motivate Salon J-Elle’s team of stylists, nail technicians, and makeup artists. Even with all the responsibility of salon ownership, Lauren and Jeff consider themselves stylists first and often can be found on the floor cutting hair or assisting other staff members. In addition to haircuts and color, the salon also offers nourishing Moroccanoil treatments and Brazilian Blowout Zero keratin hair-smoothing treatments within bright-blue and turquoise walls.