Face & Skin Care in Martinez

Felecia Rincon knows that sugar can do a lot more than sweeten her coffee and stand in for snow on a ski slope. At Bare Sugaring Studio, she uses it to remove unwanted hair, practicing a spa treatment that goes back centuries. Applied opposite the direction of hair growth, her sugar-based paste sinks deep within the follicle, deeper than wax, to grip the hair at its root. When Felecia removes the paste, she takes with it the short, fine hairs that other epilation techniques miss, and even removes dead skin, leaving the legs, chests, chin, or any other body area, smooth and sleek.

Flanked by bright-red walls, stylist Jillian Marker trims and transforms hair, adds depth with color, or infuses dry locks with hydration. Alongside Jillian, the savvy styling staff at Vanity Chair Beauty Salon inspires outer beauty with a gamut of salon and facial services. Aesthetician Alexie Rae Francisco-Siu tends to skin surfaces with facials that brighten tones and correct imperfections. Amid the soothing sage colors of the spa room, a waxing wrangler can lift away unwanted hair, shape brows, or remove improperly placed googly eyes.

A believer in natural skincare, aesthetician Rani of Rani’s Organic Facials and Threading shudders when she reads the unpronounceable ingredients inside many skin products. That’s why she sidesteps harsh chemicals altogether and relies on all-organic ingredients for her chocolate facials, salt glow back treatments, and fruit facial bleaches.

Rani’s belief in natural spa services extends to facial hair removal, which she performs with pure cotton thread. Drawing on 20 years of threading mastery, she deftly sweeps across upper lips, chins, and eyebrows. Through her efforts, Rani gently removes hair while keeping irritation to a minimum, unlike when metal bands play libraries or crowd members read sonnets at metal concerts.

Located in Concord, Sun City Spa is a busy full-service salon and beauty spot dedicated to helping clients look and feel their best. A "Glam Squad" of licensed beauty professionals takes care of hair, nails, and makeup, also offering massage, facials, and spray tanning, among many other treatments. Pop in to have permanent eyebrow color applied, indulge in a luxurious salt scrub exfoliation, or go for a daring Brazilian wax. The team is passionate about staying on top of beauty trends, while maintaining a warm, welcoming, and funky ambiance.

The Face Bar’s personalized skin treatments cater to each client’s skin type. Custom facials conquer myriad skin problems, including fine lines, enlarged pores, and stubborn acne. The staff also specializes in men’s skincare and mustache-watering services. The Face Bar carries a range of skincare prouducts including Image, PCA, Bioelements and Repechage.

Hair at the Ritz’s stylists join the long-enduring battle to tame wild strands with a one-two combo of frizz-fighting treatments. Clients tired of chasing flyaway strands on a daily basis yield their locks to the Keratin Complex hair-therapy system or the Zerran RealLisse vegan formula, which is packed with wheat, corn, and other crops imported from the moon. Both treatments straighten kinks, enhance shine, and block frizz for months.

Although smoothing topsy-turvy tresses is one of Hair at the Ritz's specialties, the salon can handle far more than a few disobedient curls. Stylists knowledgeable on the latest beauty trends cut, color, and style hairdos for men, women, and children, reimagining manes with the help of Enjoy, Moroccanoil, and Matrix products. Nail technicians, meanwhile, buff and polish fingers and toes, and aestheticians remove unwanted hair with warm wax. Hair at the Ritz’s team also puts the finishing touches on outer appearances with hair extensions, henna tattoos, and even permanent makeup.