Salons in New York City

To call The Body Shop a mere skin and body care store is to miss half of what makes it special. Late founder Dame Anita Roddick was a pioneer for ethical business practices; upon opening her first store in Brighton, England, in 1976, she developed company values such as "Defend Human Rights" and "Protect The Planet." She somehow balanced principles and profit, partnering in global campaigns with UNICEF, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and the United Nations, all while ultimately expanding her brand into 2,500 locations in over 60 international markets. After her death in 2007, then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, ?She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so and inspired millions to the cause by bringing sustainable products to a mass market. . . . She was an inspiration.? Indeed, the Body Shop exhibits an eco-friendliness and social consciousness that's hard to come by in a company of its size. Its products have been fair-trade since 1987, and its Against Animal Testing movement led to an EU-wide ban of animal testing of cosmetics. The products are made from ingredients harvested from around the world: shea butter from Ghana goes into body scrubs and butters, and Indian artisans craft wooden massagers and tote bags that are screenprinted by hand. But all that isn't to say the company's production practices overshadow its final products. Skincare treatments such as the brand?s iconic body butters, facial products, and gift collections often appear in Allure, Marie Claire, Lucky, Seventeen and other national publications.

At eShave, experts specialize in men's shaving and grooming products that help customers look and feel good with natural, luxurious, and paraben-free products. eShave was founded by Danielle Malka, who first made inroads into the shaving business when she created a successful program to educate barbers in the UK. As the barbers' trade tips trickled down to consumers, her renown grew, and in 1996, she founded eShave to enhance the shaving experience through elegant razors, kits, and shaving creams devoid of the porcupine quills often found in competitors' products. Danielle still designs eShave's hand-sculpted, aesthetically unique razors, badger brushes, and shave stands, many of which have been featured in dozens of local and national health and lifestyle magazines. At eShave's retail outlets, trained trimmers specialize in transforming masculine mugs from bushy to groomed with their signature barber services. Using the company's own products, its signature shaves begin with a relaxing hot-towel preparation and facial oil massage to open up the pores, followed by a hot lather to moisten and prepare skin for a close, comfortable shave or clever escape from pursuers. After coolly slicing bristles with a straight razor, a barber neatly wipes away all remaining evidence of his work and provides an aftershave moisturizer to prevent irritation and soothe nude jaws.

Skin Spa New York's seven Manhattan locations all represent the same business, but you wouldn't know it by stepping inside. That's because the spa strives to imbue each spot with the feel of its surrounding neighborhood, whether it's the bustling atmosphere of Midtown or the artsy character of Chelsea. Whatever the address, every studio brims with a mix of pamper-centric spa and results-oriented med-spa services using products such as PCA Clinical Skin Care and glo therapeutics. Private massages and full-body waxing complement the purifying effects of facials, which target individual issues such as blemishes and fine lines. Meanwhile, higher-tech treatments can revamp the entire body without a single incision, thanks to light-based techniques such as the collagen-boosting Laser Genesis, skin-tightening Titan laser, and anti-aging Photolight and Limelight facials, which remove signs of sun damage. A company-wide collection of more than 20 lasers can help clients rid themselves of hair by targeting and destroying the follicles that grow it. A plentiful stock of skincare serums is also available for purchase, allowing clients to keep their skin pristine at home.

Pearl-white salon chairs and a chandeliered foyer create a calm elegance that parallels Amoy's penchant for creating striking, creative hairstyles. A random sampling of the master stylist's resumé inevitably reads like a beauty-school student's wish list. Highlights include serving as the go-to hair guru of Christian Dior runway walkers, spearheading her own successful product line, and separate stints as the personal hairstylist for fashion titans John Galliano and Donatella Versace. Today Amoy uses the salon as a home turf, revamping the tresses of both walk-in clients and celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Rihanna, and Naomi Campbell. The popular Upper East Side salon endeavors to give every person who enters the star treatment. Clients cross the salon’s sunny, modern, dark-wood interior and engage in consultations that strategize approaches to hair type and styling needs. House specialties include Brazilian Blowout treatments, bridal styling, and ultraprecise haircuts that render faces as exquisitely framed as Roger Rabbit.

Horace Stevenson III created HS3 Salon as a one-stop house for anyone seeking out high-level hair stylists, fashion stylists, makeup artists, and nail technicians. HS3’s primary hairstylist, Stevenson draws on his training at Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy as well as his professional experience as a senior colorist at Frederic Fekkai and creative director at Lali Lali Salon. With such a diverse past, he’s able to artfully craft cuts, color manes, and tame frizz with the speed and grace of a cheetah in a tutu. On the makeup, fashion, and nails side of the business, Meredith Harper Houston—a master of high-definition makeup and airbrushing systems—brings similarly star-studded experiences gleaned from her days with the Style Network’s makeover show How Do I Look? and the WE Network’s My Fair Wedding. And for all other aesthetic aspirations, fashion stylist Jervelle Houston refines the wardrobes of everyday clients in between appointments with the likes of Byron Allen, Jason Statham, and style-conscious NFL players.

Cindy Barshop may have a familiar face. She gained reality-TV fame as a cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City, but she found success much earlier when the Madison Avenue spa she founded more than 10 years ago grew into a hair-removal brand known throughout the country. Completely Bare’s waxing specialists dab bikini lines with the shop’s proprietary blend of ouch-less wax, which adheres to hair instead of skin to avoid the painful pull that often accompanies a waxing session. The blend is hypoallergenic and does not cause acne, which makes it ideal for depilating sensitive skin and touchy bodily zones. Routine waxing sessions add extra sparkle with the salon’s vajazzling service, which bedecks newly hair-free spots with up to 70 Swarovski crystals arranged into such shapes as hearts, stars, peace signs, and MPAA ratings. The spa specialists also migrate beyond the below-the-belt area to polish the rest of the body with facials, laser hair removal, spray tanning, and teeth whitening.