Day Spas in North Andrews Gardens

Daring floral prints, leopard spots, and stripes pattern the upholstery in the waiting room at Merle Norman Luxe Spa & Salon. The eclectic decor flows throughout the salon, hinting at its broad range of hair and body treatments. The salon's hair designers cut and color men's and women's locks, as well as match heads to designer wigs in a private room. At manicure stations, nail techs coat fingertips in lacquers squeezed from the color wheel by scientists at OPI. In the spa area, skin specialists treat clients with the exclusive Merle Norman Cosmetics line on a try-before-you-buy basis. The line's cosmetics are manufactured in the United States and are guaranteed to be not tested on animals.

In the late 1920s, the Great Depression was rendering most Americans professionally and financially paralyzed. But in a small California kitchen, Merle Nethercutt Norman was putting a plan in motion to formulate her own skincare products and share them with family and friends. She truly believed in her formulas, knowing that by getting them on as many faces as possible, she would develop a following of customers. She was right—within a few years she and her nephew were opening their first studio in Santa Monica, and they eventually unveiled a series of independently operated stores that enabled women to take ownership during a time of gender-based limitations such as men-only restrooms.

Today, in approximately 2,000 stores across three countries, the three basic principles of Merle's original vision still apply. Each studio is independently owned and fosters an in-depth knowledge of the company's own line of makeup and skincare products. Just as Merle shared her creations with close friends and sallow mannequins more than 80 years ago, today's aestheticians embody the business's "try before you buy" philosophy. A menu of complimentary studio services—from foundation checks to express facials—allows patrons to sample the lauded brand before committing to the purchase of products or full spa treatments.

With a beauty line more than 80 years in the making, the skin specialists at Merle Norman Cosmetics and More amplify nails, faces, and entire bodies through their trained techniques and educational tips. To help cosmetics customers to select the most flattering products for their coloring and skin type, the staff promotes a try-before-you-buy policy, along with lavishing clients with skin analyses, hydrating facials, and makeup lessons at no charge. A slate of specialty facials, manicures, and waxing services further prepare physiques for nights on the town or mornings as a mannequin stand-in. The salon also hosts girls’ nights, which let bands of three or more bask in complimentary paraffin treatments, mini facials, and makeovers while taking advantage of exclusive product discounts.

More than a spa, Body & Soul Retreat strikes down malady at its stressy source, setting its sights on systematically improving the immune system through specific body therapies. For instance, lymphatic massage purges toxins from the body alongside a heaping helping of pampering during Ayervedic healing sessions that enlist oils, herbal powers, and deep strokes that simulate blood circulation. A duo of massage therapists tandem-attack aches and pains during the Four Hands Escape treatment, chasing down splinter cells of knots and the moles that so often evade therapists armed with novelty mallets.

Beyond their impressive bodywork skills, which also include cranio-sacral, reflexology, and neuromuscular techniques, Body & Soul’s practitioners also tend to rough, cracked skin with sugar scrubs or salt glows laced with lavender, citrus, or mixed berry, and groom fingers and toes during aromatherapy manicures and pedicures. For communal unwinding, guests can rustle up a cadre of friends for one of Body & Soul’s spa parties.