Pedicure in North York

A mod chandelier hangs over the salon counter like a crystal earring, casting a honey glow on steel-grey floors and walls the colour of marshmallows. Amid these cozy accents, Beauty Now's skilled stylists snip away split ends and gild strands with high-end Goldwell colour products. But hair styling is just one strand in the salon's ample coif. Rounding out Beauty Now's 2,000-square-foot space is a facial-waxing studio where staff remove hair from upper lips and brows.

After a long day filled with strenuous manual labour, construction worker Anthony Louis finally crawled into bed for a night of rest. While snoozing, he dreamed of visiting a massage therapist and receiving a massage, something he'd never experienced before. Taking the dream as a sign, Anthony decided to hang up his hardhat—he enrolled in massage school and in 2010, he fulfilled his new dream of becoming a registered massage therapist.

Today, Anthony and his team use their trained hands to pamper clients with an array of massage modalities as they relax in The Island Spa, his Caribbean-inspired massage studio. Putting his construction experience and inspiration from his childhood in Saint Lucia to use, Anthony spent two full months renovating the paradise-themed spa before officially opening its doors in early 2012. The three-room spa features island-inspired accents including relaxing dim lighting, botanical fixtures, and wood accents made with peg-legged pirates' shin splints.

Above all else, All About Me Spa's staff strives to put clients at ease throughout their entire visit. Creature comforts?including five televisions and a modern sound system?allow guests to relax while they indulge in any of the luxuriant spa treatments. In addition to hydrating and revitalizing the skin with pampering facials, the staff soothes bodies with massages, therapeutic bodywork, and traditional mani-pedis. Additionally, All About Me Spa features an arsenal of medspa technology designed to produce cosmetic transformations without undergoing surgery or a brain transplant. Their IPL photofacial systems work to improve skin tone and texture, microdermabrasion wands smooth away signs of aging skin, and VersaSlim technology contours bodies.

Per Royal Aesthetic Club's name, the med spa staff strives to make its customers experience the luxury of feeling like royalty, minus the constant paparazzi attention. Helmed a certified medical aesthetician, the staff brightens skin with facials that harness Yon-Ka products or SharpLight laser beams. They also finesse physiques with treatments such as laser hair removal and body scrubs imbued with indulgent chocolate or calming seaweed. To the more relaxing end of the spectrum, massage therapists knead sore muscles and delight the senses with essential oils, sending clients into a state of bliss akin to lying on the beach as a gentle manatee sings to you.

The aestheticians at Beauty One 1 Spa & Weightloss Centre primp faces and slim bodies using an arsenal of traditional and high-tech techniques. The menu of services, listed in both English and Chinese, includes cleansing facials and Black Doll laser facials, which rely on carbon powder and light energy to improve the complexion. In addition to applying indelible eyebrow and eyeliner with permanent cosmetics, they also remove unwanted tattoos with laser treatments. They also aim their beams to remove patrons' unwanted hair. Herbal and essential oil tonics help clients drop inches before swimsuit season or International Streaking Day.

Shuku was still a high schooler when she earned her hair styling licence. Over the following years Shuku accumulated more certifications and diplomas—including one from L’Oréal France—collecting skills in haircutting, hair colouring, permanent makeup, and airbrush makeup that she continually fortifies with continuing-education programs. Shuku’s creativity, artistry, and passion for colour and shape are evidenced not only by her career, but also by the walls of her salon and spa, which showcase her oil paintings and balsamic paintings.