Beauty & Spas in Oswego

With six manicures and seven pedicures in their arsenal, the skilled staffers at FRESH Nail Lounge and Spa lavish hands and feet with treatments that rely on products from Creative Nail Design, Essie, and OPI, and prioritize safety and hygienic practices. But they don’t stop at nail treatments—they call upon botanical ingredients to soothe and beautify faces and bodies. Saint john’s wort aids green and white teas to soothe mugs during the classic European express facial, and seaweed detoxifies bodies and boosts circulation during a wrap, which doubles as means to disguise oneself as a spicy tuna roll.

The aestheticians at New You Skin Solutions and Massage focus on doing one thing, and doing it well: skincare. Their expertise in wrinkles, acne, and sun spots yields custom treatments that range from basic facials to anti-aging masks. In addition to these classic spa offerings, the professionals have embraced contemporary technology. Microcurrent treatments, microdermabrasion, and both red- and blue-light therapies lessen the appearance of laugh lines and frown lines obtained from watching a clown throw a cream pie then realizing that was your cream pie. The experts renew skin amid the soothing taupes and creams of private rooms, which also set the stage for the spa’s massage therapists, who relieve aching muscles with Swedish, deep-tissue, and prenatal massages. Small additions such as hot stones or paraffin hand treatments augment the pampering sessions.

Trinity Salon & Spa co-owner Cher sometimes perfects the makeup and hairdos of models at haute fashion shoots, but she spends most of her time making sure her regular clients get the same star treatment. Her business partner Candi shares the same passion for high-fashion styling, holding certifications from companies including Rusk and Matrix Hair Color. The pair have put together a team of salon stylists who snip hair into follicular masterpieces and reprogram hair textures. The crew can impart uniform straightness with keratin treatments or massage strands with ground-up Shirley Temple headshots to create billowing curls.

On the spa side, the DiamondTome microdermabrasion reveals fresh, unblemished skin with chips of real diamonds, and medical-grade peels accelerate the skin's exfoliation process. Men can enjoy treatments such as the Pampered Facial, during which aesthetician Nina bolsters handsome looks with a seaweed mud mask, facial massage, warm towels, and a beer to sip. The spa keeps hands and feet of all kinds well-groomed with mani-pedis, and elongates eyelashes, hair, or strap-on Santa Claus beards with realistic extensions.

At Matthews Salon Spa, the staff strives to care for each client's whole self, meaning services work to nurture the body and spirit in addition to merely beautifying skin or hair. Using environmentally friendly Aveda products derived from plants and flowers, the staff cuts, colors, and treats hair as if it were the hair of their favorite news anchor. Spa facials, such as the self-renewal facial, rejuvenate skin while also integrating a foot and scalp treatment, and the staff also pampers clients with massages and spa packages.

From their perch near Syracuse University, Studio FX’s team of hairstylists, nail artists, and wax technicians have beautified locals for more than 35 years. Their specialty hair services include highlights, hair extensions, updos, and Brazilian blowouts, which leave hair sleeker and more manageable for up to five months. Apart from hair, they paint nails, apply make-up, wax, and lengthen eyelashes with extensions.

Spa on the River's menu of Old World Italian–themed services are inspired by owner Judith Santimaw's world travels, which have included stops in Rome, Milan, Tokyo, and Singapore. Her cross-country and international journeys uncover the latest spa treatments and techniques, ranging from raindrop therapy with essential oils to Roman-style "Sistine Chapel" paraffin treatments that leave hands soft and free from paint chips. Santimaw shares her discoveries not only with her team of aestheticians, stylists, and massage therapists, but also with students at the Phillips Hairstyling Institute, where she earned professional degrees in nail specialty and cosmetology.

Guests can relax into salon stations or pedicure thrones flanked by Romanesque statues as the soothing sound of water comes from a lion-faced fountain inside and the Seneca River outside. Behind them, a full-wall mural depicts a lush garden scene complete with a grandiose fountain. Clients dry newly painted nails by the fireplace or head to the dock behind the spa to give any lingering stress a Viking funeral.