Beauty & Spas in Pace

Located inside Pensacola Apothecary, DermaStudio sets a soothing backdrop for luster-rejuvenating organic facials administered with Obagi skincare products. More than a dozen organic facials revive visages, such as the Blueberry Bliss facial, rife with antioxidants, exfoliating soy yogurt, and a medley of vitamins. Aestheticians augment signature facials with add-ons such as eyebrow waxing and enzyme-infused exfoliating peels, sure to remove the remnants of banana-crème pies thrown in anger.

Waxing therapist Simmi Taylor at Eimaj Spa & Salon, who mastered hair removal during a stint at the Aveda Institute and through speed-waxing classes at the International Dermal Institute, depilates skin with a pain-minimizing technique that prevents hairs from weeping.

For years, stylist Rachel Adams fielded requests for quick appointments by clients who had “somewhere to be.” Dismayed by this in-and-out approach to pampering, she decided her own salon should be designed as a tranquil space that clients would think of as a destination rather than a stop along the way. Today, at Somewhere To Be Salon, Rachel and her staff help clients to soak up some much-needed “me” time with mani-pedis, haircut and color services, and 30-minute facials performed under the light of a small crystal chandelier. And because staffers know how hard it can be to pencil in quality time with friends, they offer a special Girls Night Out package for ladies to catch up and make prank phone calls while enjoying makeup, nail, and hairstyling services.

Cutting-edge technology marks the treatments at Indulge Skin and Body Care. The staff there uses light therapy to treat photo damage, and they turn to microcurrents and photobiostimulation to tighten the skin. Even the facials are innovative; in a process known as PowerBlending, skin specialists create them by combining ingredients based on the condition of the client's skin and the demands of the fruit bat that has taken the client's face hostage.

The sounds of snips and relaxed sighs join together in a chorus that fills 10th Avenue Hair Designs, where 22 beauty professionals cut locks in classic and avant-garde styles, massage weary muscles, and lavish skin with facials. Skilled stylists pepper this uninterrupted song with lively chatter as they stroll around salon chairs, tending to unkempt hairdos with expert highlights, straightening treatments, and natural-looking extensions. Just outside a splash zone sprinkled with cropped strands and shampoo suds, the salon’s nail technicians brighten appendages with cherry-red and blush-pink coats of polish and chip-resistant Shellac.

Further removed from the action on the salon’s main floor, a massage therapist stationed in a private treatment room kneads away knots with Swedish strokes and gently applies pressure to feet during reflexology sessions. The salon’s focus on natural remedies is on full display during facial treatments, in which aestheticians pamper and rejuvenate skin with handmade scrubs, lactic and natural flower acids, and facials that incorporate seaweed.

Waters of Hadassah Salon and Day Spa was voted “Best Day Spa” by the Pensacola News Journal in 2011 for its passionate staff and high-standards of excellence. The spa’s team of beauty-industry professionals have dedicated themselves to unveiling their customers’ natural beauty and individuality, whether that means calming frizzy strands with keratin smoothing treatments or dressing each nail in its own tiny beach scene. The full menu of beautifying services includes everything from partial and full foil highlights to facials, waxing, and microdermabrasion, and the staff also specializes in special-event hairstyling to help ready heads for weddings or formal trips to the mailbox.