Beauty & Spas in Rosemont

The seven-person team of tattoo and piercing artists at Highland's Finest Tattoos couples custom illustrations with rigorous health and cleanliness standards, with the goal of giving each client a piece of art they'll cherish throughout their lives. Using the brightest-quality pigments and disposable tubes and needles opened in full view of each customer, the artists create personalized images in tribal, realistic, portrait, black-and-gray, or new-skool styles. The team also specializes in cover-up tattoos, allowing patrons to transform their ill-advised or outdated tattoo more efficiently than tapping it with a magician's wand.

Long before she opened Spa Lux, Sara Bagley braved the demands of the retail world, never letting the long and hectic hours distract her smile and sincere appreciation for her customers’ needs. A spark of curiosity led her to the Federico Beauty Institute, where her interests in skincare bloomed into passions as she soaked up training in facials, waxing, and microdermabrasion.

Though her career has since moved away from retail, Sara remains ever in tune with her customers' desires. Her cheery disposition and enthusiasm for skincare are equally embodied in Spa Lux, a chic salon and spa where she and her staff draw on their collective wisdom to dote upon complexions and brush away the nests of tattooed sparrows.

Sara's customer-first philosophy is nowhere more evident than in the spa’s roster of facials, each of which the aestheticians customize to meet the client's skin type. Image Skincare products lead the charge of antioxidants and skin brighteners, and Clarisonic’s Sonic Skin Cleansing System promotes healthy tones while reversing inverted dimples.

Redken and Pureology supply the stylists at Salon Nico with ongoing training and a parade of haircare products. They draw upon certifications from the two brands while lavishing clients, including brides-to-be, with customized hair services. Stylists slip about a salon chair, reaching for Pravana products as scissors thrum with the happy metallic sound of R2-D2 drinking warm milk.

Using her hands to shovel Geoff's potato chips into her mouth, Marni noticed she had chipped one of her nails, an accident that must have occurred sometime between nibbling one of Erica's homemade muffins and using a plastic knife to frost over the sliver she had carved from the side of Greg's yet un-cut birthday cake.

She had already chipped five nails that day—an unusual series of events for someone who was so careful when stealing other people's lunches. Her fingers were usually so stealthy, so nimble, so smooth. If only the receptionist hadn't discovered her "lost" mittens wedged suspiciously between the top of the refrigerator and the side of the microwave.

Marni sighed and crammed Geoff's lunch sack back into the office fridge. She'd have to be more careful from now on, she thought, as she crumpled up the empty chip bag and stuffed it under her blouse. She turned to close the refrigerator door, reaching out at the last second to pinch off a corner of a half-eaten donut half-heartedly covered in plastic wrap. As she retracted her hand, it clipped the top of a bottle of root beer, sending a deep gash across the red lacquer that graced her index finger. Six.

As she shoved the donut crumb into her mouth, Marni's mind flashed to the manicure kit that Jenna always kept in her desk. Smiling, she made her way over to her cube mate's desk, knowing full well that Jenna never spent her lunch hour on-the-clock. She reached into the top drawer and stopped. There, where the foul-smelling bottle of polish usually sat was a tiny business card: Charming Nails and Hair Salon.

Marni thought for a second. The only thing harder than stealing a cranberry scone from a catering platter was to try and do it with freshly painted nails. Better to wait until after work when her tired hands could be treated with the care, respect, and pampering they deserved. She had never liked Jenna's choice of color anyway.

She tossed the crumpled potato chip into Jenna's empty wastebasket, slipped the business card into her pocket, and walked away wondering what color would go best with the pastrami and rye that Dave always brought on Tuesdays.

Upon witnessing how well Kacee wields bottles of Sexy Hair, Goldwell, and Redken hair products, it’s easy to see that she boasts seven years of experience in the beauty industry. Inside Hair by Kacee, the stylist fashions sleek hairdos accented with a wide palette of colors and dresses up faces with cosmetics that prep customers for a night on the town or a day at a police lineup. Kacee also performs hair and makeup services for brides and event-goers.

Exposed brick accents, full length, frameless mirrors, and clean, white walls offset the colorful work of the stylists at Muse Hair Boutique who add highlights and rich single-process color to the manes of their male and female clients. Treating each client as their muse, staff cut precise layers, enhance hair with luxury and organic styling products, and fashion follicles into sleek and straight locks, loose curls, or bohemian waves with their signature blowouts. For semipermanent sleekness, they administer long-lasting keratin-infused Brazilian blowouts or weave in hair extensions. Complimentary consultations are included with every appointment so clients will receive a style that fits their personality and render their baseball cap collection obsolete.