Beauty & Spas in South Windsor

State-licensed massage therapist (license #004958) A. Malaika Sharp cultivates relaxation and targets each client's unique issues with a focused menu of services. She can shoo everyday stress away through basic relaxation massages, but she’s as focused on function as she is on feeling good. An avid martial artist and cyclist, Sharp consults with all clients to understand the ways they use their bodies for work and recreation. That helps her pick out distinct patterns of motion and coax bad habits or stored tension out of muscles, whether she’s targeting chronic aches through deep-tissue techniques or helping athletes recover from strenuous duck-duck-goose training through sports massage. Or, for those suffering from headaches and migraines, she can incorporate trigger-point therapy. Sharp is also a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and is certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

Ten kinds of beds, two types of spray tans, and one hydration station make up Aloha Tanning, a studio manned by helpful tanning experts with more than 20 years of experience. Clients looking for a quick fix can step into the Mystic spray tan booth for a streak-free tan in 60 seconds. Those in desire of a more customized bronze can head to a master-certified technician, who airbrushes skin with Norvell tanning spray or by dipping a photoshop CD in some tanning lotion and rubbing it on your skin. Soliel, Elixer, and Diva Tower beds and booths await in the UV rooms, where clients can soak in rays through adjustable face lamps and high- and low-pressure body lamps. For an extra treat, three kinds of KBL beds not only deliver sunshine, but also aromatherapy and satellite radio. After their tanning session, customers can darken their newfound glow at the hydration station, designed to burn calories and improve skin’s overall appearance.

After years spent working as an aesthetician who occasionally offered tanning services to her clients, Basia Kraul decided to fully dedicate herself to the tanning industry and founded Endless Summer Tan & Beauty Studio in August 1999. After more than a decade in business, the quaint studio offers visitors a variety of customizable UV beds, as well as spray tanning and collagen-boosting Rejuvenessence red-light therapy. A lineup of Basia skincare products keeps visages and physiques fresh, and a handful of hair and makeup services prime heads for special events or a night out on the town book clubbing.

Amid the chaos of life, the therapists at Natural Balance Therapeutic Massage step into a bubble of calm at work. Their clients go there to find peace as well, and they gently glides their hands over their dermal canvases during Swedish, deep-tissue, and sports massages. The therapists also help to alleviate pain in the body by concentrating on the feet during reflexology treatments and “This Little Piggy” sessions. Reiki sessions also prove useful in tempering aches and stress by releasing energy blockages.

Owner Terri Czerwinski sees Ultimate Skin Care Spa as an oasis where guests can disappear from the calendar grid. Having been a beauty consultant for more than 20 years, the licensed aesthetician hopes to takes minds away from life's bustling moments with skin, nail, and cosmetic treatments. She draws from a stock of European product lines such as Sothys from Paris and Pevonia from Switzerland for all her facials, which target ailments ranging from dryness to sun damage. The natural ingredients in these serums help nurture healthy complexions: seaweed and vitamin C fight wrinkles in the Luminous Renewal facial, whereas the specialty skin facial's chamomile and green-tea extracts fade signs of rosacea.

Terri flatters faces with makeup artistry as well. Her makeup spa sessions cover techniques for applying cosmetics and identify which colors will accentuate each patron’s eyes and their better-looking noses. For special events, she travels to various venues and primps clients onsite.

The staff at Artistic Images shares their hairstyling skills with their clients, but also with other stylists around New England as styling educators. That’s not to say that they don’t keep up with their own training; in fact, they keep abreast of hair’s latest trends in order to cut, color, permanently straighten, or otherwise re-texturize hair in the way their clients envision. Their knowledge as educators helps them make product suggestions so that clients can maintain salon looks at home.