Stamford Spa and Massage

Soft robin's-egg-blue walls and warm wooden accents welcome beauty seekers to Blue Water's skin and body sanctum. The ultrasonic facial ($95), Blue Water's signature visage vivifier, uses ultrasonic vibrations to loosen and eliminate blackheads, dirt, and expired skin; the treatment includes a face, neck, shoulder, and arm massage. Or opt for an aromatherapy facial ($95), which uses essential oils to hydrate and plump tired cells while encouraging lymphatic drainage and delusions of grandeur. To give your body the radiance and dewy sheen of a well-groomed glowworm, use this Groupon toward an exfoliating lavender body scrub treatment ($110), or delight in the gentle kneads of a classic Swedish massage ($90 for an hour). Blue Water Spa also offers a variety of services for teens ($75 for a teen facial) and men ($95 for an hour-long gentleman's facial).

Salon Shahin owner Shahin Farzam opened his salon with a steadfast pledge to devote time and attention to both clients and the environment. The team of hairdressers uses plant-based Phytologie products, and each stylist brings his or her own unique touch to the styling chair, delivering customized classic and cutting-edge haircuts alongside coloring services that use ammonia-free European products.

The staff also provides skincare services using the Jan Marini system. A slate of facials for men and women, along with nourishing body treatments, renders clients’ skin as smooth as a lounge singer’s request for a raise.

Julianne Steiner readily admits that she can’t turn off her “beauty junkie” tendencies. When she meets someone new, she automatically homes in on their most striking features and brainstorms ways to accentuate them. As an aesthetician and a makeup artist, Julianne begins with skincare in creating her beauty masterpieces. Using the organic Jurlique line, she custom-blends facials, and, with Palomar wand in hand, unleashes waves of pulsed light on blemishes or unwanted hair. Julianne also offers Brazilian waxing, using special wax that's suitable for sensitive skin, as well as chemical peels.

Once she liberates skin from spots and fuzz, Julianne can fully realize her artistic vision with the help of high-quality liners, shadows, and mascara. In addition to applying makeup, she also teaches lessons and helps clients rid their own cosmetic bags of unflattering or outdated products.

At Sunset Spa, trained massage therapists harness therapeutic massages not only to help customers relax, but also to help treat pain, stress, and other maladies. Guests seeking to relieve pain from accidents, injuries, muscle fatigue, or inflammation can find solace in a variety of modalities. Medical and therapeutic massages involve testing and stretching muscles, while Swedish massages use long, deep strokes to improve circulation and induce relaxation. Meanwhile, deep-tissue massages reach focus on deep muscle aches, and sports massages aim to reduce soreness stemming from trying to inflate a basketball with a hand pump until it explodes.

Kim Sangiuolo doesn’t just practice massage; she curates it. Her signature fusion massage—the centerpiece of Holistic Healing’s service menu—is a soothing and spirit-reviving treatment designed to assuage muscular discomfort while bolstering the body’s spiritual well-being. Beginning with deep-tissue work, Kim incorporates techniques from other massage types, picking and choosing based on the client's specific needs. This form of therapeutic massage has helped her treat clients with injuries such as tendinitis, muscle strains, and headaches. Kim and the other therapists at Holistic Healing also offer Swedish and deep-tissue massages, which can be useful when trying to relieve work-related stress or recover from a day of helping a friend move his collection of antique cement bags.

Deep-seated stresses dissipate at the hands of Sunset Massage's certified massage therapists, who practice their craft within three calming sanctuaries spread across greater Milwaukee. The sun referenced in the massage center’s name may allude to its specialty hot-stone and hot-towel massages, which employ penetrating heat and soothing circular motions to boost circulation, oxygenate muscles, and alleviate the lingering stiffness that comes from serving as the spring festival’s Maypole. Aside from their popular heated modalities, the team of male and female massage therapists treats clients to gentle relaxation massages and more focused deep-tissue work.