Beauty & Spas in Truckee

North Lake Massage & Skin Care taps the talents of Kristen Cocca Pepin, a former certified athletic trainer, and Bethany Lambrecht, a licensed aesthetician, to create an oasis for relaxation and rejuvenation. Kristen, Michelle, and Corina offer a variety of massage modalities, which range from Swedish and deep tissue to ashiatsu oriental bar therapy—an ancient Eastern Asian treatment that utilizes bars, creams, and oils that target inflammation and initiate pain relief. Bethany, Roxy, and Kris offer Bioelements facials that are customized to each client’s skin needs and include a retinue of cleansing and rejuvenating applications. Other services at North Lake Massage & Skin Care include airbrush tanning, infrared sauna, and waxing.

For students of The Studio, flying is not only possible—it's therapeutic. Instructors in beginners’ acro-yoga classes lead guests through the basics of gravity-defying poses and partner work, helping them balance upside down and infuse their yoga practice with trust and playfulness. During these and all classes at The Studio, the emphasis is on acceptance. The staff maintains a judgment-free atmosphere, where burgeoning yogis can feel comfortable attempting new postures without making everyone nearby crawl headfirst into a sleeping bag. The two classrooms—one heated for intense Vinyasa sequences and one kept at a standard temperature—are as calming and open as the minds within them, bordered by walls of large, panoramic windows. Under the supervision of certified teachers, most of whom have undergone hundreds of hours of yoga training, pupils hone their sense of body and breath awareness.

This welcoming ambiance helped The Studio earn the 2012 award for Best Yoga Classes in the Reno News & Review. However, the center is not solely focused on classes and views them instead as one component of a total-wellness regimen. Backing up the sessions, massage therapists untangle muscular knots in two private rooms with Thai stretching techniques or other classic modalities. In the lounge, plush floor cushions support patrons as they sip complimentary tea and peel clementines. Owner Rachelle often stands behind the raw-food and juice bar, prepping wholesome meals for lunch and keeping fruit from getting too full of itself.

Tangles Salon and Day Spa's multitalented Candice Smith bedazzles guests from head to toe with a comprehensive menu of beauty-bolstering services. During the approximately 45-minute mani-pedi, a warm-water soak softens up hands and feet before a lemon-verbena scrub jettisons expired skin. Candice then applies a tension-taming massage and dolls up nails with a shaping and polishing once reserved for Claymation cars. Guests kick back and relax as their feet yield to meticulous filing that smoothes out rough calluses. All of Tangles’ pampering services take place in a private room, where beneficiaries are free to sip complimentary tea, coffee, or wine to show off polished nails with exaggerated pinky raises.

Dena Marie’s Salon & Spa’s hairstylists specialize in formal updos. Augmented by Lox extensions—crafted from 100% human hair—or held in place by hair balms from Bed Head and Matrix, the formal looks prepare patrons for glitzy events from proms to the salon’s second specialty—weddings.

Their team, which also consists of manicurists, regularly attends continuing-education courses to keep their services up-to-date with the latest beauty trends. Fresh out of the workshops, they turn their shears and dyes toward shaping and coloring manes, and drape frazzled locks with shine during keratin smoothing treatments. They also provide spa treatments that include waxing and paraffin dips that remove dry skin from bodies more effectively than attempting to drive them out by playing annoying music over loudspeakers throughout the night.

Esthetic Director Joyce Darr considers her clients' needs her number-one priority, setting an example for the rest of her aesthetic team. Darr shares her expertise as a licensed aesthetician, certified reflexologist, and reiki master teacher to help clients practice healthier lifestyles through a range of services. The staff employs professional products to rejuvenate and soften skin during facials. They also master technology-based treatments including LED light therapy and ultrasound facials to beautify clients and their loyal robot butlers. The Skin Care Center hosts an oncology skincare clinic that provides complimentary services to help alleviate physical and emotional stress for clients undergoing cancer treatments.

A medical aesthetician and certified Minkys eyelash extension trainer, Terri Arucha helms It’s The Perfect Touch, where she treats clients to advanced skincare and beauty techniques. She treats acne-prone, aging, and dull skin with a series of skincare treatments, including customized facials, LED skin therapy, and microdermabrasion. Applied one at a time, Terri’s semipermanent lash extensions give eyes a natural-looking pop, enhanced further by an expert makeup application or brow wax.