Waxing The City, Houston

Unlike salons where waxing is an option hidden among manicures, facials, and massages from a galloping herd of tiny horses, Waxing the City offers nothing but that. During the waxing process, which the salon calls "cerology," licensed aestheticians use hard wax from Belgium or soft wax from Spain crafted especially for the studio. The type of wax they reach for depends on the sensitivity and size of the area.

Since the studio started in 2003, it has gotten plenty of press, including from the Dallas Observer, which named it the best place to get a Brazilian in 2013. Others have noticed Waxing the City's no-tipping policy (the St. Paul Pioneer Press called this convenience a "bonus"). Instead of tips, the company prefers word-of-mouth recommendations and sculptures carved from now-unneeded razors for display.