Aqua De Vida Med Spa

Whether or not you’ve heard of Scout Driscoll, you’ve probably encountered her work somewhere in Chicago. In addition to designing Metropolis Coffee's ubiquitous blue-and-green coffee cups, she and her boutique agency DesignScout have developed the logo for Hoosier Mama Pie Company (1618 W. Chicago Ave.), the enormous front awning at Barn & Company (950 W. Wrightwood Ave.), and the wrap around the Southern Mac & Cheese food truck. Driscoll even designed cover art for Kanye West before he signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. (She gets a shout-out in the video for “All Falls Down” when Stacey Dash boards a flight on Scout Airlines.) When it came to designing the studio for her team of four, Driscoll knew the space had to be “creative, open, and invigorating.” This meant being situated at the heart of a creative community—enter Ravenswood’s Deagan Factory (1770 W. Berteau Ave). “I really wanted to join a community of businesses à la Sesame Street ... the butcher, the barber, the local designer,” Driscoll says. Today the building houses artists and musical-instrument shops, and Driscoll’s agency shares a floor with a saw-blade factory, a fashion designer, and a motion-graphics studio. A few other things Driscoll insisted on: no drop ceilings, fluorescent lights, or carpet. The open loft she found on the ground floor of Deagan Factory had none of these, so she deemed it satisfactory and set about making it her own. The project cost under $10,000 and took her one month to complete during the winter of 2011. “I designed the studio at the very end of a terrible winter (remember Snowpocalypse?)” she recalls. “All I craved at that time was sunshine, so I designed a studio that felt like summertime all year round.” To this end, she chose a palette of sunny yellow and bright turquoise. After whitewashing the walls and ceiling and painting the floor yellow, she moved in a carefully curated selection of midcentury-modern pieces, including a pumpkin-colored hide-a-bed. A double pallet from the neighboring saw-blade factory was upcycled into an 8-foot conference table, and Driscoll enlisted Rebuilding Exchange (1740 W. Webster Ave.) to build a cunning utility box from salvaged wood. A 1940s refrigerator-turned-kegerator (in honor of new client Ale Syndicate), a collection of plants, and cherished artwork were the final touches. The resulting space is bright, open, and perfect for collaboration. There are also touches of whimsy throughout the studio, chief among them the wooden swing Driscoll had mounted to the ceiling. “I take most of my calls on the swing,” she says. “If a client listens closely, they’ll hear it squeak or me hop off to dash back to the computer to review something.” She jokes about one day leasing the space upstairs and installing a firefighter’s pole. But even if you don’t share Driscoll’s playful sensibility, there’s a good chance you can glean something from her experience designing her workspace. Read on for her tips. Consider a Coworking Space  Driscoll’s first inclination is to advise against a home workspace. She prizes keeping work and home separate and recommends getting a membership at a coworking space like NextSpace Coop (230 W. Superior St.) or using the Desktime app to find desk space available to rent. Get Organized  For those who must work from home, Driscoll suggests focusing on organization first. “A well-planned-out space with ample storage can keep you sane,” she says. In the DesignScout studio, she installed cubbies as a place to both keep files and display the team’s work. Don’t Skimp on Greenery Driscoll emphasizes the importance of natural light and plenty of greenery for inspiring creativity. She says ZZ plants, which she discovered at Sprout Home (745 N. Damen Ave.), require watering only once a month, making them the perfect office plant. She also keeps equally low-maintenance succulents—many from Gethsemane Garden Center (5739 N. Clark St.)—all around the office. One in particular dangles from the ceiling in an Ikea silverware caddy, an affordable alternative to a hanging terrarium. Pick Vintage Designs  “Pepper your space with things you love and a few vintage pieces and you should be set,” Driscoll says. She and her husband are currently converting his home office into a nursery and pushing the office out into the living room. The Mainline Hooker Desk they recently scored makes the transition easier: “Its unique design looks great in our living room and makes me happy every time I see it,” Driscoll says. Where does she get such great pieces? Driscoll raves about local vendors Manly Vintage and Circa Modern (1114 N. Ashland Ave.). She’s also a member of the Chicago Mid Century Modern & Retro Marketplace on Facebook, where members often share good leads. Save Where You Can  “For affordable ‘inspired by’ pieces, I head out to Interior Express Outlet [971 Supreme Dr., Bensenville] by O'Hare,” Driscoll says. “I got all of my Eames-inspired Eiffel chairs there for less than $50 each.” To further stay under budget while simultaneously accommodating a growing team, she opted for clean, white Ikea desks. When buying mass-produced items, “I choose pieces that disappear into the environment,” she says. “This means pieces that have clean lines and light colors. By keeping mass-produced items simple, you can really showcase your unique finds.” Use Color Wisely Driscoll suggests using lots of white and choosing no more than two accent colors per room. “I tend to lean toward retro neutrals and bold accents,” she adds. “I’ve had a cool blue-gray wall in every home or studio I’ve lived in. It’s a great neutral that isn’t beige. Comfort Gray by Benjamin Moore is my favorite, or anything in the silver-sage family from Restoration Hardware. I love combining that with a rusty orange like Yam from Benjamin Moore.” Photo: © Timothy Burkhart, Groupon

Magazines may be filled with advice about getting the best hairstyle for your face shape, but when it comes to facial hair, barber Josh Cooley says it’s not that simple. “You’re dealing with what somebody has to work with,” Josh says. “Not everybody can grow beards and mustaches.” In his work at The Belmont Barbershop in Lakeview, he makes beard decisions on a case-by-case basis, rather than by following any stringent guidelines. Josh does, however, have a few rules of thumb. A lot of what he strives for is balance—round faces benefit from stronger lines to make them look more rectangular, while narrower faces can look broader with a wider mustache or goatee. Proportion factors in as well. “If somebody has a big face, I’m not going to put a little mustache on them. Same for small people—they shouldn’t grow big mustaches.” Fashion trends inevitably play a role. “A lot of guys are trying to find a way to be a man, to look like a gentleman,” Josh says. Mustaches are back—a quick stroll through Wicker Park is more than enough evidence for that fact—but not all mustaches are created equal. “A lot of the guys I’ve seen through the years are wearing a lot more trimmed mustaches. Nobody’s going for the Tom Selleck,” he says, laughing. So what are they going for? Below, Josh shares four beard and mustache styles that are experiencing a resurgence in his barber chair. The Van Dyke A mustache that’s fairly wide and narrow, with a beard that runs from the center of the bottom lip down to the chin Origin: 17th-century painter Anthony van Dyck Who it’s for: Guys who read more poems than prose Josh says: Wax is optional. “We do see some ‘wax-and-twist’ mustaches, but most professionals aren’t wearing them.” The Cary Grant A clean-cut, flamboyance-free mustache that peaks in the center Origin: Silver-screen leading man Cary Grant as seen in The Last Outpost (1935) Who it’s for: Guys who are seriously considering investing in a tuxedo Josh says: It’s popular. “A lot of guys are jumping back to the '30s or '40s with their look.” The Deer Hunter A wide, long goatee with trim sides Origin: Robert De Niro in the war drama The Deer Hunter Who it’s for: Guys who like the taste of venison Josh says: Keep it even. It’s OK to let it get long as long as you “make it neat around the edges.” The Sundance Kid A full, trim mustache that arches down below the lips Origin: Robert Redford in the classic western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Who it’s for: Outlaws who can’t swim Josh says: Don’t be afraid. “Anybody can pull a mustache off.” Illustration: © Will Landon, Groupon

Dyeing hair is as much a science as it is an art form. After precisely measuring ingredients, a colorist coats hair with a chemical mixture, which typically contains ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, that causes the follicles to open and the dye molecules to be deposited within. The seemingly straightforward process has actually taken decades to perfect, and stylists still look for new ways to give their clients the color of their dreams. And as more individuals lean toward a green lifestyle, beauty trends follow—more salons are beginning to offer newly formulated dyes that are organic, ammonia-free, or naturally derived. Here are some Chicago salons embracing chemical-free color alternatives. Salon Soca | Lincoln Park The most basic form of organic hair dye is henna, made from a plant that produces a rich red-orange color. Salon Soca, however, can produce a variety of brown and black shades by using specialized henna dyes. The dye is gentle—it coats, rather than penetrates, the follicle—but its results are lasting. Splendor Organic Salon & Spa | Norridge Though the decor may be glamorous at this Norridge salon, stylists keep their services simple by using vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly Organic Color Systems. The ammonia-free, oil-based formulation allows hair to naturally absorb dye molecules while imparting rich shine. An added bonus: the absence of chemicals keeps Splendor smelling fresh. Leader Hair Salon | Portage Park Leader Hair Salon also uses ammonia-free dyes from Organic Color Systems, applied by certified Organic Color Systems hair colorists with an expert knowledge of the brand. These specialists are more than happy to explain why OCS dyes provide thorough coverage without damaging hair. Hint: it has to do with formulations that are free of parabens, ammonia, formaldehyde, SLS, and animal products. Mera Natural Hair & Body | Lincoln Park Sisters Meredith and Sara Jackson exclusively use Simply Organic beauty products at this boutique Lincoln Park spa. The family-owned company has spent more than a decade perfecting dyes infused with naturally moisturizing olive-leaf extract and olive oil. And since the formulations release fewer gases into the atmosphere than their chemical counterparts, clients can rest assured knowing they’re caring for both their hair and the environment. Salon Echo | Edgewater Salon Echo is all about sustainability, from interiors made of recycled materials to services that rely on Aveda’s botanical-based beauty products. Full disclosure: despite being petrochemical-free and created using wind power, Aveda’s Full Spectrum Hair Color is made with a small percentage of chemicals. Understanding that may concern some clients, the salon also offers an ammonia-free glaze that leaves strands glistening with semipermanent color. Delle Amiche | Gold Coast Though it does offer traditional coloring services, Delle Amiche salon also revamps looks using L’Oréal’s INOA (Innovation No Ammonia). Believed to be the first ammonia-free dye to spark interest in high-end salons, this well-known brand is designed to evenly color hair while hydrating for up to six weeks post-treatment. The secret? An oil-based system that effectively yet gently deposits the dye into strands.