Ancient Egyptians believed the sun was the source of all strength, which explains their attempts to intimidate encroaching enemies by inventing the spray tan. Bronze on some brawn with today's Groupon: for $19, you a personalized quick-dry spray tan at LA/NY Skin, located inside Prima Salon (a $45 value).
LA/NY Skin's owners and experienced aestheticians, Leigh and Hannah, recalibrate epidermal tints with custom spray-tanning techniques. After a prep solution balances the skin's pH and college-entrance-exam scores, customers select from a custom-mixed choice of organic, chemical-free tanner or an all-natural paraben-free solution. Patrons then undress down to swimsuit or birthday-suit attire as tanning techs custom paint bodies with spray-on abs, muscle definition, or beach-ready sheens. Following an approximately eight-hour processing time, tanners often note reductions in the appearance of spider veins, scarring, cellulite, and door-to-door sunscreen salesmen.
Inside the chic, intimate space of LA/NY Skin, a chandelier hangs over a plush treatment bed, and soft curtains cascade from ceiling to floor. Gray walls soothe clients like chromatic lullabies, and beaded wall art keeps eyes entertained. Covered garage parking protects clients from menacing winds and dampening rains.
Breathe
Hannah hails from Los Angeles, and Leigh from New York. Together, the experienced aestheticians bring their hometowns' best cosmetic products and nearly two decades of beauty-industry experience to their Portland space, Breathe. The beauty haven surrounds clients in warm and comforting elegance. Walls drenched in mocha hues are offset by sparkly accents, including dangly beaded chandeliers and posters of Vanilla Ice. Within this softly lit oasis, the duo dispenses a range of beauty and skin services, from tanning to facials.
Using an organic and paraben-free solution, they customize airbrush tans to suit each client’s skin tone and desired level of bronze, hiding cellulite, freckles, and age spots in the process. At the makeup bar, they enhance features with Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics and pump up flutterers with mink lash extensions or waterproof lash dipping that lasts up to six weeks. A range of chemical peels, facials, and microdermabrasion treatments rejuvenate face and body, and the team enlists both hard and soft waxes to wisp away hair from brows, bikini areas, and heads after they lose a bet.