When Angel Tips opened the doors to its single Long Island store in 1996, it had a simple premise: to offer professional nail, waxing, and beauty services at an affordable price. Although the company has expanded to more than 60 locations across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut since then, their focus on professionalism remains the same. They even require all of their licensed professionals to hone their skills at a specialized training center in Connecticut. Though Angel Tips expertly performs waxing services and installs eyelash extensions, their specialty lies in nail care. Their technicians perform traditional, gel, and acrylic manicures, as well as specialty pedicures with paraffin and hot stone massages. Cleanliness, like professionalism and affordability, is a top priority; all locations use sanitized tools, disposable files and buffer pads, and pedicure chairs that have fully outgrown their teenage grunge phases.

To keep their skills fresh, the staff at Studio M head to New York and Beverly Hills to learn the latest beauty trends and techniques. Once back at their Clifton salon, the stylists blend these new skills with their years of experience to create flattering styles with ombre highlights, Keratin Complex straightening treatments, and SoCap hair extensions. Meanwhile, aestheticians perform Yonka facials and crystal microdermabrasion to restore skin's youthful glow as digits receive coats of OPI polish and LCN tips. For head-to-toe rejuvenation, clients can call upon the spa's therapist who customizes massages to suit each guest, using hot stones to ease tight muscles and reflexology to relax hopelessly tangled toes.

As a physician and the owner and medical director of Nu U MedSpa and Laser Center, Dr. Priyanka Gambhir takes the time to personally perform each aesthetic medical procedure at her center. Dr. Gambhir firmly believes that these procedures should work toward restoring patients’ natural beauty as opposed to reinventing an entirely new look. To accomplish this, she relies on clinically proven techniques and the most current med-spa technologies she can find, including Alma and Cutera laser systems and skincare products infused with powdered microchips.

What services does your business offer and what makes your business stand out from the competition? We offer tanning beds and booths, organic airbrush spray tanning, manicures, pedicures, gels, waxing, facials, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, massage therapy, make-up. We are open 7 days a week. What was the inspiration to start or run this business? I was inspired to start my business because I thought it would be unique to not only offer tanning but to have spa services to offer my clients as well. Having a great location with parking makes for a successful business as well. What do you love most about your job? I am very proud to have turned my salon into a brand new classy environment with skilled, knowledgeable, and very friendly staff. But ultimately what I cherish most are my amazing, devoted clients. What is the best reaction you've ever gotten from a customer? "Wow! This place is beautiful. The beds are great. Very helpful staff, and you offer way more than any other tanning salon does!"

Sugey Spa at Aldana's helps clients unwind with a complete menu of spa services. The therapists soothe sore muscles with a variety of massages, including tropics-themed massages that invigorate the senses with mango, lime, or orange-peel scents. The resident skin specialists also extract toxins with deep-cleansing facials or detoxifying body wraps that use seaweed or mud.

The therapists at Studio 88 begin their battle against stress before clients even get to the treatment room. A chandelier-lit reception area surrounded by cheery pink walls puts tension on the defensive as soon as clients walk in the door. Down the hallway, the fight continues, with massages powered by Swedish, deep-tissue, and hot-stone techniques that dissolve knots and muscular tightness. Elsewhere, skincare specialists brighten visages with facials, and makeup experts highlight clients' winning features with professionally applied products. The staff’s permanent-makeup treatments also help clients free up time during their morning routines for sleeping in or firing spitballs at the paperboy.