Beauty & Spas in Mesa

It begins with a facial massage with MMIV shave oil, creating a protective barrier and conditioning the skin with Vitamin E. Next, warm towels open pores, soften scruff, and relax muscles without the adverse and downright weird affects of a horse tranquilizer. Finally, hand-whipped MMIV shave cream coats jawlines, another product packed with Vitamin E as well as green tea. This process comprises just the preliminary steps for an Ultimate Shave at M.U.G. Men's Ultimate Grooming. Once faces are prepped, specially trained barbers shave with, and then against, the grain. Then, they wrap smooth faces in a cool towel before spreading on moisturizer like butter on a dry Thanksgiving turkey—but without Grams and Aunt Carol watching closely.

All of the MMIV products are exclusive to M.U.G. Its masterminds spent almost a decade formulating them specifically for the Ultimate Shave, making sure each held an ample amount of conditioning Vitamin E. The staff, which also cuts and colors hair, trusts in the products so fully that they'll give you a refund if the MMIV line doesn't deliver the closest shave since Napoleon bear-crawled away from Waterloo, sobbing into his epaulets.

Fuchsia lives up to its incandescent name: its hot-pink walls vibrate under shimmering chandeliers. The pink ceiling curves and cuts away to expose industrial chrome pipes reflecting the script of a neon fuchsia Fuchsia sign. Profiled by ABC's The Revolution, Good Morning Arizona, and magazines such as Everyday with Rachael Ray, the spa pampers its guests so thoroughly, it's earned a spot on Gayot's list of Top 10 Value Spas in the world.

Visitors call in or make online appointments to be bundled in body wraps, receive custom facials, or spruce up their nails. Massages take place in private suites where customers can tune into their own iPods, and hair-removal services prep parties for windstorms in velcro factories. The spa also contains a blow-dry bar, a makeup-artistry station, and shelves and racks of boutique apparel, accessories, and skincare products.

A wildly successful alternative to traditional day spas—its more than 300 locations blanket 36 states and half a dozen countries—Planet Beach is a futuristic relaxation station where state-of-the-art machines administer all the spa and tanning services. These friendly automatons sometimes replace familiar treatments, as in the Luminous facial, a light-based service that delivers blemish-busting results similar to those of a conventional facial. But other equipment maps out new spa territory entirely: the Hydro-Derma Fusion chamber moisturizes the whole body with nutrient-rich steam in order to offset the effects of a dry climate or a rear-end collision with a salt truck. Other machines whiten teeth, spray tan skin, and massage muscles.

Planet Beach operates on a gym-style membership system, meaning that members purchase packages or pay flat monthly rates. As members spend more time at the spa, they get to know the helpful assistants who are always on hand to demonstrate how to use the equipment without activating its ability to cry.

Both of The Healing Arts Day Spa’s two locations enhance the transporting effects of their services with decor that evokes a Tuscan-style villa. Vines crawl across shelves and along the backs of chairs, walls are painted to resemble lightly weathered stucco, and stone tiles create the feel of an airy courtyard. In softly lit rooms, the hands of licensed massage therapists and aestheticians deliver relaxation through massage, body wraps, and skin and hair treatments. Customers can even learn to pamper themselves: owner Terrell Lynn teaches a course in couples’ massage that helps forge closer bonds between spouses or strangers on a long bus ride.

Selecting Goldwell, Moroccanoil, and TIGI products from their granite-topped stations, Epic Salon's hairstylists put the finishing touches on new haircuts, freshened colors, or newly straightened locks. In addition to elevating clients’ appearances with services such as keratin treatments and highlights, the stylists literally take hair to new heights by deftly twirling strands into elegant updos and stretch styles downward with Great Lengths hair extensions, which boast a texture even nicer than al dente spaghetti. The salon's aestheticians wax away unwanted body hair, treat cheeks to classic European facials, and reveal radiant skin with Jessner, retinol, and TCA peels.

Whether clients are perplexed by the process of a lymph-drainage massage or unsure if their freckles resemble a young Bob Dylan, the technicians of Beauty & The Ballroom can answer their health and beauty questions. Their arsenal of skincare products is as complete as their knowledge; organic, vegan, and preservative-free products rejuvenate skin during European facials, and aloe or Moroccan red clay nourish bodies during wraps. Clients can also relax with an aromatherapy treatment customized by the spa's resident aromatherapist, who takes the client's preferred fragrances into consideration before blending a new scent using mineral clays, seeds, and essential oils.