Beauty & Spas in Surrey

In the late 1920s, the Great Depression was rendering most Americans professionally and financially paralyzed. But in a small California kitchen, Merle Nethercutt Norman was putting a plan in motion to formulate her own skincare products and share them with family and friends. She truly believed in her formulas, knowing that by getting them on as many faces as possible, she would develop a following of customers. She was right—within a few years she and her nephew were opening their first studio in Santa Monica, and they eventually unveiled a series of independently operated stores that enabled women to take ownership during a time of gender-based limitations such as men-only restrooms.

Today, in approximately 2,000 stores across three countries, the three basic principles of Merle's original vision still apply. Each studio is independently owned and fosters an in-depth knowledge of the company's own line of makeup and skincare products. Just as Merle shared her creations with close friends and sallow mannequins more than 80 years ago, today's aestheticians embody the business's "try before you buy" philosophy. A menu of complimentary studio services—from foundation checks to express facials—allows patrons to sample the lauded brand before committing to the purchase of products or full spa treatments.

Voted best place for a beach-ready tan by readers of Georgia Straight three years in a row, Clients leave SunScape Tanning Studios sporting rich, golden hues imparted in an environment where the staff is committed to providing the most safe and effective tanning experience possible. Each of the studio’s technicians—called SunExperts—is trained in the appropriate administration of UV light to help bodies safely attain the bronzed look they desire using the latest in tanning techniques without needing approval from the curmudgeonly sun. The centre’s proprietors take pride in the their ultra-modern tanning equipment that often imparts an added feel of luxury to each session, with tanning beds that boast aromatherapy and relaxing aqua mists and private sunless options that include VeraSpa and Mystic Tan. SunExperts also treat skin to revitalizing treatments, such as Beauty Angel skin rejuvenation, that uses red-light therapy to help tone and tighten skin, as opposed to black-light therapy, whose only goal is to put Led Zeppelin songs in people’s minds.

The Smart Tan–certified team at Tan de Soleil assists clients in getting the best out of their experiences by keeping immaculate tanning studios stocked with modern tanning beds and spray-tan booths. Before customers slip into a KBL lay-down bed or a Sun Capsule VHR stand-up unit, the staff provides them with sanitized protective eyewear and towels. They also change the bulbs in those beds regularly to keep them at optimal tanning efficiency.

For UV-free tans, the crew educates its guests about the use of VersaSpa and Mystic Tan spray-tanning booths for custom tans with solutions that moisturize and nourish skin. These tanning booths can gild tanners in about 60 seconds, but for those who wish to take their time, the studios come equipped with a vanity area. In there, guests lounge and use supplied nail files, hairspray, gel, and beauty products to get ready for the rest of their days. The space also allows for phone conversations so customers don’t have to feel intrusive when making personal calls or leaving in-your-face messages on King Midas’s voicemail.

Long before he opened Westcoast Piercing and Ink, professional piercer Kelly began to reconsider his own body’s potential as a template for artistic self-expression. As a pre-teen during punk rock’s heyday in the early 80s, he became fascinated with big chains, spiked bracelets, and large rings—pretty much anything that would showcase his style and increase his radio signal. The scene’s do-it-yourself ethic often led his friends to experiment with unsanitary piercing methods, but Kelly thankfully knew better and decided to take the true D.I.Y. route: he became a certified piercer himself and opened Westcoast Piercing Guy.

Today, years after his initial stroke of inspiration, Kelly operates out of a health-board approved studio that has been given the seal of approval from the local medical community and clients alike. He continues to outfit ears and other body parts with piercings; only now he works alongside a band of piercers and tattoo artists who decorate skin with everything from colorful custom sleeves to blank crossword puzzles that help clients pass the time during morning commutes.

Elegance Medi Spa's cosmetic procedures entwine Eastern modalities with noninvasive Western technology. Using this mix, the staff of certified technicians can help patients vanquish flab with an FDA-approved LipoLaser, banish unwanted hair with laser hair-removal services using the LightSheer XC diode laser, and fade discolouration with teeth whitening. No matter what aesthetic treatment patients choose, they first undergo a comprehensive consultation to discuss their concerns, goals, and favourite celebrity baby names.

Natural sunlight flies through large windows and bounces off the black-framed mirrors decking a lineup of styling stations, where Prism Hair Designs' professional staff fashions sleek haircuts and creative colour. A slew of international products—such as Kaya Kalp from India and Skeyndor from Spain—bolster facials and peels by nourishing the skin alongside hot towels and steam treatments. Meanwhile, massage therapists stand by with hot stones and custom techniques, ready to pamper bodies and ease soreness stemming from nights on a makeshift waterbed crafted from the aquarium's shark exhibit.