Processing at Eden Salon & Spa

If you’ve ever had your hair colored, you are aware of the time it takes for the chemicals to do their magic under the foils.  It’s a great time to relax, make plans for the rest of the day, catch up on texting, read a magazine, or just daydream about how gorgeous your hair is going to look by the time you leave the salon.  This weekend while processing at Eden Salon & Spa, I was passing the time doing all of the above and came across this little gem in the magazine I was reading.

I think this perfectly encapsulates my feelings exactly.

I love anticipating how my hair will look when it’s all done and I think it turned out wonderfully, thanks Eden!  Check out my After picture that I took on my way out for a Girls Night:

Saturday Morning at Eden Salon & Spa

I love a trip to Eden Salon & Spa any day of the week, but there is something awesome about Saturday mornings for me.  I don’t have anywhere to go, and there isn’t a lot I can do while I wait to process other than relax.  This trip would be different though because Nicole left out Aveda’s color samples for their rainbow colors and I wasn’t able to set it back down.  I decided on a whim that I wanted, no, NEEDED violet on my hair.

Later my mom had her appointment and we got to spend some time together reminiscing about when Eden was the architectural firm we both worked at.  Her hair turned out gorgeous!

Oh, you want to see my before and after?  Well, ok.

Before:

After:

As you can see, I’m a little blonder.  The purple is hard to see (which is what I was going for) but you get a peek at the bottom there.  Why did I do it?  Because I needed to let my Freak Flag fly for a little while before I lose it entirely.  Seriously, I never thought I’d be discussing and thinking about roof shingles and mortgages at 25 so this is a neat, temporary break from all that.

Venetian Nail Spa – The Greene, Dayton, OH

I went shopping at The Greene the other day and decided it was a perfect day for a mani/pedi.  I love the Venetian Nail Spa because other than just the fact that it’s strikingly gorgeous the moment you step inside (dual waterfalls, sky mural in the vaulted ceiling, marble-esque floors, etc. – basically the polar opposite of Rose Nails) the services are awesome and not at all expensive, especially considering what you would expect being that it is the nail spa in The Greene.

In a very un-me move that would have shocked my regular techs at Luxury (it’s not my basic black, near black, almost black, etc.), I went for an orangey, coral-y, pink with iridescent glitter on just one nail on each hand.  I think it turned out pretty awesome.

Even though I was the annoying customer who came in with shopping bags, they helped me put them all on my arms and even got my car keys out of my purse for me.  If there is any real lesson in dependence, it’s trying to get out of a nail salon without ruining your nails.

I know I don’t normally write about chains in any capacity, but this place really is very beautiful and definitely a great place to go relax after a hectic shopping trip for something terrible like a swim suit.  Or jeans.  Or work shoes.  And no matter how fancy the place looks, at its heart it’s just your neighborhood nail spa with technicians who live and shop in the same area as you.

A Weekend with My Sister

A while back, I accompanied my sister on a Saturday filled with adventure.  Well, first we went to Bob Evan’s, but then… Adventure!

We went to Truth & Triumph to get her ears pierced.  Beth has some serious issues with ear piercing (she even had to get earrings surgically removed one time, and it was Prom!) so she decided to go to a professional piercing place to ensure the highest precautions were taken.  The people there are wonderful and made sure she had fun even through the inherent pain of having sharp surgical steel forced through her ear lobes.  Sorry for the bad photo but I was trying to hide because every time Beth looks at me, she laughs.

Next, we went to Salon Noir so she could get a pixie cut for the first time!  I love Salon Noir and now Beth does, too.  It’s a very neat place to spend some time while your sister has her hair cut.  There are so many things to look at, like empty frames on the wall, or silhouettes.

Here’s what she looked like after all the adventure was over:

Spa Day at Home

Although nothing quite beats a day at the spa, creating your own version at home is a lot cheaper and more convenient.  Here’s what I use to relax and get back to beautiful after a grueling week.

1. Aveda Rosemary Mint Body Lotion – smells like a spa, so it sets the mood
2. Somme Institute Warming Face Mask – it smells like pumpkin pie ice cream…mmm…
3. Somme Institute Transport – glycolic acid pads
4. Somme Institute Serum – Vitamin C at its best
5. Somme Institute A-Bomb – smells like marshmallows, moisturizes like whoa
6. Nars Mud Mask – well, you know how I feel about this miracle stuff
7. Crest Whitestrips – it’s how coffee/tea/cranberry enthusiasts look approachable

Finish it off with a little more eye cream than you use daily, and you’re good to go…read a book and drink some peppermint tea.

Dual Expressions Salon – Dayton, OH

In my lifetime, I may have had hundreds of trips to nail salons, nail spas, salons and spas that offer nail services, cosmetology schools that teach nail services, etc. but I can honestly say that on New Year’s Eve, I had the best manicure and pedicure of my life!  Let’s back up a little:  A few weeks ago, I was actually able to have a latte “for here” at Ghostlight Coffee with my sister.  As we were looking around at all the cool stuff to look at in Ghostlight, I found a card for an organic spa called Dual Expressions:  an Organic Salon for Faces, Hands, and Feet.  I was impressed that this spa offered any organic services at all but that they also perform nail services?  I wasn’t expecting to ever see that on a card on a coffee shop community board – in Dayton.  So I called and scheduled an appointment for a mani/pedi on New Year’s Eve before a big party my husband and I were throwing in hopes that I would look great for the evening and maybe get some me time to relax before the shindig.

Arriving at Dual Expressions, I met Kelly and some of her helpers and I was immediately struck by how well they had worked with a small space to create a calm and relaxing environment without making the customer feel claustrophobic.  They accomplished this by utilizing smaller furniture and making the pedicure stations perpendicular to the front door.  Speaking of the pedicure stations, Kelly made the bold decision to do away with the traditional ultra-shiny glitter, chrome, and plastic throne of most nail salons, opting instead for a lush wicker swing.  Basically, rather than feeling like you’re getting your nails done, you end up feeling like you’re just enjoying a glass of wine on the veranda on a summer day.  The services are personalized to you based on your preferences – I chose grapefruit oil for my pedicure to help get me energized for the party.

I left Dual Expressions feeling completely calm and relaxed and my nails looked amazing, I can’t wait to go back!

I apologize for the fuzzy iphone photos, I was trying to be stealthy.  Except for the last one, I was trying to show how awesome the glitter looked for NYE.

Dual Expressions 

931 A Shroyer Road

Dayton, OH  45419

937-298-3825

Luxury Nail Spa – Vandalia, OH

You know the theme song from Cheers?  – “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came” – well because I don’t have a drinking problem but do have a beauty problem for me that place is Luxury Nail Spa in Vandalia, Ohio.  Recently expanded, Luxury Nail Spa is a large, full service nail spa offering expert services at very reasonable prices.  It also happens to be the workplace of several very warm, friendly, and talented nail technicians who make an otherwise normal nail salon feel like home to their busy customers.  Getting your nails done here feels like catching up with old friends and you leave with a warm, fuzzy feeling even in the dead of winter.

They offer services for women, men, and children – they even have little butterfly princess pedicure stations but they only let the kids use those.  Yes – I asked, they said no, but don’t worry, I’m working on it.  :)

Drop in for a service or make an appointment – the techs at Luxury Nail Spa will be happy to see you.

Luxury Nail Spa

3519 York Commons Blvd

Dayton, OH  45414

937-454-6460

Rose Nails – Dayton, OH

For people who get their nails done only for special occasions, it is important that the environment of the salon be relaxing and serene – beautiful fountains, lush greenery, maybe a chandelier or two…  But for those of us who get our nails done multiple times per month, the environment becomes pretty meaningless and the focus is really on whether or not the nail technicians can perform.  Rose Nails is the perfect manicure/color change nail salon in that it is small, cheap, and located on a main road.

I first visited Rose Nails in late September and before I could even walk through the door, I was tempted to turn and run.  Seeing wrought iron bars on the windows, street people coming in to use the rest room, bright crayon-colored walls lit by a couple florescent lights, and small donut offerings to little golden gods had me feeling as though I somehow stumbled into a wormhole that transported me to a Chinatown nail salon in New York City rather than a flourishing college neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio.  Bearing this in mind, I was very impressed with the manicure I received – it was perfect, actually.  I also loved how when customers would come in, the owner/nail technician would frequently call them by name and know what service they needed, which is something very few nail salons take the effort to do.  It was good to know he had a lot of return business, mostly from college students at nearby University of Dayton.

If you’re looking for a nail salon that will help you to relax and unwind before a big event, Rose Nails may not be the place I would recommend.  But if you are looking for a cheap manicure that makes your nails look amazing and don’t mind a rougher ambiance than what you might normally be used to, definitely give Rose Nails a try.

Rose Nails

1047 Brown Street

Dayton, OH  45409

(937) 222-0399 

Salon Noir – Dayton, OH

I love opening my email each morning to find a new Groupon or Living Social deal – trying new things is awesome.  A while ago, I bought a Living Social deal for Salon Noir in Centerville, OH and couldn’t wait to use it.  When I arrived for my appointment, I was very happy with the decor – especially the portraits of women in the 1800s who had never cut their hair; it leant a sense of the macabre.  The color palette is a rich ivory and onyx with surprising little details all over the place. 

The staff is talented and able to take a tame hairstyle and give it some edge but also can help you maintain your tried-and-true style if you’d like. 

The only issue I have is the parking – hardly their fault in a historic section of town – you have to park on a hill in a small lot behind the salon, accessible by alley.  As long as there are spots available, it works. 

I would definitely visit Salon Noir in the future.  Especially if they offered to make a silhouette after your service, frame and all! 

Salon Noir

24 East Franklin Street

Centerville, OH  45459

937-723-6397

Shear Joy Gets a Website!

Recently after a very relaxing facial from Shear Joy Salon & Spa, I was confronted by Teresa, the salon manager, “Are you Girl About Town?”  I was sort of shocked and had to take a moment to try to remember exactly what I had written about Shear Joy before answering in the affirmative.  “I knew it!  You need to look at our new website.” 

So I’ve taken a look at it and couldn’t be happier.  The website achieves it’s purpose, which is just to occupy a space on the internet for people to land when searching for their salon.  The colors and design match the salon and spa exactly – almost as if they had the web designer take paint swatches.  The layout is simple and clean and easy to navigate. 

Take a look at their website for yourself – and while you’re at it, make an appointment!