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

Shear Joy – Vandalia

In 2010, Karma Salon & Spa of Dayton, OH shut its doors and left in the dark of night, never to be heard from again.  Some of us had appointments that would no longer occur, gift cards that would not be redeemed, but worst of all – we lost an affordable, friendly day spa in the Vandalia-Butler area.  Although I get different services at various places all over the Greater Dayton area, I always maintain a short list of “go-to” salons:  Salons I can trust to do anything and everything I need whether it’s for a planned event or a last-minute emergency, usually very local to me and affordable.  This doesn’t have to be the salon to which I trust my cut or color, just the salon that can make me look great when I need them to.  Karma was that salon for me, but it didn’t last. 

My aesthetician from Karma went to Shear Joy in Vandalia so my husband and I picked up our biweekly brow waxes there without skipping a beat.  Could Shear Joy be my new go-to salon and spa?  I wasn’t sure.

The free-standing building conforms to the current trend in budget construction – an exact rectangular prism with as few windows as possible.  I never thought about setting foot in there, no matter how badly I needed a new salon.  After seeing the inside of the salon, it’s actually very well appointed with a very simple, purple/80’s theme.  Each station is a complete mini-salon where the stylists have their own phone extensions for scheduling appointments, their own sinks, storage cabinets, and scheduling books.  The LMT has her own small massage room and Amanda, my aesthetician, has her own room for facials, waxing, and treatments.  I feel very comfortable here and have tried almost everything Shear Joy has to offer, including pedicures, massages, facials, and waxes. 

In sum, I highly recommend this friendly, affordable salon to anyone looking for a simple place to get great services by unpretentious professionals whose only goal is to make their customers beautiful.

Shear Joy

805 South Dixie Drive 

Vandalia, OH  45377-2645

(937) 890-7077