Labor Day is barely a memory, but as they say in the business, “the show must go on,” and Hollywood is already prepping for red carpet season. Across town, stars of the smaller screen are getting primed for their biggest night of the year: the Emmys. Whether you’re readying your skin and hair for the red carpet, hoping to get discovered, or simply looking to erase the telltale signs of a long sun-and-rosé-drenched summer, the new crop of noteworthy spas and jewel-box salons that have popped up from downtown to the beach have you covered. Here, the best new beauty destinations for getting ready for your HD close-up.
Joanna Vargas
After several years of working from a suite at the Sunset Tower Hotel, A-list facialist Joanna Vargas is putting down roots in L.A. and opening her first permanent outpost in the city—an unlisted, strictly under-the-radar West Hollywood townhouse with the obligatory paparazzi-proof entrance. “I have a lot of clients going to the Emmys this year, so it was a perfect time to do this,” says Vargas, who will be flying to L.A. for one week every month to deliver her signature radio-frequency facials, as well as full-body LED and microdermabrasion treatments. “I do these treatments a lot before award shows,” she says of the latter, “because those red carpet dresses are all about showing skin.”
By appointment, joannavargas.com
The Face Bar
The peel is back. “Yes, it involves a few days of downtime, but it is safe for all skin types and produces consistent results,” says Tricia Dikes, who has been Hollywood’s go-to peel guru for about 20 years. At the newly opened The Face Bar, her 30-minute Signature Peel promises to reverse a summer’s worth of sun exposure from the face and décolletage. The treatment kicks off with a quick facial including steam and extractions, followed by a deep exfoliation using an active blend incorporating sea urchin shell, and finally an oxygen treatment and cold collagen roller to combat inflammation and hydrate. The peel itself, which looks like bronzer when applied, has to be left on for eight hours, so those in the know book evening appointments and sleep in it.
9020 Beverly Boulevard, West Hollywood, thefacebar.la
Ciel Spa at SLS Beverly Hills
Cult skincare line Biologique Recherche’s devoted followers will be paying homage at the Philippe Starck-designed Ciel Spa this awards season. After a thorough revamp, Ciel Spa is the first-full service hotel spa in town to offer the gamut of Biologique Recherche’s facial and body treatments including the Triple Lift Facial—a combo of the Le Soin Lissant, Le Lift, and Remodeling Face Machine—the P50 Body Polish, and the Le Lift Arm treatment for inner arms (crucial when holding an award aloft).
465 South La Cienega Boulevard, sbe.com
Salon Kazumi
In a town known for its beachy blondes, Kazumi Morton has established a reputation for delivering totally natural-looking highlights and balayage on brunettes. Japanese-born Morton travels to Tokyo regularly to source cutting-edge hair-care lines. And awards season is prime time for her current obsession, Trisys keratin and collagen treatments, which she says instantly restore strength and shine to hair that’s been bleached, taken from dark to light and back again, or just burnt out from blow-dries. “It takes 15 minutes and the results are amazing,” she says. “We also do a lot of glosses for clients coming in from the East Coast. Their color can just look too warm in this L.A. light.”
9725 South Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, kazumimorton.com
Tenoverten
New York City’s favorite nontoxic nail salon will be opening its first West Coast location in the new Platform complex in Culver City this October. Industry movers and shakers will appreciate the nods to New York efficiency in this notoriously laid-back town: All of the mani and pedi stations will have built-in iPhone chargers, and you can get your cold brew caffeine fix delivered from neighboring Blue Bottle Coffee. Savvy out-of-towners can take the brand-new Metro straight there, but locals will probably pull up to the more discreet VIP entrance at the back of the building. As of the color of the moment? The newly launched eight-free shade called L.A.—a classic Hollywood siren red—is a hands-down winner.
8850 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, tenoverten.com
Benjamin Arts District
This brand-new downtown outpost in the vast One Santa Fe complex means that veteran stylist Benjamin Mohapi’s cool girl clientele won’t have to make the trek across town anymore. Book in with colorists Cherin Choi and Jessica Gonzalez for their sought-after balayages, ombrés, and rad Pravana rainbow colors; Sal Salcedo for edgy cuts; and Chase Bao Nguyen for perfectly undone blowouts (Mohapi will be at the salon by appointment). The 1,620-square-foot space also features curated art by Poster Child Prints, a library of paperbacks to peruse while your color develops, and cult finds like the S-heart-S Japanese Scalp brush.
300 S. Santa Fe Avenue, benjaminsalon.com
The Now
If there were an award for most Instagrammed spa in L.A., this Tulum-inspired massage parlor would take it. The Now has just opened its second location a short walk from the beach in Santa Monica (a Silver Lake location is to follow), and will instantly transport you to the Yucatan with the fragrance of Coqui Coqui’s Coco Coco candle burning throughout, a looped soundtrack of crashing waves, and breezy white cabana-style treatment rooms. The signature Now massage with add-ons available—including aromatherapy, Jiva-Apoha oils and balancing crystal chakra placement—should smooth away any pre-awards jitters, but don’t leave without taking a moment to vibe with the crystal installation, comprised of 300 pieces of quartz, to manifest prosperity and wellness.
2407 Main Street, Santa Monica, thenowmassage.com
The post The Best New L.A. Salons and Spas for Pre-Emmy Awards Beauty Prepping appeared first on Vogue.
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