Beauty Black Book

Aviary Organic Beauty Collective
659 Auburn Ave., Studio 125
404-577-2460
Price: $56 and up
Brooklyn-transplant stylist Jennifer Jones has brought her New York City cool south, where her balayage skills are a real draw at this popular Atlanta salon. (It’s known for expert facials too.) Armed with only organic and ammonia-free dyes, Jones crafts subtle gradations of ombré shading that manages to look both chic and seriously sun-kissed.

Bask by Exhale in REVEL resorts
500 Boardwalk
609-225-9855
Price: $16 and up; mention code InStyle20
Need a quick cleanup before hitting the beach? Visit this 32,000-square-foot labyrinth inside Revel, the hot new hotel on the boardwalk. Slip on a robe and sip cucumber water before a therapist escorts you to one of 32 treatment rooms. There, she’ll rid skin of stubble with a soft, soy-based Nu Free wax, then leave you to enjoy amenities like the steam room, sauna, and whirlpool for the rest of the day.

José Luis Salon
1717 W. Sixth St., No. 123
512-474-1146
Price: $76 and up
The blazing Texas sun is harsh enough on hair—that’s one reason master stylist Kelly Buchanan whips out the peroxide only when absolutely necessary at this downtown Austin mega-salon. In her less-can-be-more repertoire: a hot mélange of high- and lowlights, followed by a Kérastase conditioning treatment.

Ann Webb Skin Clinic
11701 Jollyville Rd., Suite 103
512-795-0145
Price: $52
Aesthetician extraordinaire Ann Webb gets up close and personal during her customized facial, carefully examining skin, then picking out problem-solving products from her botanicals-infused Skin by Ann Webb line. She treated our tester to an enzyme pumpkin mask and layered a lactic acid peel on top; she left both on for a few minutes to deeply (but gently) exfoliate. Webb finishes most treatments with an application of pomegranate moisturizer with SPF, and a stream of pure oxygen for loads of hydration—all of which left our tester’s complexion feeling amazingly firm and smooth. Also pretty nice: the price. After your first visit, facials are $45!

Yuan Spa
1032 106th Ave., NE
425-449-8788
Price: $127 for Pure Hydra facial
Get ready to be wowed by the high-tech Pure Hydra facial at this quiet, candlelit spa. The work is done by a clever device called the Hydrafacial MD, which has different settings to (painlessly) perfect your complexion. What happens: An aesthetician runs the spiral plastic tip over your face (it releases a cleansing solution to deep-clean pores). Next, the gadget emits a glycolic-and-salicylic-acid-peel solution to exfoliate, then suctions skin to perform extractions. Finally, it delivers an antioxidant serum with vitamin C and E for a flawless finish.

Trephin Salon
25 Temple Place, Second Floor
857-233-2363
Price: $120 and up
Head to this impeccable Beantown post where “quirkily creative” colorist Nina Ganci practices an artful balayage technique that can redefine brunet, reinvigorate red, or warm up blond—and look as natural or as trendy as you like.

Corbu Spa & Salon at The Charles Hotel
5 Bennett St.
617-661-5772
Price: $88 for customized facial
Farm-to-table restaurants we get—but farm-to-spa treatments? That’s the fresh idea served up by this hotel spot, where aestheticians support local farmers by using seasonal ingredients in their treatments (think handmade, herb-infused sugar scrubs). But before the herbal healing, each customized facial begins with a technician leading you through a computerized analysis of your complexion to see which areas need special attention.

Skoah Boston
641A Tremont St.
857-350-4930
Price: $80 for Double Dose facial
This Canadian spa chain has opened its first U.S. post, where aestheticians prefer to be called “skin care trainers.” Their ultimate goal? To whip your skin into great shape—and armed with Skoah products, which are full of anti-aging plant extracts, they do just that. The new 60-minute Double Dose facial uses a glycolic solution to soften pores for extractions (no hot steam here). Moisturizing masks and sublime massages leave visitors glowing, as if they’d just worked out at the gym. Bonus: Our reporter raved about their heated beds layered with luxe down comforters.

Danka Panka
519 Court St.
718-875-4600
Price: $56 and up
Owner and stylist Dan Sharp has hopped around the globe styling red-carpet regulars, but now he’s put down roots in 
 the family-friendly neighborhood of Carroll Gardens. Visitors can get in on his talent for crafting edgy asymmetrical lobs and blending seamless layers. He’s also a whiz with products: For our tester, he mixed together the perfect potion for stay-all-day volume. (Hint: It involves a misting of beach spray on wet strands, a blow-dry, then a hit of dry shampoo on roots.)