Beauty Black Book

Tre Spa
2516 Sunset Blvd.
713-523-7800
Price: $65-$150
We can’t guarantee that umbrella-toting staffers will meet everyone at their cars in a downpour (though they’ve been known to do that), but let’s just say the service at Trey Gillen’s first solo salon earns top marks. Gillen, formerly of Garren New York, crafts cuts suited to each client’s hair texture. And the massage shampoo chairs are pretty great too!

Platinum Entourage Blow Dry Bar + Vanity Lounge
6670 South Tenaya Way, #200
702-410-5459
Price: $35 ($45 for extensions and very long hair)
The price is right at this salon: For $35, you can get one of eight styles of blowouts. Pick a straight, sophisticated version, or go for the glamour with their “Vintage Veronica,” a softly waved, old-Hollywood look. The personable stylists here might whip out a few products and tools to help them deliver knockout results (think rollers and texturizers). And the space has a hip, loft-like vibe that’s super-cool.

Diva Beauty
4300 Meadows Lane
702-259-4500
Price: $11
The newest spot from this Las Vegas chain offers the same formula that works for its predecessors: quick, accurate threading at prices that hover in the $10 range. Brows are powdered first to absorb excess moisture, then threads remove hairs in mere minutes-leaving no redness or irritation behind.

The Spa at Ravella
1610 Lake Las Vegas Parkway
702-567-4600
Price: $190
It’s all luxury when you opt for the Essence of Ravella Customized Facial. After determining your skin type, an aesthetician selects appropriate products, then cleanses and adds steam, applies an exfoliating peel, hydrates skin, and finishes with a mask. And each step is sandwiched between lavender-scented massages of the face and limbs.

Sahra Spa & Hammam
3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
702-698-7171
Price: $205
In the swank Cosmopolitan Hotel, this 43,000-square-foot space has a luxe desert feel. The Hydra Facial starts with a creamy cleanser applied with a Clarisonic oscillating brush. And rather than resort to finger-squeezing extractions, staffers use a vacuum suction device to painlessly remove blackheads and further clean skin.

Square Salon
1225 S. Fort Apache Rd., Suite 160
702-255-7050
Price: $45 and up
Working in raw space—exposed pipes, cement-like floors—stylist Luibov Rachmanina is an ace at giving fine hair tons of volume. Her combo of long layers and body-building products (like Kérastase mousse) equals just the right va-va-va-voom.

Just Brows by Shainy
113 W. Fifth Street
713-868-6234
Price: $35 and up
Shainy's intuitive eye for brow shapes, plus her gentle waxing and conservative plucking skills, yield natural-looking, never harsh, results.

Trellis the Spa at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
111 North Post Oak Lane
713-685-6790
Price: $120
Proving that they do everything big in Texas, this 17,000–square–foot haven boasts a whopping 21 oversize treatment rooms. Not surprisingly, the spa also offers an extensive menu of services. Our pick: the Absolute Pearl facial, which uses a blend of crushed pearl powder and botanical extracts for a radiant glow.

Solution for Hair & Makeup
1800 Westheimer Road
713-526-4545
Price: $61 and up
Texas socialites keep standing appointments with Aveda-trained stylist and owner Mark Horn. His specialty: glossy shades that bring a soft glow to the skin. His secret: never using only one technique—instead Horn blends mini highlights or semipermanent tints for a custom effect.

Therapy Hair Studio
5371 Westheimer Road
713-355-4247
Price: $85 and up
Stuck in a beauty rut? Visit this hair rehab, where stylists insist that you confess growing pains and traumatic styling experiences before they prescribe a cut that suits your lifestyle and texture.

Roula’s Nail Spa
3017 Kirby Drive
713-528-8500
Price: $5 and up
The nail menu here reads like a, well, menu, listing good–enough–to–eat ingredients like warm milk and honey, sage, and peppermint, and even mango sorbet. Every client is sent home with the salon equivalent of a doggie bag, consisting of a nail file, a buffer, and a mini bottle of nail polish.

The Tanning Spot
560 Waugh Drive
713-528-7768
Price: $27
The spray-gun-toting professionals here are known for their meticulous work. Using the highly regarded Versa Spa machine, they coat every inch of skin with a golden glow that lasts for days and fades uniformly without any patchy marks.

Just Wax It
4617 Montrose Boulevard, Suite C145
713-807-8525
Price: $15—$350
The pros at this cheerful spa in Chelsea Market are perfectionists when it comes to pruning the bikini area. They specialize in Brazilians, using a hard blue wax that peels away easily, and then they deftly remove any strays with tweezers.

Reliquary Water Sanctuary & Spa at Hard Rock Hotel
4455 Paradise Road
702-693-5000
Price: $125 and up
An indoor refuge decked out with mosaic tiles and a sprawling hot thermal pool, Reliquary is reminiscent of a Roman bath-house. To revive parched skin—be it from jet lag or late-night Sin City clubbing—book the intensely hydrating Fountain of Youth facial.

Kim Vo Salon at the Mirage
3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
702-791-7474
Price: $125 and up
Fact: Holding shears at a 45-degree angle snips layers with incredible swing and bounce. This is one of the many tricks that stylist Lavetta Fajardo uses on stars Kristin Cavallari, Kim Kardashian and Jenny McCarthy.

Amp Salon by Michael Boychuck
4321 W. Flamingo Road
702-942-6909
Price: $65 and up
Want a radical change? Head to this tiny salon (it’s tucked away in the upper reaches of the Palms Casino Resort). Top colorist Michael Boychuck can take just about any base color to platinum and back without having strands turn brittle or flat.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
3752 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
702-590-8886
Visitors flock to this luxe hotel spa to de–stress—and seek refuge from the ringing slot machines—in private reclining lounge chairs. Be prepared to spend time admiring the spectacular view of Las Vegas Boulevard, aka the Strip, while an aesthetician delivers a pre–polish scrub and foot massage that’s truly out of this world.

Wynn Spa
3131 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
702-770-3900
Price: $95
At this gilded, red-curtained spa, Amy Dunn works with a range of 32 shades to blend the perfect match for any skin. She guides clients through poses to make sure every nook and cranny is covered. And after 30 minutes of spraying, she finishes with a dusting of baby powder to prevent any rub-off.

Box Human Landscapers
4750 W. Sahara, Suite 28
702-893-9993
Price: $7—$85
No area is too tricky to wax for owner Bree Goldwater, who says she will strip "the nose to the toes and everything in between" (maybe not all at once, we advise). To take the edge off, clients apply a pain-numbing cream.

Jacques Dessange Salon & Spa
5535 Memorial Drive, Suite L
713-457-8800
Price: $18—$25
Star shaper Yvette Weeks assisted plastic surgeons before becoming an aesthetician at this spa, so she has a unique understanding of facial structure. Using tweezers and wax, she's been known to make noses appear smaller and eyes bigger.

Fiori Spa
2613 Potomac Drive
713-244-0070
Price: $110—$170
With its exposed beams, stone walls, and sunny wine garden, an afternoon at this rustic-chic retreat feels a bit like escaping to a villa in Tuscany—minus the jet lag. Book the signature facial, which combines hydrating neroli and mandarin oils with firming plant extracts to say arrivederci to dull, drab complexions.

Ceron Salon
1180 Uptown Park Boulevard
713-892-8330
Price: $100 and up
Mexican-born, French-schooled Cerón is a master at taming coarse curls so that they behave in Houston’s humidity. His ability to craft gravity-defying party updos keeps his salon packed with locals. Cindy Crawford, Lauren Hutton and Ivana Trump have all stopped at this salon when they’ve been in town.

Trellis Spa
111 N. Post Oak Lane (at the Houstonian Hotel)
713-685-6790
Price: $35—$100
An appointment at this lavish 17,000-square-foot space is one of the best deals in town. Not only do you get a detailed cleaning but post-polish, you're invited to stick around and enjoy the hot tub, sauna and indoor pool—or just sit back and chill in the reading lounge, complete with a fireplace.

Throwing Copper Organic Body Hueing
8 Chelsea Boulevard
713-859-1085
Price: $55
Want to feel good about looking good? Try this spot, tucked inside a tropical-hued salon, where going green is easy (and turning orange is impossible). The organic spray tan solution used here is made from natural beet sugar and also contains skin-softening aloe, glycerin, and grapeseed extract.

Spa Chakra in Conrad Hotel
50 W. Washington Street
317-524-2515
Price: $135—$265
Need ahead-to-toe fix? Indulge in the 90-minute Spa Facial. After a thorough pore cleansing, the aesthetician expertly tackles unruly brows, gives hands a softening paraffin treatment, and soothes tired feet with a reflexology massage.

Spa at the Villa
1456 N. Delaware Street
317-916-8500
Price: $25—$65
The promise of three weeks with clean, shiny nails has devotees lined up outside this hand haven. The No-Chip manicure replaces traditional polish with a flexible, breathable gel (available in 83 shades) that resists nicks and peeling.

Shine Spa
4143 Pennsylvania Avenue
816-531-8600
Price: $15—$70
Nestled amid the 19th century buildings in historic Westport, this unintimidating spa has a vast menu, including head-to-toe waxes. The staff is known for thoroughly sanitizing all tools and surfaces, which helps to explain the spa's spotless reputation.

Amp Salon at the Palms
4321 W. Flamingo Road
702-942-6909
Price: $40
Face it: Having hot wax placed on the delicate skin around your eyes isn't the most relaxing experience. So imagine technician Brandi Llewelyn's shock when clients started dozing during the process. She credits this to her calming voice, light touch, and ultra-fast zip-and-rip motion.

Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace
3570 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
866-782-0655
Price: $180—$325
The staff at this Sin City oasis has more tricks up its sleeves than illusionist Criss Angel. To dislodge stubborn blemishes, a pure iron mask is applied then removed with a magnet that sucks out all the dirt; for a post-facial cooldown, you're invited to the Arctic Ice Room—a relaxation area where skin-soothing "snow" falls from the domed ceiling.

Kim Vo Salon at The Mirage
3400 S. Las Vegas Boulevard
702-791-7474
Price: $75 and up
There’s no gambling at this hair-color mecca—for clients considering a major change, Vo provides a wig bar where they can sample the hues of the moment. After a thorough consultation, his staff handpaints customized color to create a flattering, natural look.

Lisa Smith
Ulta
2186 N. Rainbow Boulevard
702-631-3668
Consider Smith a cosmetics Willy Wonka—she treats the makeup counter as equal parts workplace and playground, and she's likely to persuade you to toss an electric blue liner in your bag. "Looking your best shouldn't have to feel like a project. There's a fun side to makeup!" Smith says. "Try one new thing at a time, then mess around until you find what works."

The Salon at Encore
3121 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
702-770-4772
Price: $35—$650
Sink into the plush velvet "throne" in this extravagant white-marble-and-gold spa, then choose the Hot Stone pedicure, which includes a Dead Sea mineral scrub to remove calluses, followed by a blissful calf and foot massage and polish.

Canyon Ranch SpaClub
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard S.
702-414-3600
Price: $35
The best bet in Vegas can't be found at a roulette table—it's the flawless faux tan and access to the impressive lounges and sauna in this 134,000-square-foot spa megaplex. One thing the technicians won't gamble with is your color—after a consultation, they'll select your perfect shade from six options.