Beauty Black Book

Hale Organic Salon
91 Franklin St.
646-265-5886
Price: $88 and up
If your most-wanted list includes botanical cleansers from brands like John Masters Organics and ammonia-free dyes, step past the reception desk (which is actually a piano), and into this open and airy salon led by stylist Joe Murray. While the space may be one of New York’s greenest salons (hairspray is banished to a “fume room” to help keep the air free of chemicals), our visit yielded high-wattage, head-turning color.

Red Door Spa
663 Fifth Ave.
212-546-0200
Price: $76 and up for first-time customers only
One of the big draws at the elegant new Manhattan flagship of the Red Door Spa is creative color director William Jean Simon—and he’s just the man to see if you want a change but need a little help defining what that change should be. Misplaced that photo of Emma Stone as a redhead? No worries. Simon will help you flip through his own celebrity book for inspiration. Once he gets to work, feel free to lose your worries about whether or not a paintbrush that large can deliver truly precise results: Thanks to Simon’s balayage freehand, our tester left with gleaming hints of honey that looked even more natural four weeks later.

Marie Robinson Salon
155 Fifth Ave., Fourth Floor
212-358-7780
Price: $100 and up
Our reporter swears there must be Harry Potter–like powers shooting from stylist Chantell Carrtherol’s wand—er, scissors. She magically reshapes strands without taking away much length, and she creates body in even the finest hair. Props for her attention to detail: She asked our reporter whether she liked wearing her hair up (yes), then trimmed delicate layers around the temples to frame her face.

Salon Ruggeri
115 East 37th St.
212-229-2094
Price: $120
Inside this four-chair salon housed in a charming brownstone, owner Gregorio Ruggeri will pull up a chair and chat with clients about the state of their strands before lifting his shears. The lovable stylist, who often trims hair when it’s dry, then again after it’s shampooed, is thoughtful about every clip. When finished, he shows women ways to work their new do, from creating beachy waves to polished curls.

Moonshine Spa at Le Parker Meridien
119 W. 56th St.
212-708-7444
Price: $108 for 60-minute massage
The Parker Meridien hotel’s basement level is a popular destination, with a nail salon, blow-dry bar, gym, and this small new spa (two treatments: facials and massage). Change in the locker area, then enter the soothingly silent relaxation room. A shot of free moonshine liquor tingled our tester’s muscles before a therapist kneaded them for an hour. Select a playlist (soft jazz, classical, reggae) to accompany the bodywork.

Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa
The Plaza Hote,l1 W. 58th St.
212-265-3182
Price: $244 for Divine body treatment
What’s the secret to smooth, sexy skin? You’ll find it here. With the new 80-minute Divine body treatment (done at N.Y.C.’s famed Plaza Hotel), you get a total skin exfoliation plus a sublime massage. After a shower, you relax while pros work Caudalie’s ultra-hydrating Divine oil over every tight joint and limb.

Benefit Boutique Upper East Side
1301 Third Ave.
212-288-4728
Price: $18 for signature brow-arching service
Need killer brows...now? The new Upper East Side retro-girlie Benefit boutique caters to walk-ins. Pros speedily wax and neatly trim hairs, and can even enhance arches with a sweep of the brand’s highlighter pencil (below). Our tester was looking gorgeous in under 20 minutes. Got time for more primping? Stay for a spray tan or makeup application!

Hibba Madison
315 Madison Ave., Suite 507
212-661-1695
Price: $24 (first visit) then $16 to follow
City girls don’t have to trek down to Soho anymore to meet threading goddess Hibba Kapil; she’s now in Midtown four days a week, perfecting brows. With sharp eyes, Kapil spots even the subtlest imperfections (like one brow that’s ever-so-slightly higher than the other) and deftly pulls hairs to create pristine shapes. To soothe skin, she covers the area with a rosewater-soaked cloth, then slathers on a natural anti-inflammatory cream. How’s that for thoughtful?

Great Jones Spa
29 Great Jones St.
212-505-3185
Price: $216 for Dr. Hauschka Classic facial
The luxurious, two-hour Dr. Hauschka Classic facial, something new at this downtown spa, is a head-to-toe treat. It starts with a sage foot soak, followed by an application of hydrating oils over arms and legs. Then an aesthetician puts calming lavender-infused compresses over the face before performing extractions (which our tester reported were pretty painless). Next up, two face masks (one with clay to clear away dead skin, the next with fruit- and plant-seed extracts). Hours later, our tester fielded more than a few compliments on her complexion, which glowed without any blush. (Hint: Arrive early. With any $100 service, access to the spa’s “water lounge” —complete with waterfall, Jacuzzi, and plunge pool—is free!)

QuickBliss at Bliss49
541 Lexington Ave.
877-862-5477
Price: $36 for the Fast and the Fabulous facial
Want a quickie? Speed is the name of the game at this new express-service outpost, but that doesn’t mean its 30-minute the Fast and the Fabulous facial is a no-frills, wash-and-go affair. How it works: After a cleanse and exfoliation, a technician with a handheld Ansr device applies collagen-stimulating red light to skin, followed by bacteria-zapping blue light, before brushing on a cooling vitamin C mask. The final touch (literally): a massage that targets your scalp and shoulders.

Shibui Spa at The Greenwich Hotel
377 Greenwich St.
646-203-0045
Price: $280 for Diamond facial
Ssshhh …Though it opened in 2008, this tranquil spa inside the chic Greenwich Hotel still feels like a well-kept secret. (Perhaps it’s because non–hotel guests were allowed in only about a year ago.) Here, relaxation reigns supreme—particularly the pampering 90-minute Diamond facial. Aestheticians rub in circulation-boosting carbonated crystal powder, which draws oxygen from deep inside the skin up to the surface, to leave it looking temporarily flushed (in a good way!). Then layers of hydrating Natura Bissé creams and masks with marine extracts are gently pressed into the face via shiatsu and pressure-point massage. After almost two hours, our reporter’s complexion was soft, rosy, and totally refreshed.

Essie flagship at Samuel Shriqui Salon
35 E. 65th St.
212-472-6805
Price: $26 for manicures; $52 for pedicures
Finally, we can bow our hands and worship in the place of Essie, the spot to go for an incredibly long-lasting polish job. The secret? Technicians first brush base over just the tips of nails, then go over the surfaces entirely with another layer; after two sheets of color and a top coat, the results are bulletproof. Our tester had a perfect sky-blue mani for 13 days!

Cornelia Spa at The Surrey
20 E. 76th St., 2nd Floor
646-358-3600
Price: $16 and up
Just a few seconds after stepping inside the Cornelia Spa, now located in a swanky Upper East Side hotel, attendants sweep you off to an intimate waiting area where you can sink into one of three cushy chairs, put your feet up, and rest your neck on a warm, scented pillow until your aesthetician arrives. Getting smooth is pretty painless too. Pros use a soft, violet-hued wax, called Lycon, which hardens on skin and grips even the tiniest hairs. Our reporter was shocked at how one strip of wax removed all underarm stubble—with hardly any pain and zero redness.

Shobha Columbus Circle
1790 Broadway, Suite 1800
212-977-7771
Price: waxing, $18 and up; sugaring, $21 and up
Cheerful pink, orange, and yellow walls—as well as a chatty staff—help soothe pre-wax jitters, and the “Happy Baby” pose (hint: both legs up!) may elicit a giggle or two. Sugar gel leaves limbs and bikini lines fuzz-free; rogue hairs or ingrowns are coaxed out via threading. Before leaving, clients can shop the walls stocked with Shobha essentials, like exfoliating cloths and rosewater cooling gel.

The Spa at The Breakers
1 South County Rd.
561-653-6656
Price: $308 for Moonlight massage
Ever book a spa date according to the lunar calendar? Do it to experience this unique outdoor treatment. The grand hotel is nearly a century old, with high arched ceilings and opulent furnishings. But in a walled-off area overlooking the surf, our visitor felt the warm breeze blow and saw the sun set and moon rise as a therapist rubbed pressure points with Pure Fiji coconut oil. Heads up: The coveted 7 p.m. service is offered only on two or three evenings each month to coincide with the full moon.

Mirror & Mantel
117 S. 22nd St.
215-988-9088
Price: $52
Most of us don’t have two hours to devote to styling every morning. That’s why we so appreciate owner Katie Cooke’s approach at this salon. Tell her about your time constraints, what products you actually use (even if that number is zero), and your proficiency with a blow-dryer, then sit back as she designs a cut that will always land just right, without a daily fight.

Massage Bella Vista
750 Fitzwater St.
215-525-0330
Price: $28 and up
At this no-frills spot, the fun lies in the customizable menu. Choose everything from the music to the scent of the oils used. Offerings include the basics (Swedish, deep tissue, aroma¬therapy), but much like the toppings bar at a frozen-yogurt shop, it’s the “add-ons” that make each rubdown extra yummy. Have sinus issues? Incorporate eucalyptus-scented towels into the treatment. Feet swollen? Tack on a reflexology session to soothe soles.

The Parlour Hair and Skin
1339 Frankford Ave.
215-278-7613
Price: $100 for 90-minute custom Ayurvedic facial; $124 for 120 minutes
In this industrial-style hair salon, skin guru Kelley Hughes takes a natural approach for her customized Ayurvedic facials, which feature homemade cleansers and yogurt masks. She uses milk powder (rich in exfoliating lactic acid) and water to wash and polish skin—and can incorporate other herbs depending on skin type (say, cooling cilantro for inflamed faces). Since the products she selects are determined by the individual needs of her clients, no two treatments are alike. What is consistent: rose-petal footbaths and ahh-mazing reflexology treatments for every tired sole that steps into her room.

AMS Luxury Salon
262 S. 16th St.
215-569-1515
Price: $60 and up
This Center City salon is warm and welcoming, painted in subtle, soothing shades of gray and dotted with lipstick-colored benches. A grand window in back overlooks a secluded ivy-covered patio. Colorist Megan Reilly is also inviting, chatting up clients and taking into consideration everything from the edginess of their wardrobes to the coolness of their skin tones in order to determine their best hair shades and styles. Using foils or balayage, Reilly then picks out hidden undertones—be they sunny gold or lush strawberry—and brings them to life.