This is the tale of two sister spas in the middle of Boston: Emerge Spa and Salon, and G2O Spa + Salon. Both properties were born of Giuliano Day Spa, which opened its doors in 1993. “There weren’t very many day spas, and people didn’t know what it was. We spent almost a year answering the phone ‘Giuliano Day Spa,’ and there would be a pause at the other end of the line and the person would say, ‘What?’ You had to take the time to explain it to them,” says owner L. Joyce Hampers.

The property grew from its original 5,000 square feet into two businesses with more than 10,000 square feet each when Hampers recognized her spa was serving two very distinct clienteles at its extremely posh Newbury Street location. “Newbury Street is an eight-block long street that is the premiere shopping area of Boston, akin to Rodeo Drive. It’s known for having a collection of small upscale shops, such as Valentino and Chanel, as well as boutiques, salons and small spas. It’s like two worlds at either end of the street. The western end is toward the universities and is more bohemian; it’s upscale, yet eclectic. The other end is near TD Banknorth Garden—the arena formerly known as Boston Garden—and is really elite and very streamlined,” explains Hampers.

Giuliano was located on the last block at the bohemian end and, because of its location, was attracting younger spa-goers who saw the experience as a social one. This type of atmosphere was beginning to clash with the business’s more mature, results-oriented clients, so Hampers made the decision to divide into two distinct locations. In 2006, the split was made, forming G2O and Emerge. G2O remained in the old building and started catering to its younger clientele by offering a more modern, more social space that featured trendier treatments in a fun atmosphere.

Emerge opened down the street, supplying the clients who preferred private experiences with treatments that focused more on results. “Emerge’s atmosphere is minimalist, modern and sleek,” explains Hampers. But perhaps the most interesting part of this tale is how it began, proving spa professionals come from all walks of life.

Hampers is no ordinary entrepreneur—she began her career in law and later became the assistant secretary of commerce for former president George H.W. Bush. During her stint, Hampers traveled throughout the United States encouraging small towns to embrace small businesses instead of relying so heavily on large factories for their livelihoods.

When Bush wasn’t re-elected for a second term, Hampers found herself back in her home state of Massachusetts, wondering what her next step would be. “I thought I could go back into practice and realized that I’d been bitten by this small-business bug. And here I am, just like another government bureaucrat telling people how to do this, and I’ve never done it,” she laughs. “I decided I would like to start a business and was sitting in the chair of my colorist and asked him if he’d ever thought about owning his own business. He said, ‘Yeah, every day,’ but he needed capital.” The two partnered up and the rest is history, even though Hampers admits she didn’t realize what she was opening would be categorized as a day spa. “I didn’t know what a day spa was, so I kept calling it one-stop shopping,” she says.

No matter what you call the empire Hampers has built, there is no denying it has become successful because it adhered to a basic secret of spa success: catering to the needs of clients. The benefits of this strategy will continue to be reaped in 2010 as the entire operation becomes once again housed in a single building that is intended to serve as an urban day spa destination for its varied clientele. And, when all is said and done, Hampers can count herself among the government bureaucrats who actually practice what they preach.

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Cash-strapped consumers across the country are tightening their belts, but they’re not squeezing out manicures, massages and other spa treatments, according to local stylists and salon owners who say their establishments are a great escape for people stressin’ about the recession.

A number of Concord spas and salons are reporting numbers that contradict economists who say things will get worse before they get better, their businesses bolstered by customers budgeting out little luxuries like twice-daily lattes, rethinking four-figure vacations and opting for trips to places in town where they can pamper themselves.

“People still want to be happy, they still want to look good, and they still want to feel good,” said Debbie Mikkelsen, a stylist at Naturally You, a six-month-old concept salon on Church Street in West Concord. “They’re finding a way to treat and pamper themselves and to find another kind of escape.”

At Naturally You, the stylists massage customers’ shoulders and serve tea with haircuts. Some customers are cutting back on big-ticket items like full-body massages and facials, but many report needing the Aveda experience more now than ever before, stylists there say.

“We like to think we go above and beyond cutting your hair and sending you out,” said Trinity Lourdes, a hairstylist at Naturally You. “We give people really an escape from the hectic, and make sure they really want to come in. They come in there and it’s like an oasis.”

During past economic downturns, The Mane Escape Salon and Day Spa suffered from customers foregoing nail treatments, waxes, facials and massages. But this time around, the Thoreau Street salon is thriving.

“That’s usually the first hit with the recession, but this time it hasn’t happened,” said Mane Escape owner Dee Joyce, who has been in the business 13 years. “I really think the bottom line is that people are still spending the little bit of money it takes to make themselves feel better. It’s not a $5,000 vacation; it’s an $80 facial or $100 highlight.”

At 1 on 1 Self Indulgence Spa, a Beharrell Street day spa about to celebrate its fifth anniversary, clients are coming on board faster than ever before, according to owner Cindy McCullough, who said she recently added two new masseuses to her massage team.

“We’re actually seeing an increase, but I won’t say that’s across the board, because a lot of spas and salons are closing,” McCullough said. “I think it’s really who your customers were in the beginning and how your customer service is. If you weren’t meeting the needs of your clients in the beginning, those are the [salons and spas] who are probably not going to make it through.”

Joyce and McCullough acknowledged that being located in an affluent suburban community has almost certainly helped business during these tough times. However, spa treatments are much more than a luxury, they say, and many people on the job-search look at facials, manicures and massages as an important aspect of personal health and interview preparation.

“People are taking better care of themselves, I think, and if they can’t invest in other things, they’re investing in themselves,” McCullough said. “People are coming in and wanting to do a series — to come in on a weekly basis — it’s something that can release the stress of life. It really isn’t a luxury. Taking good care of yourself is making you more valuable, especially as an employee, it makes you a better thinker.”

Routine recentering

On a recent Saturday, Brownyn Fryer and Monique Sternin emerged from massages at 1 on 1 feeling light-headed, as if they had just enjoyed a glass of wine.

Although it was their first time at 1 on 1, the women — both of whom are transplants to the Northeast — said they are well versed in the healing powers of massage, which they say New Englanders are very repressed about.

“It’s not just physical, it’s not just massaging your body, it’s being able to heal the whole person,” said Sternin, who came to Concord from France by way of southeast Asia. “It’s helping to realign things to get recentered.”

Spa treatments are something people must have time and money for, but Fryer, a journalist who moved to Lexington from California, says they’re well worth it, especially for those looking to leave behind their worldly worries for a few hours.

“It’s most important to budget something like this in,” Fryer said. “When people are under stress, the last think they do is take care of themselves, and it should be the first thing. … This is the kindest thing you can do for yourself.”

More and more people are wearing more and more hats as the busyness of every day life increases and companies cut headcounts. For Cindy Mello, a Maynard resident who handles corporate meetings for a biotech company, the best stress relievers are the massages, manicures and pedicures at 1 on 1, which have become an indelible part of her routine.

“I’m doing fine with my job and what have you, but if I was in a position where I had to cut things out of my budget, I think I would chose things other than my treatments,” Mellow said. “It’s a respite from everyday life. Honestly, I had to cancel a vacation recently, and I think of them almost like a staycation. If I can’t get away, I can go there and just relax.”

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New York Lace getting a face lift
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Taunton — Dolores Milho knows she can’t single-handedly turn around downtown for the better. But that’s never stopped her from setting a good example by making major capital improvements to her business property.

In the fall of 2007 Milho and her husband Francisco, owners of New York Lace bridal store and Kiara Salon and Spa at 89 Main St., began an extensive exterior, renovation campaign — neither a simple nor inexpensive task, especially when one takes into account that the building consists of four addresses.

(Other tenants include Edible Arrangements, Studio C Dance Academy, the law offices of attorney Garrett Crowley and a new Jackson Hewitt Tax Service office.)

In 2003, when the upscale Kiara day spa was added to New York Lace Store Ltd., Milho said that she and her husband had invested $500,000-worth of interior improvements during the previous two years.

But she said she never intended to stop short, and that the facade would also have to be replaced.

“We always knew that exterior alterations would be needed,” Milho said, adding that “It’s not a small task.”

Nor is it inexpensive. Milho estimates that she and her husband will have invested $70,000 by the time the job is finished.

When they started the project she said they anticipated it would take just two months to finish. But problems with the original construction company and a dispute involving a police detail led to costly delays.

Now, she said, the project will wrap up in the spring.

Milho credits Mayor Charles Crowley for his support in resolving the disagreement with the police department. She also said the Heart of Taunton and its director Julie Sprague have been “very supportive” in trying to secure a facade improvement grant to offset her costs.

“I think it’s great,” Sprague said of the exterior improvements to New York Lace.

“It should be a positive influence so that other property owners do the same.”

What Milho and nearly everyone else never anticipated was the current economic crisis in the country. But not once, she said, did she and her husband ever consider abandoning or delaying their project.

Instead, she said that they made “a lot of personal sacrifices” by cutting down on vacations and putting off improvements to their home.

Even before the banking crisis and the collapse of the housing market, Milho said that she’d seen a steady decline in revenue.

“There’s been a drastic decrease in business during the past few years,” she said.

Challenges to the bridal salon — in addition to customers cutting back on discretionary spending — have come in the form of fewer people getting married and a growing popularity of “destination” weddings held either on tropical islands or in Las Vegas.

As a result, she’s cut down significantly on the amount of clothes she buys from vendors.

On the salon side of her business she’s adjusted by offering special holiday discounts on hour-long and Swedish massages. Anything, she said, to avoid having to lay anyone off.

Milho said the color of the stucco finish on the face of her facade will be a salmon or sand tone. And the old New York Lace sign, she said, is going to be replaced with one that is brushed silver.

She especially thanks her husband, who works days as a driver for a Mansfield-based medical supply company, and her 80-year-old father Jose de Mello.

Milho said that both Francisco and Jose spent many hours working late together outside in front of the store.

“Sometimes the street lights gave them the light to work,” she said.

It’s her hope that other businesses and building owners, even absentee landlords, will pick up the gauntlet and seriously consider re-investing and improving the condition of their property.

“It’s tough being a downtown business. But we really have to be positive,” Milho said.

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Sedona Spa, located at1241 Massachusetts Avenue just before the Heights, is currently in the process of re-launching the spa. Not only will the entire facility receive a complete makeover from paint and décor, but new services and a new product line will be added to the menu as well.

We caught up with new sole business owner Meghan Campbell to find out how things were progressing. Campbell noted that the grand re-opening of Sedona Spa will take place sometime in the next few months.

Q: What does Sedona Sun Spa specialize in?

A: Sedona Sun Day Spa offers customized skin care, including facials, waxing, and make-up services. We also have therapeutic massage therapy and natural nail care.

Q: How long has it been around? Provide us with some history.

Sedona Sun opened up about ten years ago. The previous owner, Julie Mele, purchased the business as a nail care only salon and transformed it into a day spa. She and I met when we attended the Catherine Hinds’ Institute of Esthetics in 1997.

My first experience at Sedona Sun was actually as a client. I was working elsewhere but lived in Arlington right down the street. I wanted to treat myself to a facial. I was quite surprised when I walked in and saw her sitting behind the desk. We stayed connected for a few years, and when I was looking for a new career opportunity, I contacted her. It turned out to be perfect timing. Julie was about to go out on maternity leave with her first child. We became business partners together in 2006, and in May 2008 she sold the business outright to me.

Q: Tell us about the re-launch

A: We’ve given her a makeover with new paint and décor and we’re adding some new services to our menu thanks to our new product line Bioelements. Our logo and Web site are being updated with a fresh and modern look as well. We will be including a new page where clients can learn about our commitment to being a more environmentally friendly establishment as well as our cleaning and disinfecting procedures, especially about our pedicure tubs. It’s a hot button issue and we want everyone to know that we take the safety of our clients very seriously. We will host an official grand re-opening party for our clients — their loyalty and support is everything to the spa.

Q: Tell us something about your business philosophy.

A: My business philosophy is simple: I believe in a warm, comfortable atmosphere where clients can truly let go of their worries at the door. I know that they are making time in their day to visit Sedona Sun and they deserve to have the very best spa experience available.

Q: What’s one service you provide that might surprise people?

A: We are excited to have hot stone therapy join our menu of services. Our massage therapists are fine tuning their techniques and we hope to have it available for the holiday season. It will be perfect for the coming months of cold weather.

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Elizabeth Grady Salon opens Elizabeth Grady Salon Portsmouth

Heidi Coscia opened her second salon, Elizabeth Grady, in Portsmouth in February. It is the 37th store of the regional chain of Elizabeth Grady salons. Coscia, who lives in Rye, has been a fan of Elizabeth Grady for a long time. She opened her first salon, in Chestnut Hill, Mass., in 1991.”The first Elizabeth Grady opened on Newbury Street in Boston in 1983,” said Coscia. “I met the owner, John Walsh, when I was finishing my MBA at Northeastern. It was a perfect match.” Coscia admitted she had no background in the spa business, but did have a good, solid business background.

“I just knew, right then and there, I had to make the leap and just do it,” said Coscia. “I’ve never looked back.”

Finding a location for the Portsmouth salon wasn’t easy. Coscia said she did her research and looked around. When this location became available, she jumped at it. It was a perfect fit, she said, and she had the second floor gutted to make it the ideal salon and spa.

“It’s very peaceful up here, which is how I wanted it,” said Coscia. “Our clients come to not only get a facial, pedicure, manicure or massage, but to take time out and relax.”
Her male clientele is growing, Coscia said. “Mothers send their teenage sons to us who have facial problems. Men come to us for massage and pedicures. It is very intimate and private, and this is what men like, as do women.”

Elizabeth Grady sells its own line of products that are developed by its own research and development department.

“We don’t waste money on packaging,” said Coscia. “We don’t use exterior packaging, which is one way to help the environment. Our line of body products and makeup is all mineral based.”

Coscia said most of her customers are discovering her salon by word of mouth and direct mail. One client tells another, and so it goes.

“Summer is a great time for body and facial work,” said Coscia. “We do every kind of waxing there is, plus body buffing and pedicures.”

The Elizabeth Grady product line also features a new sunscreen that mists on the body. It has the scent of citrus and ginger and there is no oil to clog the pores.
Coscia said the sunscreen is perfect for people with sensitive skin. The sunscreen dries fast, with no stickiness.

“Our clients love our Dead Sea salts body rub,” said Coscia. “It gets rid of all the dead skin cells and actually enhances your tan, making it last longer and look more vibrant.”
There are special savings available now on the summertime facial, Tropical Fusion. This uses papaya enzymes, a raspberry serum and a mandarin mask. After the facial, the skin is refreshed and hydrated.

The Elizabeth Grady salon and spa has a full-time staff of seven. In addition to the spa services, the salon sells body lotions, moisturizers and a full line of makeup.
“Our products are so good for the skin,” said Coscia. “We go by the notion that less is more and it works, as the product is so pure and mineral-based.”

In addition to individual services, Elizabeth Grady has a large reception area. The staff offers private parties, trunk shows and private showings.

“We do birthday parties, girls’ night out and lots more,” said Coscia. “This is a really growing area of ways people can have fun together and get something out of it.

“We also have companies who use us to reward their employees,” she said. “It’s really fun and the people learn something, too.”

Coscia is adamant about good skin care and body care. She says it all add to a complete sense of wellness.

“I think men and women need to be reminded to take time out for themselves and relax,” she said. “This is very important and a key component to overall wellness.”
Elizabeth Grady provides product gift bags, full-service catering and a private environment for private parties and events.

“Downtown Portsmouth was where I always wanted to open my second salon,” said Coscia. “I’m here now most of the time.

“There is such a sense of all the business owners working together and this really matters,” she said. “You don’t get this in many locales, but you do in Portsmouth.”

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Bella Vita is in Top 200 nationally for growth

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Bella Vita Salon and Day Spa, Osgood St., has been awarded as one of the “Top 200 Fastest Growing Salons in the USA.”

Chosen by Salon Today magazine, the Vogue Magazine of the beauty world, co-owners Cheryl and Giovanni Currao traveled to Chicago this spring to receive the trophy. Cheryl called the experience “humbling.”

Giovanni began what is now Bella Vita back in 1979. He came to America from Sicily at age 15, after having worked in barbershops in his native country from the time he was 9.

“We have grown quite a bit in the past few years,” Cheryl said. “The people we’ve hired and trained are superb, whether it’s in hair styling, waxing, facials, etc. We have a great group of employees that are loyal and hardworking.”

People who come to work for the couple also describe the place as very caring of its staff and customers.

“My husband and I are always at work — we’re family owned — and people that come to work for us always say there’s heart and soul to the place,” Cheryl said.

In fact, when the owners returned from Chicago with the trophy, which has a big star on it, they decided it wasn’t meant to sit on a shelf.

Cheryl instead presented it to an employee who had gone above and beyond her job at the salon. That person kept it a couple weeks at her workstation and then passed it onto a fellow worker they felt deserved it.

“They’re recognized by my husband and I, but to be recognized by a fellow peer also means a lot,” Cheryl said. “We put up a sign in the break room saying who got it and who gave it. The staff gets so excited.”

In other news…

Bella Vita has also begun a recycling program that will reward customers as well as help the environment.

Two assistants came up with the idea and have taken it upon themselves to bring recycling to the North Andover Department of Public Works, Cheryl said.

The salon is also encouraging clients to return product bottles when they’re empty for recycling at a drop-off bin in the lobby. The bottles earn customer credits that add up to dollar amounts off of products and services.

“We’re hoping to cut our waste that goes to the Dumpster by 80 percent,” Cheryl said.

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Skincare and massage open house went well

Everyone was invited to visit True Colors Day Spa for a skincare and massage open house.

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Complimentary mini-facials, skin analysis, microdermabrasion and light therapy consultations, custom-blended home skincare programs and hand treatments were provided by Beverly Gatrell and Pat Callahan, licensed estheticians.

They have recently attended advanced training on microdermabrasion and light therapy and have participated in The America Skin and Spa Expo in Chicago and The International Esltetics and Spa Conference in Philadelphia.

In addition, the spa will be introduced Kelly Rego, certified massage therapist, as the newest member of their staff. Ms. Rego will be giving complimentary head, neck, shoulder massages at the open house. Her massage services include aromatherapy, hot stone, and Kriya massage treatments.

True Colors is located on Bedford Street, in the plaza next to the Town Office Building.

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Dellaria Salons Celebrated 40 Years with Grand Opening of Chic Spa in the Burlington

Spa Introduces Weekly Martini Makeovers to Take Place Every Thursday

The Grand Opening of D’Spa by Dellaria, Dellaria Salons’ new, luxury salon and spa located in the Burlington Mall occurred in Early June. Guests were invited to:

Stop by to collect your complimentary goodie bag filled with samples of D’Spa by Dellaria products.

Experience D’Spa by Dellaria while giving back to the community. All proceeds from the opening weekend will go to I HATE CANCER.

Chat with the New England Patriot’s Cheerleaders to exchange beauty tips and tricks.

Book the date with the D’Spa by Dellaria creative team for a Thursday night Martini Makeover! Is there a better way to spend an evening with the girls?

“We’ve designed D’Spa by Dellaria to be the perfect oasis conveniently located in the Burlington Mall,” said Ellen Pestell, Director of Marketing, Dellaria Salons. “For forty years Dellaria has provided quality salon services to New England and demand for expanded spa services has been steady. We want to make life easier for our clients and do whatever we can to help them feel great. The location of and vibe at D’Spa by Dellaria will surely bring instant calm to our clients and we’re confident they’ll feel fabulous after a visit with us.”

D’Spa by Dellaria will offer salon products from Kerastase of Paris, Bumble and Bumble, G.M. Collin Skin Care, and Colorscience.

Martini Makeovers

The excitement continues after opening weekend with weekly Martini Makeovers. Beginning on Thursday, June 12 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., D’Spa by Dellaria will host Thursday evening Martini Makeovers for men and women age 21 and over. Gather friends, share an after-work cocktail and freshen up for a night out on the town with a new look for summer!

D’Spa by Dellaria at the Burlington Mall

Located on the lower level adjacent to Nordstrom

Burlington, Mass.

781-272-3537

About Dellaria

Dellaria Salons has been home to the finest stylists in New England for more than 40 years. Its 45,000 clients make monthly visits to Dellaria’s 26 locations, including 5 day spas, for hair care, skin and nail treatments, massages and many other offerings. Its latest salon – D’Spa by Dellaria – will open in May 2008 in the Burlington Mall and offers exclusive product lines and a luxurious atmosphere.

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