Beauty Hotspots on Newbury

Best Mani/Pedi: G2o Salon & Spa
338 Newbury St.

I’m brilliant. Know why? This year, I decided to say NO to Spring-cleaning and YES to Spring-grooming. This might be the best decision I’ve ever made. My apartment is appalling, but my nails are sensational. It feels GREAT. Easily Newbury’s most attractive spa, G2o is incredibly spacious considering its prime location (just a few doors down from Starbucks). The sleek blue lighting and crisp white decor lifted away my worries as I entered, allowing for a completely tranquil experience. I may have even been TOO relaxed, because I ended up choosing the one color I’d previously blacklisted: Hot Pink. Brunettes can pull it off effortlessly, but blondes risk looking like a Barbie. I took this risk, and it bit me in the ass. But aside from my tacky color choice, my nails look fucking PHENOMENAL. They’re perfect enough to be in a catalogue. Plus, remember those worries I left at the door? I forgot them on my way out, and haven’t been able to track ‘em down since.

Best Highlight/Cut: Mario Russo Salon
9 Newbury St.

Do blondes have more fun? This age-old question always seemed a no-brainer to me; “Of course not!” I’d say, because blond hair is practically impossible to maintain. I typically waited way too long between foils, then desperately hauled ass to a salon, paid an unspeakable sum of money, and strolled out hours later with blinding blond highlights that made me look like a washed-out tramp. “Nice highlights,” everyone would comment snidely; I’d defensively respond, “They’ll look better after they grow out a little.” Ladies and gentlemen, those days are OVER! If subtle is the name of the game, Mario Russo is Boston’s reigning champ. My hair looked sun-kissed and natural, my trim barely noticeable. As if that’s not fab enough, the salon itself has a fantastic energy. The hard bonnet hair dryers (apparently that’s the technical name for “drying thingies”) are arranged in a circle beside the windows, allowing for clients to gossip and people-watch simultaneously. Who is this Mario Russo character, and how the hell does he know so much about what women want? It’s straight-up creepy how impressive he is.

Best Massage and Facial: G Spa
35 Newbury St.

When it comes to facials, I’m all about the extraction. If I’m paying $125, I better leave with the cleanest face in existence. That’s why I love Eun Joo Tracy, G Spa’s best Esthetician. I find the idea of squeezing someone else’s pores pretty repulsive. I’m guessing you do too. But get this: Eun Joo actually said to me, verbatim, “I am really enjoying the extraction.” WHAT?! At first I thought there must have been some sort of language barrier. Nope. I clarified and clarified, and ultimately concluded that she did in fact mean what she said: she LIKES the dirty job, and is therefore an angel sent from Heaven. My skin almost looked TOO good, the kind that screams, “I JUST HAD AN EXPENSIVE FACIAL!” I survived, though; there are worse things in life than having a suspiciously flawless complexion. Far worse things.

*Note to Reader: Never type “facial” into Google Image Search. (Unless you’re kinky like that.)

~ by Brittany Fischer on March 26, 2008.