You’ve spent two hours poring over past pay stubs, bank
accounts, and budget numbers when your boyfriend turns and asks, “What are the
chances you can do without the monthly facials?” Slim to none, you think to
yourself. But then you take a quick appraisal: salon trips, mani-pedis, regular
waxing, color touch-ups … and then there’s your quarterly Sephora allowance.
In an effort to soften the latest blow to your beauty budget, we’ve tapped
local experts for suggestions on making the most out of each spa trip you’re
allocated these days. Trust us: while your split ends may be forced to languish
for an extra day or two, that credit card balance of yours will thank us.
Hair
It’s all about the easy grow-out when you’re looking to
extend the life of a salon visit, says Johnny Marchio, an owner of Back Bay’s Enzo
& Co. (135 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.369.4844). Marchio
recommends going textured and lengthier, with lots of layers, to avoid a
too-heavy look that falls flat within a few weeks. He warns, however, against
stretching a follow-up visit more than eight weeks, as the style will begin to
lose shape.
For color, Marchio suggests one of the many color-enhancing
products on the market; he’s had good luck with Goldwell’s new Colorglow IQ
shampoos and conditioners. Heather Hunter, stylist at Escape
Salon & Spa (53 Waltham Street, Boston, 617.423.1350), also has
a few tricks up her sleeve, masking roots with Bumble and bumble’s tinted dry
shampoo and, in a pinch, using a dash of eyeshadow or a swipe of mascara to
camouflage an errant gray. Choose drugstore touch-up kits, however, at your own
risk. Marchio warns, “If it screws up, that can be an expensive problem to
fix.”
Of course, if you’re looking for a fresh look but can’t quite
swing the full fee for a cut and color, Marchio suggests adding bangs. The cost
is minimal, and it’s “a quick, inexpensive change to a hairstyle without
getting a full haircut.”
Nails
For a manicure that endures, it’s all about investing a little
extra at the outset, explains Michelle Phoenix, director at Wet
Paint Nail Spa (141 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, 617.868.0620). The
spa’s new gel polish brushes on like your typical solvent-based lacquer but
actually bonds with the keratin in fingernails for a chip-resistant, lasting
wear — typically around three to four weeks. It’s a totally worthwhile splurge,
considering that the application rings in at just $20 on top of the spa’s fees
for a regular manicure ($22) or polish change ($11). As for a standard
manicure, Phoenix stresses sealing color with a clear topcoat every other day
and keeping hands well-moisturized to avoid nail breakage — thereby maintaining
that professionally manicured shape.
Face and Body
If spa visits are what you’re rationing, Tricia Lavelle,
lead esthetician at MELT (172 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.1116),
recommends getting the most bang for your beauty buck with a few treatments per
year. From MELT, she touts the HydraFacial ($200), which dissolves dead skin
and oil with a super-concentrated serum, then sucks it up with a mini-vacuum.
(Um, that’s the layman’s version, but we swear it’s impressive.) Expect results
to last a good three weeks versus the one to two of your average facial.
To help a treatment’s effects linger, Lavelle suggests perusing
your salon’s product counter for some of the cleansers, serums, and scrubs your
esthetician used during your appointment. For example, PCA, the brand used in
MELT’s chemical peels, offers alpha-hydroxy-acid-stocked trial-sized kits for
around $50.
From there, it’s all about maintenance at home. Remove makeup
nightly, advises Lavelle. Cleanse with a facecloth, be vigilant with toner, and
don’t forget to moisturize. Selena Belisle, the owner of Spa
Newbury (249 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.9464), elaborates
further: “[During a facial,] we’re really removing dead skin and moisturizing
and hydrating the skin. If you go home and you don’t exfoliate or moisturize or
hydrate the skin anymore, the benefits of the facial will gradually disappear.
We shed one million dead skin cells every 40 minutes, so, within a month, any
skin that the esthetician has worked on is gone.” Fair enough.
Of course, once the economy rebounds, it’ll be caviar seaweed
wraps and platinum facials all over again.
