Brands Used: Kevin Murphy, L'anza, American Crew, Brazilian Blowout Established: 2006 Open: 7 days a week Reservations/Appointments: Recommended Handicap Accessible: Yes Staff Size: 11–25 people Parking: Parking lot Minimum Age Requirement: 10 Pro Tip: Intercom building; be sure to park at the lot directly in front of building; book online for ease. Q&A with Kat, Stylist And Educator People go to spas to forget about the outside world. How does your decor help create an atmosphere where visitors can unwind? The space is very unique, because we're in a warehouse area in West Town. On a first visit, guests wonder if they've come to the right place. However, when people enter our space, they understand why Tsubo is so special. The energy is great. We work with amazing natural light flooding in from those big second-floor warehouse windows. We have epic ceilings, great products dedicated to genuinely repairing the hair, soothing colors, and tons of social/hangout space. What's the most common beauty mistake you see people make? What would you recommend they do instead? One of the biggest beauty mistakes is when someone doesn't like their hair and won't change it, whether they're stuck in a dated style or were given something they don't really like. It's important for all of us to remain true to ourselves and allow our styles to reflect who we are, but we also have to allow for some evolution of self. We cannot fear change. It's inevitable. Communication is important. Photos are key. Stylists are visual people, so we welcome photos, pinterests, anything that will help us share a vision with our guests and achieve the greatest result. Is there anything else you want to add that we didn't cover? Nearly every staff member at Tsubo is extremely dedicated to education in the industry, and either have educated or currently educate with at least one professional brand in their spare time. We all strive to stay ahead of the latest styles and techniques while reinforcing the strong technical foundations which brought us to where we are today.

Exhale Spa seeks to transform its clientele inside and out. The founding team of fitness professionals and aestheticians sought to create an environment where they could empower visitors with pampering spa treatments, invigorating fitness classes, and lifestyle education, helping clients attain a sense of control and holistic balance. Now with 19 locations across 11 cities, Exhale Spa and its signature services have earned mentions in numerous national publications, including People magazine, the New York Times, and O, The Oprah Magazine. Exhale's signature Core Fusion classes incorporate dance-inspired stretches, yoga poses, and Pilates exercises into total-body workouts that build long, lean limbs and sturdy abdominal muscles over time. For an even more varied workout, the instructors introduce boot-camp techniques, cardio exercises, or multiplication tables to select sessions. Yoga classes present a similar amount of breadth and variety, drawing inspiration from a number of introspective and physically oriented styles. To help hasten physical transformations, nutrition and wellness coaches teach attendees about the impacts of diet. These sessions build an awareness of healthy eating habits through custom meal plans and by teaching clients how to identify the edible parts of a fruit basket. Many of the center's traditional spa services seek to inspire confidence. Facials pamper and refine skin using everything from green tea and fruit extracts to microcurrent technology, and mani-pedis revitalize digits before glazing nails with a vibrant new coat of color. Bodywork treatments look beyond physical relaxation and focus on holistic concerns. Massage therapists can use Eastern or Western modalities to soothe overstressed musculature, and acupuncture treatments and reiki sessions jump-start natural healing processes by encouraging the free flow of inner energies.

The Press Box: Karen Marie Salon When stylist Karen Marie Vanoni—who's trained with L'Oreal, Vidal Sassoon, and Toni & Guy—decided to open her own salon, she already had her skillset down pat. That meant she could focus on finding a space to act as an eco-friendly retreat for her clients. She found it in Bucktown, where exposed-brick walls surround styling stations made from reclaimed wood from barns torn down in Wisconsin. Other refurbishment touches include moulding taken from a redesigned Logan Square home and a 1950s court bench in the reception area. And while recycled furniture is an easy step in being green, the salon also runs on wind-farm electricity, uses low-flow sinks that reduce water usage by 50%, and composts its coffee grounds into mulch for the garden. These reduce-reuse-recycle techniques have gotten it lots of attention. Read on to see what the press says: "A haven of rejuvenation in Chicago, Karen Marie Salon proves that sustainibility can be seriously chic." — American Salon "Karen Marie Vanoni's passion for hair is surpassed only by her commitment to the environment." — Modern Luxury CS magazine, naming it the Best Green Salon of 2015 "I … have gone back regularly over the past couple years because the service is great, I get compliments on my hair all the time, and they’ve enlightened me to the fact that a hot towel on my face is pretty damn soothing." — Chicagoist, naming it one of The Five Best Places For A Man To Get A Shave And/Or A Haircut In Chicago "The salon uses and carries Kevin Murphy and Aveda products, as both lines utilize pure plant extracts and essential oils." — Industrie

Property Location With a stay at dana hotel and spa, you'll be centrally located in Chicago, steps from Driehaus Museum and Holy Name Cathedral. This 4-star hotel is close to Millennium Park and Art Institute of Chicago. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 216 air-conditioned rooms featuring iPod docking stations and minibars. Your pillowtop bed comes with down comforters and Egyptian cotton sheets. Windows open for fresh air and city views. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while 37-inch LCD televisions with digital programming provide entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature rainfall showerheads and makeup/shaving mirrors. Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages, body treatments, and facials. You can take advantage of recreational amenities such as a nightclub, a steam room, and a fitness facility. Additional features at this Art Deco hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, a concierge desk, and wedding services. Dining Grab a bite to eat at the hotel's restaurant, which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of 24-hour room service. At the end of the day, relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, limo/town car service, and business services. Event facilities at this hotel consist of a ballroom, banquet facilities, and a meeting/conference room. Parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.

Property Location With a stay at The Palmer House Hilton, you'll be centrally located in Chicago, steps from Bank of America Theatre and Haskell Building. This 4-star hotel is close to Millennium Park and Willis Tower. Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 1,639 air-conditioned guestrooms. Your room comes with a pillowtop bed. Cable programming along with video-game consoles are provided for your entertainment. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Pamper yourself with a visit to the spa, which offers massages, body treatments, and facials. If you're looking for recreational opportunities, you'll find a health club, an indoor pool, and a spa tub. Additional amenities include a concierge desk, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands. Dining Enjoy a meal at a restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). At the end of the day, relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include high-speed (wired) Internet access (surcharge), a business center, and limo/town car service. Planning an event in Chicago? This hotel has 110000 square feet (10219 square meters) of space consisting of conference/meeting rooms, small meeting rooms, and a ballroom. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge at scheduled times, and parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.

At Salon DJ, the staff specializes in Hairtography—treating each service, from a simple haircut to a full-fledged makeover, as a means of artistic expression. Within a stylish salon with hardwood floors and upscale leather chairs, the stylists carry out services for men and women such as styles and blowouts, full or partial highlights, and makeup application. Here are a couple of the stylists Salon DJ is proud to call its own: Nicolette Troester (Stylist): For a small-town girl who dreams of becoming a stylist, no stage is bigger than New York Fashion Week. After studying at the Paul Mitchell School of Chicago, Nicolette earned the gig styling for designers such as Vivenne Tam in two different seasons of Fashion Week. That experience helping match designers' preferred look helps her in her styling work at Salon DJ, where she takes care to personalize her services to match each client's needs and personal style. Thalita Paive (Makeup Artist): A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thalita worked on fashion shows in Brazil, South Africa, and beyond before finding her way to Chicago, where she applied her skills to everyone from NBC 5 anchors to actors on Chicago Fire. At Salon DJ, she makes clients look like TV stars, too, through services such as full-face makeovers and private lessons.