Spas
BY DIANE BAIR & PAMELA WRIGHT
RELAXIN’ IN RICHMOND
Spoil yourself with a body treatment, facial or pedicure.
DID YOU KNOW that Richmond, Virginia, has more shopping centers per capita than any other city in the US? Didn’t think so. Bet you also didn’t know that there are some choice little spas nestled amid the city’s primo shopping zones. Yes, indeed, Richmond is the perfect city for multitasking types who want to go on a shopping spree and then zone out at a spa. If you’re in town for business, good luck getting any work done. These area spas are a perfect, relaxing distraction.
METAMORPHOSIS MIND
+ BODY BOUTIQUE
318 Libbie Ave • 804-285-6382
www.worldfusionspa.com
Just a hot-stone’s throw from upscale shops, Metamorphosis exudes Zen-like calm. Earth tones and New Age music greet you as you enter. You’ll also notice a copper-topped shelf lined with apothecary jars filled with things like lavender flakes and coconut. These organic potions, hand-mixed with essential oils, will be part of your spa treatment.
It offers facials (“ceremonies of face”) and massages (“rituals of touch”), but the body treatments are the most ethereally exotic— and addictive. The Coconut Purification Rub ($85) begins with an aromatic steam bath, followed by a dry-brushing of your body. Then, your “healer” massages you with a creamy paste of coconut flakes, peppermint, chamomile and lavender, and finishes with an essential oil massage.
LEGENDS SALON & DAY SPA
3148 W Cary St • 804-359-5512
www.legendssalon.com
Legends is set within Carytown, a lively nine-block shopping zone studded with vintage clothing shops and antiques emporia.
It’s no surprise that Legends has kind of a retro vibe; it’s very girlie, with Tuscan-style décor and lots of ivory and flounce. Display cases full of jewelry (available for purchase) line the walls of the sunlit waiting area. Treatments run the gamut from facials and nail care to body treatments and massages. Facials ($75 and up) are customized to your skin type, using products from the Bioelements line. Legends estheticians will explain what your skin needs and how best to treat it, but be warned: It can result in some suggestive selling of the products. Our advice: Zone out, and you’ll miss the sales pitch.
RED DOOR SPA
Short Pump Town Center
11800 W Broad St • 804-360-1239
www.reddoorspas.com
Part of the Elizabeth Arden Red Door chain, this Short Pump Town Center outpost has drawn staffers from other area spas who like Red Door’s professionalism. Know this: These folks are really, really good at what they do. Beyond the famous red door, the rooms are done up in shades of saffron and vanilla, with a long row of pedicure chairs at the far end. You’ll never go wrong with one of the signature treatments for the face, body or nails. If your feet are in need of some TLC, try the Sea Spa Pedicure ($80) or Heeling Pedicure ($80). Among Red Door Spa’s highlights are all of the charming, funny estheticians/ nail technicians; they’ll chat as much (or as little) as you like.