Nicole’s Ultimate LA Beauty Service Guide
I vetted them all so you don’t have to!
Nails
Look no further than My Nail Bar in Santa Monica — they do the whole works including dip, gelX, and intricate nail designs. I always get compliments on my nails, and people are always in shock with how amazing the prices are (I do a gelX manicure, multiple designs on each nail, and a gel pedicure all under $200)! I have recently gotten into Douyin nails, and am obsessed with each set I get!
Haircut
Finding a great haircut stylist for my long rapunzel hair was an extremely painful process — there are very few in the city that can handle long, thick hair! I had almost given up and accepted that I would have to live with chunky hair and rushed services until I found Erik Jon at Sally Hershberger salon. He takes the amount of time necessary to cut my long hair to absolute perfection (a fellow Virgo), and is also a great educator on the best products and tools to use for your hair.
Hair Color
I first came to Sergio Garcia with an absolute hair emergency from a terrible color job I had gotten. He not only solved all the issues going on with my hair, but completely transformed it — with the most insane blending you will ever find, my new signature honey gold color, and honestly skyrocketed my overall look and confidence. It is hard to find someone who can color brunette hair well, as a majority of LA salons specialize in bleach blonde hair. He ensures each color session achieves exactly what you want, and his prices are very reasonable given his A-list celebrity clientele (other salons in LA would charge upwards of $900). You can find him at Andy LeCompte salon.
Eyebrow Shaping
I had my eyebrows threaded essentially my whole life, but was scolded at my first brow shaping appointment in New York at Sania’s Brow Bar (my best friend I was visiting introduced me). I was amazed with the dramatic improvement in the shape of my brows with just one tweezing appointment, and was determined to find an equally amazing brow shaping service in LA.
I saw The BrowGal by Tonya Crooks pop up on TikTok, so decided to give her a try. During my first appointment, I told her I am sensitive to waxing (most previous waxing attempts ripped my skin off raw), but she promised me she is gentle. I do not know what wizardry she performs, but I swear I did not feel a thing and had no reaction in my skin. She also uses hyperfrequency after to ensure no breakouts occur post-appointment. My brows have truly transformed since seeing her! Her prices are also very reasonable ($70 for shaping) in comparison to other top rated eyebrow shaping services in LA (can be $200+).
Eyelash Extensions
I have a separate blog post on Noir Lash Lounge, but I will reiterate that it is the absolute best eyelash extension service in LA! I started my eyelash extension journey at Noir in Seattle about 6 years ago, and continued services at the Santa Monica location for four years. They are able to achieve the most natural looking, classic or volume sets — I always get compliments on mine! I highly recommend seeing Kelsey in Santa Monica!
Laser Hair Removal
You have most likely already seen the SEV laser hype since the Kardashians and other celebrities started posting there several years ago. I promise their services are in fact the best! The new Melrose Place location is stunning with a hallway of chandeliers, and all the rooms are very clean and spacious. My treatments have been extremely effective, and their prices are better than any other places I have seen.
Facials
My life was changed forever when the Biologique Recherche Ambassade finally opened in LA. It is the most magical place to visit, and both carries the entire Biologique Recherche line and offers a full list of treatments. I have a separate blog post that gives a review in detail of their amazing facials.
Medispa Treatments
I feel fortunate to live in LA where I can actually go to Nurse Jamie’s Beauty Park Medical Spa. All of the nurses are amazing, but I personally see Macy - who is the best! They offer every type of medispa service, along with the Nurse Jamie WellClinic Rx for cryotherapy, full body infrared, and more. Their prices are also very competitive given there are so many medispas in LA.
Japanese Headspa
I had my first Japanese Headspa experience last year at Blow Me Away, and it literally blew me away! I have yet to write a detailed blog post review on my experience, but I will include a short snippet here. They did a holistic assessment of my scalp, with a magnifier showing images of my hair follicles followed by an amazing scalp treatment and massage. I was able to see both the before and after images, and what an incredible difference it made!
Teeth Whitening
I have a separate blog post on this as well, but my go to teeth whitening service is at britebar on Montana Avenue. It is the only teeth whitening service I have tried that I can tolerate with my extremely sensitive teeth. My teeth and gums are traumatized from daily whitestrips growing up and accidentally falling asleep with them in — so you can imagine how miraculous it felt to finally find a whitening service that both works and does not create any sharp shooting pain in my gums. The owner is a dentist, and has the friendliest bedside manner!
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