Editors’ Picks 2013: The Best Health & Beauty Options in Westchester

Westchester Magazine’s editorial staff picks the county’s best salons, fitness classes, spa treatments, and more.

photo by cathy pinskyBraiding Bar
Victor Balestri Salon 
699 White Plains Rd, Scarsdale
(914) 725-5333
facebook.com/VictorBalestriSalon

Who knew that a post-apocalyptic fictional heroine could set off a fashion plait phenomenon? Katniss Everdeen’s signature fishtail braid, crown braids, French braids, Dutch braids—you name it—they’ll braid it at this longstanding full-service salon owned by husband and wife team Gennaro and Cindy Mazza. 

 

 
photo by cathy pinskyInnovative Yoga Classes 
Riverstone Yoga
2 Hudson View Way, Tarrytown 
(914) 332-YOGA (9642); riverstoneyoga.com

It’s easy to get into a yoga rut, practicing the same asanas week in, week out. Riverstone likes to shake things up, offering cool classes like aerial yoga, in which you are supported with silk hammocks; Hot Rock Flow, a mash-up of Bikram and classic vinyasa; and Mesh yoga, which integrates modern dance, Tai Chi, and yoga elements. Change your practice; change your perspective.

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Anti-aging Skincare

The Aesthetic Laser Group
311 North St, White Plains
(914) 207-0300; lasergrp.com
We don’t know about you, but if we were thinking about getting fillers, injections, and laser work, we would want it done by someone who was, say, a board-certified plastic surgeon, rather than, say, a chiropractor who took a weekend seminar. And if that surgeon was also the guy who teaches laser to students at Einstein, well, so much the better. Scott E. Newman, MD, has 20 years of experience as a plastic surgeon and 14 techno-magic machines dedicated to taking off the years—we say you’d be in good hands.

 

Brows
Danielle Sampieri at Salon Savior 
195 E Post Rd, White Plains 
(914) 761-9292; salonsavoir.com
You have to love how the blogosphere spreads the word on places to go, people to see. That’s how we first learned of brow expert Danielle Sampieri—from a local beauty blogger who mentioned that Sampieri had returned to the County after a stint in SoHo. So now we’re passing it along to you.

 

Eagerly Anticipated Spa
Thann Sanctuary Spa
Castle Hotel & Spa
400 Benedict Ave, Tarrytown
(914) 631-1980
castleonthehudson.com
The uber-luxe, $9 million Thann Sanctuary Spa had not yet opened at the newly remodeled Castle Hotel when we went to press in June, and we’re just chomping at the bit to check it out. The 8,600-square-foot facility includes seven treatment rooms, a VIP treatment suite, a relaxation lounge looking out over the wooded grounds, and separate locker facilities, hot pools, and steam rooms for men and women. 

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Eyelash Extensions
Lashes by Gineann at Body Beautiful of NY
175 E Main St, Mount Kisco 
(914) 218-3500; bodybeautifulofny.com 
In the beauty-service industry, word of mouth is sacred. That’s why we’re passing on the name of Gineann Creaney, who’s specialized exclusively in eyelash extensions for the past six years. (“I can’t even watch a movie without thinking, ‘I’d love to do their lashes.’”) Creaney’s clients flock from as far as SoHo and Fairfield County, and, she says, “They always come back.” Worried about fake-looking fringe? The lash master evaluates your natural lid-liners, and then determines individual extensions’ length and thickness (hand-applied one by one) according to your desired look, from doe-eyed to “More length! More volume!” 

 

Balayage
Hernan Prada
130 Brook St, Scarsdale
914-574-5367; pradastudio.com
Does she or doesn’t she? Only your colorist knows for sure when you opt for the balayage method of highlighting, in which colors are painted through your hair for a beachy, sun-kissed look. Even better, it grows out so subtly, you only need to do it two or three times a year. 

 

Facial
Beauty by Amanda Birch
286 Millwood Rd, Chappaqua
(914) 218-8782
beautybyamandabirch.com
When British native Amanda Birch lays her hands on you, it isn’t for any ordinary facial; it’s a “bespoke” experience filled with every pampering experience you can imagine: a face, neck, and shoulder massage; Reiki healing; light therapy. We could go on, but this is the part where we usually drop off to dreamland.

 

Fitness Program
PhatBurn 
4 Manhattanville Rd, Purchase 
(914) 714-3697; phatburn.com
Want to “get ripped” in just 60 days? Tell PhatBurn what you hope to accomplish and they will create a personalized workout schedule, nutritional plan, and all your meals—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two daily snacks—to keep you on track. Guaranteed—no phooling.

 

Fun Fitness Class
Ballet Muscle Class
TruPC Health
10 S Division St, New Rochelle 
(914) 365-1862; trupchealth.com
Peter Cirolia, a licensed personal trainer and health coach, drew upon his 12 years of dancing and studying with the School Of American Ballet to create a class very similar to the actual training used by the New York City Ballet. Get toned, aligned, and balanced—just like a professional dancer—and have some fun with your fitness. Look for Cirolia’s new location at 2094 Boston Post Rd in Larchmont in September.

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Green Drinks (North)
O2Living 
Yellow Monkey Village, Cross River
(914) 763-6320; o2living.me
Have a hard time getting your minimum five servings a day of fruits and vegetables? Just one O2Living green drink—made with organic kale, parsley, cucumber, fennel, salt, and lemon—delivers nearly eight of them in one delicious 16-ounce bottle. O2 also makes Lemon Twist, Red Radiance, Carrot Kick, and Almond Envy juice drinks, all just as healthy—and tasty. Bottoms up!

 

Green Drinks (South)
The Juice Bar at Scarsdale Yoga Studios
7 Popham Rd, Scarsdale 
(914) 874-5555
scarsdaleyogastudios.com 
Lee Gross used to be Gwyneth Paltrow’s personal chef, so you know he’s got the culinary chops to come up with healthy—and yummy—fresh-pressed juices and smoothies. The most popular offering? “By far, the Green Goddess,” he says, “made with kale, cucumber, avocado, banana, apple, ginger, lemon, and a touch of stevia leaf extract for natural sweetness.” Be forewarned: it’s addictive.

 

Hair Salon 
Beauty Bar Lounge
1969 Palmer Ave, Larchmont
(914) 341-1919; beautybarlounge.com
After a stint on the West Coast, New Rochelle native and Sassoon Academy graduate Cecilia Care has opened Beauty Bar Lounge, where you’ll receive luxury hair and makeup services with hometown care. Prepare to be pampered by Care and the staff, whether you’re there for a blowout and makeup application, Flamboyage highlights, airbrush tanning, or to book the boutique salon for a bridal party. And don’t expect to be in and out too quickly: This isn’t an impersonal assembly line salon, but one that focuses on precision and personalized care.

 

Men’s Grooming
Justin May at Salon D’Luxe
145 Kisco Ave, Mount Kisco 
(914) 666-2226; salondmtkisco.com
When you walk into a beauty salon and see a reception desk fashioned out of an old Gulf Stream RV, you just know the place is guy-friendly, all the crystal chandeliers notwithstanding. And Justin May completes that vibe with his precise cuts that get raves from his male clientele.

 

New Beauty Boutique
Giordano Beauty
3 Spring St, Hastings-on-Hudson 
(914) 693-2187; giordanobeauty.com 
With a client list dotted with A-list celebs like Heidi Klum, Penelope Cruz, Katie Holmes, Laura Linney, and Elizabeth Hurley, it’s clear that Susan Giordano knows a thing or two about the art of makeup. So much so that she created her own line of cosmetics to sell alongside fragrances and skincare products. The shop also offers brow grooming, makeup application, and makeup bag makeovers. 

 

Brand Extension
Maximus Clark Salon at Oasis Day Spa
50 Livingstone Ave, Dobbs Ferry 
(914) 409-1900; oasisdayspanyc.com
Now you can get your hair beautifully colored, cut, and styled along with your massage, facial, mani-pedi, and the like in this one stop spa destination. Heading up the salon is Cody Hepworth, formerly of RiverSpa in Irvington, who also runs the salon at Oasis’ Park Avenue spa. 

 

Salon Addition
Numi & Company
99 Purchase St, Rye
(914) 921-6864; numihair.com
Our love for Numi & Company is well known, but we’re even more delighted that there are two locations we can head to for a perfect Numi cut and color. The larger Rye location opened in February 2012, but still boasts the same level of talent under owners Nuriel Abramov and Gabriel Abrams. Pro tip: It’s one of the few salons that’s open on Sundays. 

 

Skin Rejuvenation
SkinCenter
220 S Central Ave, Hartsdale 
(914) 949-6200; bestskincenter.com 
In general, you want a certified expert handling anything involving injections into the skin—especially neck-up. MDs perform the procedures at this skincare and cosmetic surgery wonderland celebrating its crystal anniversary, and, lucky for us, the always-fresh offerings keep getting better. Just in: Belotero Balance, a natural-acid-based softener of both deep facial folds and less-offensive lines like crow’s feet. It’s also on of the first in the County to offer Xeomin, a frown-flipper that promises straightaway satin-smooth results—something to smile about, indeed.

 

Trainer
Traci Burton
Solaris Sports Clubs
201 Veterans Rd, Yorktown Heights
(914) 962-4094
yorktown.solarisclubs.com
Few people are lucky enough to be so passionate about what they do that they can’t wait to jump out of bed in the morning to do it. Meet trainer Traci Burton of Yorktown’s Solaris Sports Club, and it’s obvious she’s one of them. The 17-year, in-demand fitness pro—her group classes are perennially packed—pays it forward, impacting her clients’ lives even beyond the gym walls. Longtime trainee Marie Shea, a retired NYPD officer, testifies that Burton knows how to “pull someone up from the bottom of the barrel and motivate them.” She “makes people glad to be alive!” 

 

Waxing
Ruth Hayashi at Shine Salon & Spa
161 Main St, Ossining
(914) 762-6675; shine-salon-spa.com
The vision behind Main Street mainstay Shine Salon & Spa is that of owner Lorraine Frustace, who’s matched its imposing roster of hair services with an equally serious attitude towards hair removal. For an occasion you dare not take chances on at any old double-dipping nail-wax-massage joint, make an appointment (a snap through the site) with Ruth Hayashi, who has more than a decade of accolade-laden experience and has been repeatedly recognized as the Brazilian and eyebrow-shaping best of the best. 

 

Yoga Studio
Scarsdale Yoga Studios
7 Popham Rd, Scarsdale 
(914) 874-5555
scarsdaleyogastudios.com 
First, you get a nice adrenaline rush from hiking up the three flights of stairs to reach the studio. Then, you enter a whole world of calm: soothing music, a sunny café, meditation lounge, three studios looking out over the Bronx River, and a spacious dressing room with elegant showers tiled with river stones. With more than 40 yoga and fitness classes a week, the new Irina Sher Skin Care Spa and a new juice bar downstairs, there is a whole lot here to love.

 

Yes We Know It’s a Chain But…
Pilates Reformer Training
Equinox 
1053 W Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck
(914) 777-1919; equinox.com
Fire up your fitness lifestyle—whether you’re looking to overhaul a years-old regimen or starting entirely from scratch—with a one-on-one Pilates session at the sleek health club known for its results-driven attitude as much as top-quality service and amenities. Get to know the equipment, and the practice, in a semi-private studio, guided by a penultimate professional who will tailor the experience to your body and physical ability (or lack thereof). Even “I’m not a gym person” types will find themselves invigorated by steadily introduced challenges, not to mention the payoff—lean and limber sound okay? 

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