Bespoke Beauty

January 4, 2017

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From massages to manicures, mobile wellness and beauty experts in the region bring health, spa and salon services to you.

By Ashley Breeding

For some, a trip to the salon is a welcome treat: When time allows, who doesn’t appreciate paging through the latest fashion magazines while enjoying complimentary Champagne or coffee? But for others, making the trek to hairdressers and manicurists around town is a chore that’s difficult to fit in between work, errands and family obligations. Luckily, many local beauty and wellness businesses now provide a mobile option, bringing these services to your home, office or social gathering.

For manicures, pedicures, spray tans, makeup application and hairstyling, at-home setups are perfect for people in large groups like bridal parties, as well as individuals like the elderly or sick who are less mobile, moms who can’t break free from their babies and anyone seeking a private environment to be primped and pampered. However, for relaxing and restorative treatments like massage, at-your-door service is about more than just convenience, according to Jacquelyn Ross, massage therapist and owner of Mobile OC Massage. “Sitting in traffic on your way home from the spa undoes many of the benefits of your treatment,” she explains. At home, on the other hand, you can slip right from the massage table into your bathtub or robe, burn an aromatherapy candle, sip some herbal tea and extend the experience. Whatever your wellness or beauty need, local massage therapists and aestheticians have you covered.

Serve the Goddess Mobile Spa Services & Retreats brings pampering to homes and parties. | Photo by Claudia Craig

Building a Base

The old adage that “beauty begins within” is deeply rooted—a healthy and attractive appearance starts with how well we care for our bodies. To lay the foundation for any treatments that follow, cultivating a wellness routine is key to bringing out your natural beauty. Newport Beach has no shortage of fitness gurus to help us achieve the full package, but a few offer classes and coaching right in your living room (or terrace, backyard, pool deck or any other site you choose).

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa YogaWorks instructor Celina Carey, who also serves as the teacher manager for all of the chain’s Orange County centers, helps bring balance to the mind, body and spirit with private sessions. “Yoga isn’t just about getting sweaty,” she says. “It helps us reach those deeper layers within ourselves and to create a circle around us that makes us happier.” For this reason, Carey believes in bringing yoga to as many people as possible.

If you can’t get to a YogaWorks class—or if you’re a neophyte who feels intimidated by spandex-clad veterans on the surrounding mats—you can comfortably work your way into downward dog in the coziness of your own casa. “There are many reasons people want private sessions,” Carey explains. “I have clients who are going through personal hardships—battling cancer, physical disabilities or emotional transitions—who aren’t comfortable in a public setting for a while. So, we bring yoga to them.” Other clients, she says, just prefer not to leave the house: “If you have the money for a [mobile] instructor, then why not?” Classes are 45 minutes to an hour, and are “very traditional” in that they honor all parts of the body—including the mind via meditation and other relaxation techniques.

Office visits are also becoming more popular, Carey says, as more employers recognize the benefits of adding the exercise to their health care packages. Offering semiprivate and group sessions, Carey caters each session to the specific needs of a given group.

Butterfli Me has both a studio and mobile service. | Photo courtesy iWink Studios

Personal Pampering

After those workout sessions, soothe your muscles with a treatment by Serve the Goddess Mobile Spa Services & Retreats, which boasts a team of 50 massage and spa technicians serving OC and beyond. Founder and Director Helen Hodgson—a registered nurse and massage therapist—honors Greek goddess archetypes to customize such relaxing treatments as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, acupressure and facials, employing five different oil blends that correspond with the goddesses. “Each oil has its own properties that enhance that particular goddess,” she says. “For example, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was known for her beauty and sensuality. Everywhere she stepped, roses would appear.” Aphrodite’s signature oil includes rose and jasmine, representing sensuality and a sense of love. Curating a quiet, spa-like experience in your home with treatment tables, aromatherapy oils, robes, candles and spa music, Serve the Goddess encourages women to take better care of themselves with these added comforts. Each session may also begin with meditation if desired, adding a sense of calmness to begin the treatment.

For those seeking to melt away stress, Mobile OC Massage, dually based in Huntington Beach and Long Beach, also offers a variety of rubdown modalities. Ross’ go-to is the deep-tissue massage, which focuses on chronic tension areas. “It’s great for those with high stress because it really gets into the muscle—you feel better the next day,” she says. Ross or some of her 12 other certified team members will set up wherever you’re most at ease (“poolside is a popular spot”), and will even meet special requests like romantic “extras.” To surprise your partner with a couples massage, be sure to ask for complimentary roses, candles and soft music to set the mood.

The Finishing Touches

In addition to relaxing with a mobile massage, Newport Beach residents may find themselves in need of finishing touches—almost weekly amid the holidays and bustling soiree season. This is the perfect time to forego the salon visits and bring the primping to you. “This way, clients are in the comfort of their own space, and [getting ready] is more time-efficient,” explains Brandi McMillan, owner of Soirée Beauty Concierge, which serves all of Southern California. For groups like bridal parties, it provides a more intimate and relaxed setting where friends can mingle while they receive a makeover.

Offering men’s grooming, application of cosmetics and hairstyling, Soirée Beauty Concierge has seen a boost in mobile beautifying services with the growing popularity of boudoir shots and social media. “Bridal parties are still our biggest business,” McMillan says. Her technicians are trained in the most current trends, so no client request is unmet. “The most unusual request we had was from a bride who wanted a ‘Game of Thrones’ up-do—essentially, she wanted us to make her hair look like a giant basket, as if she’d been running through the woods and gotten leaves and flowers stuck in her hair,” McMillan says. “We did a 12-strand basket weave and applied flowers. It actually looked good … whimsical.” The beauty concierge will bring the props to get you primped; clients should just be clean-faced, shampooed and towel-dried upon arrival.

Also offering these services, as well as makeup lessons, Butterfli Me Makeup & Lash Studio will travel from its Irvine-based location to your home for an additional fee. Owner Delphine Berryhill, who employs nearly a dozen highly trained makeover artists, prides herself on customized services, competitive pricing and using premium, hypoallergenic products. Learn the art of makeup application through a Tutorial Party, great for groups of up to 10; score basic tips from a pro with the Pamper Party option, accommodating up to 30 friends; or throw a Makeup Mingle for 20 or more people, featuring demo stations for false lash application or creating the perfect red lip, in a fun atmosphere complete with music and libations.

“CLIENTS ARE IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN SPACE, AND [GETTING READY] IS MORE TIME-EFFICIENT.”
~ Brandi McMillan

Newport-based Mobile Nails and Tan on Demand, formerly called Terri’s Concierge Nail Service, has gone exclusively mobile and—as the name implies—has added faux tanning to its list of luxury services. Owner and manicurist Terri Doty caters to clients of all needs, from the housewife to the group of corporate executives. She’s even made hospital visits and pampered patients in rehabilitation facilities. Choose from traditional nail styles to trendy gels and designs. If you’re looking for a fast tan, all it takes is 20 minutes in Doty’s portable pop-up tent. “Be sure to shower, shave and exfoliate, and don’t apply deodorant or lotion,” she says. The spray-on, no-rub application—she favors the South Seas Skin Care brand used by contestants on “Dancing With the Stars”—will have you glowing in just a few hours.

Facials, waxing and eyelash extensions can also be found at Mobile OC Massage. Trained aestheticians will assess your skin needs and help combat issues from teen acne to aging with a custom facial. Opt for a longer spa facial, and it comes with a relaxing massage for your face, shoulders, hands and feet. Microdermabrasion, or skin resurfacing, is also available via a mobile crystal-blasting machine. Meanwhile, faux lashes can be applied in about 30 minutes, and last for up to eight weeks—“less if you’re an eye-rubber,” Ross says.

While many mobile hair stylists offer only blowouts and up-dos (perfect for prom-goers, bridesmaids and socialites headed to a party or charity gala), Mobile Hair by Jon-Paul—whose client base is largely in Newport—brings a bespoke service that typically can’t be found outside of a salon setting. From cuts and color to extensions and elegant upsweeps, this is the ideal team to meet all of your mane needs and achieve your best possible look, whether on a daily basis or for a special event.