Bliss Before Blissdom!

Yesterday Jenny and I spent the afternoon getting ready for Blissdom in the best possible way – being pampered at Michael’s Salon and Day Spa! It was wooooonnnderful.

Michael’s Salon has been a favored salon in the Dayton area for more than 35 years (I remember my mom and grandma going there when I was a little kid), and in 2002 they combined all their locations into one “super salon” in the Cross Pointe Center in Centerville. There’s a spa side and a salon side, and both are huge. The salon side is very elegant, calm and quiet – the perfect place to relax. The salon side is a little more upbeat and fun – nearly 40 hair designers work their magic there. It is a top-notch facility, and was selected in the Top 10 Salons in America by Salon City magazine, which was based on media artistry, popularity with clients, community and peers, and involvement with the Salon City media network. I was really impressed with the entire place.

After being welcomed by a few of the many helpful Michael’s staff members, Jenny and I went our separate ways – she headed off for a massage and I got ready to have a facial.

I chose to get a facial because, well, unlike Jenny, I don’t have an extensive skin care routine. My standard regimen includes washing my face in the morning and going to bed with my make up on at night. So, I figured my skin could use a little polishing up! The aesthetician started by removing my make up, and then went through a bunch of different steps to purify my skin. After a while, she put a mask on my face, and it reminded me of those peel-off masks I used to put on in high school (remember those?) except it didn’t feel like saran wrap was applied to my face with a hair dryer. And no peeling was involved. Anyway, she put the mask on, covered it with a hot towel, put eye pad things over my eyes, turned the lights out and left. Then it was just me, in a dark room with soft music playing. It was lovely.

I’ll let Jenny tell you a little about her massage!

Next, we were whisked off to the salon side for a shampoo and style. I love to get my hair washed by a professional (is that weird?) so I really enjoyed this part! My designer managed to make me look like I have twice the hair I really do, and Jenny’s made her hair look super sleek!

As you saw above, Jenny was getting a pedicure as she fondly remembered her massage. Jenny and I got the Chocolate Cherry Pedicure, and it was amazing. I think the pedicure was my favorite part of the day. It was so fun to sit in a heated massage chair, read People magazine and chat with Jenny! We are nearly in constant contact with each other most days, but we very rarely actually talk to each other in person, and especially without our kids running around! It was great, and the perfect activity for an afternoon out with the girls! Did I mention the pedicure itself was amazing too? There were like a bajillion steps – soaking and scrubbing and lotioning and all kinds of fun stuff. It was sooooo nice. Last night I couldn’t believe how soft the bottoms of my feet were! They look pretty, too. I got a fun purple shade on my toes, and Jenny picked a brighter pink… we’ll be happy to show them off this weekend at Blissdom!

After our toes were done, they moved onto our fingernails, and we each got very nice manicures. Again, it was really nice to sit and talk to Jenny, as well as the nail specialists, about kids and celebrity gossip and random stuff. The staff members were all amazing – I was continually impressed with the attention to detail that each of them showed. Someone was always filling up our water glasses, asking us if we needed anything… the service was fantastic. During the manicure I was thinking about how everyone had really taken their time with us – they made sure they did everything right, and no one was in a hurry. Very impressive.

When our nails were all buffed and polished, we headed back to the salon side for the final stop of the day – the make up chair. The one thing I’ve always regretted about my wedding is that I didn’t have my make up professionally done, I did it myself (this was before Jenny fancied herself a professional make up applier). After seeing the magic worked on my face yesterday, I regret it even more! Michael’s Salon uses Jane Iredale make up, which is made of natural ingredients, and many of the products don’t have any chemicals. Also? The mascara comes in a tube like toothpaste, so you can squeeze out every last drop. Brilliant! The make up artist was very nice, like everyone we encountered yesterday, and explained everything she was doing as she went along. Turns out I’ve been putting eyeliner on the opposite of the way I should. Good to know.

So what do you think of the finished product?

We had an amazing time yesterday. It was the perfect way to transition from a busy week at the office to vacation time! I highly recommend Michael’s Salon to all of our readers. And speaking of our readers, Michael’s has a special coupon just for you!

Another reason we love Michael’s (and the way we originally found them) is that they’re all over the social media thing. You can follow them on Twitter (@michaelssalon), become a fan on Facebook (facebook.com/michaelssalon), and watch their videos on YouTube (youtube.com/user/michaelssalon). Also, you can find everything you need to know about their spa and salon services on their webpage, MichaelsSalon.com.

A huge thank you to Michael’s Salon from Jenny and me for sending us off to Blissdom in style. We had a fantastic time.

And speaking of Blissdom, I have to leave to meet Jenny and Cortney in exactly 26 minutes, and so I have to hit the shower!!