Face Value

October 24, 2008

Site Staff,

Ever since that botched haircut last year, you’ve been a beauty school dropout. No more cut-rate salon and spa services for you.

Your attendance at the pricey place hasn’t been so good either – your budget can’t take more than $100 for every treatment. But your skin could use a refresher course.

So face facts – maybe you should go back to school. At Makana Esthetics and Wellness Academy, you can book facial and waxing services for about half of what most day spas charge. And the three treatment rooms are so well-appointed with soothing colors, polished bamboo accents and plush terry towels, you’d never guess you weren’t in a full-price spa.

Every service is performed by a student training to become a licensed esthetician who’s supervised by an experienced instructor. Owner Malia Sanchez has been teaching for years, and there’s a good chance she trained the $100+-an-hour therapist you used to see.

Makana’s treatment offerings go from basic eyebrow or bikini waxing to deep-cleansing facials, glycolic treatments and even microdermabrasion. All with spa-quality skin care lines like June Jacobs and Philip Thomas Roth.

And that affordable bill at the end of it all?

A true thing of beauty.