Vancouver: Beauty pit stops
As Vancouver continues to transform itself into a highly cosmopolitan city, people are finding themselves increasingly caught on the go. Shops are responding with drop-in beauty services that allow for some impromptu primping. Here are three of our favourites:
Holt Renfrew has recently announced that they will soon be welcoming a Brow Bar to their Benefit Cosmetics kiosk at the Vancouver store (Pacific Centre, 737 Dunsmuir St., 604-681-3121). The new location, which will likely arrive this fall, comes after much popularity and success at the Toronto Brow Bar, which opened late last year. [Read more about Brow Bar here.] These counters allow women (and men) to stop in unannounced for the perfect arch ($23). They offer lip and chin waxing too.
Once your brows are groomed and gorgeous, you can head across the street to the new Sephora store (779-331-3942) at Pacific Centre, and take a seat at any Beauty Express Service counter for a complimentary make-up application and tutorial. The options include a smoky eye, pouty lips or some high-definition skin primer and powder.
From Pacific Centre a quick jaunt to Yaletown will bring you to one of nine Pure Nail Bar (purenailbar.com) locations. This Vancouver institution has spots in just about every corner of the city, from Denman to Kits--even as far as Port Moody—so you’re never far from a fix. Manicures start at $25--again, no appointment necessary (though we hear weekends can be quite busy).
EARLIER: Just browsing
Craig David Long is a Renaissance man with a post-modern sensibility. His interests in the arts, culture, fashion and design have collided over the years, shaping his thoughtful and observational writing style. Prior to becoming the regional winner of FASHION Magazine's 2008 Reporter Search contest for Vancouver, Craig had dabbled in the world of public relations, working with clients such as the Law Commission of Canada, Vancouver Magazine, Starbucks and Warner Bros. Pictures. He had also founded Vancouver's popular street-style blog, The Commodified (thecommodified.blogspot.com). Craig retired the site after two years, when he assumed his current role as the Assistant Editor of Vancouver's new regional lifestyle quarterly, Montecristo Magazine.