Press
LADIES GET READY TO THROW OUT THE MASCARA AND EYELASH CURLERS!
Summer Jackson Summer Jackson, the co-host of CLTV's "metromix" covers Roque Beauty Lounge's The Lashe Spot and interviews founder Melinda Rodriquez. Summer even gives extreme lashes a shot on her own peepers!
As if its fireplace, deep lavender walls, exposed brick, and complimentary coffee and tea bar weren't enough to relax you, Roque throws in a hand and foot massage with each treatment. The skin-care line of choice is Sundari, which manufactures ayurvedic products that contain botanical extracts. We recommend the Sundari Neem facial (regularly $90 and shown in the picture below), which utilizes the reparative, hydrating and firming properties of the neem plant.
Avoid a Brow-Beating
Put down those tweezers and leave your eyebrow care to the professionals.
"People didn't know that you could get a perfect eyebrow arch-they didn't know how good they could look," enthuses Melinda Rodriguez, owner of the Lashe Spot, a space devoted solely to the beautification and maintenance of brows and lashes. The business' philosophy hinges on one assumption: DIY eyebrow upkeep is incomparable to the trained hand of a waxing professional. "You don't know when to stop," Rodriguez explains. "You over-pluck and over-cut."
A thick, full eyebrow is fundamental for any contemporary style. The Lashe Spot staff emphasizes that trends right now focus on cleaning up the eyebrow's natural arch, which inherently complements facial structure. To help sculpt that shape, She Lashe Spot uses Anastasia brow stencils, which come in different sizes for every girth and length of brow. A standard dark-brown eye shadow. works well to fill in the stencil, marking guidelines for subsequent waxing. Once the wax is applied and stripped the technician goes over thee area with tweezers to ca" any stray hairs. Finally she'll comb, the brow upward to trim the hairs, being careful to leave enough length that the hair will fall In the direction of. natural growth.
Though all thee took for eyebrow cam cps be gathered for use at home-Anastasia brow kits can be purchased at Sephora for $75 Rodriguez maintains It's a job best left to professionals. And while an eyebrow wax at the Lashe Spot runs $30, Rodriguez does her best to make the experience worthwhile. Patrons he down on plush beds during the 30-minute process, at the end of which the technicians use an eyebrow highlighter to hide any redness from the procedure and fill in any gaps or thin spots with powder.
But waxing isn't your only brow-care option. Threading, a technique imported from India, is available at many local shops in the city's ethnic boroughs. The disadvantage, Rodriguez says, is that threading cuts the hair off near the surface, meaning he hair grows back quicker. And plucking has a tendency to break the hair, creating the "black dot effect" of visible hair just below the skin's surface.
"It's not only making the perfect eyebrow arch, it's using the right product," Rodriguez says. "We're taking this technique to the next level."
The Lashe Spot (lashespot.com) opened in August, specializing in semi-permanent eyelash extensions applied directly to natural lashes for $200 to $300.
The Lashe Spot, 1 E. Delaware Pl., also is an outgrowth of an established business: five-year-old Roque Beauty Lounge, 24 W. Erie. Women desiring longer and fuller lashes were eager to pay the hundreds of dollars and sit for the two hours it takes to apply the false eyelashes.
"I had a great demand, so I decided to open a shop that was just dedicated to that," said owner Melinda Rodriguez, 33. She plans to open a new site in Wicker Park.
Editorial Review – by Fred Schlatter
After unabashedly salon hopping ever since I moved to Chicago, I was ready to settle down and commit. I've been to every moderately priced salon in my neighborhood, but never was impressed enough to keep going back to the same one. When it comes to hair, it seems like you get what you pay for. I came across Roque Salon while trying to google Kerastase salons in my area, and found a great deal on their Promotions page.
Jackpot! This is what brought me to Stephanie, top stylist at Roque. Stephanie actually took the time to get to the root of what had made me so unimpressed and generally uncomfortable at previous salons. My major qualms, it turned out, was the lack of personal attention, lack of quality products, and one scary instance of using a razor to cut my hair (a total no no for someone with dry hair like me). She assured me that she was confident on how to cut my type hair properly and that the quality of a Kerastase treatment would surely win me over. And it was all true! I stepped out of the salon with the softest, shiniest hair thanks to the treatment. My layers were cut long but looked sleek, just the way I wanted.
I was so comfortable with Stephanie and her expertise, and knew that I had found "the one" - salon, that is. Roque Salon is definitely upscale, but the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. In fact, it wouldn't be uncommon to see owner Melinda Rodriguez's chihuahua trotting around and making friends with all the clients in the salon. They also have a growing lash extension service, which is getting so popular that it has its own dedicated space in the salon. I peeked in on how it's done, and the results are natural and beautiful. Roque is certainly a gem in the Chicago styling scene, and you can read more about the stylists and services at roquesalon.com.