Cambridge
Thanks to its sizeable student population, Harvard Square offers plenty of options for beauty aficionados. When the popular Pyara Spa & Salon is packed with undergrads, head around the corner to the Carriage House Salon (33 Church Street, Cambridge, 617.868.7800) for top-rate cuts, color, and spa indulgences. The serene salon, tucked away atop a Starbucks, works wonders on any type of hair but specializes in curly styles — a relief to anyone with waves who has ever placed her trust in the wrong stylist. The salon also features two rooms for facials, massages, and waxing. Dr. Hauschka facials ($130/two hours) are hard to top, and the Shiatsu massages ($95/one hour), which were added last fall, transform stress cases into bowls of jelly. To put the icing on your beautiful cake, stop into Beauty and Main (30 Brattle Street, Cambridge, 617.868.7171) for an unrivaled selection of cosmetics. The welcoming boutique carries some of our favorite brands — including Fresh and NARS — and is staffed by employees well schooled in the art of makeup. Not only can they help you pick the most flattering shade of blush, but they’ll also show you how to best apply it — all without a hard sales pitch.