Joanna Topor

Carolyn Brundage spent her bachelorette party in the company of her future mother- and sister-in-law and the most heinous male stripper ever. She remembers sneaking out and making a secret call to her fiancé begging him to save her. "It went downhill from there," she says, and even though I want specifics, she won't budge. If she had only waited a few years, the founder of Chicago Beauty, an online beauty resource, would have thrown herself a party at one of Chicago's hippest spas instead. Spa parties are what Brundage does best, from blowout charity events to smaller pamper-oriented soirées. And she's not the only one: from weekly club events to Club Monaco clothing launches, it seems like everyone in Chicago is serving up manicures with their martinis.

"The reason things have taken off for me," Brundage mentions casually at the coffeehouse where we've agreed to meet, "is because I always feel that everyone thinks the same way I do. If I think this is a great deal or if I think this is interesting, other people are really going to love it." So far she's been right on the money. With all the interest pouring in for her parties, Brundage has had to implement a lottery for inviting guests. All this results from a spa evolution--not only have treatments become more affordable, but it seems like everyone is getting something done.

This is no longer your mother's salon. More and more, young women are prioritizing spa visits, making salons and spas among the trendiest hangouts in Chicago and turning treatments into the latest "must have" accessories. It hasn't always been this way. I don't remember my mother ever placing a huge emphasis on spa visits; she considered it a waste of money. When Cali Schroeder, an esthetician at Southport's B. Rose Salon and Spa, got her start in the business seventeen years ago, "it was mostly about hair" she reminisces. "Some people were getting their nails done, but overall spas were considered luxurious." Both she and Brundage agree that celebrities and the media have helped to take salons from luxury to necessity.

Today, be it in magazines or on VH1's "It's Good To Be..." series, a lot of focus is being put on what celebrities are doing to look better. "They're not technically prettier than the next person, but they're so well put together," Brundage says. "So, either they've had a lot of plastic surgery or they have beauty secrets that I don't have." It's this very idea that drives a lot of younger women these days, and the search for insider beauty know-how takes them to salons and spas across Chicago. "Our generation looks at it like a doctor's appointment," Schroeder observes. "It's part of taking care of yourself, it's maintenance, it's hygiene and it's funny how that has changed." Women are now budgeting for salon and spa services, making looking and feeling good a priority; consequently spas are working hard to become more inviting. From tea and cucumber-infused water, to the selection of Ghirardelli chocolates available while you wait at B. Rose, spas are breaking out of the "you have to be rich to enjoy this" mold.

Of course, that doesn't mean that spas have lost their sense of otherworldliness. "I can't afford to take a tropical vacation in the middle of winter, but I can get a facial and feel pampered and beautiful," says self-taught spa aficionado Cassie Carrigan. It's the ability to tap into that sense of indulgence and make it accessible to women of all financial backgrounds that has made spa parties so popular. With spas and salons now offering catering and drink menus, they have become a party alternative for a lot of women. After years when it seemed like our social options were either a bar or an afternoon tea, women are ditching the clubs and heading for the salon, and everyone from privately owned salons to neighborhood watering holes are taking notice.

Brundage lives by the axiom that "when we love things, we share them with our girlfriends." Women's need to turn their friends on to everything fabulous, combined with a type of mass female rebellion against bars and clubs as the only meeting spots for friends, have given way to this fast-growing trend. Brundage surmises that spa parties, like the ones she has organized in Spa Space, started with a manicure, a martini and a woman who thought that the only thing better than having her nails done while sipping a Cosmo would be inviting some friends along to do the same. For me, it started out of sheer necessity.

When all my bridesmaids were making their way to my hometown for my wedding I was at a loss for what to do with them. I wanted them to meet; I wanted them to get to know one another before the insanity of the wedding day ensued. The logical thought was to take them to a bar, but I actually wanted a place where we could talk and not be overwhelmed by music, machismo and, needless to say, I didn't want to wear a tiara. I was inspired by an event I had recently attended called Babes & Bubbles.

Put on by Fashionista Inc., the event was an all-you-can-eat spa smorgasbord. For a $5 cover you were able to partake of complimentary manicures and mini-facials along with all the martinis you could drink. What seemed like millions of women milled about, bumping into one another and going from station to station to receive complimentary services. I simplified and booked a salon, many of which now offer B.Y.O.B., and scheduled all my girls for manis and pedis. We sat around, drank, got pampered--it was the perfect girl party, all without any cleanup. I was feeling quite proud of myself.

Back in Chicago I soon learned that I was not forging a new party trail, but rather jumping on a very trendy bandwagon. Brundage threw her first party as a media event and Chicago Beauty has been putting on spa parties ever since. Normally, she likes to keep it small and selects about fifty guests for a totally complimentary evening that includes treatments, food and drinks and a well-stuffed goody bag. (Participants are selected randomly from entries on www.chicagobeauty.com). For the right cause, however, she'll up the ante. In November, Chicago Beauty held a ticketed event to raise money for Prescription Well Being, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making women with cancer feel beautiful. Even though guests were charged $200 a person for the party, Brundage made sure they went home with over $1500 in gifts. If you don't have deep pockets or are not into playing the lotto, don't fret and let the party come to you.

"A lot of women are sick of the bar scene," Schroeder says. "They want options." And spas are listening. Beth Rose, owner of B. Rose Salon, wants to make her spa open to everyone. B. Rose has hosted everything from wine tastings to a surprisingly biker-infused men's night. In January the salon will take it to the next level and hold Martini Makeovers at Blue Bayou. Bars and clubs are quickly catching on to the popularity of spas and salons--or perhaps noticing the drop in attendees--and are compensating by putting salon services on their drink menus. But Southport isn't the only happening scene. Ever since TV shows like "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" broke the myth that spas and salons are a drag (and strictly for women), more and more men are booking appointments. "Men come in here all the time," says Schroeder. "Usually they're like `I saw this on "Queer Eye," do I need to get it?'" At Hydrate, a club in the heart of Boystown, every Tuesday is Nail Bar and Ketel One night: $15 buys you a Ketel One Martini and a manicure from a Nail Bar staffer.

Of course, when it comes to spa parties, nothing beats an actual spa. Everyone, it seems, is offering up their location for events. Spa Space, located in Chicago's West Loop, has an event sidebar on their website for the do-it-yourselfer. They've hosted everything from bachelorette and birthday parties to corporate events. But if you scroll through their spa menu offerings, you'll find that a spa package will run you at least $230, making Spa Space a high-end party venue. With a little more research, the self-motivated can probably track down the best bargain in town, but if you're not ready to do all the legwork, Chicago Beauty can help. Drawing on years of party-planning experience, Chicago Beauty offers a step-by-step party-planning center for all occasions, called, simply enough, Party Planner. Here Brundage has arranged for spas and salons to offer customized packages that, depending on the number of people attending, will offer Chicago beauty-obsessed babes the option of throwing their own pamper party. Of course, it won't come cheap and starts at approximately the $100-$150/per person mark.

For those of us who can get by without the fringes and terrycloth robes, an affordable party can be just a short walk away. Fingers And Toes, the funky nail shop on Division (which served as a setting in "Ocean's Twelve") offers a B.Y.O.B.F. (bring your own beer and bare feet). Like a lot of salons and spas in the Chicago area, Fingers and Toes has started catering to women who want to combine good friends and good times with French manicures. If you bring the alcohol, they'll provide the manicures. Little mom-and-pop basic-service shops, like 2(X) 10 Nails & Spa on Southport are starting to advertise their space for private parties. With so many women looking for a different way to party, everyone is trying to get in on the fun. If you're looking into bare-minimum private establishments, don't forget to ask if you can bring your own booze, since nothing makes a manicure better than a glass of champagne. And don't forget to take care of all the financial aspects. Since tipping is such an awkward issue, make sure that the nail technicians have been paid, with a gratuity, before your guests arrive. "I take care of everyone," Brundage explains. "I want people to come and enjoy the experience." Even if you and your friends are splitting the payment, pay upfront. Nothing ruins a pamper session like having to dig through your pockets for your credit card.

For those of you not wanting to leave the comfort of your own home, you can put your spa services on speed dial. Schroeder offers her expertise for private parties, as does Stacey Koerner of Beauty On Call (www.beautyoncall.com). "It's just a fun way to have a party," says Carrigan, who has attended functions around town. "People are always looking for new ideas," says Schroeder and "and a spa may not be as cost effective." Some people also don't like to work around schedules and since there are few people like Brundage, who can charm her way into spas after hours, planning your own party usually comes with restrictions. From salon hours of operation to making sure there is enough staff for your guests, some women just prefer to take things into their own hands. Plus with the dress-to-impress tendencies at most public functions, you can't beat hanging out in jeans on your living-room couch.

With everyone taking notice of the beauty industry, the "girlfriend network" that Brundage envisioned creating with Chicago Beauty has expanded to a citywide party phenomenon. Carrigan has been on a personal mission to get all her friends on the spa party circuit. "I like the idea of being able to 'test-drive' a spa and their services," she says. It's this hope that propels a lot of spas to open their doors to the public: if you like what you get at the party, they hope you'll make a future appointment. "Besides, there's usually free alcohol," Carrigan adds. "What's more fun than a free facial, some friends and martinis?"

(2005-01-04)

Also by Joanna Topor

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