One of the stylists had stomach pains, and her pals were cooing sympathetically and offering remedies. The scene reminded me of a similar one in a beauty parlor my mom used to drag me to when I was a child.
Progressions may have all the trappings of a modern salon—a nifty boutique with beauty products, jewelry, and gifts; tea, coffee, and cookies for the taking; and gleaming wood floors and faux leopard accents. But in some ways, it’s a throwback. There’s a girly feel that makes it comfortable for young and old.
You can’t get a massage here. Just facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, and, of course, everything to do with hair. Spa treatments in this bustling place are done in three small treatment rooms in the back.
My Spa Pedicure ($64) was in a cramped alcove with not much going for it in the way of visuals. With a stash of boxes, it seemed like a storage area. But once the pedicurist, Trin, flipped on the massager on the thronelike chair and started working on my feet, that was forgotten—a stack of magazines helped, too. The pedicure included a pleasant mini foot rub, and the polish remained in mint condition for several weeks.
Back at the manicure station in the middle of the salon, Trin—who has since shifted from doing manicures to hair—turned her attention to my hands (manicure, $24). Again, the massage was nice. Wearwise, the fingers didn’t do as well as the toes: The polish had chipped by the next day.
