Express Services at Calgary Spas and Salons

For those times when there’s no time, many of the city’s top salons and spas also offer express services.

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Sometimes you’d like the luxury of a beauty service, but don’t have the luxury of time, whether that be because of a last minute realization that the holidays, or Stampede, or just a Friday night out is upon you or because that’s just how life is, full to bursting.

While you can always DIY it or or visit a cheap and cheerful quick spot for your nails or a facial, sometimes you want more – a bit of pampering, but quickly. For those times, these are some great options.

Diva SalonSpa

With eight locations across the city, there’s most likely a Diva SalonSpa nearby no matter where you are. And all eight offer the Beauty on Demand express services. Each service will get you in and out in under an hour whether for a manicure ($30), pedicure ($50) or facial ($55) – or book multiple services to get head to toe gorgeous. You can also add enhancements such as a specialized eye treatment or stress relieving reflexology for only a slight increase in time and cost.

Diva SalonSpa uses OPI polishes and Aveda skin products. And despite being the express versions of their regular treatments, a good amount of time is still devoted to pampering with a focus on relaxation – I left feeling like the service hadn’t been compromised or rushed.

The facial will leave you feeling both relaxed and rejuvenated and the manicure is both a great service and having it in the spasetting is a nice treat at a very good price point.

If you haven’t had a pedicure recently or your feet are in bad shape, the express service may not be enough to get them totally in shape – there just won’t be the time to deal with severely dry or cracked heels for example. But for a polish change or as part of maintenance care, this is great value in terms of time and money spent.

Various Calgary locations, divasalonspa.com

Hyatt Stillwater Spa

While you can get the express manicure or pedicures anytime at the Stillwater, what’s notable here is the Sunrise package (available at 8 a.m., well before most of the city’s spas are open) and the Nourish Nooner, which includes a gourmet boxed lunch and has to be booked over the lunch hour. Both options promise to have you on your way after a manicure, pedicure or massage in less than an hour – glammed-up, relaxed and ready to face the day. Note that the express services here also offer some great exclusive perks – validated parking in the Hyatt’s underground lot (which also helps guarantee that you’re on your way quickly), and access to the spa’s other facilities (the steam room, whirlpool and lounge for example) although you’ll have to come early or stay late to use them and then of course, you won’t get on your way as quickly.

700 Centre St. S., 403-537-4474, calgary.hyatt.com

Newbury Spa

With its Beltline location, this urban spa offers an express menu that may be perfect for on the way in our out of the office. The express manicure ($35) and pedicure ($40) are the pared back versions of the spa’s signature offerings and are a great value for when you’re busy. Again, as with many of the other  locations mentioned, for the pedicure, if your feet are in need of a lot of care, this might not get them quite to perfection, but you will definitely leave relaxed and feeling and looking good. You just won’t get that extra pampering that the full deal would give you. At half the length of time, the express pedicure still includes a sea salt scrub and leg massage, each is just shorter in length. Newbury uses OPI polishes and also offers CND shellac polishes for an additional charge.

720 11 Ave. S.W., 403-265-7499, newburyspa.ca

XO Treatment Room

Facials are always one of the trickiest of express services. In many cases you’re going to look a bit poked and prodded right after a treatment and will look best a day or two later. This is so much the common wisdom of facials that it was one of the major plot points of the (admittedly awful) movie Legally Blonde 2. And that’s just for regular facials, to say nothing of laser treatments or peels, which often have forced people into hiding for several days as the chemicals and lights work their magic. However, all of the XO Treatment Room’s services are no-downtime, meaning you don’t have to worry about being out of commission for days with the red-faced look of the peels and laser treatments of yore. In some ways this makes all of their treatments express in the sense that you really can go straight from your facial out for dinner with your dewey new skin proudly on display. But the XO & Go ($100) is truly meant as an express treatment. In just 30 minutes you’ll get a peel (glycolic, lactic or AHA depending on your skin’s needs) with deep lifting serum and a hydrating mask, leaving your skin glowing, fresh and ready to show off. This is one of the best services I’ve tried, express or otherwise, for giving your face a little extra love. And if you’re anything like me, when you need that most is when you have the least amount of time for it, making this a doubly good solution. And with its Beltline location on 1st Street, near both Lola Lash Bar and the Hotel Arts location of Hedkandi Salon, at XO Treatment you can get all your pampering done right in the neighbourhood.

1306 1 St. S.W., 403-475-3088, xotreatmentroom.ca

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