Say goodbye to that frizzy hair and those unruly brows you’ve been scowling at since the spring lockdown. But as indoor shopping and dining resumes, it is important to maintain proper health and safety practices. For wary shoppers, MarketFair Princeton offers four COVID-safe health and beauty shops. The following four spots at the mall offer their services in a safe environment.
Quick Click Guide: Select a MarketFair Princeton business for health and safety details:
| Club Pilates | Mystique Salon | Waxing the City | The Lash Lounge |
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Club Pilates Princeton
Quarantine 15 be gone! Club Pilates Princeton owner and instructor Karen Spidare now offers comfortable and cardio-intensive outdoor options. “Our members love outdoor classes,” she says. “Everyone is socially distanced and workouts are only done without a mask when you’re at your spot.” Outdoor classes will run as long as the weather holds out, Spidare confirms.
Club Pilates Princeton also offers indoor classes in a smaller capacity. Six clients (instead of the usual 12) can participate at a time, with 12 feet between each station. In addition, instructors now give corrections and other cues verbally, so there is no physical contact.
Before a class, clients must sign a waiver stating they are in good health. Then, a new mobile app allows clients to check in without touching the front desk. Club Pilates also no longer allows outside equipment in the studio, aside from towels, water bottles, and reformer loops. They require masks in studio at all times, and follow a strict cleaning regiment; applying UV light treatments before closing each night, in addition to disinfecting high-touch surfaces throughout the day.
Mystique Salon
Mystique Salon is an Aveda salon that offers full haircare services, including consults, cuts, colors, highlights, and blowouts. You can also get facial waxing and nail services. (For safety, they don’t currently offer beard trims, lip waxing, or makeup applications. However, they can still do wedding party makeup applications in a separated space.)
Owner Ed Simon says their measures far exceed state protocol. Staff and clients get a temperature check and answer screening questions upon arrival. Everyone must wear a face mask and sanitize their hands before entering the salon. They use acrylic shield barriers at the front desk and cashless no-touch credit card payment machines. Eight feet or more separates each stylist’s station as well as dividers between shampoo sinks.
Mystique Salon sanitizes each station and tools both before and after every appointment. For instance, they clean hard surfaces with disinfecting wipes, soft surfaces with hydrogen peroxide cleanser, and combs with Barbicide. They also spray brushes with isopropyl alcohol, then bag and seal them. “Fresh clean brushes are opened in front of each client, each time,” says Hill. The salon asks clients to place their phones in ultraviolet sanitizing boxes. Meanwhile, their hours are longer so clients can avoid peak service times.
Waxing the City
Waxing the City owner Hashim Ismail says his waxing center at MarketFair Princeton maintains top-notch health and safety protocols. “The spa services industry has always followed high standards of cleanliness,” Ismail explains. “We’ve enhanced our protocols and communicate the changes with our clients.”
In addition to frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces, they sanitize treatment rooms between clients and daily at closing time. They no longer offer communal product testers, and have digital replacements for all menus, brochures, and other paper resources. Staff wear masks at all times, and clients must do the same for all services.
Social distancing is a priority at Waxing City. Lobbies now limit the number of clients in waiting areas, and contactless check in/out is available via their mobile app. Meanwhile, it is easier than ever to reschedule an appointment, especially if you’re not feeling well. Keep in mind that members get 20 percent off their first service back.
The Lash Lounge
All it takes is a little help from The Lash Lounge to always look your best during Zoom calls. Lash extensions and tinting can minimize the need for makeup during meetings, and The Lash Lounge is a safe resource. Similar to the spa industry, this space is already heavily regulated. But despite their already thorough cleaning protocols, The Lash Lounge has added even more health and safety measures.
Spokesperson Laura McLaughlin says they do temperature checks upon arrival. The Lash Lounge is currently at 50 percent capacity, and they require masks for staff and clients at all times. In addition, until further notice, there are no cancellation fees for clients who are feeling sick. Payment is via credit card only for now, and they allow one client in the reception area at a time.
They clean beds and tools with both a UV light and anti-septic fogger between each guest. (For the time being, they no longer offer blankets during treatments) Of course, they frequently clean high-touch and common areas like restrooms as well.
To learn more about the shopping and dining experiences at MarketFair Princeton, click here to visit their website.
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Top (Hero) Photo: © MarketFair Princeton / Facebook
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Waxing the City