I had the opportunity to get glammed up with a blowout and make up application at Goldplaited – a new finishing salon in Chicago’s Lincoln Park area. Goldplaited is the brainchild of Mary Alice Strong (Mal) and her sister. They say:
“We are Mal & Co: sisters, friends and first time entrepreneurs. We merged our love of blow outs, makeup and complimentary champagne to bring goldplaited finishing salon to Chicago. As lovers of getting ready and going out, we decided to turn our passion into a full time job. goldplaited is for like minded ladies who relish in life’s little luxuries, who recognize that sometimes getting ready is the highlight of the night. goldplaited takes the guesswork out of gussying up and prepares a woman for a night she won’t soon forget. We’d love the opportunity to make you up, blow you out and generally gab like gal pals. Visit us at the flagship goldplaited finishing salon in Lincoln Park/Lakeview.”
Mal invited me in for a test run. Who am I to turn down a chance to look and feel good? Saturday afternoon I went to check it out.
The salon is super cute and welcoming. It is clean and minimal, but also comfortable and homey. This is only there second weekend, but everything seemed to be working well and the staff seemed very comfortable in the space, too. They offered me champagne and sparkling water and even a (gluten-free) macaron!
I started with a blowout. Lynnea showed me the “look book” and I picked a “volume” style. Hey, I am from New Jersey – ha ha. But seriously, I have very straight and fine hair, so I need a little pick up! She washed my hair with awesome Moroccan Oil shampoo and gave me a scalp massage. A great feeling! She then blew out my hair and we chatted for a while about how she turned a hobby into a career. I enjoyed chatting with Lynnea and I loved how my hair looked (and felt and smelled) when she finished.
I then met Kristi who did my make up. She also showed me a “look book“. I asked for the make-up to be as natural as possible. I usually wear foundation and lipstick (on a good day!), so I feel a bit conspicuous when I am “made up.” Kristi was also as nice as could be and talked me through all of the steps. I don’t like blush so she showed me a great trick with bronzer. And she checked in along the way to be sure I liked what I saw.
Here is how it all turned out:
Here is Goldplaited’s menu of services. They offer blowouts, dry styles and make up application. You can get ready for a night out with a makeup application and blowout for $75 or makeup application and drystyle for $60. The offer 5% off if you pre-buy any 5 services and 10% off if you pre-buy any 10 services. They are also offering $5 off if you like them on Facebook. They will be offering more services in the future, so keep an eye out on Facebook. They also show before-and-after shots on their Instagram page. I am impressed!
Goldplaited was such a great pick me up. I felt so pretty. I will definitely be back for my next special occasion or important meeting! I also think the pricing is awesome for wedding parties or a fun pre-bachelorette party activity!
Please note: I was not compensated for this post, but I was given complimentary services for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own and definitely intend to go back!
I also had the opportunity to try a decadent treat (that is also healthy – a win-win), too. Lush Nuts’ founder Bisera Urdarevik developed Lush Nuts with the intention of “bringing luxury to your lips.” She started with an old family recipe and now has six handcrafted flavors of peanuts and three handcrafted flavors of almonds. She sent me a sampler of the almonds to taste and tell you about. The flavors are: Coconut Lavender, Coconut Orange Peel and Dark Cocoa Chili. She uses all natural ingredients, all of the nuts are gluten free (not produced in a certified GF facility) and vegan. The nuts are grown in the USA and there are no added oils.
I tried the Coconut Lavender first and really loved the taste. They were flavorful but not too sweet or flowery. They are coated but not sticky. I really loved this one. Then, I opened the Coconut Orange Peel. I liked these, but am not the biggest orange flavored fan. Last, I opened the Dark Cocoa Chili. These were hands down my favorite. I loved the “kick” at the end of the chili and the cocoa was rich and not too sweet. I thought these flavors blended perfectly with the almond. All three flavors were rich and filling so having a dozen nuts was satisfying. These were all some of the best “flavored” almonds I have tried. They were also very fresh.
My mother in law was visiting when I received these almonds, so she helped in the tasting, too! Libbie took her role as reviewer seriously and left me notes! She said:
“The almonds looked very appealing. There is enough coating to make your mouth water. Each almond looks hand-dipped. It is very enticing.
My favorite was the Coconut Orange Peel. It was refreshing but not too sweet. It was like a pleasant refreshing bit of sunshine. The Coconut Lavender would be perfect for an afternoon tea or after a meal. There is a delicate balance of fruit and floral. They are not too sweet and therefore leave you wanting for more. The Dark Cocoa Chili overpowered my tastebuds. I could taste only chili. In fact, it made my tongue tingle. The cocoa was masked by the chili. Iwill leave the rest of those for Erica.”
So this worked out great – we each had different favorites and got to eat the remainder of the one we liked best!
Lush Nuts also makes six varieties of spanish peanuts: Original, Salt and Pepper, Hot Curry, Cinnamon Spice, Dark Cocoa Chili and Coffee. They are handmade in Kalamazoo, Michigan and sold in some local spots in the midwest and online. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Are you curious about Lush Nuts after our rave reviews? You should be! Bisera offered to send one lucky reader a 3 pack sampler of the almonds – one of each flavor. Use the Rafflecopter below. The winner will be selected and notified on October 16th. Winner must be a US resident and 18 years or older. Void where prohibited. If you already like/follow Erica Finds or Lush Nuts, you can claim those entries. Don’t forget to click the green button on the Rafflecopter.
Please note: I was not compensated for this post. I did receive the nuts from Lush Nuts at no cost for this review. All opinions are my own and those of my mother in law.
What is your favorite way to treat yourself? Have you ever had a “finishing service”?