Avance Esthetiques –

Spa’s Clients Relax Into New Spacious Facilities

By Kaaren Valenta

Avance Esthetiques has moved its European skin care and day spa into spacious new facilities in Sand Hill Plaza.

The spa, formerly located between the Radio Shack and The Book Review in the plaza, has taken over the 5,000 square foot area that formerly housed the Duchess restaurant and ERA real estate.

“I am very excited,” owner Judy Volpe said. “I’m so pleased with the way it turned out – exactly as I had envisioned.”

Shades of peach and soft teal and soothing background music envelope visitors to the “Escape to Tranquility” day spa, which provides facial and body treatments, massage, manicures and pedicures, waxing, makeup, and other related services. There are services for women and men, and special bridal packages.

The size of the day spa has more than doubled, but Ms Volpe plans no major additions to her staff of 15.

“Our previous location had only 2,115 square feet so it had become a constant juggling act,” she said. “Now we have ample space and can expand our services. There will be more room for us, more room for our clients, and more room for retail [display and sale of products]. But we will never lose the personal touch that we have built for 10 years.”

The new facility has six rooms where facial treatments are given. Three of these rooms have showers. “Now clients can stay right in the room to shower – it’s more private than in our previous location,” Ms Volpe explained.

There are three massage rooms and a fourth room where a new service, hydrotherapy massage, will be offered. Here a multi-jet tub is used to soothe muscles and relieve stress; afterwards a massage therapist uses a special massage wand to complete the treatment with underwater massage.

The day spa has three pedicure rooms including one that is a double for people who want to socialize during their nail service. There is a large manicure room with a drying area, a steam room with a steam shower and extra waxing room, three massage rooms, a large handicapped accessible restroom, and a large conference room.

“The conference room will allow us to present programs with guest speakers,” Ms Volpe said. “I’m also thinking of holding classes in yoga or tai chi. We were never able to do that before because we just didn’t have the space.”

The conference room also will enable her to resume her volunteer work with the American Cancer Society’s “Look Good, Feel Better” program for persons who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Ms Volpe has been a supporter of the cancer society for many years. For the past six years she has organized a team for the annual Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walkathon. During each of the past two years her team raised more than $10,000 for the fundraiser.

“I have had many clients with cancer, especially breast cancer,” she explained. “This is something we are able to do to help make a difference.”

The day spa promotes the importance of good health, both through the services offered and the emphasis on cleanliness and safety. “We use a medical autoclave to sterilize all of our nail implements, plus a UV sterilizer and a dry sanitizer for everything else,” Ms Volpe said. “All of the products that we use are natural, botanical-based. Everything is safe and nontoxic.”

Making clients feel they are special is the focus of the day spa, which opened in its new location on June 1.

“We’ve been working on it since March 23,” Ms Volpe said. “I had a great architect, Richard Merrell of Waterbury, who did exactly what I wanted. He toured our former facility and I told him what worked and what didn’t work there. I also had a good builder, my husband, Bob Volpe, who is a general contractor in Southbury.”

The spa moved into its new location over the Memorial Day weekend and reopened on June 1.  Besides Ms Volpe, the staff includes managers Cathy Jackson, Mary Ventresca, and Elaine Hill; estheticians, who provide skin care services, Maria Eszenyi, Wendy Lazowsky, and Elena Bica; nail services staff Robbin Batters, Donna Gonnelli, Angela Ballando, and Claire Arco; massage therapists Nancy Cardinale, Carrie Dandanoli, Cythia Campbel, and Debra Aquilino.

Avance Esthetiques is open five days a week during the summer: Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 9 pm; Wednesday 10 am to 6:30 pm; Friday 9 am to 6 pm, and Saturday 9 am to 5 pm. For more information or appointments call 270-8911.