Absolutely smitten by Elysia Beauty Bar! It's so good that I will take any excuse to talk about it, haha. This hidden diamond is tucked away on a second floor of a building just off of Yonge St, up a flight of steps. If you're not familiar with the area, it shares the same block as the Tea Shop 168 [couldn't miss that place even if you tried - trust me.].
Had the pleasure of having my manicure done by Sophie, who is just the funniest and sweetest person ever! Earlier this year, around February, I went through a gel nail fiasco at a popular yelp nail spot that has left my nails horribly damaged. She was quick to bring up the compromised integrity of my nails, and even asked a few questions to get a clearer sense of how they got to that state. Then expressed her concern that my nails may be too weak to undergo the gel process. (Gotta love that honesty.) Letting her know that I understood that my nails were pretty weak, and that I didn't mind, she went ahead with process.
There's nothing negative I can say about the experience; Sophie was great company to chit chat with, and remained very precise throughout. Never did she shy away from asking for clarification or confirmation about the reference picture I brought along. The 1.5 hours really breezed by.
(They also have an awesome selection of jewels and embellishments to adorn your nails with, so you're only limited by your imagination and wallet!)
I believe Elysia, feel awful for not asking for her name, shaped my brows in a couple of strokes. This was the first time I was getting my brows professionally groomed, and into a thinner shape, so I was pretty nervous all week. But she did a remarkable job, considering the hot mess my brows were in. Sophie actually took over in the fine details and snagging those pesky strays. She was so sweet that she even offered to fill in my brows for me for fun. I can truthfully say my brows are on full fleek thanks to these girls.
What I appriciate most about Elysia's, other than the lovely staff and fantastic quality of services they offer, is how much heart this business has; the character of the menu and space just gushes with hard work, patience, and attention to detail. The amount of charm and welcomeness it exudes seems unprecedented [compared to my experiences at other beauty related establishments] and I found myself trying to figure out how soon I could come back, well before my appointment was even part way done! Can't wait to go back and try out all of their other services!