Pipino New York   (Photo: Courtesy of Pipino New York)

Fox & Boy
280 Mulberry St., nr. Houston; 212-965-0369
After stints at Dop Dop, Beauty Parlour, Minardi, and Blackstones, stylist Julie Dickson went solo with this small, sleek Nolita salon. She decked the space with antique mirrors, music cabinets, and French parlor chairs for a combination of modern and old-school-chic style. Her specialties include shaping fine strands into full, textured styles and snipping tousled men's dos that don't scream fresh-from-the-salon.

Pipino New York
3 Centre Market Pl., nr. Grand St.; 212-871-5533
This vampy black-and-white space is the new lair of Ric Pipino, the Australian celebrity stylist known for his edgy precision cuts. The slick salon doles out A-list hairstyles and glam arches (Damone Roberts is on hand for brow shaping), as well as sweet-smelling bouquets of flowers out front during warmer months.

Wei Lang
584 Broadway, nr. Houston St.; 212-925-7570
Makeup artist turned aesthetician Wei Lang opened this pristine orange-and-white Soho spa in January 2009, specializing in high-tech facials that infuse the skin with various wrinkle-fighting, glow-boosting vitamins and extracts. Standout skin-care treatments include an acupressure facial massage, plus add-ons like the vitamin-C brightening mask or the rice-bran de-puffing eye mask.

Twigs Salon
520 E. 11th St., nr. Ave. B; 212-358-9447
This kitschy, lodgelike salon is a welcome addition to the Alphabet City beauty scene, specializing in choppy straight cuts and shapely, textured curls. Its founders—three Soon Beauty Lab transplants—are longtime co-stylists and friends, fostering a cozy, low-key vibe (further reinforced by the red faux fireplace and forest-printed wallpaper).

Wink Eco Beauty Bar
602 Vanderbilt Ave., nr. St. Marks Ave., Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; 718-230-3443
This intimate five-seat nail salon brings a full range of ecofriendly treatments to Prospect Heights. The green mani-pedis use DBP-, toulene-, and formaldehyde-free polishes, and facials incorporate botanicals and natural ingredients like clay, fruit, and essential oils. Brow sugaring, lash tinting, and threading round out the mix.