March 17 2009 - Features

All the Right Ingredients

Like the ingredients in its Apothecary Ritual, Blu Water Day Spa’s success depends on a base, the essentials, a dash of flavor, and someone to stir it all together.

By Thi Dao

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Julie Nguyen, owner and founder of Blu Water Day Spa, has plenty of experience in the beauty industry. Coming to the United States when she was 16 and building on the beauty training she received in Vietnam, she worked in hair, then nails and cosmetics, and was quickly able to purchase her own salon.

Blu Water’s existence is a culmination of Nguyen’s experiences and ideas. Located near a shopping center in Kensington, Md., it provides a relaxing ambience for the metropolitan area’s residents.

Using Asian and Indian influences, the spa’s design focuses on the natural. Walls are green and dark brown, with natural wood cabinets and display shelves that add an earthy feel. A waterfall panel stands behind the moon-shaped reception desk, and the rounded arcs of furniture designs complement the angles of corners and cabinets. “It flows,” says Kelly Quinn, head of client relations. “It goes with the name Blu Water.”

However, it’s clearly not just decor that makes a spa — it’s a mixture of all the essential components.

A Strong Base

Blu Water was built from the foundation of Peter’s Nails, an establishment servicing clients since 1990, and, as its name suggests, focused solely on nails. Nguyen bought the salon in 2003, keeping the name and service options.

Having extensive experience in other areas of the beauty industry, Nguyen began to think about expansion. “My license and my knowledge are related to day spas,” she says. “I felt the nail salon wasn’t enough for me.” This desire to branch out led Nguyen and friend and esthetician Teresa Hinton to transform Peter’s Nails into a day spa, re-opening in May 2008. Since then both staff and clientele have doubled.

Situated 20 minutes from Washington, D.C., the salon’s location is advantageous. “The area demographic is definitely higher income,” Quinn says. But the clients who come from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia are a bit more varied, she adds. “We have everybody from the homemakers who come in after carpool to the doctors and executives who come in after work.”

What’s more, being behind a shopping center certainly doesn’t hurt business — women stopping by the pet store will occasionally stop by for a manicure as well. Gym goers sometimes reward themselves with a facial or massage.

The Essential Services

Spa services are plentiful, including facial treatments, makeup sessions, massages, hair removal, and permanent makeup. Full nail service options range from natural nails to enhancements and nail art. The spa website also advertises services and packages specifically for men.

However, it is Blu Water’s Apothecary Spa Ritual that gets the local press buzzing. The idea came from Hinton’s own experience with her father’s apothecary growing up. “We knew we wanted to offer something different because people can go anywhere to get their nails done,” says Hinton.