The 5 Must-Visit Beauty Spots in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, is known for its craft beer, but its craft beauty scene is noteworthy, too. Yes, there’s a Sephora, but most of the city’s beauty businesses are, like the produce, locally grown. “People in Portland are very cosmopolitan, but they have their own take on it,” Shannon Conley, the owner of Portland-based hair removal service, tells Allure. “When I moved here from New Jersey, everyone told me to expect hippies who wouldn’t wax. I don’t know whether it’s because Nike is headquartered here or because there’s been an influx of Californians, but Portlanders do like to take care of themselves.” Here are five of the most unique places to do just that.

Courtesy of Finger Bang

Finger Bang

The name alone tells you that this nail salon, decorated with graffiti and plastic Homies figurines, is not vanilla. The nail artists, some of whom are booked months out or have temporarily stopped taking appointments altogether, create custom, culturally relevant designs incorporating the Supreme Court's Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hood by Air, and LaCroix. Finger Bang is open until midnight and shares a building with a few micro-restaurants and a whiskey bar. Fuel up before your appointment, which can run two hours or longer.

Knot Springs

The spa ritual inscribed on a concrete column suggests soaking in Knot Springs’s warm mineral pool overlooking the Portland skyline, then moving to the 102-degree soaking pool, the cold-plunge pool, the sauna, the plunge pool again, and the steam room. Once you’ve completed the circuit, dry off with a Pendleton towel, slip on a “roncho” (that’s a robe-poncho hybrid), and grab a tumbler of kombucha before heading to the spa area, where you can get a massage with custom formulations from local apothecary Midnight Collective.

Courtesy of Fumerie Parfumerie

Fumerie Parfumerie

A gauntlet of department store employees shoving spritzed paper sticks under your nose is no way to discover your signature scent. At this fragrance boutique, you can pull a leather stool up to the bar and get a one-on-one consultation to help you zero in on an indie perfume from one of 26 “houses,” a fancy term for brand, based on which family (floral, citrus, green, etc.) you’re drawn to. Fumerie also hosts fragrance swaps, where patrons can exchange bottles among themselves.

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Take a tour of Iceland's Blue Lagoon Spa:

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Urban Waxx

Waxing is the sole focus at this chainlet, which has five locations and a sixth opening soon. Choose from a straightforward menu of services covering everything from nostrils to toes, then scoop yourself some jellybeans from the candy bar while you wait. At checkout, tack on a bottle of Serious Serum, Urban Waxx’s own ingrown-hair eliminator, which aesthetician-owner Shannon Conley developed after falling in love with an effective but pricey glycolic serum her facialist recommended.

Courtesy of Kassandra Sommerville

Kassandra Sommerville

Sommerville, whose husband converted their home garage into a salon eight years ago, admits that she relies on lots of layers and a mist of water to bring out the waves in her own hair, which she doesn’t color or heat-style. So it’s no surprise that she specializes in low-maintenance haircuts that look good air-dried with minimal product. She also offers reasonably priced makeup lessons (check out her Instagram for beautifully undone before-and-afters) to help women find a quick and easy morning routine that’s refreshingly free of contouring.

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