Leila Espari spent 16 years working in someone else’s spa before she decided to open her own. In 2010, she rented a 1,400-square-foot space in Courthouse and began offering med-spa, facial and hair removal services. Today, the cozy and personable retreat she operates with business partner Arash Hosseinzadeh welcomes about 500 clients per week to a three-story building in Ballston, where the menu of services has expanded to include massage, body treatments, hair and nail care, permanent makeup and a brow and lash bar. “We treat all people equally,” says Espari, who was born in Iran. “It doesn’t matter what gender they are, what color they are, ethnicity… I think everybody feels welcome.” –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Eyes on Skin Spa, Nothing in Between Studio, Nova Therapeutic Massage, Origins Thai Spa, The Teal Center