Best of the City 2010: four of Toronto’s latest, greatest vanity boosters

The latest, greatest vanity boosters

Last year, it was blowouts; this year, it’s all about repairing the damage. Jie Matar has introduced a conditioning bar at his salon to do just that. Locks are treated to an organic formula of vinegar, avocado and essential oils customized to hair type and severity of damage. The 20-minute treatment reverses breakage and leaves hair ready for the next blow-dry-worthy occasion. From $30.

Before resorting to the scalpel, York­ville women are lining up for a new treatment in which a therapeutic-grade oxygen infuser applies a wrinkle-busting serum to the skin. They swear the result is a hydrated, firm and even-toned complexion. Best of all, the procedure takes less than an hour and causes no redness or Botox-induced paralysis. From $250.

Chipped black polish is so 2009. Mirror-finish shellac dries instantly under an ultraviolet light and looks just like a regular manicure but remains perfect for at least two weeks. The only drawback: you must return to the salon to get it removed. From $35.

This no-girls-allowed spa looks more like a rec room, with a stuffed moose head and a PS3 in the waiting area. The Player package includes everything a would-be GQ model could hope for: haircut, conditioning treatment, paraffin hand wax, hot towel, mani-pedi, a full facial and a restrained eyebrow wax. Oh, and a can of root beer, because you’re still a manly man even if your palms are as supple as your girlfriend’s. $175.