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Rejuvenation is the Word at New Spa and Salon
Sharon Zilahy opened Refresh, a rejuvenating spa and salon, with her husband, Dr. Peter Zilahy.
By Robby Piazzaroli
Thursday, May 2, 2013 7:07 AM EDT
WATERTOWN — Stepping inside Watertown’s newest spa and salon, Refresh, clients might wonder whether they’ve arrived at a trendy, exclusive spa in Fairfield County. Refresh, was opened by Dr. Peter Zilahy and his wife, Sharon, a Registered Nurse and lifestyle educator, who have made it their life mission to help spread the word of living healthy and aging gracefully.
After purchasing the building next door to his chiropractic office of almost 40 years, Dr. Zilahy wondered how he and his wife could join forces to bring about a more expansive wellness center. As a nutrition expert herself, and a lover of spa treatments, Mrs. Zilahy cultivated a rare collection of body, skin, face and lifestyle products to help both men and women look and feel their best. With their extensive knowledge base, a new building and an eye for design, Refresh was born. Not being a stranger to the elegant spas of the Northeast, Mrs. Zilahy looked to bring high-end quality and five-star customer service, but make it affordable and available for those in the Greater Watertown area.
“I want to provide an elegant, serene environment for professional women,” said Mrs. Zilahy, “something that was different from the area, with a calming, high-quality feel.”
In Mrs. Zilahy’s experience, she was able to gather some of the rarest and most exclusive products in the spa and salon industry, including a Face Stockholm boutique, a make-up company out of Sweden, which features a bright and colorful palette.
“Makeup looks its best with good skin underneath,” said Mary Donahue, one of the estheticians at Refresh.
Refresh also captures some of the area’s most talented beauty and health professionals, including Clinical Esthetician Laura Duffany, Hair Stylist Mark Lombard, Hair Stylist and Make-Up Artist Stephanie DaCosta, Make-Up Artist Brittany Williams, Esthetician Mary Donahue and Massage Therapist Lisa Rado. Heading the staff at Refresh is Salon Manager Ashley Trudeau, who brings over a decade of managerial experience in high-end salons and spas in the New Haven area.
Keeping with the message of living healthy and making someone beautiful both inside and out, Refresh offers a number of facial and body treatments using what Dr. Zilahy calls “exclusive, high-end and rejuvenating.” Rather than using Botox or other injection treatments to “turn back the clock” and rejuvenate ones skin, Refresh offers alternatives like Cryo Stem Cell Therapy, Microdermabrasion, Hydradvanc Hydrating Facial Treatment and many others.
“What sets us apart from the mom and pop places are the great services, the welcoming professionals and the great atmosphere,” said Ms. Trudeau. “We are high-end, but affordable.”
One of their options is the Secrets de Sothys Facial Treatment, described as a “cleanser, with a satiny smooth touch of the facial massage cream or the ‘angora-like’ texture of anti-wrinkle serum.”
Refresh’s products are exclusive to this area of the state, and in some cases, this part of the country, once again making clients feel like celebrities.
Other services include waxing, massage, body sculpting, haircuts, hair coloring, formal styling and keratin smoothing and straightening. The salon offers a full-service “Blow Dry Bar,” offering a multitude of girl-on-the-go services.
Dr. Zilahy, a chiropractor, licensed nutrionist and acupuncturist, is excited to continue to grow his wellness brand, while Mrs. Zilahy is excited to bring a “unique” spa and salon to Watertown.
“We want to be good neighbors,” said Dr. Zilahy. “That’s why we decided not to offer manicures and pedicures. We don’t want to take business away from other people.
“We just want to offer something different and exclusive here in town. I want to help our clients gracefully age in a healthy, vibrant way.”
In many cases, Dr. Zilahy said that these services are not only more healthy, but less expensive than the alternative injectable treatments.
According to Mrs. Zilahy, she wanted to also make sure the spa and salon were men-friendly, with specific men’s services, including the “Gentleman’s Facial” and various massage options.