Category Archives: Around Town
The Golden ‘GLOW’bes arrive to Highland Park
Recent Texas transplant & California native Paul Hollowell talks bronzed bodies in an exclusive interview introducing his latest endeavor, LUX Tanning Spa – a celebrity tanning experience.
Wandering about the newest tanning hotspot in Cedar Springs-adjacent Highland Park, each turn provides a lightshow spectacle of twinkling lime & lavender beams disguised behind velvet black walls. Shadowy & ethereal, the immediate experience is one that takes a moment to capture.
Distinctive from its neighboring tanning salon counterparts, there are no endless white hallways with hospital-like paleness. To the contrary, the depth and fluvial design is anything but rigid, rather an alluring invitation to enter one of the cavernous pods. All-in-all, the scenery is reminiscent of a Gaga-esque stage spectacle…in a good way.
That’s what LUX is – a high end option for people who enjoy the privileged life in every other aspect of their life.
Developer and owner Paul Hollowell left the comforts of northern California to open the first LUX Tanning Spa in Dallas. Why the relocation? “There are so many options for high-end restaurants, for spas, for hair in Dallas, but there really wasn’t a high-end tanning option,” Hollowell said, adding, “That’s what LUX is – a high end option for people who enjoy the privileged life in every other aspect of their life.”
Beyond the visual aesthetics, LUX delivers an unparalleled powerhouse of tanning equipment. The SunAngel Duo offers a personalized “skin sensor” that calibrates the lamps to match your tanning needs. Other defining attributes include an aqua mist and aroma delivery system, and a 3D-sound system and MP3 player dock-in to jam to your personal beats via iPhone or iPod. In true red carpet spirit, LUX is the only provider of the SunAngel Duo in Texas – yes, the only one in the state.
A colorless Irishman myself, spray tanning has been my personal route to a bronzed body, and for that matter bootie. LUX delivers the most modern spray tan technology in the Versa franchise – VersaPro. With four color levels to choose from (as opposed to the three available in the previous version), this state-of-the-art machine maintains the seamless delivery system (no blotchy spots or missed areas) that its clients have appreciated from its predecessor. VersaPro offers the client the ability to double dip, adding a second layer of tanning serum to either the entire body or selected areas.
It’s little touches that create an experience that customers want to come back to enjoy, as opposed to a chore that they need to get done – like dropping off the dry cleaning.
But it’s not just the most tech-savvy equipment that makes LUX a special plan to get your glow. “I think the main thing that separates us is the consulting experience,” says Hollowell. That may be true, but the deluxe amenities don’t hurt any. Underground parking provides a breezy entrance, and a private elevator that drops you off in the lobby. Hollowell says that several celebrities have already called inquiring about memberships, in part to the “paparazzi-proof” entrance.
My favorite part, perhaps, is the LUXury finish to each tanning session. After tanning, you are offered a chilled eucalyptus towel to refresh and your choice of a complimentary glass of champagne or French spring water. Just when I thought Dallas couldn’t get any more posh, LUX enters stage right…and we welcome them.
To learn more about available memberships, call 214.521.4589 or “like” them on Facebook. Tell them “Shadows” sent you for an extra smile.
LUX Tanning Spa is located at 4411 Lemmon Ave, Ste. 105.
shadowsbywaylon 