Lots of women know that the cure for getting
over a bad day can sometimes be as simple as treating yourself
to a new shade of lipstick.
At Cue, which opened on Feb. 3 in Bay Ridge, Lynn Sanders and
Natasha Antonovsky specialize in the concept of makeover as mood
transformer, and they refuse to let their customers walk out
the door until they’re looking "absolutely fabulous"
from head to toe.
"I get excited to help people look good," co-owner
Lynn Sanders told GO Brooklyn.
Cue, formerly the site of Blush Salon Spa, on Third Avenue at
87th Street, aims to transform "the whole woman" by
offering indulgent spa treatments, hair and makeup services and
trendy boutique clothing with personal shopping assistance –
all under the same roof. It’s the one-stop shop for becoming
a new and improved you.
"Our concept is to keep you looking great at any age,"
said Sanders. They do so by tempering brutal honesty with a sort
of sixth sense about what looks good.
"If something doesn’t work for a customer, I tell her to
take it off," Sanders emphasized. "Our ultimate goal
is the customer’s happiness."
Sanders and Antonovsky, who met through mutual clients while
working at separate salons, want their customers to feel at home,
offering tea and conversation as clients browse the brightly
lit clothing boutique at the front of the store.
The clothes range from sequin-studded Italian designer jeans
to flirty chiffon blouses with ribbons and lace, all neatly arranged
on hanging silver racks bordering the spacious display room.
Most clothing ranges in size from 0 to 12, but Sanders emphasizes
that Cue will work with each individual customer by making special
request orders when possible.
Funky, trendy accessories such as beaded purses and chunky bangle
bracelets round out the contemporary collection, which changes
every two weeks as Sanders and Antonovsky add new items obtained
from boutique shows and up-and-coming fashion manufacturers.
"We’re trying to offer a unique style," said Sanders.
"If you buy an outfit here, you won’t see it on anybody
else."
The philosophy at Cue is that "style and fashion, when put
together correctly, can make a woman of any age sexy and feminine,"
said Sanders. When one woman came to Cue for a pre-Valentine’s
Day makeover, Sanders picked out a shirt that matched the woman’s
eyes and complemented her body type.
"Every woman wants her boyfriend or husband to acknowledge
her," said Sanders. "Her boyfriend had never acknowledged
her style before, so she was shocked when he told her how beautiful
she looked. She said from now on, she’s buying all her clothes
from me!"
Cue’s owners are particularly excited about their upcoming spring
line, which will include more colorful shoes and handbags.
"Now spring is in the air, and everyone wants color,"
said Sanders. "We won’t bore you. No more drab – there will
be colors that pop!" Cue’s inventory already includes lots
of creative touches: sequined sandals, black purses studded with
fluorescent buttons and gemstone pendant necklaces.
But the perfect outfit is only the beginning. French double doors
lead to the serenely lit spa services area, where Antonovsky,
who has 25 years of skincare experience, performs skin treatments
such as waxing, ultrasonic micro-dermabrasion and facials using
Dr. Murad products.
Sanders, who has been cutting hair since she was a teenager,
does customized coloring and designer haircuts in an adjoining
room. A masseuse is also available by appointment for reflexology
sessions as well as Swedish, deep tissue and hot stone massages.
Recently, two Bay Ridge residents, Laura Daly, 18, and Maryann
Orlando, 52, were queens for a day at Cue. Daly, a salesgirl
at Cue, called her makeover a good experience that she would
recommend to her friends.
"Lynn said she was just going to do a little makeup,"
said the high school cheerleader, "but then she went ahead
and did everything." After her glamorous makeover, "people
saw her around the neighborhood and wanted to get their hair
and makeup done too," said Sanders.
"I don’t usually look like that," Daly said. "The
makeover showed a different side of me." Orlando, modeling
Cue’s more mature styles, a fitted skirt-suit with a snakeskin
pattern, looked like she could have walked off the set of "Sex
and the City."
So far, Cue’s customers have ranged from a young woman getting
ready for a romantic weekend away to an older one preparing for
lunch at the Plaza Hotel. Sanders and Antonovsky pride themselves
on "honesty and expertise" and want their customers
to walk away "loving their hair, skin and outfit."
In the same way that your best friend wouldn’t let you wear something
that didn’t flatter you, the owners of Cue go out of their way
to help their customers find the best outfit, makeup and hairdo
for each individual.
"We want to help them look and feel as good as they can,"
said Sanders. "It’s exciting and rewarding. It’s all about
the woman!"
See Spa
Directory for more information about Cue.
