Toronto: A Visit to Pause Beauty Boutique

Let’s stop being so busy and pause for a minute, or an hour, shall we? I don’t know about you but this winter has me in need of some serious pampering. Last week, I turned to Twitter to find a place to get mah nails did, and got an invitation from a cute little beauty boutique in Toronto’s west end to come in for a free manicure. That was Pause Beauty Boutique (901 Bloor Street West, 647.748.3488). Social media savvy is how I like my beauty boutiques, what can I say!

@TheGlitterGeek We're at 991 Bloor (at Dovercourt) and we would love to have you as our guest!

— Pause Beauty TO (@PauseBeautyTO) February 25, 2014

I was greeted by Michelle Palmer, the owner of Pause, who had a warm smile and the personality to match. She also did my Easter egg coloured manicure and pedicure. More on that later. Pause Beauty Boutique is a cute little boutique that is impeccably styled, with an exposed brick wall and chic, comfy sofas. As soon as I walked in, I knew I’d feel at home here.

The boutique is super clean and smells pleasant. No, this isn’t one of your fume-y nail salons. Pause is more than a nail salon; they do facials, hair removal (waxing and threading), and lash extensions as well. They take sanitation very seriously here. I got a fresh sticker of foot file, and a disposable pair of cloth slippers during my pedicure. So wonderful! My pedi came with a scrub and a foot/lower leg massage with Toronto-based Ella’s Botanicals Anoint Me Hydrating Lotion (Cedar & Patchouli) and it was heaven! There were 3 other scents available as well: Lavender & Rose, Orange & Tangerine, Lemon & Vanilla. Yummy right?

As for nail colours, they carry a small assortment of China Glaze and CND Vinylux. The selection was small — that’s the only downside — so if you’re looking for something specific, I suggest that you bring your own nail colour. I chose CND Vinylux in Mint Convertible for my hands, and Lilac Longing for my feet. Here’s an Instagram; I didn’t want to post on here in case you didn’t care for a high resolution foot photo. I adore Lilac Longing and I think I’m going to pick it up for my personal stash! The mint colour applied streaky after the first coat, but the second coat self-levelled and provided an opaque coverage. They also only need about 10 minutes to dry!

Michelle is a big advocate for supporting local brands, and so she carries a selection Consonant and Ella’s Botanicals in the boutique. I’m already a big fan of Consonant (reviews here) and was happy to see some of my favourite products there.

Oh, and Pause has a rewards program! For every dollar you spend on services at Pause, you automatically receive one point. For every 100 points, you will have $10 to spend on any product or service you desire, or you can keep saving to get any service (like a dreamy Consonant facial, perhaps?) absolutely free. What’s best is that you don’t need to carry around another card in your wallet. You just collect points automatically. Genius, eh?

If you find yourself in the west end of Toronto and are in dire need of pampering, stop by Pause and relax for a while. Tell them I sent you!