MCT

Are you getting ready for some fun in the sun and need to get a little pre-tan in before you go?

Or maybe you want to model your hair just like your favorite celebrity?

Pedicures and manicures are two ways in which you can treat yourself.

Although you’re college students, and most of you are living off ramen noodles and Pop Tarts, it doesn’t mean you can’t look your best. There are several businesses in Eau Claire that not only offer all of these services but are also affordable, students say.

Fake Bake, anyone?

Face it: Wisconsin is no paradise. With the freezing weather Eau Claire has had in the past few weeks, it is safe to say there hasn’t been much tanning going on.

However, despite the icicles outside, you can still have a fabulous glow!

Eau Claire’s many tanning facilities can be alternatives to the lack of sun.

A “huge number of students” go to The Tannery, 427 Water St., said April Ronnenberg, the business’s manager.

And as an added bonus, there are always many monthly specials going on, she said. Right now The Tannery is giving away five free trips to Las Vegas. If you spend $50 in either the tanning or the hair salon, you will be entered for the drawing, she said.

Sophomore Nikki Housner said she loves going to The Tannery and goes about once every two months for haircuts and to tan before formals and vacations.

“All the (stylists) are young and fun and have cool style,” Housner said. “Getting your hair done is actually really a deal. . There are some specials going on for tanning, so those are usually pretty good deals.”

Ronnenberg said if you buy one month of tanning for $49, you get two weeks free.

Tanning packages can be bought monthly with unlimited use or by the minute, which is nice for some people who, because their skin is so pale, can only go for 10 minutes at a time she said.

And with spring break right around the corner, she said there are going to be big discounts.

Sophomore Brandon Pierson said he goes to The Tannery before big school breaks and likes that it’s conveniently close.

He said he just started tanning again because he plans to go to Mexico for spring break.

The Tannery isn’t the only tanning salon in Eau Claire.

Hot Spot Tanning and Nails, 628 Water St., is another beauty stop close to campus.

Megan Hilgart, an employee there, said the tanning packages also go by minutes or by months. The prices vary depending on the type of bed you want, but monthly packages start at $45. However, they are on sale right now, starting at $20.

Nicole’s Inc. Salon Spa Tanning, 1037 W. Clairemont Ave., is a little further from campus but is offering some deals as well.

Emily Fiedler, the client coordinator, said at the moment they are offering a three-month unlimited tanning membership for $79, which originally cost $99. And, as an added bonus, the first tan is complimentary with no obligation to buy a package, she said.

“It’s just to come in and test out our beds and see what we’re all about,” she said.

Kristen Michielson, who graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical College last May, said she began going to Nicole’s Inc. Salon Spa Tanning last year and goes there three to four times a week to tan.

She said the people there are what make her come back.

“The staff is great,” she said, adding she really got to know many of the employees by going there. “They’re like me: very outgoing, very laid-back, very friendly and welcoming.”

Snip, Snip!

Maybe you burn super easily and tanning isn’t your thing. That’s OK, because tanning isn’t the only service salons offer. There are also many affordable hair salons in the area.

Michielson said she goes to Nicole’s Inc. Salon Spa Tanning every two months for a trim and color. She also said she frequently gets her eyebrows done and is happy with the prices there.

“I’ve had cheaper,” she said, “but they did crappy jobs, so I get what I pay for.”

Fiedler said they offer “pretty much every service: hair, nails, massage, skin, facials, waxing, and tanning,” as well as some special spa packages. She said haircuts for start at $23 for both men and women.

She said a lot of students go there, as well as some clients that have been going for years.

Senior Annie Schwab said she has been going to Estilo, 428 Water St., an Aveda salon, to get her hair done for two years.

“It’s got a really nice atmosphere,” she said. “All the people there are really great. It’s really comfortable and has cool people to talk to.”

Schwab said another perk is the student discount she gets.

“You can get a trim and a color for $70-80,” she said.

If that’s out of your price range, here’s another option: Professional Hair Design Academy, 3408 Mall Dr.

Here, haircuts start at $8. On Monday mornings, they have clipper cuts for $4, said Jean Whiteside, the receptionist.

Perms start at $21.95 and the highest price is $45, she said.

Partial foiling is $4 and a full head of foiling starts at $40, she said.

Everything from massages, manicures, facials, eye brow waxes, braids, cornrows, beard trimming, eye brow tinting, chemical relaxers and spa packages are available, she said, adding that a wide range of age groups come in.

Pierson said when he needs a haircut he goes to Sport Clips, 4665 Keystone Crossing.

“They have a pretty fun atmosphere,” Pierson said. “They have T.V.s all over the place so you can watch ‘Sportscenter’ while you get your hair done.”

If you don’t have a car, there is also a salon on-campus. Upper Cuts, the CVTC cosmetology school salon, offers haircuts for $3, said Emily Dittner, an evening instructor there. An all-over color starts at $12, she said.

Junior Steven Jenson said he has been going to the Fantastic Sam’s stores in Eau Claire since he was seven years old. There are four locations in Eau Claire.

“It’s the cheapest place around. It’s in and out. They don’t try to sell you anything else, and it’s only like $12,” Jenson said. “And if you shop at Mega Foods there’s a coupon on the back of the receipt,” he said with a laugh.

So even if money isn’t exactly abundant, you can still look your best at an affordable price.