By Jane Bartnett
Sassy … the Little Day Spa has opened its doors in Davidson Plaza, in the heart of Siesta Key Village.
A sister business of the Sassy Hair salon next door to Foxy Lady on Beach Road, the new spa is “a dream come true” for co-owner Bobbie Tuccinardi who, along with her daughter Jeris Tuccinardi, opened the full-service spa in mid-August.
“We’ve been talking about opening a spa for the last three to four years,” said Jeris Tuccinardi, as her mother smiled in agreement.
A well-established Siesta Key business for the last 12 years, Sassy Hair first opened in 1981 and made its home in Midtown Plaza, several doors away from Michael’s on East. The move to Siesta Key, both women agree, was a very good move.
“Our clients are so excited about the spa opening,” said Bobbie Tuccinardi. “They tell us it’s one more thing that you don’t have to leave the Key for.”
The new spa offers therapeutic customized massages, European facials, lash extensions, blowouts, and a complete list of body waxing services for men and women.
Esthetician Lisa Marie Kelly, who brings 30 years of experience to her role as facial specialist, recently re-located to Sarasota from Chattanooga, Tennessee to join the Sassy team. Trained at the Aveda Institute in Vienna, Virginia, where she received extensive training in performing chemical peels, microdermabrasion and other facial techniques, Kelly explained that she is interested in helping women, men and teens improve their skin and treat sun damage, aging and acne.
“The harmful effects of sun damage and acne can be reversed,” Kelly said, “and I can change a client’s skin without Botox.”
At the spa, Kelly uses a holistic, natural line of skin-care products from Yon-Ka Paris, a plant-cell active-based skincare regimen, as well as Isdin products, a skincare line from Barcelona, Spain.
Recommended by dermatologists, Isdin is recognized in the field of photo aging, the result of sun exposure.
“Products that offer sun protection and prevent damage from sun exposure are very important for our clients,” Kelly noted.
Both the Yon-Ka and Isdin brands have received strong endorsements from celebrities and beauty editors at such leading American fashion magazines as Vogue and Allure. A third product line called Billy’s African Shea Butter, created by a nurse from Ohio for her chemotherapy patients with sensitive skin, also gains high praise from Kelly and the two Tuccinardis.
During her first consultation with a client, Kelly asks about existing allergies as she examines the skin for sun damage, acne, wrinkles and other imperfections. She can develop an ongoing skin-care regimen designed to improve the skin with a series of facial treatments, or simply provide a relaxing facial, depending on the client’s wishes.
The spa’s massage therapist, John “J.T.” Odom, is a graduate of the Sarasota School of Massage Therapy. For the past 20 years, Odom has been a licensed massage therapist and has worked at leading massage centers in the area. He is focused on all modalities of massage including hot stone, prenatal, sports, and deep tissue.
“I try to unwind the body,” he said.
During an initial consultation, Odom said he can locate the areas of tension in the client and improve their sense of well-being. Medical reports show that massage has been proven to reduce stress, pain and to improve range of motion.
Custom massage treatments at the spa can be scheduled for 60- or 90-minute sessions. For the first session with a client interested in an ongoing treatment regimen, Odom recommends a 90-minute session.
Waxing is also another specialty at Sassy… the Little Day Spa. Bobbie Tuccinardi calls the spa’s waxing specialist, Rayna Rubenstein, “a master” who is expert at waxing “from eyebrows to toes.”
Waxing, Jeris Tuccinardi notes, is not just for women.
“Many men are interested in waxing their back hair, ears and brows,” she said. “And, of course, it’s Siesta Key. We’re at the beach, so women want a bikini or Brazilian wax, as well as help with their brows, underarms, and facial hair.”
At the end of a relaxing spa treatment, the mother and daughter both recommend that clients consider ending their visit with a shampoo and blow dry, so that they may leave the spa looking and feeling their best. The shampoo and blow dry service can also be booked as a standalone service.
“It’s nice to know that if you’re headed out for a special event,” Jeris Tuccinardi pointed out, “there’s no need to go to the mainland for a blow dry.”
“Our goal,” said Bobbie Tuccinardi, “is for everyone to look and feel their best.”
Author: Jane Bartnett