Coco Beauty Bar

Coco Beauty Bar, with its pink wall and silver-studded manicure stations, has a welcoming atmosphere. An overflowing box of chocolates and a table of complimentary shampoos stand by the entrance. The salon boasts over 200 shades of nail polish - including 26 reds alone, some changing colour with the seasons. The theme of the place is Paris, says owner Vesna Rosales. “I’m dying to go there — it’s very chic,” she says.

As Vesna walks around pointing her wine-red-polished fingernails at pictures of the Eiffel Tower created by her daughter-in-law, she is a walking advertisement of her dream. Vesna is poised and elegant, sporting purple lipstick that is glossy but not gaudy. “I like to look my best,” she says.

Vesna prides herself on her salon’s hospitality. As soon as a client walks in, she personally greets them by name, offers them a cup of tea in a Victorian-style gold-rimmed cup and asks how they’re doing. “If there’s a bunch of women here, everyone joins the conversation and weighs in. It’s like a little community here,” says Vesna.