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CHRISTEN CLEMINS
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CHRISTEN CLEMINS
Owning a business doesn’t come without trial, but to open a business during a worldwide pandemic is a unique challenge.
But for Ukrainian immigrant Lily Thuresson, who had dreamed of being a business owner since traveling to the U.S. in the nineties, waiting it out was never an option. The co-owner of Luxe & Luna, a boutique spa in the Nations, began making her American dream a reality in 2000 when she earned her aesthetician license and began building her clientele. Thuresson worked alongside aesthetician Summer Moore, who she realized would be the perfect partner in helping her run a successful business.
They traveled around the globe to find the most effective luxury skincare, massage, and facial treatments. Their travels included a stop in New York to try P50 1970, an exclusive, cult-classic product widely considered to be the holy grail of the beauty industry.
“When in New York, I went to the spa and had the Biologique Recherche facial and it was the most extraordinary facial I’d ever had,” says Moore. “It changed my skin in such a fast and dramatic way that we decided that we couldn’t open our [future] business without the line.”
Inspired, the partners continued to build their business plan for three more years. As they built out their burgeoning space, they went through a lengthy application process to acquire Biologique Recherche before officially opening Luxe & Luna in May of 2020—at the height of the pandemic.
“It was terrifying to open. They were saying to stay masked and six feet away from people and we were opening a business where you have to take your mask off and be six inches away,” she says. “Gratefully, our clients trusted us, and the intimacy and the design of our spa is bright, clean, and open. We have been extremely cautious from the beginning to keep everyone safe.”
From the chic, bright white waiting room to the dimly lit serene massage and relaxation rooms, stepping inside Luxe & Luna is a luxurious and relaxing experience. “Thoughtful consideration went into every detail to create our desire for a warm and welcoming space of belonging, comfort, and down-to-earth hospitality,” says Moore.
Whether your goal is anti-aging, anti-acne, anti-fatigue, or general relaxation and self- care, Luxe & Luna meets those needs. And as the first and only day spa in Tennessee to offer the facials and skincare products of Biologique Recherche—the only cold-pressed, raw line in the world—Luxe & Luna has quickly become one of the most sought-after boutique spas in the South.
“The Biologique Recherche Facial is always cold, there’s no heat and no steam, and while that sounds like it would be like a startling sort of sensation, it’s really refreshing,” Moore says. “Keeping it cold it serves a lot of purposes like tightening but not inflaming the skin. Plus, there’s a methodology that goes along with the Biologique Recherche boosters. It’s very intentional, so each of the treatments move from the muscles of the décolletage all the way to the attachments in your scalp, and it follows the musculature so that everything is intentionally lifting and sculpting your specific face. It’s completely customized for each individual person and their muscle structure and skin concerns.”
Besides the Biologique Recherche facial, dermaplaning, and waxing, the Luxe Massage is the spa’s most popular service, incorporating aromatherapy, hot stones, deep tissue, and trigger point therapy. (Soon, the boutique spa will also offer Biologique Recherche body treatments.)
“Our whole concept of approachable luxury has truly made Luxe & Luna have a community spa feel,” Moore says. “It’s a place that everybody can enjoy and feel welcome.”
(812 51st Ave, N, 615-454-4949; luxeandlunanashville.com)