No matter who you are or what stage of life you’re in, we all want to look and feel our best. Sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a rut or feel boxed in by what you’re ‘supposed to’ wear or do, but style and wellness are for everyone!
LOOKING YOUR BEST
How you present yourself to the world is important—not because you owe anybody conformity to a particular beauty standard, but because the first thing most people will notice about you is how you look. So take control of your appearance and show up the way you want to be seen, whether that means dressing to the nines or wearing your hair in a funky style that represents your personality!
Here are some great local shops, salons, and aestheticians to help you look your best this year:
CASUAL COOL

Faraways Boutique | Photo courtesy of Faraways Boutique
For clothing that exudes everyday chicness, Whatcom shoppers have plenty of options. Check out Maurices in Bellis Fair Mall for comfy jeans in a range of sizes, or head to Fringe Boutique in downtown Bellingham to peruse their cozy sweaters. On a budget? At their Lynden and Blaine locations, Betty Be Good’s entire inventory (besides outerwear) comes in under $75 apiece, and Labels Consignment sells gently-used and new clothing from high-end brands at a steep discount—they have two locations in Bellingham.
Friday Harbor residents and visitors can find charming, sophisticated clothes and accessories for all seasons at Be Chic Boutique or Deer Hazel, and over on Orcas Island Faraways Boutique, Island Life, and Olga’s are great shops to stop by for high-quality clothing and shoes.
ELEGANT OCCASION

Astraea Bridal | Photograph by Nicole Kimberling
We keep it pretty casual in northwest Washington, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like to glam it up for special occasions! For understated elegance or a day-to-night party frock, Three French Hens and Quinn + Foster are two Fairhaven mainstays, and The Clothes Rack is a high-end consignment store in Bellingham with a range of designer options.
If you’re headed to a black-tie event, check out your local bridal shop for beautiful formalwear; Sueño Bridal and Belle Bridal in Bellingham carry a range of dresses for all ages. And it’s not just the ladies! Men can rent suits and tuxedos of all styles at JB Formal Wear in Bellingham or buy formalwear at Ashton Adair Bridal in Lynden. Looking for a deal on a beautiful dress? Try consignment! Astraea Bridal in Mount Vernon and Gown and Glove in Bellingham have fabulous selections that rotate regularly.
Or why not rent an outfit online? Rent the Runway (renttherunway.com) has thousands of formalwear options for rent at a fraction of the retail cost, and Nuuly (nuuly.com) is a subscription service where you can rent six items of clothing each month and try out all kinds of high-end brands and different styles—they even have winter coats!
ACTIVEWEAR

Fjällräven | Photograph by Kristen Boehm
Just because you’re working out doesn’t mean you can’t look great! Feel your best while you break a sweat in ethically-sourced sets from Breathe Eco-Boutique in Lynden, hike in style with quality clothes from Bay to Baker Trading Company and Fjällräven in Bellingham, and keep your feet comfy and cute with a pair of shoes from Skagit Running Company in Mount Vernon.
FACE & HAIR

Wild Hare Beauty Co. | Photograph by Kris Gray Photography
Hair and makeup are all about expressing your individual style, so of course it matters who you choose to help you with them!
For fun and funky hairstyles, including rainbow dye jobs and patterned side shaves, we love Elspeth Palmby at The Beauty Collective in Bellingham. You can also get great modern cuts or keep it more classic at Wild Hare Beauty Co. in Blaine, Rumours Hair Design or The Grove Salon in Mount Vernon, and Lucy Be Hair in Bellingham—among many others!
When it comes to the moneymaker, Skagit Bridal Hair and Makeup in Mount Vernon and EM Bridal Team in Lynden will make you up as an even-more-beautiful version of yourself for photos or big events. For something a little longer-lasting, Cherry Bomb Esthetics and Tattoo has you covered with lash extensions, brow laminations, and facial waxing, and Lammergeier Studio in Bellingham and Evolve Permanent Makeup in Mount Vernon do permanent makeup, so you’ll never have to pencil in your brows again.
If you want to take a stronger step toward changing your appearance or fighting the signs of aging, a reputable aesthetician or dermatologist can set you up with a course of injectables like Botox or administer injectables to plump or adjust various facial features. We like Hillary Patton, MSN, FNP-C at Salon & Day Spa of Sudden Valley in Bellingham and Emma Nygard ARNP at Anacortes Dermatology.
FEELING YOUR BEST
When you feel good, you look good! And feeling your best takes a combined effort: regular exercise and balanced nutrition are a big part, and body work, skin treatments, and other more externally-focused services can really help too.
Whether you’re looking for a facial or other skincare, help with body aches and injuries, or a welcoming fitness studio, you can find it in our area!
SPA & MASSAGE

Clover Mini Spa | Photograph courtesy of Clover Mini Spa
Want to start feeling good fast? We recommend going to a professional and letting them work you over. These experts can soothe old injuries, relieve tension, and refresh your skin and body to leave you feeling better than ever.
Start at the top with Moondog Head Spa & Haunt in Bellingham! A head spa is a wellness experience that focuses on the health of your scalp. Owner Dierdre Miller is a holistic head-and-hair master, having 20 years of experience as a stylist and backgrounds in Reiki, healing touch, and more. At your two-hour appointment, you’ll be treated to steamy aromatherapy, a scalp and neck massage, energy work, plus a blow dry or wet styling. There are also options for a one-on-one consultation with a micro camera to identify scalp issues, and a gentle exfoliating treatment to detox your follicles. You’ll leave feeling invigorated, and your hair will thank you for it.
Also in Bellingham, Clover Mini Spa offers several facials, including a Gua Sha Facial that will move stagnant blood and lymph fluid, ease jaw tension and sinus pressure, and leave your skin feeling lifted. You could try the HydraFacial from Blue Room Wellness Spa for the ultimate deep clean, or a Custom Nano Facial from Beauty from Ashes Spa that will leave you feeling “hydrated and plump.”
When it’s time to move on to getting the rest of your vessel feeling fantastic, Pure Skin + Wellness Spa in Mount Vernon offers their Migraine Miracle Cranial Sacral massage and Thai Massage, which focuses on stretching to keep you feeling tip-top. At the Semiahmoo Resort spa in Blaine, you can get a full-body massage like the Heated Himalayan Salt Stone Massage, plus body treatments like a Vital Body Scrub. Zazen Salon and Spa in Bellingham have body treatments for any ailment, from their Hydrating Herbal Shea Butter Wrap to their Great Tea Detox.
To help you feel good inside and out, head to a medspa like RejuvenationMD in Bellingham and Burlington, or NW MedAesthetics in Bellingham! Their outpatient services can help alleviate any concerns you may have with your skin, body, energy levels, and confidence.
MOVEMENT & MOTIVATION

Ageless Fitness | Photograph courtesy of Ageless Fitness
As we go about our busy lives, falling out of touch with our body and what it’s trying to tell us can leave us feeling listless, restless, and unfulfilled no matter what we do. Get back into communication with it through intentional movement and exercise.
Heather Small of Healing Bodywork offers bodywork that incorporates energy healing, positional release and unwinding, and breathwork for a healing experience for the body, mind, and soul.
Both Bow Sanctuary in Bow and Flow Motion in Ferndale can guide you through joint mind-body experiences through yoga. At Flow Motion, they offer infrared hot yoga, aerial yoga, salt cave yoga, and more. In addition to guided yoga sessions, Bow Sanctuary runs workshops that can include sound baths, breathwork, and nervous system regulation. Both also have saunas, where you can detox your body while centering your mind.
Suzy Cornell of Body Free, based in Sedro-Woolley and serving all of Skagit Valley, is a Structural Medicine practitioner who will help you activate your core through pilates. Core strength can help you stand strong, alleviate ambient back pain, and improve movement.
If you’re looking for more fun ways to break a sweat, there’s no shortage of great gyms and programs to fit any need. Bellingham Athletic Club is a full service facility that offers youth fitness programs, personal training, and even an Active Aging series (which takes full advantage of their in-house pool). Ageless Fitness is a program that spans Whatcom and Skagit county, and empowers people aged 50 and up through personal and group training. Finesse Fit in Sedro-Woolley and barre3 in Bellingham both offer barre classes for ballet-inspired exercise. Fit Body Boot Camp in Burlington focuses on 30-minute, high-energy workout sessions to tone your body. They also have a 55+ program, Fit Body Forever, to build strength, stamina, and stability! And FitEvo Bellingham focuses on affordably improving health with a monthly membership that grants you access to weights, cardio machines, tons of classes, and even a smoothie bar.