It’s safe to say Stanford campus is a bubble. With practically everything you need located within the confines of campus, venturing outside into the “real world” seems like a strange concept to some folks. But, really, it’s essential – for your sanity and for the sake of maintenance. It’s why I’ve carefully assembled a Palo Alto “where-to” guide just for you. Read closely and maybe you’ll finally get off the Farm for once (it’s not that bad, I promise).
Blowout
Halo vs. Stanford Hair
For some people, it’s nails or makeup, but when my hair looks good, I feel good. Thus, finding a suitable hair salon to tame my tresses was a must. After hearing good things about Stanford Hair, namely its convenience, I decided to give it a shot. But after I was handed a hairbrush to brush out my hair post-rollers, I chose to look elsewhere. If I wanted to do my own hair, I would not have paid $45. Passing Halo, a blow dry bar in Town & Country that boasts a $35 blowout in 30 minutes, I was hooked. Plus, they take walk-ins and use my favorite product, Moroccan Oil. My one critique? The process is more like an hour.
VERDICT: Halo
Beauty Store
Peninsula Beauty Salon vs. Sephora
Located in downtown Palo Alto, Peninsula Beauty offers a plethora of Essie and OPI nail polish colors and houses a small hair salon in the back. Every time I go downtown, I cannot help but peruse the racks of nail polish, most recently picking up a lovely spring blue “Lapis of Luxury.” They lack, however, a comprehensive makeup, fragrance or bath and body products. So for any other beauty needs, I’d pick Sephora for their extensive collection of all things beauty.
VERDICT: Sephora
Wax
Stript Wax Bar
Why only one contender you ask? Well, I don’t know about you but I don’t like to chance a Brazilian wax, and Stript Wax Bar has given me no reason to seek services elsewhere. In-and-out in about 20 minutes, Stript offers a quick and competitively priced wax, ranging from $50-60 depending on whether or not you purchase a “wax package.” Not one to consider hot wax on your lady bits painless, Stript provides you with numbing spray and uses hard wax, which adheres only to the hairs and not the skin for a minimally painful experience. Also, Erica and Wendy are super friendly and definitely make the awkward occasion comfortable.
VERDICT: Stript Wax Bar, duh
Fro-yo
Pinkberry vs. Fraiche
I must say, for the most part, you can’t go wrong with frozen yogurt. And neither Fraiche nor Pinkberry disappoints. Pinkberry, the national franchise, offers a greater variety of flavors –original, mango, lychee, pomegranate and chocolate. Fraiche, on the other hand, emphasizes its local nature with daily made from scratch, in-house yogurt using local Clover organic milk and a special probiotic-focused culture.
VERDICT: It’s a tie! You really can’t lose.
Laundry
Cardinal Clean vs. Stanford Laundry Room
I’d like to have a word with whoever thought grouping all of Wilbur’s washers and dryers was a good idea. After hauling my 20-pound laundry bag across Wilbur into the dungeon properly known as the laundry room for two quarters, I decided to invest in Cardinal Clean, and I must say I couldn’t ask for better. Every Friday, I leave my bag right outside my door and it’s returned with my clothes washed and folded inside. Not to mention, they take the time to read the care label and return dry-clean only clothes back unwashed in a plastic bag.
VERDICT: Cardinal Clean. At $200/per quarter, the service is a little costly but worth the price.Palo Alto: A Where-to Guide