Spice Beauty Bar

In a city known for its body-consciousness, it’s not surprising that Vancouver has its fair share of salons and spas, many offering waxing and threading services. But until recently the pickings on Commercial Drive have been far and few between, forcing locals to flock to other neighbourhoods for their hair removal fix. Neelam Gilani and her husband have changed that with the July 2014 opening of Spice Beauty Bar, a salon offering waxing, threading, facials and manicures in a sleek, clean space.

The opening is the culmination of a long-time dream for Neelam, a hairdresser by training who has been honing her esthetic skills for ten years in Vancouver since she moved here from Pakistan with her husband. “I always had a plan to do this…and we walked by this building development three years ago and asked for some information and then everything just happened, just boom,” says Neelam.

The couple and their young son have lived in the Commercial area since 2010 so it was a natural fit. “This is my own neighbourhood, my own love…most people know me here. My boy goes to school here and my husband has a shop close by,” she says with a smile.