Photography by Tammi Camp
Amy Tsymberov
In case the wallpaper—reminiscent of CW Stockwell’s banana leaf pattern, Martinique—didn’t already give it away, the appearance of Amy Jane Beauty + Bronze was heavily inspired by a trip to The Beverly Hills Hotel.
That Old Hollywood grandeur, matched with the business’ dark-green façade and wicker sidewalk furniture, has been drawing in curious passersby since the spray and airbrush tanning boutique opened last August in University City (612 North & South).
“I wanted to stand out. I wanted Amy Jane to be bright, cheery, and happy, something that you drive down the block and you stop and say, ‘Well, what is that?’” says owner Amy Tsymberov. When the space became available last spring, she jumped on the opportunity to lease and made the tough decision to move forward as the pandemic began affecting St. Louis.
For the salon’s interior, Tsymberov consulted with interior designer Jessie D. Miller and mixed pink and green to achieve an iconic Golden Age of Hollywood feel. She leaned into that vintage look so hard, she ended up purchasing a pink retro-style refrigerator from Big Chill that blends into the salon’s pale-pink walls. Elsewhere, white cabinetry is paired with gold industrial pipe shelving and pops of green. The space feels “like something different than what you’d find in the Midwest,” says the mother of two, who operates the salon with her husband, Nick Tsymberov, “and very beachy!”
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Photography by Tammi Camp
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Photography by Tammi Camp
Although the pandemic has changed the beauty industry and forced businesses to discover new ways to entice clients, consumers’ desire to treat themselves with cosmetic enhancements hasn’t completely gone by the wayside. Actually, a resurgence feels near.
“You look good, you feel good,” says Tsymberov.
A recent survey by the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that more women became interested in face and body skincare during the pandemic’s lockdown orders. Just browse TikTok’s #skincare or #makeup hashtags, if you’re not convinced. At Amy Jane, Tsymberov seems to offer the best of both worlds.
Just in October and November, she handled 150 custom sprays for brides and bridal parties alone. The key word here—and the real seller of her work—is “custom.” She likens the salon’s spray tan machines to airbrush makeup application tools. (They can even contour your body or face.) This isn’t the orange tan of old you might be picturing. The most successful results are when clients don’t even look like they’ve tanned, and instead just sport a healthy glow. Tsymberov looks at each client’s skin color and considers the color wheel. For example, she custom-mixes green-based solutions for clients with pinker flushed skin.
She explains the science of perfect pigmentation like this: “With sunless [tanning], you can pretty much pick and choose the tone, the color—some people like a more red tone, some people like a cool tone,” she says. “I can customize the colors specifically to what would look best with your undertones, your eyes, even your outfit that you’re going to wear for your special occasion.”
It’s not her first time looking at the color wheel: Tsymberov has worked on this U. City strip for the last 10 years as a hairstylist. (Although the primary focus of Amy Jane Beauty & Bronze is spray and airbrush tanning, the studio also offers hair services—such as cuts, colors, extensions, treatments.)
The biggest reward for Tsymberov, who once frequented tanning beds, is that she can help St. Louisans get the sun-kissed look without the risks of cancer and premature aging. She already has her hopes set on opening another location in the future.
