ENTREPRENEUR OPENS SKIN BAR SPA IN HANOVER
By Lana Lagomarsini

The Patriot Ledger
730763/Entrepreneur-opens-Skin-Bar-spa-in-Hanover
May 10 2010
MA

She has dream and a goal

HANOVER — ANN SIMON: For Ann Simon, the American dream is alive and
well in Hanover with the recent opening of her new spa called the
Skin Bar.

Simon, who immigrated here from her native Armenia, has had a lifetime
of experience in the skin care industry. The Quincy resident, 62,
first came to this country from Armenia more than 40 years ago.

"I was a single parent, I raised two kids while working in the cosmetic
industry," Simon said. "Twenty years later, my job changed and I went
to aesthetics school."

After working in retail and as a makeup artist, Simon attended the
now-closed Quincy School of Beauty in 1996. After graduating, Simon
worked at Face Place and Spa in Hanover for 10 years. The idea for
Skin Bar came to Simon six months ago.

"I thought if I don’t do this, I won’t ever have the chance to even
try it," Simon said.

Skin Bar opened in February and offers services such as facials,
massages and nail work. Simon chose the name based on a client’s
suggestion.

"One of my clients told me they wanted someplace like a bar, so I
said OK like a ‘skin bar,’" Simon said. "They wanted somewhere they
can relax and hang out."

About 40 of Simon’s clients from Face Place have followed her to Skin
Bar, and new clients have come from the Hanover and Quincy areas.

Simon attributes her success to her hard work and her genes.

"Armenian people are those people that can survive," Simon said. "You
can knock them out, they get up and survive. I’m one of those people.

I’ve been knocked down many times in my life, but I had to go on
and do something of my own, to run my own place, and to do something
different."

The interior of Skin Bar was designed by Simon, who used photos from
old fashion magazines to decorate the space, along with silk throws
in the therapy rooms and tranquil music and wall paint.

"A year and a half ago, I never thought I would do something like
this," Simon said. "This is the only country where you can dream
anything. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything in this
country."