The Salon Project · 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 3rd Floor

Beauty & Nails at Rockefeller Center

Signature facials, gel manicures, bridal makeup, and makeup lessons — full-service beauty at The Salon Project by Joel Warren, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

The Salon Project's beauty and nails menu is the most versatile category we offer — and the one most likely to serve you on an unplanned afternoon. A facial before a board presentation. A gel manicure before a flight. A full makeup application before dinner at The Modern or a performance at Carnegie Hall. A makeup lesson that changes the way you start every morning for the rest of your life.

Rockefeller Center attracts more visitors than almost any address in New York — tourists from every continent, corporate guests staying at the surrounding Midtown hotels, professionals who work in the towers above us and walk in between meetings. Our beauty services are designed for all of them: fast enough for the Midtown professional, polished enough for the international visitor, personal enough for the bride preparing for the most photographed day of her life.

The Salon Project is steps from St. Patrick's Cathedral, The University Club, The Plaza, The Pierre, The St. Regis, and Saks Fifth Avenue. For guests preparing for weddings, galas, and events at these venues, we are the closest salon of this caliber to your destination. For visitors staying at The Peninsula or The Knickerbocker, we are a five-minute walk. And for the professional who has a dinner reservation at The Modern after a day at MoMA — we are exactly where you need us.

Our Beauty & Nails Menu

Facials & Skincare — Signature, Brightening, Anti-Aging & Peels

Great skin and great hair share the same philosophy at The Salon Project: both require a genuine assessment of the individual's specific condition before any product or protocol is applied. Our facial menu begins with a skin analysis under magnification, identifying your primary concerns — hydration, pigmentation, texture, laxity, or a combination — and then proceeds with a treatment designed specifically for that diagnosis. Our signature facial covers all the fundamentals: deep cleanse, exfoliation, extractions, masque, and a finishing serum calibrated to your skin type. Brightening treatments target uneven tone and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Anti-aging protocols prioritize stimulation, peptide delivery, and firming. Chemical peels accelerate cell turnover at a controlled depth, revealing fresher, more refined skin in the days following the service.

  • Skin Analysis
  • Double Cleanse
  • Exfoliation
  • Targeted Treatment Masque
  • Serum & Moisturizer Finish
Who It's ForAll skin types; treatment selected at consultation
Duration60 – 90 min
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Manicure & Pedicure — Classic, Gel, Spa & French

A manicure or pedicure at The Salon Project is not a nail salon transaction — it is a finishing service in a salon environment that takes the condition of your nails and the detail of the application as seriously as any other service we offer. Our nail technicians work with precision: cuticles are properly prepared, the edge is consistent, and the polish application is flawless. Gel provides a chip-resistant, high-gloss finish that lasts ten to fourteen days. Spa treatments incorporate extended massage and intensive moisture work for hands and feet that show the accumulated stress of a Midtown work week. French applications are clean, precise, and executed in the traditional proportion.

  • Shape & File
  • Cuticle Treatment
  • Hand / Foot Massage
  • Polish or Gel Application
Who It's ForAll clients; gel recommended for durability in a busy schedule
Duration45 – 90 min
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Day & Evening Makeup Application

A professional makeup application at The Salon Project uses the same principles that govern editorial and runway work: the makeup serves the person, not the other way around. A day application is about a polished, confident look that holds through a full day of Midtown meetings — appropriate for client presentations, first days, and important lunches. An evening application has more depth, drama, and staying power, designed to carry from a gallery opening through dinner at The Modern or a corporate event at Cipriani. In every case, the makeup artist works with your coloring, features, and preferences rather than imposing a generic template.

  • Skin Prep & Primer
  • Foundation & Concealer
  • Eye, Cheek & Lip Application
  • Setting & Finishing
Who It's ForAll clients for events, meetings, or personal occasions
Duration60 – 90 min
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Bridal Makeup & Trial

Bridal makeup is the highest-stakes makeup service we offer, and we treat it accordingly. The trial appointment — scheduled four to eight weeks before the wedding — establishes the look, allows the bride to wear it for a full day and assess how it holds, and gives the makeup artist the opportunity to refine the formula and technique before the wedding day. We work with all skin types, tones, and makeup preferences — from the most natural and editorial to the more traditional and polished. Our proximity to St. Patrick's Cathedral, The University Club, The Plaza, The Pierre, and The St. Regis makes us particularly well-positioned for Manhattan weddings.

  • Trial Appointment
  • Wedding Day Full Application
  • Touch-Up Kit
  • Timeline Coordination
Who It's ForBrides and bridal party members
Duration90 min (wedding day); 60 min (trial)
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Editorial & Red Carpet Makeup

Midtown Manhattan produces a specific category of client that requires editorial-caliber makeup on a regular basis: the media personality, the C-suite executive who appears on financial news programs, the arts and culture figure who attends gallery openings and museum galas. Our makeup artists are trained in editorial technique — the ability to produce skin that reads as skin on camera, color that holds under studio lighting, and effects that look effortless in person and precise in photographs. This is not glam-over-the-top application; it is technical, controlled, and specific.

  • Technical Skin Prep
  • Camera-Ready Foundation
  • Professional Eye & Lip
  • Setting for HD / Photography
Who It's ForMedia appearances, editorial shoots, red carpet events
Duration60 – 90 min
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Makeup Lessons

A makeup lesson is one of the highest-value services in the beauty menu: a single investment that pays forward indefinitely. In a one-on-one session with a professional makeup artist, you learn the specific techniques, tools, and products appropriate for your face, coloring, and the looks you want to achieve. The lesson is customized entirely around your goals — whether that is a five-minute everyday routine, a more complex evening look, or mastering a specific technique (contouring, winged liner, no-makeup makeup). You leave with a written product list and technique notes.

  • Consultation & Goal Setting
  • Full Application with Step-by-Step Instruction
  • Written Product & Technique Notes
Who It's ForAnyone wanting to improve their daily makeup skills
Duration90 – 120 min
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Why The Salon Project

01

Joel Warren Legacy

Co-founder of the legendary Warren-Tricomi salons, Joel Warren has spent four decades shaping the hair of fashion's most influential figures — from editorial runways to Hollywood red carpets. His philosophy informs every service at 45 Rockefeller Plaza.

02

Rockefeller Center Flagship

We are not a chain. We are one meticulously curated salon at the heart of Midtown Manhattan, where every appointment receives our full attention. Third Floor, 45 Rockefeller Plaza — steps from 30 Rock, Radio City, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

03

Master Stylists & Colorists

Every member of our team is personally vetted and continually trained. Our colorists are among the most sought-after in New York; our stylists have dressed hair for editorial shoots, Fashion Week presentations, and Broadway opening nights.

04

Hair-Health-First Philosophy

We believe that beautiful hair and healthy hair are the same thing. Every service — from the first consultation through aftercare — is designed to strengthen, protect, and elevate the integrity of your hair, never to compromise it.

The Beauty Process

01

Consultation

Every beauty appointment begins with a brief but purposeful conversation: what are you preparing for, what do you want to feel, and what has and has not worked for you before. For facials, this includes a skin analysis. For makeup, it includes an assessment of your coloring, your preferences, and the specific occasion.

02

Preparation

Skin is prepared before any product is applied. For facials, this means a thorough cleanse and, where appropriate, steam. For makeup, it means a primer and foundation base that is exactly right for your skin type — a step that determines how everything else holds.

03

Treatment or Application

The facial treatment or makeup application is performed with professional tools, professional products, and a level of attention to detail that is not possible in an express or high-volume environment. We work slowly enough to get it right.

04

Finishing

Facials close with a targeted serum and moisturizer applied in the right sequence for your skin's needs. Makeup is set and finished with techniques that extend wear — from setting powder and spray to strategic layering of long-wear formulas in the areas that matter most.

05

Aftercare Guidance

You leave with specific, honest recommendations: skincare products that would extend the results of your facial, application techniques that will help you replicate your makeup look at home, and — for bridal clients — a touch-up protocol for the reception.

Local to Midtown Manhattan

45 Rockefeller Plaza is surrounded by the event infrastructure of Midtown Manhattan. St. Patrick's Cathedral is two blocks south. The University Club, The Metropolitan Club, The Plaza Hotel, The Pierre, and The St. Regis are within a fifteen-minute cab or subway ride. For clients preparing for events at any of these venues, The Salon Project is the starting point for hair and beauty preparation that reflects the occasion's significance.

For the corporate visitor attending a Christie's or Sotheby's sale, a Lazard or Goldman client dinner, a Deloitte or McKinsey presentation — we understand the standard that Midtown professional life imposes on appearance. We meet it efficiently, reliably, and without drama. Call us at (212) 858-0442 for same-day inquiries. The B, D, F, and M trains at 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Center put our entrance within a short walk from most of Midtown, the Upper West Side, and Lower Manhattan.

47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Ctr · B D F M49 St · N R W5 Av/53 St · E M5 Av · 7Grand Central · 4 5 6 7 S (8 min walk)

Beauty in the Context of Midtown Manhattan

The Midtown Facial: Why Regularity Matters More Than the Treatment

A single facial is a significant improvement. A monthly or quarterly facial is a transformation. The skin's regeneration cycle — the process by which new skin cells migrate from the deepest layers to the surface — takes approximately twenty-eight days in a young adult and slows with age. A professional facial, timed to this cycle, removes the accumulation of dead cells, congestion, and environmental damage that dulls the skin's surface and accelerates the appearance of aging. Over three to six months of regular appointments, the cumulative effect of consistent exfoliation, extraction, and targeted treatment is a meaningfully different quality of skin than any single-session service can achieve.

For the Midtown professional whose skin is regularly exposed to recirculated office air, the stress of a demanding schedule, and the pollution of Sixth Avenue, this maintenance protocol is not a luxury — it is sensible self-management.

Bridal Beauty Planning: The Timeline That Works

The most common bridal beauty mistake is waiting too long. A first facial appointment three months before the wedding allows enough time to establish a protocol, address specific concerns (pigmentation, texture, breakouts), and arrive at the wedding with skin that has been consistently improved, not frantically treated in the week before.

For makeup, the trial appointment — four to eight weeks before the wedding — is essential. The trial serves two purposes: it establishes the look, and it tests the products and techniques under real-world conditions. The bride wears the makeup for a full day, assesses how it holds through heat, humidity, and emotion, and gives the makeup artist feedback for refinement. On the wedding day itself, the application is a confirmation of what has already been decided — not an experiment.

Given our location relative to Manhattan's major wedding venues — St. Patrick's Cathedral for ceremonies, The University Club, The Plaza, The Pierre, The St. Regis, and Capitale for receptions — we are accustomed to the specific logistical demands of a Midtown Manhattan wedding day. We build timelines that account for travel, photography schedules, and the possibility of a first look. We do not overbook on wedding mornings.

The Makeup Lesson: A Permanent Return on a Single Investment

Every makeup artist we have spoken to says the same thing: most people are using the wrong products for their skin and applying them in the wrong order. The products are often close — the application sequence and technique are almost always the variable. A ninety-minute makeup lesson addresses the specific inefficiencies in your current routine: the foundation formula that is slightly wrong for your skin type, the blush placement that is flattering on someone else's face structure but not yours, the liner technique that was fashionable in a different decade.

The return on this investment is indefinite. Unlike a cut that grows out or a color that fades, the knowledge acquired in a makeup lesson applies every morning for the rest of your life. We recommend lessons particularly for clients at transitional moments — a change in role, a new social environment, a decade birthday — when the routine that worked before deserves reassessment.

Nail Care in a Working Wardrobe

For the Midtown professional, the state of the nails is not cosmetic triviality — it is a visible component of the overall presentation that clients, colleagues, and counterparts notice. Gel nails provide chip-free, high-gloss color for ten to fourteen days, covering the gap between appointments without the attrition of standard polish. Spa pedicures address the specific stress that New York's streets impose on the feet. A French manicure — executed in proper proportion, with a clean white tip and a well-filed edge — remains the most universally appropriate nail finish for a professional environment.

Related Services

Many of our beauty clients combine their appointment with a blowout or styling service for a complete preparation in a single visit. For brides, coordinating a hair service with makeup at the same appointment — particularly for the trial — allows both the stylist and makeup artist to see how the looks work together before the wedding day. Our facial treatments are designed to complement your skincare routine, not replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is The Salon Project located?

45 Rockefeller Plaza, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10111. We are steps from the B, D, F, and M trains at 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Center, and from the N, R, and W trains at 49 St. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Peninsula, and St. Patrick's Cathedral are all within a short walk.

Do you offer walk-in beauty services?

Walk-in availability varies by day and service. Manicures and blowouts are most frequently available for walk-ins. Facials, makeup applications, and makeup lessons require a booking. Call us at (212) 858-0442 and we will check same-day availability.

Can I book hair and makeup for the same appointment?

Yes — we coordinate hair and makeup appointments frequently, particularly for events and weddings. Provide the date and both services when you inquire, and we will schedule the timing so both services finish before your event.

How far in advance should I book bridal makeup?

For the trial appointment, four to eight weeks before the wedding. For the wedding day itself, book as soon as your date is confirmed — particularly if your wedding falls on a Saturday in the peak season (May through October). Early booking also ensures you are with the same artist for both trial and day-of.

What makeup brands do you use?

We work with professional-grade products from a curated selection of brands known for performance, longevity, and skin compatibility. Your makeup artist will share the specific products used during your service and can advise on retail alternatives for home use.

How long does a facial result last?

The immediate result — increased luminosity, reduced puffiness, refined texture — is most visible in the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The longer-term results of regular facial maintenance accumulate over three to six months of consistent monthly appointments. A single facial is valuable; a quarterly or monthly routine is where the real change occurs.

Do you offer gel nail removal?

Yes. Gel removal is available as a standalone service or in conjunction with a new gel application. We use a soak-off method that minimizes damage to the natural nail plate.

Can you accommodate sensitive skin for facials?

Yes. Sensitive skin is accommodated at every step: formula selection, exfoliation method, and any active ingredients used are all calibrated based on your skin's tolerance. Inform us of any known sensitivities or allergies at booking so we can prepare appropriately.

Is the makeup application good for photography?

All of our makeup applications are designed to photograph well in addition to looking correct in person. For media appearances, editorial shoots, or events where professional photography is involved, let your makeup artist know so they can make specific adjustments to foundation formula and finish.

Can I buy the products used in my service?

We stock a well-edited selection of the products used across our services and can advise on retail alternatives for anything we do not carry. We do not recommend products we do not genuinely stand behind.

What Our Clients Say

I was in New York for three days of back-to-back meetings and a dinner at The Modern. I had my makeup done at The Salon Project at 9am and it looked exactly right at 9pm. I have never had a makeup application hold like that without a touch-up.
Chief Strategy Officer, Consumer Brand — staying at The Peninsula
My mother and I both had facials at The Salon Project before my wedding at The St. Regis. The skin analysis beforehand was thorough — they treated her differently than they treated me, as they should have. The results for both of us were remarkable.
Bride — Upper East Side, married at The St. Regis
The makeup lesson was the best beauty investment I have made. I have been doing my makeup the same way for fifteen years. In ninety minutes at The Salon Project, I learned three things that completely changed my morning routine.
Partner, Law Firm — Midtown East

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