Best pre-island rituals

You mastered the narrow streets of Twin Peaks on a Vespa before your last trip to Florence. So when you’re headed to Ka`anapali Beach or the white sands of Baja, you’ll also want to arrive prepared. Luckily, plenty of Bay Area businesses can help you at least look like a local when you land.

Forget UV beds and spray-on tans. Spa Radiance’s new Sun-Kissed Treatment in 60 Minutes starts with an exfoliating scrub of organic Blue Bottle coffee, brown sugar, and honey, which allows for even application of color. (Tanning product tends to collect on dead skin—hence those orange feet.) Then a tanning-lotion massage perfectly bronzes all those spots you can’t reach yourself. 3011 Fillmore St., 415-346-6281, sparadiance.com

Avoid the fake bake on your face, too, with bronzers and blushes from Lydia Mondavi’s new makeup line, 29 Cosmetics. The products are loaded with grapeseed extract, a major source of anti-aging antioxidants, and almost all have SPF, too. Sunnier shades from the spring line, like “lightly crushed” lip color, will complete your island look. Sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus: 150 Stockton St., 415-362-3900, neimanmarcus.com

Blondes and redheads should consider a double-header lash/brow tint from Paige Boyer at Alex Chases Salon. You’ll never have to stash your mascara and eyebrow pencil in your purse again. The procedure requires you to keep your eyes closed, which is great practice for all those naps you’ll be taking on the beach. 166 Geary St., Ste. 1207, 415-397-5505

Swimwear isn’t exactly a hot ticket in foggy San Francisco, but a few stylish options do exist. Waterlilies in Laurel Heights carries a wide array of designers, including Etro, Eres, and Jean Paul Gaultier. At Zoe Bikini, Zoe can whip up a replica, or just an upgrade, of your favorite suit if it’s lost its luster. Now, if only we could coax the sun into showing up more often in this town. Waterlilies: 3440 Sacramento St., 415-474-9200; Zoe Bikini: 3386 18th St., 415-621-4551, zoebikini.com

Getting hair zipped off is far from fun, but Charis Castellanos, who’s been waxing Marina ladies for years, is a master at her craft. Her technique is gentle, and she’ll help you breathe through the pain as she slathers on a customized mix of cerepil hard wax, lavender cream, and azulene wax. 1996 Union St., 415-441-5659, stillpointsf.com

Some of Alla Roytman’s clients at her Jackson Place Salon have been getting mani/pedis there since the day she set up shop in 1984. Roytman’s application is meticulous, and she provides an individual set of clippers, emery boards, and pumice stones for each client. 633 Battery St., 415-399-1044

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