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Posts with tag spa

Are Facials Useless?

Filed under: Skin Care, Beauty Tips

There's nothing like a day at the spa. A massage helps you feel refreshed, a mani/pedi gets you looking polished, and a facial will keep your face looking gorgeous and youthful, right? Not so, according to many dermatologists who are now speaking out about the unrealistic expectations many women have about facials.

DIY Facial

    Just because we're in a recession doesn't mean your skin has to suffer. Skip those pricey spa trips by indulging in your own at-home facials, and piggy bank what would otherwise cost you hundreds of dollars. Read on as celebrity facialists guide you through all of the essential steps, with tips customized for your skin type.

    By: Melissa Goldberg

    1. CLEANSE

    Fill your sink with lukewarm water and add a few drops of essential oil - lavender for normal to dry skin and eucalyptus for normal to oily skin. Drench a terry face cloth in the relaxing aromatic mixture and press it against your face five to 10 times for a gentle cleansing, suggests celebrity facialist Ole Henriksen.

    Getty Images

    2. STEAM

    Lean over a large bowl of boiling water, drape a clean towel over your head and position your face about 10-12 inches above the steam for several minutes. The warm water vapor softens pores so that your skin can reap the full benefits of the treatments to come, says Elena Arboleda, Head Aesthetician of NY's Mario Badescu Spa.

    3. STEAM: EXPERT TIP

    If you're acne-prone, steaming is a critical step to unclogging pores. Add a drop of tea tree oil to your water to disinfect it, and then dip a washcloth into the very warm water once you've finished steaming. Lay the cloth on your face for several minutes for a deeper steam treatment, says celebrity esthetician Kate Somerville.

    4. EXFOLIATE

    Mix equal parts finely ground sugar and sesame oil into a paste, and apply it to your face with upward, outward circular motions. "This scrub provides all the benefits of natural AHAs for exfoliation while the oil nourishes and hydrates with a smooth glide across the skin," says Henriksen. This recipe is gentle enough for all skin types.

    5. EXFOLIATE: EXPERT TIP

    If you prefer a store-bought scrub, "Look for one that uses natural enzymes that digest skin cells, or one with spherical beads that are round and lift cells off the surface without injury to the skin," says Somerville. If you're super sensitive, you can use plain yogurt instead - lactose, the sugar found in dairy products, is a natural exfoliant.

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    6. MASK

    "I love a plain honey mask because it's great for taking redness out of skin, it kills infection with natural anti-bacterial properties, it's soothing and hydrating, and will work on all skin types," says Henriksen. Apply either pure organic or sage honey to your face, keeping safe distance away from the hairline.

    8. MASK: EXPERT TIP

    If your skin could use a refreshing and invigorating mask, mix avocado with ground flax seeds and apply as a 15 minute treatment to restore moisture and essential nutrients back into the skin, says Somerville.

    8. DON'T FORGET YOUR EYES

    Roll sliced cucumber into a long strip of gauze. Place it over your eyes as you lie down and relax with your mask on for 10 minutes. Cucumber de-puffs eyes and the juices saturate perfectly through the gauze, says Henriksen. Relax, breathe, enjoy and then rinse off.

    9. MOISTURIZE

    Apply your favorite moisturizer to your perfectly cleansed, exfoliated and prepped face. "Don't forget to finish with a lip balm. I love Julie Hewitt's Camelia Lip Balm - we use it at our Hollywood clinic," says Somerville.

    Julie Hewitt Camelia Lip Balm, $14, www.essentialdayspa.com

Continue reading Are Facials Useless?

Red-Hot Valentine's Gifts From Philosophy and Elemis

Filed under: Skin Care, Gift Guides

philosophy lip glossValentine's Day isn't just about fancy dinners and lingerie and chocolates (although, those are all good things, for sure). It's about pampering -- pampering your sweetie, if you want, but mostly, we're thinking about pampering ourselves. And, we have a whole slew of products to help us do just that!

Continue reading Red-Hot Valentine's Gifts From Philosophy and Elemis

Spa facials at home - Tip of the day!

Filed under: Skin Care, Style Tip of the Day

The recession is certainly taking its toll on our beauty routines. But you don't have to sacrifice your spa trips completely. Just move the spa into your own bathroom.

Continue reading Spa facials at home - Tip of the day!

Stem cell facial. What?

Filed under: Cosmetics, Skin Care

Mmmmmm facialMetamorphosis Day Spa in New York City is offering something new: a Stem Cell Facial.

WTF? Wow, we totally didn't see this coming. Is this even legal?

Continue reading Stem cell facial. What?

Cool fall nights call for cozy baths with von Natur

Filed under: Skin Care


Even if you're not a bath-taker, there's something about the first really cool night of fall that makes you want to take a hot, candlelit bath and just pamper yourself. But to do that, you need the right products -- fortunately, we've got some fabulous suggestions!

Continue reading Cool fall nights call for cozy baths with von Natur

Would you get hooked on a fish pedicure?

Filed under: Style in the News, Skin Care


Women will do a lot of things to have fabulous feet, but a new pedicure is available in Washington, D.C., that might make you squirm -- the fish pedicure.

Continue reading Would you get hooked on a fish pedicure?

Heidi Montag makes spa member want to vomit

Filed under: Celebrities with Style


Heidi Montag has some serious celebrity power -- the power to make people vomit, that is. Maybe that's because she's the next bionic woman (her next plastic surgery is rumored to be butt implants), or maybe it's because people are sick to their stomachs that she's making so much money by doing so much nothing.

Continue reading Heidi Montag makes spa member want to vomit

Stylist Poll: To turban or not to turban

Filed under: Hair Care, Polls and Quizzes


Today's poll over at sister site StyleList is Would You Wear a Turban? Thank you Olsen Twins and Prada, for another trip to Unwearable Village.

It's our opinion that you may only wear a turban:
Otherwise, no.

Disagree with us? Head on over to the poll and vote!

Continue reading Stylist Poll: To turban or not to turban

Get your makeover at the airport

Filed under: Skin Care

You wouldn't think of Lancome as a brand associated with flying, but that might change with the Lancome Happy Boarding program. Happy Boarding is a luxury lounge space, located inside or near the Lancome store. Inside the lounge area, customers can get massages, makeovers and and beauty "check-ups". The Happy Boarding treatment program is for men and women and the full four-step experience includes a massage, a skin check-up, a make-over and advice about beauty tricks and tips. Happy Boarding events have already taken place at Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport and in the Copenhagen Kastrup Airport. Given the proliferation of spas in airports, it makes sense that the makeup counter should move in too. They should get one of these in LAX for stars to get their touch-ups before facing the paparazzi at the luggage carousel.

Catherine Zeta Jones spends $400 to wash her hair with caviar

Filed under: Hair Care, Celebrities with Style

I wash my hair with good-old-fashioned shampoo, and I figured I was lookin' alright. But today I learn that if I want my hair to really shine, I need to spend the big bucks.

At least, that's how it works for Catherine Zeta Jones, who apparently has so much money that she can spend more than £200 (about $400) just washing her hair. How is this even possible, you ask? Does she light her bathroom with fires made from burning money?

Not exactly (but almost). The actress believes she got her shiny locks by lathering her scalp in truffles and caviar. A spa near London flies in the fish eggs from Iran five days ahead of every treatment, then, upon Miss Zeta-Jones' arrival, washes her hair in a truffle-based shampoo before smearing on the caviar -- all while the star sips champagne and nibbles on culinary delicacies.

According to a source for the UK's Daily Mail, "The eggs are packed with omega-3 fatty acids necessary for the formation of structural proteins" which are supposed to repair dry and damaged hair.

According to me, this salon is scamming rich people and getting away with it.

Stress is cheap; massages are expensive

Filed under: Skin Care, Steals and Deals

Odd how the people with the most stress in their bodies are often the people who can least afford to get it massaged away.

There are exceptions, of course, like the overworked attorney who hasn't seen sun in weeks or the Wall Street fund manager who carries the weight of millions in his neck. But for the most part, the office drones (myself included), folks in the service industry, construction workers and nurses out there who could all use a good deep tissue massage can't justify the $70 an hour expense.

If you fall into this category of overworked and underpaid, massage schools are great ways to get on the massage table for a lot less payola. Massage schools often run student clinics that offer hour-long massages at half-price. You see, to become certified in the field, massage therapists need to have a certain number of supervised training hours. The good news is that schools are always looking for guinea pigs willing to forgo the chic, tranquil aesthetic of an expensive spa for humble surroundings and modestly-priced massage.

So if you are just looking for someone to knead the tension out of your body, a student massage is a great value. To find a massage school in your area, check out NaturalHealing.com's list of certified training centers.

Pedicure bandit brought to justice

Filed under: Skin Care

Marshall G. Wolbers was enjoying the good life -- pedicures, spa treatments, the works. Only, he wasn't willing to pay for it. In at least 20 different spas over the past month, when it came time to settle the bill, Wolbers would claim to need "something from his car," then split, leaving the salon sans payment.

Authorities had been circulating a description of Wolbers throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois -- where he'd been operating his scam. Police finally spotted the pedicure-fanatic driving through the Chicago suburbs -- but he refused to pull over, instead evading the cops after a reckless chase.

Two days later, he was arrested later at a local train station.

Finally, the spa is safe again.

With liberty and free spa services for all!

Filed under: Skin Care

In America, where 30 million citizens don't have access to health insurance, the idea of government-sponsored spa services seems not just decadent, but downright crazy. In Chile, however, where all citizens have access to free basic health care, the situation is quite different.

A case in point is a local council outside of Chile's capital Santiago, which recently opened a free community spa. Apparently residents can come to the Spa Aqua Colina for everything from hot stone massage to physical therapy, and everything is free.

According to Mayor Olavarria Rodriguez, the local spa isn't just about pampering, it's about public health. He says, "Many people in my community are leading unhealthy lifestyles that will cost us money in the long run. In Chile, councils are in charge of financing their own health surgeries. I would prefer to tackle the root of the problem by stopping patients from becoming ill in the first place."

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel like the US government owes me a shiatsu massage right about now.

Spa treatments of the strange

Filed under: Cosmetics, Skin Care

One of the nice things about getting a facial is that the treatment is fairly standardized. Sure, the order of the process might differ along with the products, but you can pretty much bet the farm that a facial in any spa around in the world will include cleansing, exfoliation, steaming and a mask.

For the wild-at-heart spa goer, the New York Times Style Section highlighted a few new treatments out there that are sure to feel more unpredictable than your typical European facial. There's the champagne and caviar facial, which blends the enzymes of bubbly with the benefits of caviar extract for a truly luxe experience. Offered at Verabella Skin Therapy in Beverly Hills, the spa claims the treatment offers a firming, hydrating effect for the face. Then there's the Beer Pedicure at Exsalonce Salon and Day Spa in Chicago, which uses the enzymes of the brew to help soften calluses and exfoliate the feet. And for the truly adventurous, there's the Boyzilian Wax at the Nickel Spa in San Francisco. Boyzilian being a Brazilian for boys. Any takers on that one?

How You Voted

    Threesome or topless?
    More than 3/4 of you think the CK campaign 'Threesome' campaign was more risque than Wrangler's topless models. Get the full story here.

    Inzemove and Fred & Farid

    Do these ads belong in the U.S.?
    StyleList readers were nearly evenly divided on this, with 52% thinking that they should run in the States, and 48% finding them inappropriate. Get the full story here.

    Inzemove and Fred & Farid

    Curly or Straight?
    While 30% of you think she's so beautiful that her hair doesn't even matter, 49% of you prefer her curls. Get the full story here.

    Kevin Winter, Getty Images | Jon Furniss, WireImage

    Offensive or artistic?
    Just over 50% of StyleList readers said they weren't offended by this shirt, but didn't know if it was totally appropriate to wear in public. Unfortunately, that wasn't the opinion in Dubai. Get the full story here.

    Photo: eBay

    ebay

    Strapless dresses on 13-year-olds
    StyleList readers think strapless dresses should be saved for older girls -- 41% of you think the look is too mature. Get the full story here.

    Getty Images

    Is Megan the new Angelina?
    Half of you think Megan needs to get her own identity and quit copying Angie, but more than a quarter said Jolie doesn't stand a chance against this Fox. Get the full story here.

    Getty Images

    Did Calvin Klein respond to public's outcry?
    The controversial "threesome" billboard in Soho has been replaced with this one, but 51% of you believe it was just to keep people talking about the brand, not because CK caved. Get the full story here.

    Rachel Been, AOL

    Calvin Klein's Racy Ad
    Is it art or practically pornography? About 40% of StyleList readers found this billboard obscene. Get the full story.

    Maggie Coughlan, AOL

    Palin's Pedi
    Do you think Sarah Palin's funky pedicure was appropriate? If so, you're in good company -- 68% of you said it was fun and fabulous. Get the full story.

    Getty Images

    Bright, Light, or Dark as Night?
    How do you like your toenails painted? Over half of StyleList readers prefer their piggies with bright, perky polish. Get the full story.

    Getty Images

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