Spas & Salons

Editor’s Note:  Starting this month, we’re bringing you a new feature series which will highlight some of our favorite place in our own cities or cities we travel to.  We’re kicking off August with TDO Editor Carolyn’s currently obsessions in New York City. Hope you enjoy and let us know what you think! (more…)

Someone once told me that the difference between a good colorist and a great colorist lies in whether or not they’ll simply refuse to do something that doesn’t suit you, regardless of how badly you want it. Thus, after years of dabbling amongst good colorists, I finally stumbled upon a great one- Marie Robinson of her eponymous salon.  Ever since I first started getting my hair colored, I’ve developed this fascination (obsession almost) with achieving perfect light ashy brown locks- a feat that colorist after colorist attempted- only to garner the identical result- great color for a couple weeks followed by months of drab, rusty, brassy mess.  Someday, I thought, I’ll color my hair back to black…but in the meantime since I have access to all the top colorists, I’ll try to achieve that elusive brown just one more time…

Before I went in to see Marie, I did a bit of background research on the color guru and was impressed to find her celebrity clientele to include names like Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Scarlett Johansson- all beautiful, at-one-time-or-another brunettes with the beautiful brown hair that I’ve long desired.   (more…)

Who: Aida and Selma at Salon AKS

What: Natural, glossy highlights and face-framing eyebrow tweezing

Where: Salon AKS 689 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022, (212) 888-0707

When: Monday-Saturday

Why: Ever since the highlight disaster of 2009, I’ve been wary of anyone touching a hair on my head.  I come into haircut appointments now armed with a swath of pictures, and I haven’t gotten professional color in a year.  Highlight roots were a reality and after hearing someone describe my hair color honestly as “spotty,” I knew that enough was enough: it was time to get over my fear and ditch the two-tone color situation. (more…)

Great news for fans of the prestige skin care line, Elemis–two of its amazing body and facial spa treatments will be available at Bliss Spas starting in August! I love Elemis products (we’ve featured them several times on TDO) and am so excited that the spa treatments are going to be more accessible now–at all of Bliss’s US locations and internationally in its London and Hong Kong spas. Yay!

Bliss will feature Elemis’ Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial and Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow treatments. The Tri-Enzyme Facial has been clinically shown to resurface the skin by up to 75% after just one treatment by stimulating the natural exfoliation of the top layer of skin. It smooths your skin and reduces fine lines, as well. The Lime and Ginger Salt Glow features a light body brushing, warm oil application, exfoliation, and moisturizing–using great Elemis products, of course.

These Elemis treatments will be launching at Bliss Spas on August 1st. You can find a complete list of Bliss locations at blissworld.com.

Continuing with my newly formed (but best ever) tradition of Friday after work spa visits (first the Ritz-Carlton, then the Plaza), I checked out (and into) the Upper East Side’s newest luxury spa a couple weeks ago- the gorgeous space at the recently reopened Surrey Hotel. Being mostly a downtown New York gal, I never gave the Upper East Side its due attention but something about the elegance of this institution captivated my interest from the moment I learned about it.  The Surrey Hotel is a throwback to the turn of the century Edith Wharton  glamour that gave New York it’s rich and illustrious history. Built in 1926 as a residence hotel, the original Surrey was home to some of New York’s  most recognized names- JFK. Bette Davis. Claudette Colbert. Located at 20 East 76th St just off Madison Ave, The Surrey resides at one of New York’s most desirable addresses.   The hotel recently underwent a $60+ million renovation, completed in November 2009, under esteemed interior architect Lauren Rottet who said her inspiration was the ideal of a New York City townhouse passed down through the generations. (more…)

After a particularly long and stressful few months at work, I knew that my skin needed some serious attention to get it back to looking like its normal self.  I was sort of mulling over my options, trying to figure out what would be the best course of action to give it some TLC, but when I heard that Dermalogica was offering a special Spring Cleaning Treatment, I knew I’d found my answer.

Dermalogica is one of my favorite skin care destinations in Los Angeles.  (You can read about one of my earlier treatments here).  It’s located on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, which is a great street for shopping and lunch (or even just a walk with some people watching thrown in).  Dermalogica has a big, welcoming space there – it’s all open windows and sunshine even when you’re inside, which just makes me happy.  I hadn’t been there in awhile, so I had a few cups of their special brand of tea (it’s so popular that you can even buy some to take home and make yourself!) while I filled out a questionnaire about my skin and the specific concerns I had for it.  As usual, you can pick your own kind of music for the treatment and I went for some acoustic tunes.  (Tori Amos is actually a really relaxing person to listen to while you’re getting a treatment.  Who knew?) (more…)

Who: Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, founders of Caudalie

What: Caudalie Massage

Where: Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa at the Plaza Hotel, 1 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019, (212) 265-3182

When: Monday-Sunday

Why: Wine aficionados everywhere will be intrigued by this vineyard-centric spa located on the fourth floor of the iconic Plaza Hotel.  The spa, managed by luxury skincare brand Caudalie, is the only outpost in the United States and opened in late 2008, joining its counterparts in France and Spain.  I got a tour and sampled a treatment last week and loved the experience so much that I brought my guy back to experience one as well. (more…)

Who: Antonina Dutu and Rachel Gold

What: Platinum Rare Facial

Where: La Prairie at the Ritz-Carlton Spa, New York, 50 Central Park South (212)521.6135

When: Monday-Sunday

Why: Because a treatment called “Platinum Rare” no doubt, conjures up thoughts of the most decadent, luxurious facial and this one actually lives up to the ideal.  One long, rainy and cold Friday a couple weeks ago, I left the office completely exhausted and checked into the Central Park Ritz.  A few hours later, I left the spa feeling completely uplifted, rejuvenated (and slightly buzzed from a couple glasses of champagne) ready to take on the weekend with a fresh face.  This 90 minute, ultra luxe treatment is the newest addition to the spa menu and a facial and massage in one- performed by both an aesthetician and a message therapist.  If you’ve never gotten a foot scrub with your facial masque treatment, you don’t know what you’re missing out on! (more…)

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There is nothing I like more than getting pampered.  If I was a millionaire, I’d be one of those people with a standing appointment at the most luxurious spa around on a monthly (oh, who are we kidding, weekly) basis.  But let’s face it, even if most of us did have a bank account that ended with a long string of zeros, finding the time to get yourself to a spa to enjoy a service isn’t always easy.  There’s the drive to get there, the time spent changing in the locker room, waiting in line to pay, etc…  (Not to mention the fact that in L.A., the second you get back on the road and find yourself in bumper to bumper traffic, any relaxing effects from your treatment are instantly wiped away).  So when I heard about Yada Yada Yoga, a company that offers a mobile approach to both fitness and relaxation services, I jumped at the chance to have an experienced technician come to my home and pamper me. (more…)