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L.A.’s Hottest Day Spa - Ole Henriksen

Posted on January 7, 2008
Filed Under Day Spa, Reviews | 1 Comment

Los Angeles offers many great options for day spas, and I have tried many of many of them. My favorite spot in L.A. is Ole Henriksen which is located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. This place is world famous, but relatively under the radar, making it a favorite among celebrities.

They offer many unique services such as and African Red Tea Body Cocktail, Hawaiian Sugar Scrub (complete with chilled pineapple), Thai Yoga massage, and an 8 Step Purifying facial. My favorite way to combat winter dry skin is with Ole Henriksen’s Salt Butter ‘n Mango Scrub.

The treatment room is dimly lit by candle light, and soothing music gently plays in the background – bringing a sense of relaxation. The salt and mango scrub begins with a lavish sea mineral scrub, followed by a warm tropical rain rinse. The therapist then rubs mango and cocoa butter all over, using soft long strokes, to soften and soothe dry skin. Not only is this luxurious and relaxing, the mango butter also gives your skin an even texture and tone.

Everything at this day spa is super exclusive and very comfortable. The staff makes sure you are taken care of and aren’t left wondering where you are supposed to go next (big plus). If you are getting multiple treatments, you may need to wait a few minutes between treatments. At Ole Henriksen you will wait in a private room with exotic tea and purified water to await you next treat (ment).

Ole Henriksen’s spa business has been servicing the LA skin care scene for 3 decades. Located along the exclusive Sunset Plaza section of Sunset Boulevard, Ole Henriksen Face/Body has become a prominent landmark and was awarded best Day Spa by AOL in 2004.

Here, in a chic, but extremely warm environment, Ole and his talented staff work their “magic” on some of the world’s most famous faces; from Naomi Campbell, to Renée Zellweger, Christy Turlington, Ralph Fiennes, Leonardo di Caprio, Kylie Minogue, Alanis Morissette, Cher, Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Eminem, Matthew Mc Conaughey and Julia Stiles to name a few.

Vinotherapy

Posted on January 4, 2008
Filed Under Anti-Aging, Day Spa | Leave a Comment

By Ann Marie Gardner

Napa Valley has become the vinotherapy capital of the country.

Vinotherapy became all the rage nearly a decade ago, when the Vinothérapie Spa at Les Sources de Caudalie spa opened its doors in Bordeaux, France. Here, on the grounds of the Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte vineyard, spa-goers could spend the day soaking in wine-barrel baths, being massaged with grape-seed oil, and dining on the most fabulous five-course gourmet meals—all while drinking the château’s highly regarded wines. It was a novel approach, especially when the spa industry in the United States was busy cultivating denial: no coffee, alcohol, or food with taste. But when news began to spread about the antiaging properties of polyphenols in grape seeds and the anticancer effects of resveratrol—a compound found in the skin of red grapes—vinotherapy became the must-do beauty regimen. And Caudalie capitalized on the phe­nomenon, becoming the first company to patent a skincare line based on the findings. Next, with the Bordeaux spa fully booked year-round, Caudalie began opening facilities in Paris, California, Taiwan, Italy, and, just last year, at the Frank Gehry–designed Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Rioja, Spain. Two more outposts will open this year in Gstaad, Switzerland, and at The Plaza in New York City. Until then the Kenwood Inn and Spa in Sonoma Valley is the only Caudalie-sanctioned spa on these shores.

For more on this, visit Departures.com

French Spas, What a Style!

Posted on January 2, 2008
Filed Under Destinations, Skin Care, Day Spa | Leave a Comment

By Laurie Werner. Want a feel-good getaway? Head to France, where a brand-new spa and a spa with a line of brand-new products are at your beck and call.

Martillac
It’s hard to imagine a more sybaritic environment: a spa set in a Bordeaux vineyard with wine-based treatments and a Michelin-starred restaurant with a 15,000-bottle list of stellar Burgundies and Bordeaux. No wonder Europeans think American spas are like boot camp. Les Sources de Caudalie, which opened last year, is based on the theory that the polyphenols in grape seeds act as antioxidants, and so this vinotherapy spa on the grounds of the Château Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard features treatments such as a wine-honey wrap, a crushed-Cabernet body scrub, and a Sauvignon massage. But since the emphasis is total indulgence, new chef Franck Salien’s dishes in the gastronomic showcase La Grand’Vigne and the simpler La Table du Lavoir are sumptuous blends of flavors, as were those of founding chef, Didier Banyols—risotto with cèpes and red Graves, cod with a compote of pears and tomatoes, pigeon with raisins and figs—followed by lavish desserts and a full cheese selection. (With a day’s notice, there’s also a 500-calorie three-course menu in La Table.)

Even without the good-for-you elements, though, Caudalie would be worth a visit for its romantic setting—29 rooms in rustic, faux-antique buildings, decorated individually and set around a man-made lake with two swans and an artfully placed rowboat. Best room: L’Ile aux Oiseaux, a separate cottage built over the lake. Best time to visit: during the harvest, September through October. Treatments, $6- $103; products, $4-$78. Rooms, $150-$310. Dinner, $130. Chemin de Smith Haut Lafitte, Martillac; 888-465-8383; 33-5-57-83-83-83; fax 33-5-57-83-83-84.

Megève
You feel healthier just being in this picture-perfect Alpine village. And that’s particularly true at Les Fermes de Marie, a hoteland spa constructed of several Haute Savoie farmhouses brought together on two acres and furnished with extraordinary charm. The inviting spa was put together with an atmospheric mix of local logs, trees, and stones that feels like a Hobbit dwelling—if the Hobbits had hired a good designer. The massages, baths,facials, and wraps utilize ingredients from the mountains—plants and herbs such as edelweiss, juniper, balsam pine, and arnica blossoms—and they’re sensational (particularly the cream baths and fasciatherapy massages). So are the house-brand products created by co-owner Jocelyne Sibuet from plants and various essential oils. Especially good for winter-ravaged skin: Edelweiss Cream No. 2. Treatments, $10-$72; products, $18-$35. Rooms, $250-$445. Chemin de Riante Colline; 33-4-50-93-03-10; fax 33-4-50-93-09-84; www.fermesdemarie.com.

Reprinted from Departures.com

Day Spas offering Teen Facials

Posted on January 2, 2008
Filed Under Beauty, Skin Care | Leave a Comment

Bliss London Spa

Posted on January 2, 2008
Filed Under Destinations, Day Spa | Leave a Comment

London achieves a state of Bliss this fall when the two-story branch debuts in South Kensington. Expect the same clever details and whimsical services that made the original spa downtown Manhattan’s favorite retreat. The Quickbliss Nail Bar is devoted to hands and feet (the hot-milk-and-almond pedicure is sublime). Other standards include microdermabrasion facials ($55-$135), a carrot-and-sesame body buff ($150), and a 135-minute ginger-rub massage ($200). The hydrating Mudsage wrap and a Four Flower Facial will soon be unveiled, along with Bliss’ new spa-strength skincare line. 60 Sloane Avenue; 212-931-6382, 44-207-584-3888.

Reprinted from Departures.com