As part of Spa Week, I was sent to Elm Spa to enjoy their Aromatherapy Body Salt Glow.

As I was walking to the spa I realize how tired, stressed and spent I have been lately! The new decade has come fast and furiously for me and there are so many changes and decisions I’ve had to act on in the last few months, it’s caused me to feel quite exhausted. The idea of a relaxing spa treatment was beginning to feel quite exciting.

Elm Spa is located on Church Street in the Gay Village and I’m sure I’ve passed in front of it many times without ever realizing it because it’s not the type of spa that is located at the street level. It’s located on the third floor of what looks like an office building.

I have to admit that I was a bit concerned that it might be one of those super clinical-looking spas, but when the elevator doors opened and I was greeted by Robbie, one the most welcoming spa greeter I’ve met, and the incredible scent of lemon grass, I knew things would be really good.

Robbie gave me a quick tour of the spa before walking me to the change room and I must say that I was absolutely NOT prepared to see such an oasis on the third floor of a building.

There is a large indoors solarium-type room fitted with lounge chairs, greenery, soft relaxing music and the soothing sound of water for you to rest before or after your treatment. They also have an infrared sauna where you can lounge with a cup of tea and a magazine and shut out all of your worries.

When Robbie walked me to the Vichy treatment room, my heart nearly stopped because this was the most sophisticated water room I had seen up to now.

I could barely wait to hit the sauna room and then relax in the infrared sauna before my treatment.

Here are the weekly Sass, Style & Substance reads for the weekend of ***August 8th*** packed with great beauty, fashion, style and diet tips from some of the top top lifestyle bloggers!

Eat Smart Age Smart
Is meat good or bad for you?

Beauty Match
Review: Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Airbrush Finish

A Touch of Blusher
A Touch of Blusher reviews Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum.

STYLEnosh
When you shop A LOT, you tend to notice random things. Here are my latest observations in shopping.

Splendicity Accessories
Birdcage and gladiator sandals can be a fun summer look, but are there options for plus-size women? Oh yes!

*I’m warning you, this is a long post filled with great information!*

I’ve been to a lot of spas in my lifetime because I love them so much.

A lot of spas I’ve been to are mediocre and I would never set foot there again. I’ve had a chance to discover a few good ones where I have gone back and then I have the good fortune of discovering some really great spas.

I’ll be honest, I rarely go to spas when I travel because it takes me so long to do research before settling on a spa and when I’m in Europe, it would sadden me if I spent 4 or 5 hours indoors when I could be enjoying the city or the company of my friends. I still have plans to take a few spa vacations with the intention of doing nothing more than enjoying spa treatments.

I believe that if you have a chance to find an exceptional spa in your city, then you have an oasis close by where you can run to when life becomes too much to handle.

>>> What do you look for in a spa?

>>>Don’t forget to read about our new contest to win 1 facial<<<

Check out the contest here: http://www.mybeautymatch.com/win-a-dove-facial-contest/

Did you know that Canadians buy more Dove products than any other country on the planet?

Yup, we might not be a populous country (even if the country is huge), but when it comes to buying Dove products we buy way more than our Southern cousins (the Americans) who have ten times our population.

That’s one of the facts I learned from a recent visit to Ontario’s second Dove spa that opened yesterday in mid-town Toronto.

I also found out that the whole Dove spa concept started in the U.K. (there are 40 spas there) and there are also a number of Dove spas in Spain.

Ontario is already the first province in the country to greet Dove spas (U.S. spas will open soon) and there is a third location already in the works. There will be 35 Dove spas across the entire country in the next few years so every Canadian will be able to enjoy the Dove spa experience!

Do you remember that during my last trip to Paris, I had featured the Vélib bike-sharing system that was sweeping Paris by storm and making being green and fit so chic?

You can read my original post here: Parisians are cycling instead of driving!

Well Montreal is next in line to try to get more of its citizens to bike instead of driving!

Bixi is the new high-tech public bike system developed for the city of Montreal!

Yes, this is a review for yet another event. As my reader, you must know that I will sacrifice my waistline to indulge at any event that involves French food.

As a former food editor who specialized in French food (I did that for five years), I can tell you that I have yet to be bored, blasé or unimpressed by French food. I know many would argue, but as far as I’m concerned, my food Nirvana is either a restaurant in Paris, a country farm in Provence, a wine tour in Loire or any little ma-and-pop trattoria in any city in Italy!

A few weeks ago La Maison de la France (office taking care of promoting France as a travel destination to foreigners) had an event to launch their new 2009 magazine – a 76-page glossy magazine that embodies sophisticated French art de vivre and offers the discerning traveller a fresh look at the world of fine dining, art, beauty, fashion, culture, accommodations and entertainment.

The U.K. is not the only country pushing the organic skincare agenda.

France who is the leader in high-end skincare is also following in the footsteps of the U.K., but just like everything French … there is a twist.

The Canzi Hydrosol Floral Waters are the latest detox craze in Paris. These waters have been created by L’Atelier Canzi, which creates a line of organic skincare for their list of clients who want healthy skin via organic skincare products.

You’ll definitely have to travel to get your hands on this product, but given that it’s summer and a lot of people are on the move, I thought I’d highlight this incredible product just in case you were stopping in Paris.

The Manea Spa in Bora Bora is one of the most exclusive and luxurious spas in the world and unless you have the time (Bora Bora is quite far) and the money, you might not be able to enjoy their sensational Maro Tea Exfoliating Facial Gel.

A few months ago, I had revealed that Angelina Jolie, aka mommy-to-be-for-the-sixth-time, is a huge fan of La Prairie caviar treatments.

Just in case you missed it, you can still read it here: Don’t be fooled by expensive caviar extract products

In that post, I had highlighted the controversy over the effectiveness of the extract of fish eggs in beauty products and I had even highlighted what an expert had to say on the subject:

***Best Beauty Gifts***
Christian Dior is doing it and now it’s Prada’s turn to lend their prestigious name to a signature facial. The new Prada facial offered at the exclusive Ritz-Carlton spa is a great gift for yourself or for anyone on your list who really deserves a break.

I know so many (lucky) people who have booked their holiday vacations to New York months ago. If you are one of those lucky people, this might be a little extra treat to add to your New York City vacation.

If you are in New York City and you’re dying for a facial (and you happen to be a devotee of Christian Dior skin care products), you might want to head to Dr. Neil Sadick’s dermatology clinic located on Park Avenue to try out their new Christian Dior Facial. The therapeutic facial was dual effort between Dr. Neil Sadick and Dior, the French skin care giant.

Travelling can be so stressful for your skin and living in a big city is equally stressful. There is no possible way for you to get away from free radicals when you live in a big metropolitan city like New York City.

During this time of the year, the best destination of choice is surely the beauty counters of your favourite department stores or a Sephora store in your area.

These beauty destinations are overstocked with best-sellers and some of the most adorable beauty and cosmetic gift sets. If there is a time of the year where you have total freedom to over-indulge on beauty products … this is it!

We’ll explore some of the most coveted gift giving ideas ***Best Beauty Gifts***, after all ‘tis the season for beauty.

As usual, we’ll cover some of the most popular anti-aging skin care products, but we’ll also feature great makeup ideas to keep you look fabulous during this party season.

*** Beauty Match in Paris ***

This anecdote has nothing to do with anti-aging or skincare, but it does go to show how respected Guerlain truly is. As you know Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain launched the perfume end of the Guerlain business in 1828. During my visit at the Guerlain spa and boutique I was introduced to Guerlain’s mastery of exclusive perfumes.

Guerlain counts over 700 different perfumes to its name. This brand is the true incarnation of excellence. To this day, le nez (expert nose) creates the Guerlain perfumes from a number of scented oils that are all kept in glass bottles.

They offer different levels of customization to suit any budget and preference … so what’s your fancy?

*** Beauty Match in Paris ***

This is the ultimate Parisian anti-aging treat. The Guerlain spa located on the Champs-Elysées in Paris is simply magnificent.

You’ll find much of the same facial treatments that are found in Guerlain Institutes in Canada or Spas in America that offer signature Guerlain treatments.

*** Beauty Match in Paris ***

The Guerlain spa located on the Champs-Elysées is one of Paris’s most respected addresses when it comes to anti-aging skincare. Women travel the world over to get facial and body treatments from the expert hands of Guerlain trained aesthetician.

Unless you book a treatment, you won’t get a chance to visit this pristine spa, so we thought we’d give you a bird’s eye view of what we saw during our recent visit. That said, if you are visiting the Champs-Elysées it’s well worth visiting the boutique.

*** Beauty Match in Paris ***

If you like Lancôme products, then you’ll be in heaven at Lancôme’s Paris Spa located on the über posh rue du Faubourg St-Honoré (I do mean très über posh). While in Paris, you might want to treat yourself to a little bit of pampering. If that’s the case, then head to the Lancôme Institute to buy your favourite Lancome products or take advantage of the many skincare and anti-aging treatments offered at the rue du Faubourg St-Honoré address.

A few of the treatments that caught our eye included the anti-aging treatments. You can choose from either of these age-defying facials: Primordiale Optimum Treatment, High Résolution Treatment, Rénergie Treatment, Absolue Treatment, Platinéum Treatment and the Resurface Peel Treatment.

To complete an already decadent experience, you cannot leave the rue du Faubourg St-Honoré address without visiting Le Mood Bar! There you’ll be able to savour a few branded house drinks such as Lancôme’s aromatic waters of different flavours.

L’Institut Lancome in Paris is located at 29 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré.