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.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to feel the effects of the sauna because I’m so used to a steam room where I sweat, sweat and sweat some more, but within a few minutes, I could feel sweat and I was in heaven. The infrared sauna is hot and it’s meant to really detoxify your body. The idea of allowing you to comfortably sit, sip tea and flip your favourite magazine is pure genius.

Kamelia, my aesthetician came to get me to take me to my treatment room for my 6 pm appointment.

I love body scrubs … I just LOVE them so much. The Aromatherapy Body Salt Glow has a beautiful scent because it’s the mixture of lavender, citrus and lemongrass essential oils. If you’ve never had a body scrub before then you wouldn’t know how relaxing this experience truly is. You lose yourself and you stop thinking of all the things that are bothering you to finally focus on the now.

After scrubbing both sides of my body, Kamelia suggested I take a quick shower before the massage.

My skin felt like velvet! It’s incredible how smooth my entire skin felt after the scrub.

The massage was such a welcoming treat. I spent most of my time smiling ear to ear because I really truly felt blissful.

After my treatment, I was able to sit down with another cup of tea and relax before going home.

I had mentioned this to both Robbie and Kamelia and I’ll repeat it here: Elm Spa is the type of spa you discover once and keep going back to over and over again.

They don’t only have body treatments, they also have facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, couple massages and treatments specifically targeting men.

Before leaving, I caught wind of their Siam Herbal Tension Release body which is supposed to be heavenly. The Siam Herbal Tension Release body is base on a 14th century Thai treatment that was developed for soldiers returning home from war. It’s an exfoliating scrub of ground coriander seed, nutmeg and other spices revitalizes the skin, followed by a warm compress of Thai herbs to open the pores and bring deep medicinal heat to relieve muscle tension. This sounds so decadent, words escape me … and that’s why it’s next on my list of treatments to try!

Elm Spa is truly a hidden gem and one well worth discovering!

>>> You’ll find more details on the Elm Spa here: Elm Spa Toronto

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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?

We all look for the same things in a spa: a spotless environment, friendly (and happy) staff, experienced professionals and genuine concern about your conditions/concerns. If you are able to find those elements, you will surely want to keep going back to that spa. Sometimes, if you are really lucky, you are able to find all these essential elements in a spa, but on top of that you are able to find a place where you feel compelled to book future dates in your Outlook well in advance and the kind of spa that makes you want to email ALL your friends to let them know that you’ve found “THE” spa to put all other spas to shame.

I don’t know if you remember a few months ago, I had visited the Blitz Spa and really never wanted to leave that spa because the experience was surreal. Well, I’ve located another one of those places and the best part about this spa is that they have a holistic approach that made me almost want to cry because I felt that I had arrived home!

Everything about the HealthWinds Spa is created to trick you into believing that you got into your car and drove two hours outside of the city in one of those quaint weekend spas: the décor is clean, serene and peaceful.

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The philosophy of spa owner Kailee Kline permeates every aspects of the spa: from the organic skincare lines like Eminence (from Hungary), to the Cellcosmet and Guinot anti-aging lines, to a number of German salts, to Zoya nail polish (which is safe for expecting moms), to the healthy juice bar (I was so taken by that I had to write a separate review), to the zen feel in each room!

Another thing I should mention early on is that Kailee has a real understanding about how stress affects our lives, our body and our skin and her spa, her staff and all her treatments are created to help alleviate one of the biggest health/beauty busters there is!

You’ll say that Kailee has an unfair advantage over so many other spa owners. She has almost 30 years of experience in the sap industry and as a Registered Massage Therapist. In 2000, Kailee spearheaded the Premier Spas of Ontario program that set the standards of quality for most spas in the province (international readers will want to take note because if you are visiting Ontario or Toronto … you’ll surely want to schedule a quiet beauty afternoon because we have some exceptional spas).

>>> HealthWinds Spa helps you block out the outside world!

I’ll be honest, for once I didn’t go to review a spa completely drained because I’ve actually been sleeping well for the past week. That said, I had no idea that you could feel the way I did after leaving HealthWinds Spa!

I decided that it was time for another body scrub so I booked the HealthWinds ‘body polish with one hour massage’ package. If you’ve never tried a body polish with natural salts, you are missing out big time.

The one my HealthWinds therapist suggested was a sugar scrub since my skin is not sensitive to a more vigorous scrub because I’ve been using a German Riffi massage/exfoliant glove for over a decade. I then had to figure out which scent I wanted. After much debate between two antioxidant scrubs (blueberry versus pomegranate), I decided that pomegranate and cranberry not only sounded divine, but it was an antioxidant powerhouse!

My body polish lasted maybe 45 minutes and it was incredible to feel all the dead cells on my body slough off thanks to the scented salt.

Once my scrub was done, my HealthWinds therapist, Jennifer, suggested I step into the shower and I could select whichever shower type I wanted. She did emphasize on how amazing the 6 shower head (keep reading because I describe it below) felt so it was really a natural selection for me.

Although, I was fully aware of which type of shower I had selected, NOTHING (I mean NOTHING) prepared me for how amazing a 6 shower head felt.

Let me describe my experience in more details: so imagine that you have three shower heads on each side of the walls in your shower dispensing water! It’s not only one of the most incredible feelings, but it’s also excellent to increase circulation.

I would have stayed longer if I could, but the massage was next so I reluctantly stepped out of the shower on to the massage table.

Now, I’ve had my share of massages to help with the fact that I hold my stress in my shoulders and upper back. I’ve had a number of massages that felt like gentle strokes (not my idea of a massage). At one massage, the therapist used so much pressure that I ended up with bruises the next day. After experiencing a few of those massages, I started asking for male masseuses because a lot of the female therapists weren’t applying the right type of pressure.

Wow – can I tell you how much this was a non issue with Jennifer! That had to be the absolute best massage I’ve ever received in my entire life! Seriously!

I had to struggle to remain aware of what was happening so that I could actually share that with you, but this level of deep massage is so soothing that I was really struggling not to fall asleep. By the time Jennifer put me on my back and started massaging the back of my neck, I had lost it. I was mush and there was not an once of stress in my body!

Before I forget, this is the first time I have been to a spa for a massage where they actually took note that I have acne-prone skin. Jennifer selected lotions for my massage instead of oils … not to clog my pores.

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After an hour of massage, I was relaxed beyond belief and thought my experience was over until Jennifer suggested a cup of tea! I could not resist and I sat there in their wonderful seating area with a cup of Japanese Green tea from David’s Tea and a magazine. I was also offered one of their healthy cookies (you’ll hear more about this later) and of course that made the whole post-treatment experience unbelievable.

>>> But, it’s not over yet.

I was about to get dressed when I thought why not jump into the steam room (my favourite!!!) for a few minutes. After already being completely relaxed, I was able to sit quietly in a steam room and just blank out the entire world and the many emails I had in my inbox.

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I wasn’t happy at all about having to shower and get dressed because I knew it was a prelude to my leaving HealthWinds and I just didn’t want this incredible experience to end.

I suggested the idea of my renting the locker room and permanently moving in, but I got a smile … which led me to believe that many other clients before me have also considered electing a permanent residence at the HealthWinds spa because it’s that amazing.

Here’s another thought … compared to many other spas where I’ve had a massage, HealthWinds spa is very reasonably priced Also keep in mind that because Kailee is herself a Registered Massage Therapist, she’s trained her staff and I will repeat this again just in case you missed it: my massage at the HealthWinds spa was the BEST MASSAGE OF MY LIFE!

>>> You’ll find all the details on the HealthWinds spa here: HealthWinds spa

>>> International readers coming to visit Toronto will surely want to check out the HealthWinds spa Web site because this is surely worth your time. I’m not saying that you don’t have amazing spas in your city, but this is one oasis worth exploring!

>>>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!

I have to say that just like the general philosophy of the company (Real Beauty), the spa has an understated, unassuming and unthreatening decor and feel. It’s clean, devoid of any fluff, yet it’s extremely welcoming and inviting.

The staff is welcoming and I truly could have spent all day in that lounge area sipping on homemade lemon-raspberry water (they make it at the spa) or their jasmine green tea made with a real flower that blossoms at the bottom of the tea cup (so cool).

I tried their Moor Mud Body Sculpt and it was an incredible experience that left my skin feeling so smooth and soft. My treatment was made with Canadian Moor Mud, which is a product that’s taken several centuries of evolution to produce. As a result of this slow evolution, it’s very rich in minerals and micro-nutrients. The Moor Mud is excellent to detox, help reduce cellulite, tighten the skin, soften rough spots and remove dead skin. The treatment also includes Chroma Light Therapy. This is such a great experience because you are basically taking a shower to wash off the Moor Mud under an incredible rain shower head and in the ceiling you have this warm light effect in green light, red light and blue light (all have different anti-aging properties).

I have to say that it was 75 minutes of pure relaxation.

There are many things that I should highlight about the Dove spa and the Dove philosophy because this is not the same type of spa experience that you’ll find elsewhere.

Here are my Dove spa a-ha moments:

1) I had no idea there was such a thing as a Dove Spa skincare line of products that are exclusively sold at Dove spas.

2) I had no idea you could put a flower at the bottom of a cup of tea and transform an ordinary thing (like drinking tea) into such an enjoyable experience.

3) I didn’t know that having beauty quotes on the wall of a spa could make you feel so good. As you know I’m a big fan of Beauty Quotes and I even have an entire category dedicated to them: Beauty Quotes, but reading them on the walls of a spa was a whole new experience for me and it’s quite fitting with Dove’s philosophy.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from Dove spa:

“Love isn’t finding a perfect person, it’s seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” — Anon

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes … it is not something physical.” – Sophia Loren

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4) I didn’t know that sitting in a lounge at my spa treatment could create so many new friendships.

5) I didn’t know that Dove spas offered complimentary skin analysis to better determine which products and which treatments you need to solve your skincare issues.

6) All the spa treatments are very reasonably priced.

Here are few more things you’ll want to know about Dove Spa:

=>In May they have 3 great specials:

a) Mother’s Day Specials where you get a 60-minute free facial with the purchase of a $75 gift card.

b) Mom & Me package that offers a 2-for-1 deal on facials for you and your mom.

c) St Tropez spray tanning session for only $20 (instead of the regular price of $50)

=> Dove has a brilliant program called “Pay the Feeling Forward“. You know how Queen Oprah has “pay it forward”, well this is the same type of program, but here you nominate someone who’s made you feel great about yourself and the staff will read all the entries and pick a winner!!!

=>You can walk into the spa just to buy some of their Dove Spa skincare products and you’ll receive a complimentary skin analysis in order for your aesthetician to know what she needs to recommend you.

****You’ll find all the details on how to book your Dove spa treatment at their web site www.dovespa.ca or by calling 1-888-772-3683.

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!

Bixi’s bike sharing principles is pretty much the same as Vélib’s in Paris (in fact Barcelona (Spain) and Lyon (France) also have their own bike sharing system in place) – you take a bike from a stand, ride it to where you want to go, and then drop it at another stand when you’re done!

To make the concept even more attractive to users, bikes will be equipped with RFID tags so that users can track availability online — real-time information is beamed to the web from the system’s solar-powered bike stands … how cool is that?

Bixi offers yearly, monthly and by the day plans. You’ll pay a membership fee of $78 CAD for one year, $24 for one month and only $5 for one day. Not only are these fees very recession-proof, but you also get to ride for the first half hour of every trip for free! You’ll pay $12 per hour for extended periods of use.

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Not only is this a super-green idea, it’s excellent to get Montrealers and visitors to Montreal in great shape, it’s also a great alternative to the monthly public transportation pass during the spring and summer months.

Bixi’s full launch is scheduled for April 2009, when 3,000 bikes will be installed in 300 locations across Montreal.

Since Montreal is NOT the place where you want to be riding a bike in January because of their brutal winters, the convenient Bixi system can only be enjoyed from April to November.

Who knows, maybe we’ll soon see Bixi bikes in the rest of Canada and maybe this will make its way to America. I’m sure that U.S. President Obama would agree that this is a green solution that would cut back on oil-dependency and many doctors would welcome the idea of getting more Americans more active to help them lose weight!

If you are a Montreal reader or if you are heading to Montreal for the summer, this might be a great way to visit the city while getting a good workout at the same time!

You’ll find more information on Bixi bikes here: Bixi

First photo by josef.stuefer

Second photo brom Bixi’s web site

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.

As much as French cooking is as healthy as can be, I can assure you that if my dream of living in Paris in one of those huge appartement with twenty feet windows (see cover photo of the new 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine and replace the model’s photo with mine), I would be the size of a Beluga whale because I would spend every waking moment eating.

Every time I land in France, I have one thing on my mind … how much new food can I discover today!

Well, luckily for us France is a country that is known for more than it’s incredible food – France is also all about amazing travel experiences AND incredible luxury brands.

This might be blatant discrimination, but I always favour products from France or Italy (my other Mecca)! If you get me started on French (or Italian) fashion, I fear that I will never shut up! I just LOVE it so much – shoes, handbags, silk scarves (le carré de soie), the clothing, the perfume, the skincare products, the jewellery (OH THE JEWELLERY!).

Yes, I am a francophile and I’m (damn) proud of it. I’ve always had a soft spot for French culture and my days as an editor for a French food guide were heaven.

Now that I’m focusing on aging-well, I think there is no better example of women aging well than French women. Let’s not forget that well before Demi Moore decided to pull a Demi (aka my way of saying she married a younger man), French women had been having affairs (oh la la) and relationships with men that could easily pass as one of their offspring because French women age well and they gain an insane amount of confidence as they age (we so need a little of that confidence dust sprinkled on women over 35 in North America so they too can believe that getting older simply means getting better).

If you don’t believe me, I’d suggest that you don’t take my word at face value and I suggest that you flip through the pages of the new 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine and plan your 2009 trip to France to see it for yourself and experience all things French!

I could end this post here, but I thought I should include the excerpt I sent to my friends when I got back from the launch of the 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine. The event was hosted at one of the city’s finest restaurant that is located on the third floor of an old building with a huge terrace (which screamed the quartier St Germain in Paris). The event was about mingling, but mostly enjoying the delights of French food:

Subject line: I’m stuffed silly!

I just came back from an event for the launch of a new French Guide mag. This event comes from the days of as a food editor when I published my own French food guide.

Moet was pouring all night long (I’ve not drank water since like 4 pm) and since the Moet et Chandon Nectar Imperial is my favourite champagne I thought I had died and gone to champagne heaven.

The cheese plate was bloody amazing — bleu d’Auvergne, Tomme de Nom (I only knew the one from Savoie) and brie and a few others I didn’t see names for, but I think they were all imported straight from the motherland of cheese. They also had a few other dishes and then as I was finishing my duck (magret de canard) I spotted the profiteroles and macarons (stuffed pastry and French merigue cookies).

I stood in the middle of the restaurant eating a macaron and laughing hysterically because it was soooooooooooooo good. People thought I was ill and I was … ill (in a good way) from all this good food. The profiteroles were topped with toffee … I don’t even like toffee, but girls I can tell you that I went back for more.

I’m sorry I didn’t know this was going to be so freaking amazing or else I would have asked someone to come with me to share this extraordinary experience.

North Americans can find the 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine by contacting the North American office of La Maison de la France via their Web site or you can call them at 1 866 313 7262: La Maison de la France Canada and La Maison de la France USA.

Here are a couple more phone numbers from La Maison de la France that might come in handy if you are planning a trip to France:

France-on-call hotline: (514) 288-1904

Los Angeles: (310) 271-6665
Chicago: (312) 327-0290

International readers should visit the France Guide Web site and locate a local office in their city!

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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.

The concept of this atelier is the brainchild of American-born-Frenchmen and parfumeur (perfume creator) Stéphane Mottay.

Canzi has some strict criterion when it comes to the products they sell and they are quite passionate about offering effective skincare to their clients that gives themhealthy skin without “polluting the environment: “La cosmétique BIO est, à la fois, sophistiquée mais simple, extrêmement efficace et glamour et elle ne pollue pas l’environnement“.

You’ll never achieve beautiful skin from the outside only. You NEED to take care of the inside and that’s where the Canzi Hydrosol Floral Waters come in.

These detox waters will help cleanse your system and release toxins, which will obviously give you more glowing skin. You only need to take five spoonfuls of Canzi Hydrosol Floral Waters during your treatment period. You’ll be able to chose from flavours like mint (for digestion), sage (for circulation) and rosemary (for your liver) to get your body and skin back into tip top shape!

If you are in Paris, you might want to book an “ateliers-beauté” on Monday nights. Between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. a selected group of women are able to participate in the creation of their own organic skincare products during these two-hour sessions. These “corner-workshps” offer a rare and unique peek in the world of skincare creation for the average person.

Along with selling their own organic skincare line, Canzi also sells skincare from Dr. Hauschka, Alma Carmel and Phyt.

If you are interested, you can contact Canzi at 33 1 42 78 09 37. They are located on 4 rue Ferdinand Duval and you can also check out their Web site (warning: it’s only in French): Canzi.

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Photo by
AussieGall

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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.

Exfoliating facial gel with bamboo extract is an exquisite beauty ritual for luminous skin that feels clear, fresh and supple.

The exfoliant is gentle enough to use two to three times a week to restore your skin and allow your skin to glow and also absorb your moisturizers and nighttime serums more effectively.

If you cannot make it to Bora Bora, you’ll simply need to head to the luxurious department store Bon Marché in Paris (located at 22-24 rue de sèvres).

This is not a bargain basement deal, so you’ll have to expect to pay north of $75 (US/CAD) to get your hands on this Polynesian exfoliant.

Photo by ePi.Longo

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:

Jenny Harding, a skincare specialist from the Dynasty Clinic in London, shares my views on caviar: “It is true there are omega 3 fatty acids in caviar, but you might as well put cod liver oil on your face. The best thing you can do with caviar is put it on a plate and eat it. By the time it reaches a cream, it has been doctored so much you are getting little benefit.”

If you are still a fan of the luxurious Swiss skincare line and if you are heading to New York City in the next few months, you might want to book an after-shopping treatment at La Prairie Spa at the Ritz Carlton (the first La Prairie spa in North America).

Ladies, this is no doubt an extravagance, but hey, if you have the budget and the time, why not?

You can choose a facial, an exfoliating treatment, a relaxing massage, a moisturizing body treatment or simply a manicure/pedicure… which all use La Prairie skincare products.

Personally, I think that any of the following treatments would be dreamy:

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Jet Lag Therapy: Banish the effects of time differences, bad airplane air, and bad seating. La Prairie Spa offers oxygenated skin treatment, aromatherapy massage, and foot/hand/head reflexology that feels so good you’ll barely remember the plane trip.

Executive Stress Break: Are you in NYC for a conference or a business meeting? Take an hour break to unwind with a massage that will take the world off of your shoulders, while removing the painful knots that executive life ties so well.

The Lunch Break: Even the best power shoppers need a break! Take a rejuvenating break with 30 minutes of cardio fitness and 30 minutes of restorative reflexology that can change the course of your whole day.

After Shopping Pleasure Perk: If you couldn’t break your shopping rhythm, you might want to head to La Prairie Spa after a full day of shopping”. This treatment includes an hour of after-shopping self-indulgence that uses foot reflexology, a luxurious pedicure to revive your feet and a mini pick-me-up facial to lift your spirits.

Here are two extra real cool extras that are offered at La Prairie Spa: facials include caviar revitalizing eye pads to take away puffiness and tiredness in eyes and you have access to luxurious Frédéric Fekkai bath amenities in the changing rooms!

If you are looking for an afternoon (or a few hours) of pampering in NYC, you might want to head to La Prairie Spa at the Ritz Carlton (50 Central Park South, 212-308-9100).

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.

Prada beauty skin care products are for obvious reasons the main focus here, but this 90-minute treatment (for $275 USD) also includes specialty facial massages, deep breathing exercises and Shiatsu high touch techniques to encourage skin balance and lymphatic drainage of tissues.

By the time you’re done with your 90-minute Prada beauty session, you’ll be totally relaxed, your skin will be cleansed, you’ll look radiant and you’ll have indulged in a little bit of “me time”.

If you like the Prada Beauty Spa Experience, you might want to buy some of their skin care products to bring home with you.

Photo: Courtesy of Christopher Chan

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.

If you’re not quite ready to move to a remote and unpolluted area of this planet, you’ll have to include cleansing and rejuvenating facials as part of your beauty regime.

Dr. Neil Sadick’s new Christian Dior Facial will rejuvenate and nourish your skin with a combination of expert Shiatsu massage, lymphatic drainage and Dior’s skin care products.

So if you live or if you are passing through NYC, you might want to contact Dr. Neil Sadick’s Dermatology clinic to book the signature Christian Dior Facial ($300 USD).

Photo courtesy of James Long

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.

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?

* You can choose your own bottle with your own engraved initials, your first name and even a little message. You can go as far as choosing the colour of the little spray pump and the colour of the ribbon that wraps your bottle.

* You can also take customization to the next level by choosing between an exclusive collection of 10 perfumes that are not sold to the public. One of those 10 exclusive scents can be yours for 20,000€ Euros. Each year a new batch of 10 exclusive scents are created for some of Guerlain’s most high-end clients.

* Now, if you don’t really feel like having a perfume that 9 other people on the planet might have, you can choose to go 100% custom and work with le nez (the expert nose). Over 6 to 12 months the expert nose will create a perfume just for you. After a series of intensive one-on-one meetings between yourself and le nez to determine your scent preferences, you’ll be the lucky owner of your own exclusive one-of-a-kind perfume. All one-on-one meetings between yourself and le nez will take place in Guerlain’s exclusive VIP room (which is very elegant and beautiful … trust me). The cost for this royal treatment is one that only a few chosen can entertain. At 30,000€ Euros, you’ll be one of the rare ones on the planet to be sporting your own personal Guerlain perfume.

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.

That said, we thought we’d still highlight some of anti-aging facials that you’ll find at the Guerlain Spa in Paris:

* Exceptional Orchidée Impériale Treatment – this two-hour facial uses Guerlain’s anti-aging deluxe Orchidée Impériale skincare line.

* Intensive Facial – this two-hour treatment will leave your skin glowing.

* Complete Facial – during 90 minutes, your Guerlain aesthetician will transform your skin.

* Express Facial – if you are looking for an anti-aging treatment on the go, this 60-minute facial has your name all over it.
* Beautyssime A – this is perfect for the hard core anti-aging treatment seeker who is willing to invest 4.5 hours (over 3 sessions) to this progressive anti-wrinkle treatment.

Here’s a great little tidbit: all Guerlain treatments start with a 15-minute mini pedicure followed by a quick foot massage … heaven!

If time is on your side and money is no issue, you might be keen to indulge in one of Guerlain’s “transforming day experiences”. You can choose from 8 half-day or full-day treatments. The ‘Sublime Deluxe’ (at 755€ Euros) will leave anyone glammed-up and feeling like royalty after eight hours and 15 minutes of pure indulgence. For a quicker, yet still glamorous treatment, you might choose the ‘Travel Prescriptions’ treatment (at 305€ Euros) that promises to help you deal with jet-lag or prepare you for a long haul trip in less than three hours and 15 minutes.

Guerlain Spa is located at 68 avenue des Champs-Elysées.

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.

Guerlain’s incomparable history is as rich as the many luxurious ingredients they use in their products, but we thought of highlighting some of the more interesting facts:

* The perfume end of the Guerlain business was created in 1828 by Pierre François Pascal Guerlain.

* In 2008, Guerlain will celebrate 180 years of excellence.

* The boutique located under the Spa opened in 1914 which was decorated at the time by Charles Mewes (the creator of Ritz Carlton).
* The Guerlain Spa on Champs Elysées was built in 1939 and it comprises 10 beauty rooms. The original design team included the brilliant vision of Jean-Michel Frank, Giacometti and Christian Bérard.

* The boutique and the spa were renovated in 2005 by the design-power-duo of Andrée Putman (the grande dame of French décor) and Maxime d’Angeac.

* You can still find today 2 rooms that are still decorated with Jean-Michel Frank’s original 1939 art deco furniture (it’s quite stunning). These two booths were renovated in 2005 by Maxime d’Angeac.

* The spa has a private booth for VIP visits.

* There is a magnificent “twin-room” that is perfect for couples who are looking for a duo-treatment or for friends who want to chat while being pampered.

* Two booths are set for water treatments (a hydrotherapy booth and a jet massage shower cabin).

I’ll be honest, this is a snippet that pales in comparison with what we saw. Once inside the world of Guerlain, it’s difficult to want to leave. Everything about the spa located on the Champs-Elysées says absolute perfection.

We’re just getting started with our visit at Guerlain. You’ll want to read the coming posts to learn more about the sublime experience we had.

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.