WESTENDER.COM
January 03, 2008
Give yourself a new year’s gift
Let a spa package soak, scrub and slough off post-holiday stress
Could you please not rustle your newspaper quite so much? Thanks. It’s not that you, dear reader, are any louder than usual; it’s just that my holiday hangover is particularly massive this year. The myriad sounds, lights, colours, puddings, nogs, happy people and cozy expressions of holiday cheer that constitute the tail end of December have taken a terrible toll. Sure, copious amounts of champagne were involved, but the demands of even a dry Christmas can make you feel like the tail-end of a lost weekend in Tijuana— and look even worse.
Dispensing cheer, warmth and peace is a tough job. Just look at Mother Teresa: A saint (or soon to be one), she was a professional joy-spreader, probably the best the human race has ever had. She was so busy helping unfortunates that the poor dear had no time to relax — or moisturize. And it showed. Sure, she was 87 years old at the time of her passing, but 87 is the new 67, which is itself the new 57. A few treatments here and there, perhaps a toning massage or a European facial, and Mother Teresa might have had a few more years on this planet to help others. Hell, the Queen Mum didn’t look a day over 83 when she took her last carriage ride, and she was 101 years young! The elder Liz knew the value of a touch of self-indulgence (and a stiff drink).
While I think we should all strive to be more like Mother Teresa, especially at Christmas-time, we should also learn from the flipside of her philanthropy and take time out for ourselves, so as not to have skin that might be mistaken for an old purse.
In the hope of avoiding that hideous possibility, I contacted a few of the city’s finer spas and asked the owners for their top picks for de-stressing and detoxing in the post-holiday season. If the prices for some of these treatments give you a mini panic attack, fear not. Tune in next week when these and other committed relaxation-ologists give us the home version of the spa game.
Kristen Foote, owner of Honey Dew Day Spa (2585 West 16th, 604 734-2343, HoneyDewDaySpa.ca). “My favourite treatment is the 90-minute massage with Tori ($100), especially when she uses the stress-relief oil. The extra 30 minutes really helps you relax and get rid of that stress!”
Andrea Scott, co-owner of Skoah (1011 Hamilton, 604 642-0200, Skoah.com) “To de-stress, I recommend the Xtreme Facial ($100). You’ll climb into a comfy bed and under a fluffy duvet; you relax as we begin to deeply cleanse, massage and treat you [toward] great skin. This facial includes a killer ‘foot facial’ and deeply soothing scalp massage. Feel free to drift away— we promise not to giggle if you twitch, and we are sworn to secrecy if you snore.”
Mark Cooperstone, co-owner of Spruce Body Lab (1128 Richards, 604 683-3220, SpruceBodyLab.com) “One treatment that I would strongly recommend is the 90-minute Full Physical ($249), which is a Spruce customized facial and a massage administered by a registered massage therapist. After these treatments, the world is a wonderful place once again. Another treatment would be the Seaflora Body Wrap ($150); this Vancouver Island-made organic body wrap is sedating to the nervous system, restores energy levels, and infuses the skin and circulatory system with vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, while promoting detoxification. You’ll feel like you’ve just had a relaxing day at the beach.”
Wendy Lisogar Cocchia of Absolute Spa Group (See AbsoluteSpa.com for the location nearest you) “Our most indulgent treatment is The Perfect Present ($620): six hours of relaxation and pampering for the whole body, from the thermal hair-and-scalp treatment to the parafin pedicure, all in our VIP suite. I defy anyone to feel stressed out after the aromatherapy massage and the custom-designed Absolute Prescription Facial. We finish it off with a mineral makeup lesson and a take-home spa gift. The Perfect Present also includes limo service to and from the Absolute Spa, so you’ll keep feeling like a celebrity even after you walk out the door.”
Nina Gart, Owner of Nefér Spa (571 Cardero, 604 609-0222, NeferSpa.com) “It would have to be our exclusive Vinotherapia treatment ($650), which is essentially a bath in red wine, essential oils and mineral salts. We are the only spa in North America to offer this five-star treatment, which is also limited to a handful of Europe’s top spas. You begin with an organic body scrub and a Vichy shower in our marble Vichy room. You then move on to our hand-carved marble bath to soak in the Vinotherapia bath. We finish with a grape-seed-oil massage — the pinnacle of luxury and relaxation” ?
STYLE REPUBLIC MAGAZINE.COM
2007
You can read the article by clicking on the link below.
www.neferspa.com/style_republic.pdf
MBO MARTINIBOYS.COM
2007
You can read the article by clicking on the link below.
www.neferspa.com/MBO.pdf
LEADING SPAS OF CANADA.COM
2007
You can read the article by clicking on the link below.
www.neferspa.com/leading_spas.pdf
