by guest contributor Ashley DiFranza

If you find yourself a regular at the spa looking for some ‘me’ time to relax, unwind and beautify yourself, you’ve probably noticed that the options of different facials, massages and scrubs are all rather common. After doing an article on airport spas we noticed the Absolute Spa in Canada had a wide variety of options for both men and women. We decided to highlight some of the most indulgent.

A popular facial at Absolute Spa is the Absolute Diamond Facial, which lasts about 75 minutes. This facial uses ‘laser cut diamond particles’ to refresh the skin and keep it soft and smooth and they even use a new dust-free way of applying the facial.

Aged mud, herbs and minerals come together to create the Moor Mud Facial, which is designed to help cleanse the skin and pores that often do not receive enough attention. This type of facial can help with skin regeneration.

For those tight muscles or bad backs, the Lomi Lomi Coconut Massage was designed to completely nurture and pacify the body. Guests can choose from a 45-minute, 60-minute, or 90-minute session. Lomi is the Hawaiian for massage and this entire practice links back to the ‘healers of Hawaii.’

Absolute Spa also caters to expecting mothers with the Nurturing Rose Pregnancy Therapy. This process is specifically designed for those mothers-to-be who need to relax and take a break from all the stresses of pregnancy. Unique massaging beds are set up especially for these women to make sure they get the most tranquil experience possible. Executed by a registered massage therapist, this massage is designed to iron out all those aches, pains, and worries as the big day approaches. Expectant mothers cannot be in their first trimester when getting this massage.

Is there anything more tranquil than the sound of tropical birds chirping away or the drips of rain off of a silky leaf in the forest? Not to those who came up with the Rainforest Body Buff, another treatment featured at Absolute Spa. This 45 minute process consists of a natural sugar scrub to clear away all that dead skin, a ‘vichy’ shower (like a waterfall in the forest), and the application of a naturally scented body crème or oil.

Absolute Spa is geared towards both men and women. One that is popular with some men is a Professional Sports Hand/Foot Care package specifically designed to help skin that has been damaged from sports. This process usually takes 45-60 minutes.

Y-Spa Face Treatments are used to help make and keep a man’s face from breaking down to some of the negatives of aging. The Pumpkin Peel is one of these treatments.

Do you know of a spa that has many unique and indulgent treatments? Send us an email at Indulge@Captivate.com and let us now.

Labels: Absolute spa, airport spa, famous haircuts, indulge, Massage

Because we love our Indulge readers so much we are giving away 10 full-sized tubes of HairByMonica Shield and Shine. Check out our interview with Monica below for all the details on Shield and Shine- it is an amazing hair product! Just send an email with your name, age and mailing address, along with your No. 1 tip for fabulous hair (to be posted on Indulge) to Indulge@Captivate.com Contest rules are below. ***Thank you for all of your entries! Our contest is closed. We will let you know if you have won.

You may have seen the very gorgeous model/actress Monica Olsen peering down at you from a billboard in Times Square or gracing the pages of Elle and Cosmopolitan. She has done ad campaigns for De Beers, Helmut Lang, Thierry Mugler and had a role in The Hot Chick, an Adam Sandler film. On top of all of this she is also the founder and creator of SkinByMonica, a line of organically and environmentally pure skin care, hair care, spa products and more. We just gave rave reviews to her lip plumper! Monica told us some of the secrets of her very successful business and the inspiration behind her products.


How have you taken your experience with acting and modeling and used it to build a successful beauty brand?

As a model and actress I have lived and traveled all over the world. I kept a beauty diary throughout my travels where I was privy to tips from the world’s beauty experts which I have incorporated into my line. This knowledge is not limited to US beauty industry professionals, but overseas professionals as well. Also, having worked in the fashion industry, I understand how women think and what they want which has helped me fill in the gaps in the beauty industry. I understand the marketing aspect of things, but in addition, I am keen on providing the highest quality product for the consumers. As someone with sensitive skin, modeling was difficult in the sense that even when the makeup artists used baby wipes to remove my makeup, the wipes irritated my skin. Now, makeup artists are using my BUTT-SO-SOFT Diaper Rash Care Spray, which contains 100% pure Squalene Oil, which has the highest concentration of Vitamin E available, to remove makeup for their sensitive clients. This line is not time consuming because as a busy mom, I don’t have time to use 5 or 6 different products in my daily regimen.

What is your inspiration behind your products?

My children are the inspiration for SKIN by Monica. The more research I did regarding natural and organic products, the more I realized there was a niche and void that I sought to fill. My line was inspired by and emerged naturally during my first pregnancy. During this special time, I was not able to find natural and chemical free skincare products that met my high standards and I refused to compromise. The line maintains products specifically designed for women, men, and babies and is appropriate for all skin types.

What is your favorite product?

RESTORE MSM Facial Cleanser because I really wasn’t fond of cleansers out there. My Facial Cleanser contains methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a naturally occurring nutrient found in our bodies. MSM provides sulfur, a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails, which support many vital biochemical processes in the body, including energy production. A close second and third are PLUMP for Sexy Lips and THE CURE Wrinkle Reducer, respectively. PLUMP is an amazing lip plumper and THE CURE caters to women and men. It’s very moisturizing and has the clinically tested and scientifically proven levels of Argireline, Matrixyl, and CoQ10.

Tell us about SHIELD AND SHINE …

SHIELD AND SHINE is a hair protein which absorbs into the hair, thus protecting the hair shaft from chemical and/or heat treatments. It’s also a great styling product for multi-textured hair. SHIELD AND SHINE guards the hair cuticle by creating a protective barrier between the hair shaft and any products, both natural and chemical. This means that color treatments, relaxers, perms, or other chemically intrusive treatments will not cost you your healthy hair. SHIELD AND SHINE is appropriate for all hair types and adds great shine. Several celebrity stylists use this product on their VIP clients.

Anything to add?

SKIN by Monica is a marriage between science and nature. The line is unique in that the percentages of ingredients that are used have been clinically tested and scientifically proven to provide the results that consumers seek.

Previous Post: Spa Review of Mountain View Grand




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3. HOW TO ENTER: [Send an email to Indulge@Captivate.com with your best secret for having fabulous hair, along with your name, age and address where prize can be shipped. Contest opens August 26th at 10:15 EST and ends August 28th at midnight EST] THE FIRST NAME, CITY AND HAIR TIP OF WINNERS WILL BE POSTED ON INDULGE, PERMISSION IS GRANTED BY THE WINNERS BY SENDING IN THE EMAIL ENTRY. The Sponsor is not responsible for incomplete, lost, late, postage-due, misdirected or illegible entries, or for failure to receive entries due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. All entries become property of Sponsor and none will be returned
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5. PRIZES: [Shield and Shine hair products by Skin by Monica, retail value of $16)
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10. The decisions of Sponsor regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of a promotion shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the promotion. If you have questions on a specific sweepstakes, contact: [Jacqui Pini 978-845-5042], or for a list of winners: send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Jacqui Pini Captivate Network 2 Executive Drive, Suite 301, Chelmsford, MA 01824].

Labels: Adam Sandler, celebrity haircuts, fall fashion, fall shoes, famous haircuts, free hair products, Hair by Monica, indulge, Monica Olsen, Shine and Shield, Skin by Monica

Fall 2008 purses ...

Thin is in when it comes to handbags for the fall. This is according to the fabulous stylists at Bag Borrow or Steal who have great flat totes by Tory Burch, BCBG, Burberry and Gucci (just to name a few). Louis Vuitton also makes some sleek flat totes that are timeless and can be worn with anything. Just ask Angelina Jolie who is seen quite a bit with her Louis Vuttion Cabas Mezzo bag (left).










Chain handles

Chain handle bags are also making a comeback and come in various lengths. Traditionally Chanel makes a gorgeous handbag with a chain strap such as the one below designed by Karl Lagerfeld. You can also find these bags at lower price points by XOXO and even J. Crew.






















Embellishments

Speaking of chains, other hardware, such as studs and buckles will be big on fall bags as will non-metal embellishments like leather roses (seen on many Prada bags) and fringe. I just went for a bigger bag this fall with the purchase of a Balenciaga Giant Day Handbag, which incorporates both fringe and gold hardware.

Exotic skins

As noted in Indulge's Fall 2008 shoe trends column, exotic skins are popular with high-end designers this fall. Snakeskin is always timeless and sophisticated when worn correctly; meaning a little bit goes a long way. Gucci debuted a beautiful snakeskin bag (below) at their Fall/Winter 2008-2009 Haute-Couture collection.

























Marc Jacobs featured snakeskin handles on some of the pieces he designed for the Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2008-2009 ready-to-wear collection.

Colorful clutches

Clutches are always in style and perfect for a night out. Some of the biggest colors this fall for handbags are magenta, purple, yellow and brown. Amici has some gorgeous clutches in those colors -all under $50!

Previous Post: Socialite Collection of luxury cosmetics

Labels: amici, bag borrow or steal, Fall 2008 handbag trends, fall fashion, fall shoes, gucci, louis vuitton, marc jacobs, purses

From Tinsley Mortimer to Tory Burch, socialites are part of an exclusive club of magnificently dressed, gorgeous people who make it onto everyone’s invite list. So, when an exceptionally exclusive line of luxury cosmetics came out with products packaged in thousands of Precosia crystals, what better name for them than Socialite Collection Cosmetics.

Labels: indulge, Indulgence, luxury cosmetics, make-up trends, socialite collection

If you are going to splurge on any one particular piece for your wardrobe make sure it is one of these. Tried and true these items are always in style for women.

Labels: fall fashion, fall shoes, famous haircuts, indulge, Indulgence, timeless fashion trends

Elegance, sophistication and glamour … three words that come to mind when I think of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Olivier Creed was thinking along the same lines when he created a new fragrance called Love in Black. Inspired by the former first lady, Creed carefully chose ingredients based upon places Jackie loved to travel and the end result is a fantastic scent in a unique bottle made from black sand.

The top note is violet from Italy, night-blooming wildflowers of the Greek isles and Virginia cedar. The heart note is a very smooth Tonkin musk, iris from Florence and clove. Finally, the base is blackcurrant from Bourgogne, France, and also includes Bulgarian rose- a scent that I picked up on right away.

The result is intense, but indisputably elegant. In testing it I did a Carmen Kressley-style “spray, delay and walk away” (spray it, wait a second and walk through it) and had the perfect amount on. Two people in my office (separately) told me how great I smelled- I thought that said a lot for Love in Black.

Love in Black is available online at Neiman Marcus. It is $130 for a 1.0 oz. and $230 for 2.5 oz.

Previous Post: Accessorize with a scarf

Labels: 2008 Cosmetic Executive Women, creed, fall fashion, FitFlops, gifts for women, love in black, perfume

Fall is right around the corner and one accessory that will guide you comfortably from a warm day to a cool night is a scarf.

Not just for winter anymore, scarves made from linen and cotton are being worn with t-shirts, dresses and tank tops. Worn loosely, these lighter scarves are meant to be casual and are an easy accessory to toss in your purse to keep you warm and add a touch of color to any outfit.

Lindsay Lohan, Lauren Conrad, Nikki Hilton, Jessica Alba and Amanda Bynes are fans of Italian linen scarves by Love Quotes, $85. Sold online and at Lisa Kline, 10% of the proceeds of Love Quotes scarves are donated to international children’s charities. These are available in a wide variety of colors including beach, blue pearl, parfait, raspberry mousse and surf. An inspirational quote is included with each scarf.

If $85 is a little too pricey, Amici has some beautiful options (shown below) including a deep purple cotton print, $12, a sand brown cotton print scarf and a deep blue bobble trim scarf, $18.

ElleGirl has a great slide show on how to tie the scarf several different ways, including the slip knot, the reverse wrap-around, the cowboy collar and the bow tie.




Previous Post: Exercising with an iPod

Labels: celebrity haircuts, fall fashion, famous haircuts, FitFlops, indulge, lisa kline, love quotes, scarf, spa

From a waistband to an armband, people are clipping iPods all over the place and now they have secured it to a new spot - the back of the neck. And, while at first I felt a little bit like a child with a sign stuck on my back, I got over it and was really impressed with this new device when I sampled it on a recent jog through Boston.

It looks almost like a plastic headband that slides firmly on the back of the neck, holding the iPod and its cords so people can listen to music without all the wires. Called the 'nekFIT,' it is a new product that is targeted toward athletes and others engaged in activities in which they want to use their iPod, but in a place that's out of the way. The nekFIT has buttons that go over the click wheel of the iPod so it is fairly easy to change your songs. A playlist is probably your best bet though.


The product is available immediately for $33.95 direct from the company at http://www.nekfit.com/ or through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/.

Labels: celebrity haircuts, Donate Hair, famous haircuts, FitFlops, indulge, Indulgence, ipod, jennifer aniston hair, Make-up application tips, nekFIT

How hazardous are the products we are using? The Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database lets you type in product names and it identifies a hazard rating on a scale of 1-10 for the product (10 is the worst). It works by looking at the ingredients in more than 25,000 products and then compares those ingredients to what is listed in 50 toxicity and regulatory databases.

From baby care to oral care to fragrances the Cosmetic Safety Database encompasses a full range of products. I decided to look at some of the products I used quite a bit including Crest Vivid White Fluoride Toothpaste (refreshing mint). It came in at a 6 on a scale of 1-10. Not great, right? It tells me my toothpaste has ingredients linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity and more. It is also very clearly lists the “percentage of data gap” there could be and it gets into much greater detail on what they mean when they say something is linked to cancer. It is a good overview written in a comprehensive, organized manner.

There was one red flag I found when searching different products. The results page, where it gives you data on what is in the products, also has a link to buy the product off of Amazon.com. This made me curious as to whether or not they would link a user to a site selling a product that got a score of 10. I found Eternity by Calvin Klein, Eau De Toilette Spray, with a rating scale of 10, and yes, it also had a link to purchase it. You can draw your own conclusion about that.

The site does give very helpful information on what to look for to keep your purchases as healthy as possible in their safer shopping tips list. Some things they recommend:

1. Use fewer products. Basically, the less you use the less exposure you have to chemicals.
2. Avoid using baby powder on newborns and infants- FDA warns powders may cause lung damage if inhaled regularly.
3. Use milder soaps. Soap removes dirt from the skin’s exterior, but also removes your body's own natural oils.

Labels: celebrity eyebrows, cosmetic safety database, cosmetics, famous haircuts, hazardous make-up, indulge, Indulgence

By guest contributor Amber Plante

As far as shopping for beauty products go, nothing beats Sephora for a quality variety of personal indulgences – but those many multicolored rows of eyeshadows, perfumes and body washes can swirl together into a sheer kaleidoscope of confusion.

As a trained make-up artist, I love getting lost in its bays, walking between test counters and wielding toss-out make-up applicators like a wizard and sniffing out the very best products Sephora has to offer within a budget designed for the average shopper not looking to spend a fortune.

Heck, I once spend 3 hours trying on mascara, looking for the perfect combination of brush size, length and thickness and fluid consistency – by the way, it’s Benefit’s Bad Gal Lash, which, for $20 is a bit pricey but worth every cent.

Anyway, in my endless wanderings, I’ve discovered some truly fabulous little gems that, when working in unison, can give you the most flawless face you’ve ever had.

My newest favorite find is Benefit’s You Rebel Lite tinted facial moisturizer. It’s a lighter shade than the original You Rebel, and it feels creamy on your skin but adds a sheer coverage much like foundation but without the gunky look and heavy feel.

And, if you prime your face with Smashbox’s Photo Finish – a secret of celebrities everywhere – then the You Rebel on top, with dabs of Benefit’s Hollywood Glow – another celeb secret – on your cheeks (for perfect placement, dab where you’d normally get a sunburn), your will glow with a dewy healthiness that screams neither beach bunny nor Snow White.

It’s a perfectly flawless look that will make you feel absolutely stunning. And when it comes down to it, isn’t that the point? It’s the perfect daily indulgence.

Labels: benefit, celebrity haircuts, indulge, nails, sephora, Skin, smashbox