facials

Toronto lovers of beauty rejoice - Beautylicious is back again!  For those not familiar with what it is, many of the salons and spas in the Bloor-Yorkville area offer consumers set value-priced packages and services for a set period of time.  there is a wide array of hair, spa, skin and health & wellness service packages available at three set prices - $25, $75 and $125 in four categories: hair (hair/colour/cut/style); spa (includes massage and/or facial and/or mani/pedi); skin (non-invasive procedures including Botox, Restylane or chemical peel); and Health & Wellness (nutrition services, dental, chiropractic services)

There are too many packages for me to even begin to tell you about but you can find all the event info at www.bloor-yorkville.com with details of all the participating spas and salons as well as the packages available.  But I will share with you a few of the ones I have my eye on as well as a few that I have tried already and can recommend:

Marc Anthony Salon - 38 Avenue Road - 416-413-1521 has an amazing $125 offering of an all-over colour, wash, deep conditioning treatment, Shiatsu scalp massage, haircut and blowout (for new clients only).  I got my hair cut there with Byron last week and it was great - you can read the review here.

Taz Hair Co. - 11 Yorkville Avenue - 416-922-6060 has a great $75 or $125 package involving colour and/or highlights - snag Susan if you can, she's great and they use the INOA colour there which has to be experienced to be believed!  You can read my review here.

Pure + Simple - 41 Avenue Road - 416-924-6555 - I can't say enough about the deluxe sea salt microdermabrasion so you will just have to go an experience it for yourself for $125!  You can read the review here.

and don't miss out on seeing Dr. Cory Torgerson - Facial Cosmetic Surgery - 70 Yorkville Avenue, Suite 31 - 647-343-0207 - who is offering special promotional prices on Restylane or Perlane injectable fillers as well as Botox.  If you aren't ready for that yet, he is also offering a complimentary consultation and 3D photo image session - check out what you could look like after a bit (or a lot) of work!  I did it and it was fun, you can check out the post here.

What sounds interesting that I haven't tried:

Clarins Skin Spa - 87 Yorkville Avenue - 416-924-9124 - for $125 I can have a Hawaiian Wave body treatment + Firmer bust: super moisturizing treatment for the body and bust and decollete treatment to stimulate and tone for firmer skin in this delicate area.

OxyBeauty - 14A Hazelton Avenue, Suite 304 - 416-929-4597 - for $75 I can have a OXYjet facial: removes pore impurities, replenishes antioxidant content and provides deep skin moisturizing for environmentally damaged skin

Spa at the Windor Arms Hotel - 18 St. Thomas Street - 416-934-6031 - for $75 I can have a 60 minute Pumpkin Body Wrap: this vitamin-rich masque stimulates blood flow and nourishes the skin.

I have no idea how I will ever choose - it's too bad I only have one face (unlike Christelle)!

Check it out at www.bloor-yorkville.com and help me make a decision and if you're going to book, do it soon, they book up fast and it only runs October 28-November 7!

Women have been known to put some pretty strange stuff on their skin, but finally something that makes sense to me - Gold!
Dr. Hauschka Spa in Montreal is now offering a Holistic 24 Karat Gold Facial - for $270 you get a sumptuous two hour treatment where the lymphatic flow is stimulated to help eliminate toxins and make the skin receptive to the benefits of the gold.  The sheets are then applied as a mask to thoroughly cleansed skin.  Using light touches, they are then gently pressed into the skin so the effects can penetrate deeply.



I'm sure you are wondering how the heck gold could be good for your skin and if this is some kind of beauty scam, but there is actually science behind the use of gold:  much as gold is used as a conductor in electronics, gold exerts an influence on electrons present in the cells.  It rapidly warms the skin to provide a comforting sensation while helping increase oxygenation, balancing the acidity of the body tissue fluids and freeing the skin of impurities.  The heat energy also helps release negative ions and rid skin cells of free radicals.  As a result, wrinkles are diminished, blemishes banished, and age spots fade away.  The skin becomes genuinely luminous, and women report a feeling of complete inner and outer radiance.

The results last approximately 3 weeks.  A single treatment is ideal any time for an added glow, especially before a big event but for optimal results a series of six monthly treatments is recommended.

And if you have this done in February, you can look just like an Oscar!

You can find the Dr. Hauschka Spa at 1444 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC - 514-286-1444.