spas

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!

Is there anything better then a day of pampering?  I can't think of anything so last Saturday I spent the day in Yorkville going from salon to spa, it's a rough life but someone has to do it!

First stop was the Mark Anthony Salon at 38 Avenue Road - it looks exactly the way I would imagine a trendy Yorkville salon should look: white and polished with glass and chic people everywhere!

I filled out a form, was offered a drink, a complimentary manicure and then it was off to meet the person who would have my life (okay fine, hair) in his hands...

The very charming Byron was my stylist - he sat me down to have a look at my hair and chat about what I was looking for and then he sent me off with Silva to get washed - and all I can say is OMG!  There has only ever been one other place where I have had such a great shampoo (a little Asian place in Markham where nobody spoke English and I finally had to stop going to because we didn't understand a single word the other one was saying and I kept ending up with weird haircuts because of it, but damn, I miss those shampoos!) Silva used the perfect amount of pressure, gave the most wonderful scalp massage and didn't get any part of my body wet that wasn't supposed to be!  It was also quite luxurious because while I was being washed, Mizuki the manicurist was doing my nails, and continued to work on them during the cut - that's what I imagine it's like to be rich, you just laze around while teams of people work on you!

So here's my issue with hairdressers, and I've had this problem constantly since moving to Toronto - you go, they ask you what you want and 75% of the time you leave with something entirely different then what you asked for.  I think the problem is they either don't listen, don't understand, can't do what you want or are drunk.  Options 1 and 2 are most likely but I won't discount option 4 in a couple of instances...  For this reason my favourite part of my cut with Byron was he really listened - I told him that I needed a cut that was low maintenance and didn't require any styling to look okay and that's exactly what I got - it's almost disappointing how well he listened because he didn't even style it fancy like they usually do at the salon, you know the style you can never replicate yourself at home?  I both hate and love that they do that!  The other great thing is that the styling product that he used was the same as the Marc Anthony products that you can buy at the drugstore, which is nice because then no one is hitting you up to buy fancy products when you are done! 

If you are shopping for a new hairdresser, I would totally recommend Byron, not only is he a good stylist, he's cute, he's straight and he flirts (not that there is anything wrong with gay hairdressers but flirting with them is like giving a blind man a subscription to Playboy - it's a nice thought but it's pointless).

Hair cuts for women start at $65 or $45 for men, colour starts at $70 and I was very interested to notice that they offer INOA for a $10 service charge.  They also offer extensions, highlights, perms, a blow dry club where you can purchase a package of blow outs for a reduced price, formal up-dos as well as bridal services.  You can get the full price list and info at www.markanthony.com  and if you're more of an uptown girl, Mark Anthony has another location at 1918 Avenue Road - 416-789-1212.

You can contact the downtown salon at 416-413-1521.

Then it was across the street to 41 Avenue Road to be pampered at Pure + Simple which is totally serene and relaxing inside and of course it smells amazing, just the way a spa should!

I was there to have the deluxe sea salt microdermabrasion.  I have never had it before but knew it was good for refining your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, pores, scars and pigmentation. My esthetician was Tahlia and she assured me it wouldn't hurt - which it didn't, it's an unusual sensation, a combination of light suction and a cat licking your face! Along with the micro, there is also a more traditional facial with cleansing, steaming, extractions, lotions, potions and my favourite part - facial massage!  Tahlia was great, even the extractions didn't hurt and most importantly, she did them by hand, not with something metal (which you should never let them do during a facial - fingers only)!  By the end I felt thoroughly cleansed, refreshed and relaxed.  And here's the really great part - my skin looked terrible the day I went, I was all broken out on my chin and around my mouth - by the next day I had started to clear up and within 4 days, my skin was beautifully clear.  Tahlia did warn me that I might see some flakiness right afterwards, which I did, and now that it's a week later, my skin really does look great - I will most certainly be going to have another treatment.  Some places recommend you have a series of treatments a couple of weeks apart but Tahlia recommended it be done once a month.


Once you are done your treatment, you can check out their Aladdin's cave (room) of products - Pure + Simple has their own line (made right here in Toronto) and an extensive line it is!  Every product for every skin type/issue you could think of, it probably has!  They also carry lots of other lines including: Dr. Hauschka, Jurlique, Jane Iredale Mineral MakeUp and Kiss Me.  Better yet, they will make you a sample of anything you want to take home and try!  Right now I am totally in love with the Pure + Simple Collagen + elastin Serum, it goes on silky smooth and makes my skin feel that way too!

As well as the microdermabrasion, Pure + Simple also offers facials, Intense Pulse Light Photo Facials, LED Light Treatments, LumiLift Facials, Skin Renewing Peels, Intense Pulse Light Hair Removal and waxing.

They also have 3 other locations if you aren't a downtown girl:  2375 Yonge Street - 416-481-2081; 725 King Street W - 416-366-8558 or 348 Lakeshore Rd. E, Oakville - 905-844-4900.  You can contact the 41 Avenue Road location at 416-924-6555 and if you want more info and pricing check out the website at www.pureandsimple.ca.

Dr. Romy Saibil and Dr. Francine Gerstein own and staff the spa and they were kind enough to sit down and chat with me.  I have to say it wasn't at all like talking to a couple of doctors, it was more like sitting around and dishing with a couple of girlfriends which was great!  From looking at them you would never think they were highly trained physicians, they look young enough to be sorority girls but this is thanks to being their own clients. They freely admitted to me that they indulge in their own procedures and if you ever want to know how good a job a doctor can do, take a look at their own work on their medical partner! After trying very hard to get them to give up the names of some celebrity clients (they wouldn't), I was really interested to know their philosophy about what they did and it's simple:  They believe that you need to trust your doctor and feel that they care about you and want to give you the very best results possible.  They also believe in practicing medicine properly and by the book and not cutting corners as well as taking pride in what they do.  What more can you ask for?

We then talked about the various medical services that True MediSpa offers and this is where I found out one of the things that sets them apart from some other facilities that offer the same  - these services are always performed by one of the doctors.  I have heard and seen a lot of ads for medi spas that claim to always have a doctor on premises, but hey, if someone's going to stick a needle in your face, you want to make sure that it's a doctor and not just some random employee!

Drs Saibil and Gerstein are certified Botox injectors and with Botox still being the most popular treatment, they get lots of opportunity to work their craft.  They think the most important thing to remember when getting Botox is that you still want to look like yourself and natural but better after you have it  - this is why you want a real doctor with a good eye for where to inject doing it - Botox is not the time to be looking for a sale or a cut rate provider!  It will run you between $300-$800 depending on how many areas you are having treated and lasts 3-6 months.  Dermal fillers, which are quickly catching up in popularity are $550-$2,000 and last 3 months - 1 year.  And don't worry, not only will the doctors follow up with you after your procedure, they insist on it - and take before and after pictures so you can see the change!

Other services offered and performed by the doctors are Physician Strength Chemical Peels and Spider Vein Treatments.
True MediSpa also offers other cosmetic services by non-physicians with protocols that are supervised by the doctors:  Photo Rejuvenation ($425 full face), Microdermabrasion ($120 face), Facials ($120), Chemical Peels ($120) and Laser Hair Removal ($399 lower legs) - you can also buy a series of any treatment for a discount.  Of course I couldn't visit without trying something out so I had a Pumpkin Peel with the lovely Jenna.  This isn't one of those super strong peels, since I had to go back to work afterwards, but something to get rid of the dead skin and freshen up my complexion - and perfect for fall, it smelled just like having a pumpkin pie on your face (but less tasty).   And I will say that the next day, my skin glowed!
If you're not a spa girl, this is still a great place to visit for a product fix, they carry lines I have never heard of like Vivierskin, Skin TX as well as lines I already love like Alyria.  And if you've been looking for the Daniel Thompson makeup line that's been in the news recently, they have that as well!

One line that I didn't know but have now tried and am a fan of is Clayton Shagal - specifically the Colhy Gel In-Depth Moisturizer - 50ml - $110 - a clinical strength moisturizer that is so light, you will swear you don't have any on!  Some of it's benefits: It helps replace lost collagen in your body, stimulates the production of collagen within, tightens pores, delays the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, smooths existing wrinkles while making the skin smooth and supple, corrects pigmentation spots and makes the skin glow from within, increases the lipid elasticity of the skin, heals burns and scars, improves skin density, maintains hydration levels in the skin.  If it can do even half of all that this gel will be my new love!


You can call 416-780-1100 to book an appointment or check out the website at www.truemedispa.com

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.

With so much crappy stuff going on in the world we love it when we have the chance to promote somebody doing good!

For the months of November and December, Tuesday through Saturday from 11-6pm - the lovely people at Bloom Beauty Lounge in New York are offering something special for men and women in treatment for cancer -   a complimentary Simply Organic luxury shampoo, condition & scalp treatment/massage.  After each treatment they will have a complimentary hair and make-up consultation.  They will be placed under over head dryers to naturally dry (preserving the effect of the treatment) before they leave the salon.  In addition, Aestelance hair care products has donated travel size shampoo & conditioner, as a gift for each person that signs up for this service.  On certain days both doctors will meet and consult as well.

This special event is being held as part of Beauty From the Inside Out - a program designed to support men and women aesthetically, nutritionally and emotionally as they are in treatment for cancer.  You can go to www.beautyfromtheinsideout.org for more info.

Get more info or book - Bloom Beauty Lounge - 140 W 19th Street, New York, NY 10011 - 212-255-9355 http://bloombeautylounge.com