Relax your cares away at the new eforea: spa at Hilton!

I love to spa and have always maintained that if I were really rich I would have absolutely no issue spending all of my days just wallowing in spa treatments!

I also really enjoy trying new places and treatments and have an ever expanding list in my head of all my favourites - to which list I was able to add a new spa this past weekend after my visit to the brand spankin' new eforea: spa at Hilton - the global luxury spa brand of Hilton Hotels & Resorts and first Canadian  location at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre and Spa.
You can feel yourself begin to relax as soon as you enter into the spa which offers a clean and airy feeling and soothing atmosphere. At some places you can get the feeling of being conveyor-belted through the place as quickly as possible - but not so at eforea where you are encourage to hang out in the lounge, have a steam or just have some quiet time to yourself before and/or after your treatment.

You'll find both face, body and salon treatments as well as a whole range of treatments for men that are done in their very own "Man Cave" treatment room.

I tried both a face and body treatment starting with the Signature Full Body Repair including an invigorating therapeutic mineral salt scrub, full body effleurage, dry wrap and relaxing facial massage with rose crystal stones. I also had the Soft pack which is basically like being enveloped in a warm waterbed - there is a very womb-like feel to it - you do this after the moisturizer is applied and the warmth really helps it soak in! And if that wasn't good enough while you are in this wonderful cocoon of warmth and comfort you get a head massage - I can't tell you many things I enjoy more then a head massage! My other favourite part of the facial which I had also never experienced before was the facial massage with rose crystal stones - my puffy eyes were entirely gone by the end of my treatment and of course my body was as soft and smooth as it's possible to be!

Then I had the Signature Correcting Facial with microcurrent which includes multi-acid exfoliation, cleansing, toning, hydrating masque, eye treatment, scalp and foot massage and the microcurrent to help firm and tone. Having had many facials I can tell you what was different about this one - no extractions - and I know my pores were a mess before I went in and totally clear when I left so I think the multi-acid exfoliation did the extraction job without the pain so I'm on board with that! If you are adverse to pain you may not enjoy the microcurrent portion - I found it uncomfortable but I have friends who have had it that found it downright ouchy. If you have a low tolerance to pain take a couple of Advil first and you should be good. My skin felt firmer afterwards though so it was worth it!

The product whore in me also  appreciates the hard-to-find spa product brands available for purchase including European facial, body and bath products and treatments from Kerstin Florian; LI'TYA - which draws on the revitalizing and restorative powers of Australia's native resources and VitaMan - a comprehensive line of spa and grooming products espcially for the boys.

Everything you ever wanted to know and that I didn't tell you already can be found at www.hilton.com/eforea or to book contact the Spa Concierge at 905-470-8522.

If you want to make a weekend of it and do the "stay-cation" thing, this is the place to do it along with the spa, this Hilton offers:

Newly renovated oversized suites with their own sitting room and 2 tv's so you won't be forced to watch sports - along with Peter Thomas Roth bath products (be sure and take the extras home in your purse, they are that good!)

Essence of Unionville Restaurant with a menu featuring muticultural flavours reflective of the community along with seasonal ingredients. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily as well as weekend afternoon tea (involving all kinds of yummy treats from the in-house Pastry Chef) as well as Sunday brunch.

Absolute Atrium Lounge with a laid back feel, it's a great place to meet up with friends for a few drinks and some appetizers.

Club Markham Fitness, Squash and Swim - a 30,000 square foot state-of-the aret racquet & health club with all of the fitness equipment you could ever possibly need to torture yourself with including cardio, weight and group fitness. More relaxing is the steam rooms, saunas, whirlpool and the outdoor Zen Garden & sundeck.

I highly recommend leaving the spouse and kids at home but if you must bring them there are lots of local attractions - send the husband off to Angus Glen to golf and the kids to Canada's Wonderland and your day is free for the spa. Or have a family day at the Toronto Zoo or Ontario Science Centre but that sounds a lot less relaxing...

Check out www.torontomarkham.hilton.com for more details or 905-470-8500 to make a reservation.

- Lisamarie -

Nailopolis Specialty Manicure & Pedicure Beautique wants to pamper your fingers and toes!

If you love a good mani and pedi done in a relaxing and super cute atmosphere you are going to want to check out the new Nailopolis Specialty Manicure & Pedicure Beautique at 609 Mt. Pleasant Road in Toronto! They offer friendly service, comfy chairs and a shabby chic decor that will have you feeling right at home!

I stopped in this past weekend to see Alex for some finger and toe pampering that involved soaking, scrubbing and wonderful massaging! You will also want to check out the seasonal soak scent - cinnamon and the moisturizing creams - dark chocolate, vanilla coconut, peppermint candy cane and pumpkin spice - which is the one that I chose and I smelled like a bakery for the rest of the day, which is a good thing in my book!

Now is a great time to discover the joy of Nailopolis - right now Buytopia is running a deal - for $39 you get a 2-hour Shellac Manicure and Deluxe Pedicure that includes a pomegranate fig, tuscan citrus, milk & honey masque & scrub (a $93 total value) - pick one up for yourself and one for a friend and make a day of it! Just go to the link below and buy as many as you like - just note that as with all deals - it's for a limited time so you so don't wait!

$39 for an amazing 2 hour mani & pedi!

or cut and paste the link into your browser: http://www.buytopia.ca/deal/2222/?skip=true&a_aid=beautycrazed

Please note that using the above link to score your deal will also put a bit of money in the coffers of Beauty Crazed - if you are morally opposed to this, you can go directly to the Buytopia.ca site and get the same deal! 

You'll find Nailopolis at 609 Mt. Pleasant Road in Toronto - 416-481-4943.

- Lisamarie -

Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie - experience the Far East right in the heart of Toronto!

Toronto spa lovers can now travel to the exotic Middle East without ever leaving the city thanks to the Miraj Hammam Spa, who together with Caudalie Paris offer an experience inspired by the ancient rituals of the Middle East and the vineyards of Bordeaux.

With specialties in hammam & gommage, massage, facials, body care while not forgetting manicures and pedicures - there are some very interesting treatments including:

Hammam & Gommage - 30 minutes - $125 - a steam and body exfoliation that is part of the authentic traditions of the Middle East. De-stress between a private high intensity and low mist steam chamber, the Hammam will cleanse your body while stimulating your senses and imagination. lay relaxed on Jerusalem gold marble as you experience an invigorating full body exfoliation using eucalyptus infused black Moroccan soap and is considered to be the ultimate detoxification treatment.

Go it alone or bring a friend or two, they'd have to be pretty good friends though to my way of thinking...

Barrel Bath - 15minutes - $65 - relax in a bubbly bath enriched with Red Vine extracts, stimulated by a soothing cranial massage together with a unique blend of essential oils to enhance circulation.

They had me at head massage...

The head massage was tempting but I had a Vinosource Treatment Facial - 60 minutes - $160 - which includes all of the usual skin cleansing, scrubbing and masking that you expect from a facial but here's what amazed me and after hundreds of facials I'm a little hard to amaze - my Vinotherapist, Melissa, did the gentlest extractions that I have ever had, my skin was not in the least bit red or burning at the end which has never happened after extractions! I was kind of expecting after such an easy time of it that the blackheads would still pretty much be there but my skin was absolutely clear, I'm still in awe! If you avoid extractions because of the pain go see Melissa and tell her you want the Lisamarie extractions!

Of course they use the Caudalie line during the facial which really adds to the experience because the products all smell so good it's like having aromatherapy at the same time! And if you like any of the products they are also all there for purchase!

My favourite product right now is Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum - 30ml - $88 - a fresh, oil-free serum that contains the highest concentration of Resveratrol-Oleyl - which works at both the intra-cellular leven where it stimulated collagen fiber production as well as at the extra-cellular level to inhibit carbonyl stress while encouraging the production of superior quality collagen and elastin - which gives spectacular results in filling the areas most subject to aging, acting on density and firmness: cheekbones, facial contours, neck and decollete as well as smoothing facial features and restoring volume to the face.

Available at www.caudalie.com, Sephora or you can pick it up at the spa after your treatment.

Speaking of after your treatment, this was one of my favourite parts of my experience at the Miraj Hammam Spa. At most spas you finish your facial, get dressed and go home which is hard when you are so relaxed. There is no rush to get you out at the Miraj Hammam - there is a lounge area that they encourage you to use where you can lie around in your robe like you live in a harem reading magazines while indulging in mint tea and pastries!

Experience the Far East for yourself at the Miraj Hammam Spa located at the new Shangri-La Hotel - 188 University Avenue in Toronto - 647-253-5770 - mirajcaudaliespa.com

- Lisamarie -

Microdermabrasion and mud at Avenue Skin Care followed by Reflexology at Happy Foot Spa!

Is there anything better then a day of spa-ing in Yorkville? If there is, I can't think of what it would be!

To start things off, I went to see Christina at Avenue Skin Care to smooth out my summer skin sins with some microdermabrasion and a mud mask.

What made it a different experience for me was how much time and care Christina took with actually taking a good look at my skin before actually doing anything. Most of the time I go for a facial and they may ask you what your skin type is but rarely do they actually look at your face much before they start slapping stuff on it! Christina wanted to know and see what parts of my face were sensitive before starting the procedure so as not to further irritate any sensitive bits. What was also nice was during the entire procedure she actually pointed out areas of concern and how to fix them which was really very helpful! She finished me off with a mud mask which tingled a bit at first as it sucked all the crap out of my face.

If you like instant gratification treatments, this combo is the way to go, there is nothing else that will make your skin immediately feel so smooth and look so radiant!

The secret of course is the accent - Christina is from Romania and I'm absolutely convinced that estheticians with a European accent of some sort do a much better job then those without. This goes right along with my theory that cleaning products that don't smell like lemon don't actually clean anything.

Have your own blissful skin experience at Avenue Skin Care - 110 Cumberland Street, Suite 200 - 416-962-0001 - www.avenueskincare.com.

Now that my face was in order, it was time to take care of my feet!

I've actually had reflexology once before and it was the most painful thing that I have ever paid money to have done to me so I'm actually pretty surprised (and impressed) that I had the guts to try it again - but I figured with a name like Happy Foot Spa it was something that really needed to be done!

If you aren't familiar with Reflexology, it's an ancient practice from Egypt, Indian and China and is based on the idea that tension in different areas or zones on the feet and legs correspond with tension in other areas of the body. The natural massage practice relieves pain, tension and increases relaxation in the body through stimulating the reflex areas on the foot. The treatment helps with all kinds of issues: diabetes, high blood pressure, poor circulation, sleep issues, migraines, back pain, hormonal imbalance, digestive problems and stress related conditions.

The reflexology treatment starts with a herbal footbath to relax (and I assume clean) your feet and while you are soaking, you are "treated" to a neck and shoulder massage. I say "treated" because the sweet little thing doing my treatment, Cindy, massaged my neck and shoulders like they had done her wrong and she was having her revenge! After that came the reflexology. I was a little worried that it would be as spirited as the massage had been but it was thankfully very enjoyable - I only wish that Cindy spoke English so she could have explained to me what body parts my feet were telling her had issues! The best part for me though was the last step, hot towels wrapped around my feet and legs - I just love me a hot towel!

Make your own feet happy at Happy Foot Spa - they have 4 locations which you can find details for all of at: www.happyfootspa.ca or visit the one I did in Yorkville at 70 Yorkville Avenue, Unit LR4 - 416-962-1500.

- Lisamarie -

Pretty In The City Lash & Beauty Bar has something new that will allow you to throw out your eyelash curler!

I've had lots of different treatments in the name of beauty but before Pretty In The City, I'd never even heard of a lash lift before - I mean there are a lot of things that I expect I will have lifted in the future - my boobs, my butt, my face, even my spirits but I never even considered lifting my lashes!

You aren't totally out of it if you haven't heard of this treatment either - it's popular in the UK but a new thing in Canada and I don't expect it will remain a secret for long!

Since I'm always game to try something new I headed to Pretty In The City last week to have my lashes lifted by the lovely Ana.

The Lash Lift isn't like traditional eyelash perms which use sponge rods and curl the lashes backwards and have the downside of possibly creating inconsistent curls or can make your lashes look short and stubby, instead lashes are lifted upwards creating illusion of longer lashes which opens up the eyes dramatically giving you a wide-eye look.

Here's their promo before/after shot:

The treatment itself wasn't the least bit uncomfortable - a silicone pad was used to lift each lash individually. The solution used is similar to a traditional perm solution so it doesn't smell the greatest but they give you a mask to block out most of the smell so the whole procedure is very tolerable, takes about an hour and will set you back $65.

One thing to note if you have blonde tipped lashes like me - I was told at first  that I wouldn't have good results with the lift because my lashes are too short - of course they aren't short just really light so I made her take a second look - this would have been a good reason to have the tint first!

They recommend that along with the lift you have your lashes tinted which can be done 2 days before or after the lift (the lift and tint are $80 or $25 for just the tint). If I had been smart I would have gotten the tint first so you would be able to see my lashes in the before pic and have gotten the full lift effect in the after - but I'm not that smart so I pulled a before pic from one of my Mascara Monday posts.

 And below is after the lift and the tint:

Pretty awesome right? For the next 4-6 weeks I can look forward to extra time in the morning because unless I want a more dramatic look, I can totally skip mascara!

Pretty In The City also offer lots of other services including Eyelash Extensions, Brows, Waxing, Manicures, Pedicures and Makeup Applications. Find more info at www.prettyinthecity.ca or book an appointment at 416-482-8688. You'll find them at 2369 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor in Toronto.

- Lisamarie -

Hammam Spa - tranquility awaits you in the heart of Toronto!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I would make an excellent rich person. There would be none of that keeping my job and going to work stuff, I would spend all my time at the spa - really, there are enough spa services out there that I could get something different done every day!

Hammam Spa is one of the spas that I will be sure to visit often - fashioned on a traditional Turkish bath and even includes an authentic Turkish Steam Room! Just bear in mind that the steam room is co-ed and that during TIFF you might find Colin Farrell hanging out there - either of these things could be construed as negatives, you make up your own mind.

Upon entering Hammam, I could immediately feel the peace and tranquility, and the smell - wow, it just smells great - there is just something about the smell of a spa that just makes me happy!

Services available include: facials ($130-$175), peels ($70), microdermabrasion ($125), massage ($75-$195), body treatments ($120-$140), epilation ($15-$100) - and always my favourite - manicures ($30-$60) and pedicures ($45-$75) - so of course that's what I went for!

As you can see in the pic above, you sit on a throne-like chair for the pedicure - great for having a pedicure party - you can all just sit in a row and chat, or if you want solitude the curtain can come down to separate the stations! The lovely Morgan made quick work of my winter-abused feet and she didn't even roll her eyes when I changed my mind about polish colour and made her hunt down the perfect turquoise! I left with hands and feet that you wouldn't know had ever done a day of work!

I heard that some of our crazy lovely readers do not enjoy spa-ing, I won't pretend to understand it but I will give you another reason to check out Hammam - beauty products of course! Shop lines like Juara (an amazing botanical line), Naturelle D'Orient (an organic Argan oil line), Altru and faves like Dermalogica - maybe the atmosphere will inspire you to get something done too!

You'll find Hammam Spa at 602 King Street West in Toronto - 416-366-4772

- Lisamarie -

Lux Spa has a new Toronto location!

Lux Spa, voted Canada's best manicure in 2010 and best pedicure in 2009 has a new location for your spa-ing pleasure!

Toronto has long been enjoying their services in Yorkville at the 25 Bellair Street location and now you can stop off after a day of shopping at the Eaton Center at their downtown location at 211 Yonge Street, Mezzanine Level.

To set up your pampering session can call them at - 416-921-1680 (Yorkville) or 416-367-8414 or you can be all modern and book online: https://luxspa.boomtime.com/lschedule

This many options makes it almost impossible to make a choice - I changed my mind 3 times!

I highly recommend a scrub and paraffin treatment to go with your manicure or pedicure - I had the smoothest hands and feet ever after my time in the chair!

And if you've been looking for someplace to pick up your Lovefresh products, look no further!

- Lisamarie -

Relax on Avenue Road at Marc Anthony Salon and Pure + Simple Spa!

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.

- Lisamarie -