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.
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 -
