As the creator of Arizona's little pink book to the spas ( www.ArizonaSpaGirls.com) , I've made it my mission to share the inspiration and self-realization that comes from the spa experience. I also served as the spa editor for Item Magazine and contribute lifestyle and beauty articles to The Arizona Republic, East West Magazine and others. My goal is to speak to the younger generation of spa-goer and break through the perception that the spa experience is a luxury set aside for a lucky few and that it is instead, the soul's requirement for a life in check. I live in Arizona with one spa boy, two spa dogs and one pampered spa cat.
To us Phoenicians flip-flops are a staple all year round, especially in the dog days of summer. So when the head SpaGirl plopped these sparkly slippers on my desk to try, I was all for it -- especially when I read that they promise to moisturize, exfoliate and massage. Anything is worth a try against my dry, cracked footsies. The name of the wearable foot care is Flip Fox and they retail just under $25 bucks, similar to the price point of the average flip-flop. But that's where the buck stops... Read Full Story
According to a CBS News report I caught this morning, the "latte effect" is a term coined nearly a decade ago that means consumers tend to cut out little luxuries like fancy coffee drinks when their economic shoestrings get pulled too tight. Apparently the latte effect is back full swing, and the report went on to advise us as consumers to cut back on "extra" expenses like manicures and hair highlights. (Not a single mention about men cutting back on their personal spending habits by the way... Read Full Story
Some people are drawn to sparkly stuff. Or stuff with flowers. Or with skulls and crossbones. Me? I'm drawn to anything pink. Just one peek in my closet tells the story. So when I came upon the Barbie-pink bottles of the L'Oreal Paris Vive Pro Nutri Gloss line in my local grocery store, I had to stop, take a deep breath and tell myself that I was just going to look. Of course, next thing you know, the shampoo, conditioner and conditioning treatment are lined up in my shower. I don't what... Read Full Story
The SpaGirls and I just returned from a road trip to Las Vegas, where we were immersed in the wild, wonderful and sometimes woolly world of beauty. Cosmoprof North America 2008, organized in cooperation with the Professional Beauty Association, was held July 13-15 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Vegas. The beauty trade show event drew some 26,000 beauty professionals and insiders, more than 700 exhibitors and was host to the hair celebrity-studded 19th Annual North American... Read Full Story
The SpaGirls and I just returned from a road trip to Las Vegas, where we were immersed in the wild, wonderful and sometimes woolly world of beauty. Cosmoprof North America 2008, organized in cooperation with the Professional Beauty Association, was held July 13-15 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Vegas. The beauty trade show event drew some 26,000 beauty professionals and insiders, more than 700 exhibitors and was host to the hair celebrity-studded 19th Annual North American... Read Full Story
Listen to any travel news clip or pick up a current lifestyle mag and clearly, the winning buzzword of the 2008 summer vacation season is "staycation" -- a term that means vacationing at a destination in your own backyard. Not a new concept to Arizonians. We've been doing it for decades. In fact, a local celebrity chef recently told me and a press group how he stakes out a pool-side room at the Arizona Biltmore Resort nearly every summer weekend so his kids can splash around until they crash... Read Full Story
Listen to any travel news clip or pick up a current lifestyle mag and clearly, the winning buzzword of the 2008 summer vacation season is "staycation" -- a term that means vacationing at a destination in your own backyard. Not a new concept to Arizonians. We've been doing it for decades. In fact, a local celebrity chef recently told me and a press group how he stakes out a pool-side room at the Arizona Biltmore Resort nearly every summer weekend so his kids can splash around until they crash... Read Full Story
I've been dieting for exactly two weeks now and I'll admit, I miss cheese. I miss butter. I so want to pound a mound of Fettuccine Alfredo and sop up the sauce with a hunk of crusty Italian bread. I ... am ... starving. But my posterior has once again managed to push its way past the borders of my big-girl pants and I can't afford a new wardrobe. So besides weaning myself off sugar and fried foods (I miss French fries!), I'm also seeking out calorie-free ways to reward myself for the tiny... Read Full Story
Word on the street is that most Valley folks are staying put for July Fourth weekend. With gas and plane ticket prices shooting up as high as our thermometer, who can blame us? But that got us thinking. If we're gonna hang out in the blazing desert for the long weekend, what will we do with ourselves besides bust out the potato salad and apple pie? Well duh, we're packing up our day bags and heading to the spa. In the spirit of independence and all things American, we dug up five exclusive... Read Full Story
In the ongoing search for the perfect home bronzer, I gave the new Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist from L'Oreal Paris a whirl. Granted, my first experience with a home tanning mist did not go well and I was initially hesitant to give it a try. The $20 bottle of airbrush tanner that I picked up previously at a local tanning joint was not worth the dough. I got more of the sticky brown formula on my bathtub than on my skin and although the color was fabulously rich, I ended... Read Full Story
