Topic: spa treatments

5 Super Easy DIY Spa Treatments For Spring

I’ve always loved to mix up beauty treatments in my kitchen. In high school, I was totally the girl trying to convince my friends to have an at-home “spa night” before a dance or something like that. Actually, who am I kidding? My friends and I didn’t go to dances in high school. We went to ska shows in basements. Although hey, you still wanted your skin to look good so the dude with the gelled hair in the Less Than Jake t-shirt would look your way. But I digress. What I’m trying to get at here is that making beauty treatments at home is fun, and what better season to do it in than spring? Here are a few easy recipes for face masks, hair masks and body scrubs you can make at home tonight, whether your plans include skank-dancing or sitting around watching Smash. More »

How I Found Body Acceptance Through Massages & Spa Treatments

After having a child, I had a hard time maintaining my pre-baby weight, which led to some serious issues with body acceptance and self image. But I found my way in the weirdest of places. I learned how to appreciate my new, larger physique through regular trips to the local spa. More »

This Woman Gives A Massage That Bites (Literally)

Every massage therapist has her own methods, but Well+Good NYC found one who bites—literally. More »

How To Nix Post-Facial Breakouts

I adore that refreshed and rosy, just-stepped out of the spa feeling I get post facial. My pores feel fresh and clean from the extractions and soft from the exfoliation and cleansing—until I wake up the next day to a face full of zits. This is my biggest complaint about my skin post facial and I sometimes wonder if it’s even worth the facial in the first place. Little did I know, however, that these breakouts could have been partly my fault for not taking care of my skin properly initially after the facial. More »

Salumi Therapy: Spa Vacation, Italian-Style

I’ve seen my fair share of post-facial chocolates, and even hotel spa “health” cocktails, but salami and spas are something I’ve never thought belonged together. How foolish. Apparently, salumi therapy is on the rise in Italy, and Faith Willinger tried it out for The Atlantic.

The “cured meat therapy” is offered in Parma by Ivan Bertelli, owner of Hosteria da Ivan and Italian spa veteran, who decided to combine his passion for pork (sorry, sounds gross) with his vast experience in R&R. More »

Blisstree Beauty School: Garlic Gives You Glowing Skin and Nice Nails

I almost always have a garlic bulb in my cupboard to add to dinnertime recipes. I really hate chopping it up though, because its juice lingers on my hands for hours, and no amount of scrubbing can totally eliminate the powerful scent. So when I was browsing my local beauty store and saw beauty treatments containing garlic, my initial reaction was “disgusting!” But then I got curious: What did these products smell like, and why would anyone seek out garlic of all things in their skin care regimen? I had to know more. More »

Win an Anti-Aging Kit From Park Avenue Prescription Worth $70!

Today’s new 40 Days of Giveaways prize is time-travel in a bottle for your skin. (If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is using the season of Lent to reward you for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Each weekday from now until May 3, we’ll give away a different prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan.) And today’s prize is all about revealing the younger-looking you this spring and summer. We’re giving away one (1) Park Avenue Prescription Anti-Aging Starter Kit (worth $70) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. Aging? We defy you. More »

Win a $25 “Cool Fix” Unisex Shave Gel From Shaveworks

Today’s new 40 Days of Giveaways prize is nothing less than super-cool. (If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is using the season of Lent to reward you for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Each weekday from now until May 3, we’ll give away a different prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan.) And today’s prize is all about cooling off and smoothing things over this spring and summer – as far as your skin and the hairs on it are concerned. We’re giving away one (1) bottle of The Cool Fix Targeted Shave Gel Lotion from Shaveworks (5.3 ounces, worth $25) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. And never fear, dudes: This stuff is made for both women and men. Smooth move, if we do say so ourselves. More »

Win a Lexli 30-Day Skincare Starter Kit Worth $84

Today’s new 40 Days of Giveaways prize is all about you and your pretty little face – and keeping it that way. (If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is using the season of Lent to reward you for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Each weekday from now until May 3, we’ll give away a different prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan.) And today’s prize features supreme skincare for spring and summer. We’re giving away one (1) Lexli 30-Day Skincare Starter Kit (worth $84) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. And that’s a nice fact to face.

Lexli’s 30-Day Starter Kit is an easy way to try our skin care line and make sure it’s right for you. Each kit provides a month’s supply of products featured as a part of Lexli’s Simple 4-Step System. Included in the travel-friendly kit are: Aloe-Based Cleansing Lotion (2 oz.), Aloe-Based AloeGlyC® Renewing Exfoliant (0.50 oz.), Aloe-Based Day Moisturizer with SPF 15 for Normal to Dry Skin (0.50 oz.), Aloe-Based Tone and Balance (2 oz), and Aloe-Based Night Moisturizer (0.5 oz). More »

What We're Reading:

Eco-Friendly Bamboo Isn’t Just for Cutting Boards – It Can Also Improve Skin and Hair

I knew that I could get a bamboo-fiber towel, bamboo serving utensils, and even order bamboo as part of my Chinese takeout, but I was really surprised to see it make an appearance at my neighborhood beauty product shop. But is it really all that versatile? With so many ways to use, eat, and consume bamboo, I had to find out how it fit into my beauty regimen.

What It Is:

You may think of bamboo as a strictly Asian plant, but it’s actually found on every continent except Europe and Antarctica. Most people are familiar with Bambusa vulgaris, or “common bamboo,” but there are more 1,400 species. And it’s actually classified as a grass.

What It’s Used For:

There are literally hundreds of uses for bamboo. You’ve likely come across it as a simple houseplant – it requires little water and sunlight, making it perfect for black thumbs. Because of the plant’s strength and quick growth cycle (it can grow up to 39 inches per day), bamboo has quickly become the darling of sustainable design. It’s used in construction because it’s as strong as steel and increasingly in environmentally-friendly projects like clothing, flooring, and kitchen accessories. More »

Win a $70 Anti-Aging Kit From Park Avenue Prescription

Win “The Cool Fix” Unisex Shave Gel Lotion Worth $25

Today’s new 40 Days of Giveaways prize is nothing short of super-cool. (If you’re late to this spring fling: Blisstree is using the season of Lent to reward you for giving up your vices in favor of healthier habits. Each weekday from now until May 3, we’ll give away a different prize to one reader just for becoming our Facebook fan.) And today’s prize is all about cooling off and smoothing things over this spring and summer – as far as your skin and the hairs on it are concerned. We’re giving away one (1) bottle of The Cool Fix Targeted Shave Gel Lotion (5.3 ounces, worth $25) to one reader who simply “Likes” Blisstree on Facebook. Best part? This stuff is made for both women and men. Smooth move, if we do say so ourselves. More »

Beauty Product Review: bareMinerals Naturally Luminous Skin Renewing Trio

What it is: 30-Day bareMinerals Naturally Luminous Skin Renewing Trio (Purifying Facial Cleanser, Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for Combination Skin, and Firming Eye Treatment)

What’s in it: Lavender oil, apricot kernel oil, coffee seed extract, licorice root extract, olive fruit oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, antioxidants, xanthan gum, and a alot of unpronounceable ingredients that I wouldn’t want to meet on an SAT exam without ample No. 2 pencils at the ready.

What’s not in it: Synthetic fragrances or artificial oils

What it feels like: The Purifying Facial Cleanser is a total winner; my face feels freshly cleaned after each use, which sounds obvious, but I’ve met a lot of cleansers in my experience that don’t end up making you feel cleaner at the end of the day. The Purely Nourishing Moisturizer feels light and grease-less, and I’m liking the amount of moisture it’s delivering. And after just a couple weeks of using the Firming Eye Treatment at bedtime, I’ve noticed reduced puffiness under my eyes. And that makes for a good night (and next day).
More »

Beauty Product Review: Korres Body Butter

What’s in it: 93.8% natural (kind of an odd percentage). Nuts, fragrance, alcohol (0.06%), shea butter, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, quince extract, red grape polyphenols, glycerine, citric acid, castor oil, xanthan gum, and a host of other difficult-to-pronounce ingredients that I wouldn’t want to have to recite aloud in public.

What’s not in it: Parabens, petrolatum, paraffin wax, silicones, mineral oil, phthalates, SLES, ALES, synthetic dyes, retinol, wheat, or animal by-products

What it feels like: Unforch, I’m not wild about the way this body butter goes on. It’s feels substantially greasy, which is a quality I don’t want in a product that I’m supposed to regularly slather all over my body. Plus, it takes quite a few strokes, rubs, and circles for it to fully absorb into my skin, which I don’t consider a beauty product upside. More »

Click for more posts