spa day (July edition)

After a very long work week I went for some relaxation at Wild Earth Spa in La Verne, CA it wasn't quite what I expected but ended up okay. I've always had a good experience in the past, but based on this trip I don't know that I'll go back.

I opted for one of their spa packages with a wrap and massage...apparently it's available on their website but is no longer on their in store menu.  The guy up front kept asking me if I was a new client...which was weird as I kept telling him "No".  The therapist who worked with me didn't seem to know what I was there for (maybe no one at the spa checks their website).

She walked me out to the sauna...and was about to leave when I asked how long she recommended I stay in there.  "About 30 minutes?...Um, or however long you want." I did 20 minutes.

We moved on to the wrap...she rubbed some tingly gel/cream on my upper arms, upper legs, and stomach.  I asked about the ingredients that make it tingle, she didn't know.  At this point I figured she must be new...nope, she said she'd been there for two years!

I will say the massage went alright, not stellar.  Very relaxing in spots...and I'm not one to complain about going over time on a massage, but the treatment was supposed to be 2 hours and altogether I was there for almost 3...partly because we started late.  It just wasn't that much fun and only semi relaxing.

Oh well, in plus news we're going out to Palm Springs in August with work and get 10% off spa services at our hotel.  Here's to trying again!!

Cheers!

Update: I contacted the Wild Earth regarding my service.  Management did not reply until I reposted my e-mail to their website (for all to see).  At that point the manager let me know all the personal details of her life as reasons why she didn't respond before.  She didn't address any of the issues I had with the service, but she did offer to let me come back for a free service.  She came across as super unprofessional, and I let her know as much...and that I was no longer comfortable coming back to her spa.

pretty hairy situation

Under your arms, on your legs, the dreaded upper lip and where to begin with the bikini area...HAIR!  It all seems to grow so much faster that the top of your head (I mean really how much longer can it take to grow out a lousy hair cut and yet our legs are stubbly by the end of the day).

So, what can you do?

Well the options are almost endless, we've got shaving, waxing, sugaring, lasers, threading, and depilatories...just to name a few.

Shaving...we'll I'd say were all pretty familiar with that...so let's move on.

Waxing. Ouch. It's okay for the legs when we've got everything growing in one direction for the most part.  Doing it yourself can be a bit tricky (for me it's the back of legs and under my left arm that I can just never get right).  If I'm going to wax, I like to use Brazilian Blue Hard Wax (for professional use, but there is a list on the site of spas that use it).

Sugaring.  I thought I'd love this, it gets promoted by how natural it is.  Plus you move with the hairs not against it, so you're supposed to not get ingrowns....yeah, um tell that to my ingrowns (yuck).  There are plenty of how to's on youtube, but the hardest part is keeping the sugar at the right temperature.  It warms with your skin, and if it's too warm or too cool it just doesn't work right.  Still, visiting a pro seems the way to go.  I go to the Wild Earth Spa in La Verne.  They usually have some pretty good specials around swim suit season. I've gotten my bikini area done, as well as my underarms and lower legs.

Laser. Yes! I was super in love with the place I was going, but they've been out of commission for a couple of months now (which at this point means I'll pretty much be starting from scratch if I go back).  If you're looking for a place to try, see if you can find a place that charges by the time that your there (example: 15 minutes, 30 minutes) rather than by the area (example: legs, underarms).  If you go by the time, they can just move from one spot to the next. It just makes sense, and I don't know why more places haven't figured it out. I would love love love to go to school and learn how to do this, but I live in California, where you need to have a nursing degree to do laser.  **Which, if I may go off on a bit of a tangent, is absolutely crazy that you need more schooling to take off a tattoo than you do to put one on!** I've used the laser for my upper lip/chin (just a few strays that grow in a little darker), my underarms (anything that grows back has been super fine), bikini area, and lower leg/toes. 

Threading is fine, but I think it's better for smaller areas like your brows and maybe your lip (if you don't break out...which I do. My upper lip hates to be messed with, laser was really the only thing that didn't upset my lip).  When I've given up on tweezing my brows I take them to a lovely woman in Diamond Bar at Shear Artistry.

Depilatories: (you know the stinky stuff by like Nair and Veet) I think it's a little smelly, no matter what they do to improve it. Plus, I don't really know that it works...I try it every few years or so to see if it's improved. I'm never thrilled though.

What do you do to get rid of your hairy situations?  Do you have a preferred method? What places do you frequent?

pretty blissful

Took myself for a little facial the other day (to use a gift certificate that I'd received at Christmas).  There is a small spa by me that is just super relaxing called Wild Earth Spa. I went in for their "Spring Cleaning Skin Therapy" which included their Organic Bliss Facial and Eye Treatment. My service was performed by a girl named Tanya, who I've had for various services and she is super sweet.  The spa uses Eminence Organics products which always smell lovely.

I enjoy Eminence products, I've gone to watch their Master Trainer, Boldijarre Koronczay speak and do demonstrations at the Esthetic and Spa Congress in Long Beach. He is so upbeat and entertaining.

My skin felt all dewy and glowy when I left so I passed on having the dusting of makeup the spa offers.  I enjoy  going on little spa trips.  It is super relaxing...even when I'm not stressed.