all the dish that’s fit to print
spotlight on sue harmsworth
Today is International Women’s Day and it’s very clear that Mother Nature has been notified as it is the most gorgeous spring day here in New York City – finally!
It’s also a very appropriate day to recognize strong independent females, like Sue Harmsworth, the CEO and founder of the global spa company ESPA International. Sue has been working in the spa industry for over 40 years and has consulted on nearly 200 spas in over 60 countries worldwide since she started ESPA in 1993 – quite the accomplishment!
Here is a little advice and insight from Ms. Harmsworth for all women to absorb and consider: “I have a very female workforce globally and try to mentor them in how to deal with the stress of modern life. I believe that if you are straight with people it is much easier in the long run. The world is very small and any attempt to cover up will always be found out. If you don’t know something, don’t pretend that you do. Respect other cultures and don’t think our way is the best. Be open to new ideas and people who know better. We never stop learning; I learn something new every day. Have a curiosity about everything and everybody and be aware of everything around you. Assume nothing, what you say is often heard in a different way. Believe in yourself, many people can achieve great things.”
Right on, Sue, and Happy International Women’s Day!
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meditation in miami
Going to Miami for Spring Break ‘10? Recover from the Miami nightlife with the Vitality Day Package at the ESPA spa at Acqualina Resort in Sunny Isles, just 20-minutes outside of the city. The package, valued at $307 but priced at $225, includes everything you need to feel relaxed and renewed, including:
- Choice of a 80-minute massage of facial
- Additional 15-minutes of guided meditation
- Full use of the spa’s steam rooms, showers, ice fountains, jet pools, roman waterfalls, and relaxation areas
- Valet parking
Choose from ESPA’s Swedish, Hot Stone, or Reiki Massage (Deep Tissue is available for an additional $10). Or, for guests more intersted in a facial, the spa offers three types of Super Active facials; ‘Toning, Lifting and Firming’ for those with maturing skin, ‘Calming and Soothing’ for those with sensitive skin, and ‘Repairing and Restoring’ for sunburned vacationers who might have forgotten their sunscreen at home.
The offer is valid until April 30, 2010. Book in March and guests are invited to participate in a complimentary yoga class hosted Saturdays at 9 a.m.
easy shopping, free shipping
Online shopping is easy and great, but sometimes shipping fees can get you down. Suddenly that great $50 shirt you ordered online actually costs $57.95 – bummer. Fortunately, ESPA is offering free shipping this holiday season on all products purchased on their newly re-vamped website, www.espaonline.com. That Pink Hair and Scalp Mud you are dying to try costs $60 delivered right to your front door, no strings attached, no added costs!
ADDED BONUS: ESPA offers complimentary gift wrapping all year round – so check out all the great gift collections from ESPA here, and have everything wrapped and ship right to you.
espa product spotlight: no more messy pillows
Removing make-up can be a nasty chore – oily make-up removers are harsh on the skin and irritate sensitive eyes, and creamy removers are messy and can leave behind residue. But without make-up remover, women are forced to scrub their faces callously with soap and water, or even worse, leave make-up on overnight. The result? Messy, mascara streaked pillows and clogged pores.
Take off the make-up without the fuss with ESPA Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, a light, gentle cleansing lotion which dissolves eye make-up and helps to restore skin tone without dehydrating the delicate areas around the eyes. The cleanser is super-light, but super effective – it lifts away all make-up, including waterproof mascara and lipstick. Instead of the usual rubbing and scrubbing, ESPA suggests placing a small amount of the lotion onto a damp cotton wool and letting it sit on the eyes for a few moments before wiping away.
ESPA Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover is available in a long-lasting large 100ml size for $43.00 and a convenient 60ml plastic Traveler size for $27.50. It is suitable for all skin types, as well as contact lens and glasses wearers.
a man and his skincare routine
ESPA Skin Polish
Alice Marshall Public Relations presents: The Beauty Marshall
He’s a Smooth Operator: Buffing and De-Scruffing to Ward off Wrinkles
A man and his skincare routine. Some men are as meticulous as a department store beauty counter sales woman. Others just depend on Dial and Barbasol Beard Buster to get fresh-faced. Either way, we’re out to educate the masses about a little anti-aging tip, compliments of ESPA’s team of skincare experts*.
Every time a man uses a razor on his face, he is doing a double-duty step in skincare. Shaving takes off both the stubble and dead skin cells, providing instant exfoliation. Educated beauty mavens know that shedding dead skin promotes cell turnover, helping prevent wrinkles. Men exfoliate the lower half of their faces each time they shave, but what about the rest of his mug? All it takes is a quick scrub above the shaven territory to ensure uniform wrinkle diversion.
Our top pick is ESPA Men’s SkinPolish, made specifically for skin that is 30% thicker than women’s. It is rich in natural ingredients and lightly scented with the essential oil of Highland Scots Pine, a tall evergreen that can grow over 100 feet high and is sometimes used to help support the immune system.
Shop for SkinPolish ($42.00) and other ESPA products at www.espaonline.com or at ESPA spas worldwide including: The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, New York; The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, Chicago; and ESPA at Acqualina in Miami.
*Susan Harmsworth, founder and CEO of ESPA, is an international authority on skincare, wellness, and how to build a successful luxury spa; she has created over 150 spas since 1993 (and counting…). Her legions of top-notch therapists, seasoned spa gurus, and in-house scientists afford ESPA the data, facts, and knowledge to poise themselves as leading experts in all facets of wellbeing. More men visit ESPA spas as opposed to their competitors, supplying ESPA with an incomparable dossier on men’s skincare (by the way, men’s #1 skincare concern is the eye area).
Whether you’d like to know more about men’s skincare, shoot the breeze on aromatherapy, or talk cold hard facts on the luxury spa industry, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll arrange a call with ESPA’s finest.
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no untagging with espa
Major acne breakouts often hit at the worst time; think right before a graduation, wedding, holiday office party, or any event where cameras are flashing and albums are posted online before the night is over.
To avoid having to “untag” any images of blotchy skin and pestering pimples, use ESPA Essential Tea Tree Gel. This is not your mother’s stinging, bleaching, harmful acne treatment; instead, the gel soothes the skin while lightly moisturizing.
An extra tip: as soon as you sense a breakout approaching, combine ESPA Essential Tea Tree Gel with ESPA Essential Mineral Mask and apply topically before bedtime for an intensive overnight treatment .
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cool (weather) clothes
While temperatures are on the rise, cool weather will be back soon enough – a chilling thought. Enter COMO Shambhala’s Active Living Collection knitwear. (more…)
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vogue on summertime escapes
We all know that last-minute travel is trendy in 2009. Some of those who would normally book holidays six months out are waiting until the 11th hour to pick a spot, pack up, and go.
Vogue blogged about last-minute escapes this week. Not your run-of-the-mill weekend getaways but far-flung jaunts into worlds more exotic than our own, like Florence and Beirut.
One of the chosen is La Reserve Ramatuelle, opened a few weeks ago in the South of France. Sitting up in the Mediterranean hills, it takes in the heady views of the sea. As an added flourish, it’s the first spa featuring La Mer products in all of France. Vive la France- and the summer escape.
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six stories of spa
ESPA introduces its first stand-alone spa with ESPA Riga in an unparalleled six-story spa building. One of the Baltic’s key trading ports, Riga has absorbed many influences, which are visible in the medieval, neo-classical, and, most famously, Art Nouveau buildings that line the cobblestone streets. ESPA Riga lies at the heart of this fusion of culture and pays homage to its surroundings with an impressive landmark exterior. Inside, the spa design is inspired by the opposing elements “Fire & Water,” which is illustrated with deep colors throughout. The dramatic six-story spiral staircase, covered in black Cristallino tiles and bordered by a gold mosaic, serves as a focal point to begin the ESPA journey.
Level 1 (Wet and Thermal Experiences)
Swimming pool finished in black mosaic tiles accented with shimmering gold curves, a sleek granite pool bar, both overlooked by a Sanarium & Rock Sauna with full-height glass windows. Steam of room red and black mosaic is nestled in the corner next to the walk-through experience showers
Level 2 (Café, Fitness, and Nail Care)
Spa Café within the double-height atrium featuring a back-lit, golden ‘woven’ wall offset by curved purple ostrich leather banquet-style seating, black tables, and ivory leather chairs. Fitness Studio including state-of-the-art Technogym and Wellness Expert equipment, as well as a beautiful Chi studio finished with fabric acoustic panels to offer quiet solitude. Nail bar and pedicure thrones for all finishing touches
Level 3 (Changing Rooms)
Changing rooms decorated with Art Nouveau-themed wall coverings of crystal beads and walnut woodwork. Black granite vanity stations and ostrich leather bench seating accentuates the lavish nature of the changing facilities
Level 4 (Treatment Rooms)
14 treatment rooms featuring walnut woodwork with deep purple accent tiles and velvet armchairs. Elliptical purple glass showers in all treatment rooms protrude into treatment corridors, creating an impressive curved wall of illuminated claret glass
Level 5 (Relaxation Room)
Quiet, dark, and cozy relaxation rooms encircled by seven additional treatment rooms offer guests an additional space to further enjoy their ESPA experience
Level 6 (Reception, Male and Female Relaxation rooms, Thermal Suites)
Deep purple mosaic walls, dark tiled flooring, vaulted glass ceilings, two feature waterfalls, and a large black granite fireplace welcome guests to commence their spa journey. Male and female Relaxation Rooms, complete with walnut floors and ergonomically reclining loungers, inspire a therapeutic ambience. Thermal Suite provides guests with the opportunity to enjoy solitude with a choice of individual steam and saunas pods, and the magnificent Rondello Sauna features a skylight of amber glass.
Vitality Pool, a signature feature of ESPA spas, is located on the rooftop.
ESPA Riga offers a range of Ayurvedic-influenced treatments that use ancient techniques of marma point massage and herbal medicinal oils to treat the body’s Dosha and restore balance to mind, body, and spirit. In addition, ESPA has created a selection of highly effective signature treatments specifically for ESPA Riga that include the use of amber, the precious stone of the Baltic Sea.
ESPA founder Sue Harmsworth says, “Entering ESPA Riga is like stepping into Riga’s ambitious future. Creating this spa has been an incredibly exciting project for us. The unique design incorporates a dedication to detail that ensures first impressions are breathtaking and everlasting.”
ESPA is an international spa company founded by Susan Harmsworth that conceptualizes, designs, and manages (from start to finish) hotel spas in luxury powerhouses such as Peninsula and Ritz Carlton, as well as esteemed independent properties like Gleneagles in Scotland and Reethi Rah in the Maldives. ESPA’s standard is carried in over 150 spas in 55 countries, and is currently expanding to India, Dubai, and South Africa. In addition to creating spas, ESPA has a roster of spa treatments and has developed a line of over 80 skincare and body products. The effectiveness of the products’ natural ingredients is backed by scientific research. Based in the U.K., ESPA also has offices in Miami, San Francisco, and Hong Kong. For further information and to purchase products, please visit www.espaonline.com, or call 1877 ESPA USA.
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skin: prep now, prolong later
Whether you get your tan from a can or from a quick bask in the shining sun (careful not to bake!), always prepare skin with a brisk brushing. Our pick: ESPA’s Skin Brush. This bundle of all-natural bristles is sure to be your favorite body-beauty tool by the end of summer and you may still be using it come December.
ESPA tip: When you’re trying to hold on to that last inkling of color in September, keep brushing! Dead skin = dull skin.
If you prefer to stay a Victorian shade of pale, you’ll still find this useful: it also helps flush toxins and reduce cellulite.
Shop for ESPA’s Skin Brush ($26.00) and other ESPA products at www.espaonline.com or at ESPA spas worldwide including: The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, New York; The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, Chicago; and ESPA at Acqualina in Miami.
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