You thought we’d never say it! BUT… there is a BIG IF to that sentence, and it goes something like this:

STAY AWAY FROM THE SPA… IF it is advertised in the back of the Village Voice on a cluttered page like you see above, it’s located in the back of a jewelry store in Chinatown, or anything of the sort. Well And Good NYC did a telling feature on this: Don’t Try This In Chinatown: A Facial Lost in Translation. Don’t take chances!

During Spa Week, SPA WITH CONFIDENCE.

Spa Week is very selective about the spas eligible to participate in our program; we represent spas that place the utmost importance on quality and customer service to ensure you always have a wonderful spa experience. You’ve got to be a little leery of a spa that can afford to do hour long $35 facials all the time! We are proud to work with spas that share our mission of promoting the wellness lifestyle at an affordable price.

And to make SURE that your experiences are consistently up to par, we do a number of things:

a. We listen to your tweets, Facebook posts and blog comments for your feedback on spas and your individual experiences. We love knowing what you think—in real time.

b. Was your Spa Week treatment to die for? Or would you rather die before ever going back? Rate each one of your spa experiences at Spaweek.com/vote. Ratings are based upon quality, ambiance, customer service and overall experience, and your feedback will help us improve every season.

c. We’ve established the Spa Week Luxe Awards, where every season, spa-goers like you vote in the categories of best massage, facial, $50 Spa Week treatment, Medical spa, and overall spa. Vote and let your favorite spas know how much you loved it!

For upcoming nuptials with British person with messy hair, Russell Brand, songstress Katy Perry may opt for the I Dream of Jeannie of wedding dresses: a spangly two-piece displaying her abs and torso as she walks down the aisle.

Reportedly Perry, like most brides, wants to have a traditional dress with a long train in the back and a Vegas showgirl look going on in the front. It’s not so much that Perry has always dreamed of sashaying to matrimony dressed up like an ice dancer – rather, she’s not ignorant of the entertainment value her wedding will command, and wants to create buzz. She has told friends and reporters that she realizes her wedding pictures will be picked up by magazines, blogs, and tabloids all around the world. Maybe a little cynical to commodify your wedding but eh, you can’t say the girl doesn’t have a head on her shoulders. And it is her day, after all.

She also tells the press, humorously, that Russell Brand is a bit of a wedding micromanager and has developed a startling addiction to bridal magazines.

Have you heard of ear candling? The technique has been around for more than 10 years in spas and wellness centers, but it seems as though it’s just burst to the forefront within the last year.

Ear candling purports to release excess wax from the ear using a candle-like contraption. The therapist holds a tube of rolled-up material coated in beeswax, inserting the narrow end gently in the ear, and lights the other end to draw out impurities. Some ear candling fans report better hearing and a stronger overall sense of well-being after the treatment. Because ear candling involves flame and hot wax so close to the ear canal, be sure you have the treatment at a reputable facility with experienced technicians.

The good news is this is the kind of treatment Spa Week® is MADE for – if you’ve never tried it before, at the $50 price point what is there to lose? Give it a try! For April Spa Week, ear candling is only being offered at two intrepid New York spas, but perhaps in October the treatment will have swept Spa Week by storm! In the meantime, visit the following two spas:

Tranquility Salon and Day Spa
Treatment: 50 Min Pressure Relieving Ear Candling

Hilde Demirjian Salon & Spa
Treatment: Ear Candling with Complementary Digital Skin Analysis

It goes without saying that a dog is a man’s best friend, while women tend to be more social with a best friend or two. For many women, one of these best friends is often an incredible pair of shoes, and we say there’s nothing wrong with that. While there are a myriad of brands that the shoe-obsessed have to choose from, the most indisputably iconic of them all has got to be the Manolo Blahnik. Since its debut, there has yet to be an item to leave as deep a mark on the hearts of fashion lovers. From Carrie Bradshaw’s strolls down the New York City streets to Jennifer Aniston’s recent red carpet appearance; we invite you ogle over a little trip down Manolo memory lane. (Hint: This ends Spa Week style: with a GIVEAWAY.)

Carrie Bradshaw absolutely shoe-struck in a 2003 episode of Sex and the City

The man, myth and legend himself signing a pir of red pumps to go!

Jennifer Aniston in strappy black Manolos at her movie premiere

The Bachelor's Molly Malaney walks down the aisle in a Monique Lhuillier gown and signature Manolo Blahniks.

The "Something Blue Satin Pump" is drool-worthy!

What is your favorite Manolo Moment? While you think about it, click the photo below to enter our sweepstakes for a shot at owning a pair of them… AND a case of Rioja Wine. If you win, we bet you’ll decide that that’s favorite Manolo Moment.

Chances are you’ve probably quaffed POM Wonderful in the past few years – the pomegranate juice (served in the reusable glasses!) is popular as a mixer and a standalone drink, and the company that produces it has pushed the juice’s healthy qualities with a passion. Pomegranate does contain a one-two punch of healthful vitamins, but there’s no evidence to suggest that chugging bottle after bottle of the juice is a magical cure for what ails you – but POM Wonderful might want you to believe otherwise!

The FDA has sent POM a public warning letter for making wild promises to the public about what drinking the juice will and will not do. Among the litany of diseases it professes to cure or curtail: artherosclerosis, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, high cholesterol, and more. One testimonial even claimed that POM cured her boyfriend’s prostate cancer…high claims from a juice.

Having been warned to knock off the crazy promises of magical and miraculous results, it remains to be seen whether POM will scale back its marketing…but the whole episode is a good reminder that while this is an unprecedently good time for wellness-focused food and drink, the old consumers’ adage still holds true: if something sounds too good to be true, even in this futuristic year 2010, it probably still is!