Spa Week is pleased to announce that Spa de Soleil will be sponsoring the free gift with purchase for the entire month of February on TheRightDeal.com. As you know by now, TheRightDeal is Spa Week’s sister spa deal site where everyone walks away with a luxurious spa treatment (up to 90% off) and a free gift. In January, Crunch Gym sponsored TheRightDeal by giving everyone who purchased the 72-hour deal a free 1-week pass to Crunch. Spa de Soleil is a manufacturing company that creates professional grade spa products  for both retail and private label use.

There are three branches of Spa de Soleil: Home Spa Collection Retail Store, Pharmaskincare Brand and Spa de Soleil Signature Brand. Home Spa Collection will be featured on the first two Wednesdays in February, Pharmaskincare will be featured on the third and fourth Wednesdays and for the fifth Wednesday in February (yes, there are 5 Wednesdays in February!) the Spa de Soleil Signature Brand product line will be featured. Here’s how it breaks down:

Weeks 1 and 2: Home Spa Collection Retail Store

This online retail store is open to everybody (average joes and industry professionals) who want spa-quality skin care products. They have a wide range of organic, natural, and paraben-free skin care lines and carry brand names such as Olive Essence, O2CH, Dermatouch Natural Skin Care, Hydra Mar, Pure Minerals Ant-Aging, Mineral from the Dead Sea, and more.

Weeks 3 and 4: Pharamaskincare Brand Products

Spa de Soliel’s Pharmaskincare line is the unique result of modern biotechnology and dermatological research.  The primary objective of their products is to stimulate the skin’s natural ability to restore and rebuild cells. Pharmaskincare products have been created to treat every aspect of skin care under all kinds of conditions, ranging from the natural aging processes to UV damage to environmental assaults to stress and metabolic deficiencies.

Week 5: Spa de Soleil Signature Brand Products

The Spa de Soleil Signature Brand product line contains a unique blend of vitamins, amino acids and organic oils which penetrate the skin’s deepest layers to help rebuild collagen, neutralize free-radicals, and restore moisture for a long-lasting illuminating glow. Each product in the line is enriched with Hyaluronic acid (to fill fine lines for an instant plumping effect), Vitamin C (to reduce signs of photo-aging by promoting collagen synthesis), Vitamin E (to moisturize, soften and protect skin) and Vitamin A (to reduce skin discoloration).

PLUS: What’s Your Skin Type?

With all of these great skin care lines, we bet you have some questions about what products are right for your specific skin type. Don’t know your skin  type and want to know what products are right for you? Take their skin care analysis survey to find out. To help you start your skin care analysis journey, here are the most common skin types, according to HomeSpaCollection.com:

1. Normal: This skin type has small pores, a smooth and even texture, and a healthy color. Since it is perfectly balanced, it is the most uncommon of skin types. However, basic skin care is still needed to maintain health and prevent any possible damage.
2. Combination: This skin is oily in the T-zone with medium pores and some dry areas (usually on the cheeks). This skin will occasionally breakout.
3. Oily: The pores are enlarged and visible and skin appears shiny. It is prone to blackheads and blemishes.
4. Sensitive: This skin is delicate with fine pores. It flushes easily and is prone to allergies and frequent rashes or blotches. Sensitive skin usually has a low tolerance to most skin care products.
5. Dry: The skin feels tight, particularly after cleansing. It tends toward fine lines and wrinkles and has a dull tone.
6. Acne: This is most commonly very oily skin with large pores. The skin has multiple eruptions in the form of blackheads and/or whiteheads.
7. Mature: This skin is characterized by a loss of natural firmness and elasticity. Skin can appear thin and dry with an increase of fine lines and wrinkles. Sun or age spots may be present.

The Little Luxury: Spa Sonic Skin Care System Face & Body Polisher

Relationship Status: Going in circles (oh, and we shower together… a lot.)

Bringing the spa home: We spa girls cant get enough exfoliating, cleansing and polishing in our lives, so outside of our spa scrubs and intensive facials, we seek little at-home luxuries to make us feel like we’re at the spa… and get results like we are, too.

What is it? It’s a battery-operated face and body brush to thoroughly cleanse skin and remove dead skin cells to improve skin tone. It can be used to apply face or body cleanser for a more rigorous application, it can be used without soap, or even used dry.

Kit includes: The battery operated hand-held device (plus batteries), a large body brush, a small facial exfoliator brush, a pumice stone and a soft cushioned cleanser.

The Honda of the ‘sonics: The original Clarisonic device is often referred to as the “Rolls Royce” of brushes, and with good reason. The Spa Sonic “Honda” does a good job, considering the price. In comparison, the major difference is that the Clarisonic has 3 speeds, and has inner bristles that rotate while the outside remains still. This makes it more practical, because with the Spa Sonic spinning in only one direction, it makes your hand go in circles too while brushing.

FACE OFF: Clarisonic (left) vs. Spa Sonic (right)

Size matters! The Spa Sonic did a bit of a better job determining the sizes they would make their brush heads. The body brush on the Spa Sonic is considerably bigger and covers more ground faster than the Clarisonic. For the face, the Spa Sonic is a bit smaller so it can get into the curves and crevices of your face with more ease.

Might matter to some: The Spa Sonic is battery operated, while the Clarisonic is rechargeable.

My favorite secret Spa Sonic usage: Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been using the body brush to exfoliate my bikini zone to get rid of ingrowns, and it’s worked like a charm!

OVERALL… The Clarisonic may come in cute colors and patterns and be easier to handle, but it doesn’t necessarily do that much of a better job than its new lower priced knock-off.

Where to buy, and how much? The Spa Sonic is available for a fairly reasonable $65 at Target.com, as compared to around $225 for the comparable Clarisonic Plus.

Hot Stone Scale: 4 out of 6

This Little Luxury Review was brought to you by: Michelle Joni Lapidos

As you may know, I have a love-hate relationship with my hands. One of the main reasons they get on my nerves so much is that they are short and stubby (see proof here). However, the main reason I like them is that I have grown to love polishing my nails. A few years ago, I started to grow out my nails after a long stint of nail-biting (long stint = 17+ years). Now my nails are in pretty good shape, however I still suffer from super dry cuticles and the occasional, often painful, split cuticle. I am also guilty of over-snipping my cuticles with one of those stainless steel cuticle nippers they use at the nail salon. I chalk the bad hand habits up to a subconscious anxious need to always be doing something with my hands.

Last week I got a great manicure and tried this awesome new tan/putty color by Essie called “Case Study.” This week, New York City has been particularly brisk out and my hands and all around my nails have become super dry and my cuticles have really taken a beating. Yesterday, a minor cuticle snag turned into this really painful cut. Ouch!

Before using the Honey Apricot Beeswax Cuticle Cream

For this week’s Spa Foodie, I went on a hunt for the easiest, most coast-efficient and effective dry cuticle recipe I could find. This fabulous Honey Apricot Beeswax Cuticle Cream recipe is easy to make, 100% organic, uses recycled mint tins as containers – and most importantly – is great for hydrating dry, cracked hands and cuticles. Here’s why: honey helps soften rough cuticles and has natural antibacterial properties while Apricot Kernel Oil improves skin’s elasticity and fights harmful free-radicals with a dose of Vitamins A and C. Plus, the Beeswax cream base creates a barrier between your skin and the elements and also contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to promote the healing of cracks and nicks.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Beeswax Pellets (Try Yaley’s 100% Yellow Beeswax Pellets, 4 oz available at Amazon.com for around $3.00)
• 3 oz Apricot Kernel Oil ( $5-10 Available at organic food stores or online vitamin shops, try SwansonVitamins.com, $7.99 for 16oz)
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• Disposable paper bowl and plastic spoon
• Mint tin or container (like an Altoids Tin)

Directions:

1. Put Beeswax Pellets, Apricot Kernel Oil and Honey in paper bowl
2. Microwave for 15 second intervals until liquefied (soupy constancy), stir with plastic spoon if needed
3. Bend the paper plate into in half slightly so as to easily poor the liquid mixture into the mint tin
4. Let sit until cool and solidified
5. Rub with finger and apply to cuticles and hands as needed

After using the Honey Apricot Beeswax Cuticle Cream

After using the cuticle cream, the skin around my nails is visibly more moisturized. My hands are so much softer and have less of that tight, uncomfortable feeling. I still have that annoying cut on my finger, but with regular use that should start to heal and be gone in a few days! I hope…

Recipe via Le Petite Happy

The Little Luxury: Kanshi Instantly Refreshing Foot Spray

Relationship status: Boot Buddies

How we met: After work I try to make it over to the gym to blow off some steam. Usually I slip off my leather boots and right into my sneaks – but the other day I noticed that my feet and ankles were a little swollen and, I am ashamed to say, a little smelly.  Not like your dad’s-work-boots-stinky, but more like I-wear-these-boots-everyday-stinky. I told a friend about my embarrassing observation and she recommended I find a foot spray that could freshen up my footsies in between work and the gym. That’s when I found Kanshi’s Instantly Refreshing Foot Spray.

To use: Hold the bottle 10-12 inches away from your foot. Give the nozzle a quick pump and spritz two-three times on the top and bottom. Let air dry.

How it works: After a good misting, my feet felt instantly revitalized and ready for my gym session. The refreshing formula is infused with triple mint to instantly perk up your pieds (that’s feet, in French). And, it has Horse Chestnut extract that helps to improve circulation. No more swollen feet!

Best of all… It ALSO has Lemon Myrtle that provides natural anti-microbial benefits. So feel free to spritz on your feet before you take your shoes off.

It might just be me but… I like to spritz a bit in my shoe to fight any lingering odors in my sneaks/boots plus the anti-microbial affect makes me feel better about myself and my shoes.

What’s more… It’s only $10! Hello stocking-stuffer (Get it?…stockings…feet…).

It might just be me (again) but… I tried spritzing this on my face as an impromptu toner, and I really liked the way it felt! It helped to set my mineral make-up too and it totally assisted in relieving my mini morning hangover when I misted it on my face to cool my hot, dehydrated skin after a long night out.

Hot Stone Scale (1-6): 6

This Little Luxury Report was brought to you by: Stephanie Cavataro

The Little Luxury: Repêchage Relaxation Stay-cation Gift Package (includes Sea Spa Mineral Bath Salts and 60 Eye Rescue Pads)

Relationship status: Bath Buddies

Nickname: Holiday Hangover Cure

Get in the mood: Sprinkle a generous amount of Mediterranean bath salt in your tub of warm water and slip into your own personal oasis. Pluck two Rescue Pads out of the convenient screw-cap jar and gently place them over your eyes. Sit back, relax and drift off into peaceful rejuvenation.

The moment I fell in love: The instant I closed my eyes and the second my tootsies hit the water.

How it works: The soothing little bath crystals contain the moisturizing power of seven essential oils to help revive your skin: Lavender, Grapefruit, Peppermint, Spearmint, Cucumber, Rosewood, and Mandarin Orange. These ingredients fight body acne and dermatitis, promote the tightening of your skin, fight inflammation and ease soreness. The plush eye pads are saturated with seaweed to replenish moisture and fight puffiness along with green and black teas that are rich in natural anti-oxidant polyphenols that act as powerful free radical fighters to promote anti-aging benefits.

Does it do what it says it’ll do? Yes! After a long night of high, high heel-clad partying and too much eggnog, just escape to your salt bath with your eye pads in tow and before you know it, you’ll be ready to do it all over again tomorrow night.

The thing you’ll love most: The smell… The aromatherapy blend of the essential oils from the bath salts and the light, fresh fragrance of the cooling eye pads will delight your senses and relax your mind.

Why it’s worth the splurge: Usually costing around $70 when purchased separately, this full-size gift set is a steal at just $55.

It’s the perfect gift because: It comes in a sleek plastic blue gift box and is adorned with an festive holiday bow – no wrapping needed!

You could be here: 

Hot Stone Scale (1-6): 6

This Little Luxury Report was brought to you by: Stephanie Cavataro

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