We sent guest blogger Sarah Berkley to test out one of our Spa Week treatments, a Thai Poultice Massage, because she spent last summer in Thailand, giving her an authentic basis for comparison. Turns out things happen a little differently in Las Vegas… (and there’s definitely no Spa Week in Thailand)!

Having been to Thailand and gotten a few fabulous full body massages on the beach there, I thought I knew exactly what to expect when arriving at The Spa at ARIA in Las Vegas for a 50 minute Thai Poultice Massage. What I did not know, was what a poultice was. A poultice is basically a little warm sponge type thing (think of a half a lemon you sometimes get in a restaurant when you order salmon) infused with lemongrass, ginger and some other delicious smelling herbs.

I arrived about an hour early to take full advantage of the spa’s hot tub and steam room. I also spent a few minutes laying out on their outdoor deck which overlooks the main pool area with it’s own private pool. After that first hour, I was already completely relaxed, however the Thai Poultice Massage melted my body even more.

There are aspects of the massage that are very common, it’s a full body massage but then they rub the warm poultice all over you in a way that massages, exfoliates, warms and lightly tickles your body all at the same time. Mix that in with some stretches (which was perfect after my 4 mile run the day before) and I could not be anymore blissful.

When the massage ended and I wiped away a tear, I was taken to another area of the spa, which one can take full advantage of after a treatment. There is a room filled with hot stone beds (called Gabanyoku) where you simply lie down on a hot surface and close your eyes. After that, I visited the Shio Salt Room where you sit in a comfy chair with headphones on, and the chair vibrates to the music. My masseuse, Renee, explained that the walls are made of salt, which is extremely good for your upper respiratory system. Apparently, salt miners are in the right profession because they have a history of rarely ever getting respiratory diseases.

Book an appointment now for Spa Week at the ARIA! Check out the treatment offerings for Fall Spa Week, September 13-19.

Last week we put 3 guest bloggers up to the challenge of trying out a homemade Australian hair care “secret.” Read all about it here… or just see their pictures and results below and decide: will YOU start keeping cracked beer bottles next to your loofa?

1. HONEY

The Australian Secret: “Dissolve one spoonful of honey into three cups of warm water. Once dissolved simply pour over wet, freshly washed hair and let dry. Do not wash it out. Then just style as normal. This leaves hair soft with intense shine.”

Guest Experimenter: Rachel, Uncurbable Craving (Twitter @ThatTweetThing). Why her? Because she’s as tweet as honey.

Rachel’s Review: Honestly, I wasn’t entirely convinced that this humectant treat would be enough for my wild mane. I wasn’t sure if it would condition or add sheen to my hair enough. Usually I add a TON of conditioner… tons and tons, really. In this case, I didn’t use my bottle of conditioner at all. I shampooed my hair and then poured the honey mixture allover my freshly washed hair and then hopped out of the shower. I didn’t rinse it out. It didn’t leave my hair sticky in any way, in the shower or out.

When my hair was dry, I could tell that it felt soft. It had a nice shine to it. What was most notable to me was that the leave-in honey treatment almost acted as a styler. It seemed to hold my waves in very nice spirals. I think I’ll try this again; a good way to sometimes save on very expensive conditioner by switching it up!

2. EGGS + MAYO

The Australian Secret: “Combine one egg and mayonnaise together and apply to washed hair. Leave in for five minutes then rinse for great shine and body. Or you can replace the mayonnaise with two teaspoons of castor oil for a healthy scalp and roots. Eggs are used to add body, shine and softness to any head of hair.”

The Guest Experimenter: Nova McGinty, Good Food North East (Twitter: @novamc). Why her? Because she’s from the UK (a non-American P.O.V. yet still our toilet-water hemisphere) AND she’s writing about food anyway.

Nova’s Review: I’m the girl willing to try most things once, I pay over £6 (around $12) each for my shampoo and conditioner and if I can try something that I can put together from my kitchen cupboard and it saves me money I’m willing to try it. But when Michelle asked me to be a guest blogger and my mission if I should choose to accept it was to use eggs and mayo on my hair… I was a little dubious.
I along with 3 friends blog on a regular basis about food – but we go to restaurants and eat it.
But being a lover off all thing that Michelle does at Spa Week and in NYC, I’m putting my trust in her and joining in with the edible hair experiments from down under.

Okay, so before I even begin, I go to raid the cupboard to discover we have NO mayo – yeah that’s right no mayo! Our house isn’t a big fan of it and I don’t like to eat it if I can help it but I have no issues layering it on my hair in the name of Spa Week science. If I’m honest I think I have the raw (no pun intended) end of the deal. I think I’d prefer the beer task any day! (Don’t speak too fast, Nova!)

Before (Nice Body)

After (Flat and Split-looking)

I wash my hair with my regular shampoo, then mix the egg and mayonnaise together and apply to my hair, It’s very messy and I’m surprised there isn’t much of a smell. I leave in for 5 minutes then rinse. Whilst trying to get it out of my hair I notice it feels kind of greasy. I rinse a little more until it feels okay.

My hair now fully dried doesn’t feel full of body. The shine is there but it feels as if there’s a layer of something left on my hair and I’m contemplating washing it again.

Aussie-brand hair products are the only Australian thing I’ll be using in my hair in the future.

3. FLAT BEER

The Australian Secret: Apply flat beer to the hair and scalp, then rinse it out. Beer has a cleansing quality that will clarify the hair and leave it shiny and free of any built-up product.

The Guest Experimenter: Oz Sultan of Perks Consulting News (Twitter: @ozsultan) Why him? Because what else was he gonna do with that six pack in the fridge? (Not to mention that luscious hair!)

Oz’s Review: I ended up looking like Nicole Kidman from “Days of Thunder”. I’m not quite sure what sort of woman washes her hair with flat beer, I can however assure you that if it were a curly haired lass, that it was Kylie Minouge in the 1980s.

Since you’ve probably never tried this, let me describe the experiment in detail. Two-day flattened beer has this sort of frat-house like vinegary scent which doesn’t quite wash out in the shower. One is left with this “hint of hops” that lingers long after you’ve exited the subway and made it to work. Now, I should mention that my hair is naturally wavy-to-curly depending if I’m in the desert or a tropical jungle. The flat beer wash curled my hair like crazy – which lasts more than one day. By the way.

Conclusion: Inadvisable unless you can handle the curls!

Nicole Kidman photo courtesy of www.screenrush.co.uk

Last week I got an email from an online Australian hair salon website looking to guest blog on Spa Week Daily. I emailed back and said: Let’s see what you’ve got. Within minutes I received a long-winded essay that included only 3 points of interest: 3 Australian “hair secrets” that involve food.

But obviously, dear reader, I wouldn’t just take their word for it. When you’re dealing with a place where the toilet water spins the other way, especially when it involves raw eggs, you’ve gotta test the waters on your own turf. To that end, I’ve enlisted 3 guest experimenters to try these edible hair claims at home.

1. HONEY

The Australian Secret: “Dissolve one spoonful of honey into three cups of warm water. Once dissolved simply pour over wet, freshly washed hair and let dry. Do not wash it out. Then just style as normal. This leaves hair soft with intense shine.”

Guest Experimenter: Rachel, Uncurbable Craving (Twitter @ThatTweetThing). Why her? Because she’s as tweet as honey.

2. EGGS + MAYO

The Australian Secret: “Combine one egg and mayonnaise together and apply to washed hair. Leave in for five minutes then rinse for great shine and body. Or you can replace the mayonnaise with two teaspoons of castor oil for a healthy scalp and roots. Eggs are used to add body, shine and softness to any head of hair.”

The Guest Experimenter: Nova McGinty, Good Food North East (Twitter: @novamc). Why her? Because she’s from the UK (a non-American P.O.V. yet still our toilet-water hemisphere) AND she’s writing about food anyway.

3. FLAT BEER

The Australian Secret: Apply flat beer to the hair and scalp, then rinse it out. Beer has a cleansing quality that will clarify the hair and leave it shiny and free of any built-up product.

The Guest Experimenter: Oz Sultan of Perks Consulting News (Twitter: @ozsultan) Why him? Because what else was he gonna do with that six pack in the fridge? (Not to mention that luscious hair!)

Check back next week and see what our guest experimenters have to say! And if you know of any other edible beauty claims that need to be verified… comment below and we’ll call in the troops.

And because I’m extra nice… the anchor link, as requested: hair salon ;)

This is NOT a Craigslist ad!

We are looking for a great blogger in the Denver area who’s at least 12 months 12 weeks (thanks @PBRandPBJ) pregnant and interested in blogging about a complimentary prenatal massage from Elixir Mind Body Massage.

Why? It’s SPA MADNESS, which means over the next few weeks, we’re sending bloggers all across North America out to our participating spas to investigate all the treatments that will be just $50 when Spa Week® starts. This prenatal massage is one of them.

So, if you’re thinking of a Denverite who’s achy, getting chubby, reading baby name books, writes for a blog or website (that people read), and likes the spa, please have them contact me: michelle @spaweekmedia.com or on Twitter at @SPAWEEK.

Pass it on!

Spa Week® Spring 2010 takes place April 12 – 18. Start booking appointments March 15th at Spaweek.com, and sign up now to get all the latest news on our fabulous deals.

As you may remember reading a few weeks ago, Bryce Gruber of The Luxury Spot has helped bring Vajazzling to the forefront of society. Which is why, when Completely Bare on Bond Street, (offering “Completely Bare with a Flare” for $50 during Spa Week) offered an opportunity for one blogger to test it out in advance for documentation on Spa Week Daily, Bryce was the only person who came to mind. The evidence on Facebook:

Thanks Bryce. Now… who wants Botox?