“We’re moving on up to the East Side, to deluxe $50 dollar treatments in the sky!” With the Jeffersons jingle on repeat in our heads, we are expanding this Spa Week season in the great neighborhood of Harlem, and we’re pretty excited about it if you couldn’t tell…

We are welcoming old favorites and have sought out new Harlem hotspots. They include spas that have been featured on Oprah’s favorite things, facial peels, one-of-a-kind manicures, and fabulous massages. Move on up and get your zen on like a real uptown girl.

The Back Room Hand & Foot Spa at Carol’s Daughter

With a cult-like following (including Oprah!) for her well-established spa and beauty brand for women of color, owner Lisa Price spared no expense for this lavish spa, featuring these custom green armchairs. Michelle took her own mom, Carol, there for a birthday spa day and had a grand old time sipping mimosas and getting their feet turned to beautiful mush. It is tucked away behind Carol’s Daughter flagship store on 125th street. 212.828.6757. Try their seasonal $50 treatments:

• Haute Chocolate Manicure and Pedicure including Cuticle Treatment and Gift with Purchase of Peppermint Foot Lotion
• Sweet Almond Treat Manicure and Pedicure including Cuticle Treatment and Gift with Purchase of Almond Cookie Frappe Body Lotion

Harlem Skin Clinic

The mission of Harlem Skin Clinic is to provide natural skincare solutions for all skin types. 917.723.7162. Their $50 treatments include:

• 60 Min Microcurrent Non-Surgical Facelift Energy Facial
• 60 Min Dr. Alkaitis Organic Balancing Facial including Extractions
• 60 Min Baby Boomer Peel

POLISHED Finger Tips

The signature scent at POLISHED will be your first encounter, followed with a friendly greeting and an invitation to have a calming cup of green tea. 212.222.4466. Pretty up your nails and feet with their $50 treatments:

• 60 Min Polished Signature Facial with Extractions using Sphatika Products
• Shellac Manicure and Peppermint Spa Polished Pedicure for Tired Feet
• Choice of Naturopathica Pumpkin or Cherry Peel or Brazilian and Underarm Wax

Turning Heads Salon & Day Spa

Turning Heads makes heads turn way up on Lenox. 212.828.4600. Take advantage of their $50 treatments:

• Try their new 60 Min Thai Massage including Yoga Stretches, Compressions and Massage ($125 value)
• 60 Min Signature Facial with Perfecting Plant Peel ($135 value)
• 60 Min Swedish Aromatherapy Massage ($100)

Photo via

My mom’s name is Carol and she loves foot rubs. So, for her birthday a few weekends ago there was only one thing I could think of to do: Take her to The Back Room at Carol’s Daughter, a famous hand and foot spa.

Before getting into our perfectly tongue-in-cheek mommy-daughter spa day, I’d like to point out the tremendous cult following of Carol’s Daughter. The brand has over 425,000 engaged fans on their Facebook page who love the brand, from their new Curl-enhancing MILK hair line to their musings on inner beauty. The company was founded by Lisa, who’s mom was obviously Carol.

Located in the heart of Harlem in New York City, the flagship retail space is enormous for the amount of product, making a clear statement that Carol’s Daughter is no small player. The staff drew us in immediately, making us laugh and pouring champagne within minutes of arrival. High ceilings followed us into The Back Room, an intimate space that blended royal pedicure thrones with cracked lacquered paint.

The treatments were thorough, the facilities were sparkling and sterile, and the experience stirred up all 5 senses. We previewed their 2 Spa Week treatments: I got the 75 Min Love Your Hands and Feet Paraffin and Massage Treatment (mani/pedi included), and my mom received the 60 Min Chai Massala Pedicure (she had recently gotten a manicure).

The pedicure bowls were garnished with delightful fresh oranges and rose petals, the spa soundtrack was a soulful R&B mix, and our lower limbs became works of art as we enjoyed scrubs, masks, lotions and massages from our knees to our toes.

Inspired by the young modelesque technician Dana Michelle who did my mom’s feet, I chose a vibrant glittery turquoise-blue polish called Charla by ZOYA. It was one of my most complimented manicures in a while… either they loved it or just felt they had to say SOMETHING because it’s an impossible color to miss.

INTERVIEW: From One Carol’s Daughter to Another

Lisa Price shares business success, beauty secrets, and the best kind of massages.

The original Carol and her Daughter

So, we both have a mom named Carol. You must have met other daughters of Carols who get excited about this. Is this your first interview from another Carol’s daughter?

As far as I know you are the 2nd Carol’s daughter to interview me.

What’s your most vivid beauty/pampering moment with mom growing up?

Well, my mom was not much of a beauty pampering type person.  She began to pamper herself only after I made products and then she became addicted.  The advice my mom gave me about beauty was not to use too much makeup and not to use it all the time.  She said that I should always know what I really look like and love myself flaws and all.

You have a Facebook following of over 425,000. What’s your secret?

I am honest and authentic.  I engage our guests and let them into our world and my space and we talk about what is important to us.  Our topics resonate and they know that I am ALWAYS listening.

Why a spa for just hands and feet?

It is a great way to, pardon the pun, get your feet wet in the service business.  Less overhead and less space required than a spa that offers massages, etc.  Manicures and pedicures for many of us is not a luxury but something we must do on a regular basis to be properly groomed.  Why not take that perfunctory service and make it anything but,  I am always looking for ways to turn ordinary experiences into stress-relieving, moments to exhale.  I know that other busy women feel the same way.

What was the last thing you put on your hands and feet?

The last color I had was a deep green shade from Ginger Lily.  We can get you the name.  I had our new Chai Masala service about a week ago.  Heaven! However, this morning I used our Brown Sugar Scrub to exfoliate my feet and I massaged them with Sage and Shea Foot Butter about 10 minutes ago.  That is something I try to do every night.  Sometimes, my husband gives me the massage and that’s just the best.

What is your all-time favorite product from your line?

Overall, my Hair Milk is my favorite.  My curls can’t live without it.  But of my hands and feet line, it is the Sage and Shea Foot Butter.

The beauty secret you live by?

I take care of myself from the inside out.  I use makeup to conceal and enhance not to hide behind.  I take my mother’s advice and give myself a break from it and love who I am and what I look like.  I exercise regularly and hard and I make a concerted effort to eat right.  I have a loving family and it is important to me to spend time with them.  My children make me feel young and keep me on my toes.  My husband is my best friend and the person I can always go to no matter what.  All of this is what makes me beautiful.  Because I am happy.

What’s one thing that everyone in the world should know about Carol’s Daughter?

That this is a brand with amazing products that are made with wonderful ingredients by people that are so passionate about what they do.  I work very hard at trying to build my brand into a household name.  I am not just a Founder or just a face.  I am in the office everyday and I love it!

The Back Room Hand & Foot Spa at Carol’s Daughter
24 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027
212.828.6717

Today we invited Anne Fritz of The Jet Set Girls to tell us about one her favorite Little Luxuries. Turns out, it’s a gem from Carol’s Daughter, one of our New York Spa Week spas!

The Little Luxury: Carol’s Daughter Lemon and Rose Hand Cream

Relationship Status: It’s a bedtime essential right up there with brushing, removing my makeup and kissing my man good night. But in terms of luxury, it’s like taking a bubble bath without the soap and water.

Richer than Carlos Slim! Carol’s Daughter Lemon and Rose Hand Cream really does it best. I’ve tried just about every hand cream on the market and this is the only one that has as much staying power as the cellulite on my thighs.

Advice for new Carol’s Daughter Lemon and Rose Hand Cream users: A little bit goes a long way. It’s only sold in a 2 oz jar for a reason. On that note, you need to hide it from your roommate, kids, hubby, coworkers, etc.

Naturally… Like all Carol’s Daughter products, it’s paraben-free with no petroleum, mineral oil or artificial color.

Afternoon Tea for your Hands: The lemon and rose scent is sweet without being cloying, kind of like a cross between lemon pound cake and a cup of tea. I’ve never worn cotton gloves at night with regular cream, but I imagine the results are similar.

Good Things Come In Small Packages: Carolsdaughter.com, $12 for 2 oz.

Indulge in Carol’s Daughter during Spa Week 2010! For extra decadence, visit the hidden Back Room Spa at the Harlem store and indulge in a 90 Minute Rose Petal Ritual, available for $50 during Spa Week. (Check their listing in our Spa Directory) After soaking your hands in rose petals, milk, coconut and tapioca which softens skin and cuticles, the manicurist slathers your hands with Lemon and Rose Hand Cream. Your hands will clap for joy.

Hot Stone Scale: 6 out of 6