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

Disclosure

Guest contributor: The Chefanies

It’s Cinco de Mayo and we’re celebrating here at Spa Week Daily with one of our favorite south of the border imports: avocados (green and sexy!). Before hitting up tonight’s parties, get soft, glowing skin with our Avocado Honey hydrating facial mask. Avocados are great for you, inside and out. They are super rich in vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamins A, C, and K – all of which help brighten and tone the skin. Both avocados and honey contain natural humectants, which are chemicals that attract and hold water, making this mask a great moisturizer.

INGREDIENTS:

Half of a ripe avocado

2 Tablespoons of honey

Mash the avocado with a fork or mixer and mix in honey. If the honey is really thick you can heat it up slightly to make it more liquid or dilute it with a tablespoon of hot water. Apply the paste to face, avoiding eye area and mouth, and leave on for 10-12 minutes. Rinse with warm water and a washcloth.

NOTES: Be sure to choose a ripe avocado for this mask. A ripe avocado will be a deep brown color that yields to the touch, but isn’t mushy. Make sure to cleanse your face before applying this mask to achieve the best results.

The Chefanies is the blog of 2 Stephanies cooking up a healthy storm using fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients. We focus on everyday cooking that is impressive enough for entertaining and hearty enough to enjoy solo. Go to thechefanies.com for more!

Guest contributor: The Chefanies

This one goes out to all our strawberry spa lovahs! Spa Week begins Monday and we can hardly contain our excitement. This week we cooked up a treatment you can do at home while you wait for that spa rub down. This strawberry sugar scrub is super easy to make – it only has three ingredients and it will leave your skin silky soft and moisturized. We have a weakness for trying out new beauty products and this was my first time making an at home beauty treatment, but it will definitely not be my last. Strawberries are just coming into season and this scrub takes full advatange of their benefits to the skin.

Strawberries contain alpha hydroxy acid, salycilic acid, and tons of vitamin c which are all good for the skin. Salycilic acid and alpha hydroxy acid help rid the skin of dead skin cells, make your pores smaller, and your skin brighter and more lustrous. Strawberries also contains a lot of vitamin C which slows the rate of free radical damage, boosts collagen production and also brightens the skin. Make sure to pick organic strawberries so you don’t have harmful chemical pesticides causing irritation to your skin. We used sugar in this scrub because it’s not as abrasive and drying as salt, and it won’t hurt any cuts or scrapes you might have.

The skin feels smooth and silky after the scrub and we didn’t have to use lotion because the coconut oil was so moisturizing. It’s a good oil to use on your skin because it doesn’t make your skin feel greasy, and it smells great. And as a bonus you get to enjoy some fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Sugar Scrub with Coconut Oil

Ingredients

1-2 large, ripe strawberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil, heated slightly so it’s liquid

Combine sugar and cocount oil until it is blended, but not quite a paste. Add strawberry and mash with a fork to combine with the sugar and oil mixture until it forms a smooth paste. The strawberry doesn’t have to be completely mashed up. Rub the scrub into your skin in a circular motion to exfoliate in the shower, concentrating on areas with dry or rough patches like elbows, knees, and feet. Leave it on for a few minutes so the strawberry can exfoliate and the coconut oil can moisturize. Rinse and apply lotion if needed. You can store it in the fridge if you don’t use it all. Enjoy!

The Chefanies is the blog of 2 Stephanies cooking up a healthy storm using fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients. We focus on everyday cooking that is impressive enough for entertaining and hearty enough to enjoy solo. Go to thechefanies.com for more!

What’s worse… breaking laws or breaking out? For this aspiring ESQ, it’s debatable.

Dear Michelle,

Here is my dilemma… The added stress, increased caffeine, and long hours of studying for the bar exam next week are taking a toll on my skin (not to mention the subconscious picking I catch myself doing!!). My skin seems extra dry, my pores seem larger than usual, and my chin is breaking out!! Do you have any easy at home cures I can employ to make this situation any better?? HELP!!

Love,

Dry Delinquent (Jamie Randall)

I decided to send this question to my newest employee in the Social Media department at Spa Week (she started Monday) to bounce some ideas around. She comes from a spa background and happens to know a thing or seven. Expecting a few bullet points back, she blew my mind and came back with the full blown jurisdiction you see below. Readers, it is my pleasure to introduce you to… your newest Spa Week Daily blogger crush… Stephanie Cavataro!

Dear Dry Delinquent,

Spa Week Daily holds you in contempt–Your skin is out of order!

You have neglected trips to the spa to make time for case studies. The proof- Exhibit A: your dry and neglected skin. It is the recommendation of the Spa Week Daily court that you remain remanded to your study-sanctuary and complete the following homemade beauty remedies:

One: Sit on your hands! Picking and scratching blemishes will cause scars—not to mention infections from bacteria transferred from hand-to-face. To fight infection, reduce inflammation and speed up the healing process try applying Manuka Honey as a mask 1-2 times per week. Manuka Honey is a great organic way to promote new cell turn over to leave skin supple and glowing.

Two: For dry patches, apply Safflower Oil Before bed. Dr. Oz says it has the same hydrating qualities as olive oil – but you won’t smell like a salad all night. Avoid petrochemicals (like baby/mineral oil or Vaseline) on the face. These man-made products can clog pores. To exfoliate rough spots, mix 1 part Safflower Oil and 2 parts regular sugar and apply as a homemade scrub to get rid of dull skin and flakes.

Three: Fight dry skin from the inside out. Swap out a caffeinated, sugary soda for Coconut Water. It’s full of electrolytes and potassium (twice the amount of a banana).  Coconut Water fights bloating brought on by late night study binges. It helps rehydrate faster than plain water while giving you natural, organic energy.

You can get Safflower Oil, Manuka Honey and Coconut Water at grocery stores like Whole Foods, without breaking the bank or straying too far away from your text books.

Case dismissed.

Best bar wishes,

Stephanie (and Michelle)