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Beauty
A Taste of the Authentic
At this junction in spa history, the comprehensive system of healthy pampering known as Ayurveda -- an across-the-board Hindu wellness practice that translates to “knowledge of life” in Sanskrit -- is part and parcel of the industry lexicon. In San Francisco alone, there are at least a dozen spas that profess to employ some ancient Ayurvedic techniques in their services. But for spa babies who aren’t content with watered-down exotics (an oil treatment here, a mantra thrown in for good measure there), Maharishi Ayurveda Health Spa is the real deal. More
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Beauty
An Urban Oasis Awaits You
On an unassuming Tuesday afternoon, I find myself in the waiting lounge of Spa Bar, tucked away on a busy vestibule of 2nd Street. The atmosphere certainly seems to spell out “deluxe digs for the urban primadonna” but something about the ambience is casual enough to make me want to take a deep breath (perhaps with the help of their signature oxygen bar) and leisurely stretch my limbs out to the loft ceilings or, perhaps, curl up on the sprawling couch with the latest issue of Vogue and do some shameless people-watching More
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Beauty
A Refuge for the Old-Fashioned Romantic
Weekends away from the city are too often tailored for the harried professionals. Wagering a guess that there are loads of you out there who feel the same, I’m about to let you in on a little secret: there is, indeed, a place where you can momentarily shelve your stresses, breathe deep some blessed “there’s no one around for miles” air, and take comfort in the fact that your mobile phones are completely useless here. It’s a little cul-de-sac tucked just off Highway One, and they call it Elk Cove Inn. More
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Beauty
Treatments for a Charmed Life
Ever since I was old enough to appreciate those 80s Calgon commercials and young enough to have only a meager comprehension of the word “stress” I was wholly entranced by the concept of pampering. I got my first manicure at age 16 and was 21 when I got my first facial (and the rest is, as they say, history), but the delayed gratification was out of this world. After all, I grew up daydreaming about perfume bottles with glass stoppers, mysterious fragrant potions that lay beyond reach in my mother’s armoire, and tubs fitted with frothy beds of bubbles. More
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Beauty
Put Your Load Down
Rest and relaxation. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? Given our society’s terrible penchant for scheduling everything from requisite weekend getaways to quality time with loved ones, the time-honored idea of a little R&R has become little more than a bromidic gesture towards a removed, future indulgence, the lowest task on our collective to-do list, it would seem. But try to imagine a world in which time for silence -- a literal “waking up to smell the roses” -- is way more than a hypothetical priority. More
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Beauty
Exotic Indulgences
Novella Spa and Imports is one of those places -- you know the kind. As soon as you step in, you’re immediately smacked with an urge to buy the entire store, particularly if your tastes tend toward the exotic and rare. It’s also one of the prime spots in San Francisco for decadent beauty rites to make you feel like a sultana of yore. More
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Beauty
Forget About the Wine-Tasting
Evidently, spring is in the air, romance is upon us, and throwbacks to the tried and true dinner-n-a-movie combination just won’t make the cut anymore. That’s no secret to jet-setting young urbanites and seasoned weekend lovebirds who flock to Gaige House, a cozy Sonoma County hamlet that can’t help but inspire its inhabitants to turn their cell phones off and their taste for the finer things in life on. More
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Beauty
Wellness Beckons
For harried city-dwellers, Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue is like a sojourn to another time -- one where residents stop to greet each other to chat about the weather, and it’s safe enough to keep your doors unlocked. But the quaint, small-town feel is assuaged quite a bit by the spattering of chicness: hip yoga studios, used book stores, antique shops, and stylish fine dining populate the area with a relaxed elegance that make Piedmont Avenue an apt backdrop for a place like Meditrina World Healing Spa. More
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Beauty
Summer Away from the City
Summers in the city are always hit or miss. Weather reports often augur gorgeous weather after a day or two of unexpected sunshine, but we all know that just because it’s June, it doesn’t mean diddly-squat. A few hours of balminess might give you gleeful intimations of the French Riviera, but I dare you to drive to the other side of the city, and the banks of fog will make you feel like you’re marooned on a Scandinavian fjord. And don’t even get me started on the necessity of dressing in layers. More
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Beauty
The Perfect Out-of-Town Recharge
Mendocino County has become one of the most vaunted areas in California for romantic weekend expeditions, and for good reason. Take Heritage House Inn -- a beautiful cliffside hamlet in the diminutive borough of Little River, California, that offers 37 acres of majestic solitude from the riff-raff of city life. More
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