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 | Four Top Pampering Picks You’ve been good this year -- paid your dues to Uncle Sam before the ides of April, took your Sigg to the gym instead of springing for environmentally unfriendly plastic water bottles, tightened the belt enough so you felt it but didn’t get too uncomfortable. That’s why it’s time to treat yourself. And I’m not talking about a Louis Vuitton bag or a new iPhone. After all, any excessive non-essential purchases made in the heat of a stressful moment might just yield diminishing returns, if not for your wallet, then certainly for your health. Let’s try an alternative, shall we?More |  | Illuminata Skin Care & Mirsada Skin Care Maybe you’re the kind of person who puts off going to the dentist every six months or getting your physical, despite those persistent little postcard reminders they send you in the mail. But taking care of your skin shouldn’t feel quite so daunting. Spring is in the air, and given our heat-driven susceptibility to clogged pores, as well as the propensity for those of us who don skin-baring clothes to dispense with the sunscreen, a little seasonal cleaning is just what the doctor ordered. Check out these two skincare studios, which specialize in getting your pores squeaky clean and all geared up to face the light of day.More | | | Whimiscal Holiday Items Modern legends often conjure a time when holiday gifting actually meant something. Back when families and communities gathered ‘round the Yule log, making merry and celebrating the fruits of the season, meaningless consumption and obligatory but grudgingly given gifts were unheard of. Which means generic gift certificates for the hard-to-shop-for, as well as mass-manufactured Walmart fare, was refreshingly absent from all the festivities.More |  | Treatments Worthy of a Splurge With all the unrelenting media coverage of bailout scandals, foreclosure fiascoes, and the generally dismal state of affairs, it seems a bit half-baked to justify emptying our wallets for pleasant yet inessential creature comforts. But while I’m all for downgrading to basic cable or saving your pennies instead of springing for a latte, some things are just too important to pass on: a damn good massage, for instance.More |  | Pampering Without Excess Simplicity is the order of the day, economic stimulus plan or no. Cutting down extraneous costs and adopting a more introspective approach to your spending is the imminent result of the current financial debacle and the so-yesterday American raison d’être of mindless luxury. But getting mindful doesn’t mean giving up pampering. It just means trading in your regular ol’ day spa -- debutantes, amenity-packed locker rooms, pretentious ‘tudes and all -- for a place like Avra Organic Spa.More |  | Romantic and Family-Friendly Solvang isn’t your typical road-trip stopover. Founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators, it’s filled with architecture reminiscent of Copenhagen’s cobbled streets and quaint European charm. Solvang is also where you’ll find Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort, a getaway that has become a rustic home away from home for harried city dwellers, especially of the LA variety.More |  | The Best Facials New Year’s resolutions are no longer a novelty, but for lots of indulgence-deprived folks, facials are. Certainly, juggling your beauty needs against a mile-long list of other priorities (beating the recession, for one) is going to take some practice, but as seasonal wear and tear takes its toll, you might find yourself using those Starbucks dollars for a loftier cause. Here are three aestheticians whose innovative approaches to skincare have many a guy and gal thanking the gods of glowing complexions.More |  | Seeing is Believing I’m not sure if it was my mild claustrophobia or the prospect of soiling the sequined evening gown I foolishly chose to don that evening, but I was feeling more than a little apprehensive as I walked down the narrow staircase into the Crimson Lounge, which doffs its red cape every Thursday through Saturday night and becomes Opaque “Dining in the Dark". It’s a dining experience like no other that may indicate a sea change in the epicurean raison d’etre -- it also requires a dollop of courage and maybe a few extra napkins.More |  | Gifts for the Naughty and Nice Yep, it’s that time of year again, and if you’re anything like me, the hedonist in you will spring for only the finest products and services for loved ones and obligatory giftees alike. Certainly, it’s the thought that counts…but what could be more thoughtful than exclusive spa treatments and beauty items that don’t scream “mass production”? Your generosity will be remembered for years to come…More |  | Vanity Beauty Lounge and Silk Nail Salon Guys and gals, take note. We all know beauty must-do’s like trimming the topiary even when it isn’t bikini season and keeping bright colors in our wardrobe despite the descent into dismal weather are no-brainers. So why do so many of us think it’s necessary to wait till porch-lounging, margarita-sipping conditions roll around before we pay attention to our tips and toes? No matter how you spin it, cracked, callused feet and hangnails shouldn’t be part of the seasonal doldrums. Here are two nail spas that specialize in making it feel like sandal weather year round.More |
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