Georgetown Spa Joins Merriment This Weekend!

Georgetown will be the spot this Sunday where the holidays will be in the stores and the streets.

They're calling it "Merriment in Georgetown" www.merrimentingeorgetown.com and the festivities include special sales and events (more on that in a minute) live entertainment, children's activities and culinary treats.

The event is scheduled from 3 to 6pm this Sunday, December 6th.

Caroling and live performances by community choral groups, the kids' rock band Milkshake, free photos with Santa and horse drawn carriage rides will all be featured in the Wisconsin and M Street area.

Make sure you stop by Qi Spa www.qispadc.com as they kick off their holiday specials that day which you'll need to relax and rejuvenate during this busy time of year--not to mention taking care of your friends and family who would love a spa gift.

As part of their Customer Appreciation Month in December, Qi Spa will be offering 10 percent off on services, products and gift certificates! That is everything at the spa and a fantastic deal if you are looking for a way to give your skin a boost before holiday parties or relieve stress with a massage or one of their soothing winter treatments. They also have many seasonal gifts and fashion accessories and are happy to help you put together a holiday gift that someone will love to get!

In addition, BeautyInDC.com readers exclusively get a $20 discount on their popular Glowing Collagen Facial. This is an hour and twenty minute treatment that smooths out fine lines and wrinkles and really does give the skin a glowing look as the name implies. Regularly $140, print out the special coupon http://beautyindc.com/offer.php?serial=393 to receive the facial for $120 in December.


www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.

Beauty 360 Birthday Means Gifts for You!

When I enter the Beauty 360 www.beauty360.com store near Dupont Circle I worry that all sense of time will be suspended and I'll miss my appointments for the rest of the day--there is just so much for a beauty junkie to see and try!

When CVS launched this flagship store a year ago the concept was to offer prestige beauty brands and a luxury shopping experience in a convenient neighborhood and they have succeeded.

The store at 1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW is a gorgeous store to look but it's the great mix of brands and products that make it such a fun place to shop!

And tomorrow is Beauty 360's first annual holiday party and with amazing discounts and gifts with purchase so head there during lunch hour or after work.

This Thursday, December 3rd only you'll receive 10% off your purchase of $125, 15% off purchase of $175 and 20% off your purchase of $250.

All day enjoy lavish gifts with purchase, free samples, demonstrations and personalized consultations as well as refreshments from 4 to 9pm.

And the brands they carry at Beauty 360 are the ones you want--the best and trendiest of the makeup and product world-Paula Dorf, Laura Geller, POP Beauty, Ahava, Bloom and Borba. I was once on a mission to find a concealer I had read about by IT Cosmetics and the only place in the entire Washington, DC area that had it in store was Beauty 360--that's when I was hooked!

The staff is trained and available makeup applications, hand massages and polish changes and mini facials and it's all complimentary.

For a more thorough facial they've now added a spa room and you can purchase a 60 minute facial with an esthetician.

www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.

A Palette To Suit Every Taste

I have a love/hate relationship with makeup palettes. I seem to always be in search of the perfect one that will include all the essentials I need in the most flattering colors and I rarely find it!

It's all about personal preference and colors that are flattering for your individual coloring and lifestyle.

With that in mind, I searched the most popular and trendy lines for sets that might work for everyday or special occasions. You might want to get them soon though as most are special editions that won't be around for long.


POP Beauty's Cabaret is one of the most comprehensive and cutting edge of the palettes out right now. It includes 5 smokey eyeshadows, matte face powder, a swirl of 5 highlighters, 2 bronzers and 4 lip duos. I'm not counting but that is a lot of products at your fingertips for a very reasonable price of 29.50! It must be popular as it is out of stock at the POP Beauty website but it does seem to still be available at www.beauty.com.





If you're looking for something a little more basic, Bobbi Brown's "Eyes and Cheeks to Go" might fit the bill. There are both Warm and Cool Eye Quads in shimmer and matte shades surrounding rouge in a universal tone of Blushed Rose. The set, including a mini-eyeshadow brush is $60.00 and is available at Nordstrom.






Holiday time creates the need for more shimmer and color which is
exactly what you'll find in a budget priced palette from Target. NP Set is a line by Napoleon Perdis sold at the store and is apparently flying off shelves. The set is $32.00 and includes 18 eyeshadows, 4 blushes, 4 lip glosses and 3 brush applicators--in other words if you have a party every night you can have a different look all the way through New Year's eve! Available at www.target.com.

www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.

Spa-ing Instead of Shopping After Thanksgiving

Shopping till you drop is not the only option your post-Thanksgiving days off. Why not do something really nice for yourself and your friends and family before total holiday frenzy gets underway.....


Two events this Friday and Saturday help you get a nice after-turkey glow or ward off that post-turkey bloat!



On Friday the 26th head to Atlantis Medical Wellness Center www.atlantismedispa.com in Silver Spring where they're offering huge Black Friday discounts on services from 10am to 2pm. Specials include 50% on that day only on all asethetic services including SmartLipo and 10% off the hCG Weight Loss Protocol.

If you can't make it in call them at 240-292-7122 to pay for the services in full that day for use at another time or to give for the holidays! It's a great way to take advantage of many services at a huge discount. Get a specialized facial so you'll glow at holiday parties or make a beauty junkie on your gift list really happy.


If you over-indulge on Thursday or should I say when....then Body Elements in Vienna
www.body-elements.com is going to help you shed the guilt and possibly some inches with their Stress Free Saturday on the 28th. Bring along family and friends so you can all de-stress, detoxify, increase your metabolism and even burn more calories. Maybe you really can have the whipped cream on the pumpkin pie!!

There are $50 Endermolgie sessions all day from 8am to 5pm--a super savings of $55 per session. Not only will your clothes feel looser but you'll feel refreshed and relaxed, unlike those mall shoppers fighting for a parking spot! You can also take advantage of special offers, refreshments and goodie bags and they promise no turkey in sight!

Spa-ing instead of shopping seems like the start of a great new Black Friday tradition.

There are lots of other special offers that last through Monday on beauty services and products in the BeautyInDC.com Hot Deals section so take a look http://beautyindc.com/hotdeals.php and make it a beautiful Friday and long holiday weekend.

www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.

Looking Good For an Extra 5%

It's baaack...and it's enough to make those creases between our eyes even worse!

If the health care reform bill passes it's possible that elective beauty procedures will be taxed 5%--the so called "bo-tax." Facelifts, tummy tucks, laser hair removal and yes, Botox and even teeth whitening could all be subject to this excise tax as of January 1, 2010 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34048874/ns/health-health_care/

Certain procedures such as breast reconstruction or a deformity caused by an accident, trauma or disfiguring disease would be exempt.

We heard about this tax a while ago when it was being considered in the Senate Finance committee although it was dropped. But apparently it has reared it's ugly (so to speak) head again when the latest version of the bill was unveiled by Senator Harry Reid on Wednesday night.

Plastic surgeons are expected to lobby against this tax and some people feel it's a tax against women since they seek out the procedures that will be affected in much larger percentages than men.

It will be interesting to see if people flock to plastic surgeon and dermatologist's offices in the next month or so to try to get procedures done if the bill passes.

Of course no one should rush to get plastic surgery or any procedure done without first carefully researching the doctor to make sure he/she is board certified and experienced in the operation you're seeking.

But if you have already done your homework and were considering waiting until after the first of the year to have some nips or tucks you may want to consider moving up your timetable if you aren't prepared to add another 5% to the total bill!

www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.

New Moon Generates New Looks in Makeup

Twilight sequel mania has been building and will reach a frenzy this weekend with the release of "New Moon."

The stars faces are in just about every magazine and entertainment show that exists. Considering that some of them are vampires they are all quite handsome and gorgeous and appealing. So if you would like to feel connected to the characters and try to get into the spirit of the stories, there is Twilight Beauty www.twilightbeauty.com which includes two makeup lines inspired by the movies.

One line is called Luna Twilight and the other is Volturi. And while your initial thought (as mine was) that this is all a bit over- commercialized, once you see the products you might actually be impressed.

Of course they couldn't resist playing off the themes and characters with some of the names and descriptions.


In the Luna Twilight line there is the Just Bitten staining balm--which is a very emollient lipstick in four shades.




The Mortal Glow Blushing Creme is a beautiful blend of colors in a mousse and creme formula for easy application and a flattering satin finish.






Of couse shimmering skin in the moonlight is a must for aspiring Bellas so the Immortal Liquid Body Shimmer will do the trick. The formula is ultra hydrating and comes in unique shades like
a sheer black with gold flecks or sheer fuschia with a pink shimmer.


Luna Twilight is available at Nordstrom stores or through their website www.nordstrom.com.


The second line is called Volturi also known as the "royal" family amongst all vampires in the movie and representing a supernatural beauty that transcends time.




Some of the products in this line are duplicates of the Luna line but there are some that are different like the Enrapture Lip Gloss that come in the same shades as the body shimmer. These are super sheer glosses with a subtle scent. Obsess is a magenta with gold shimmer and a raspberry scent and Arsenic is a sheer black that goes on clear with gold shimmer and a licorice scent.



In the body line Volturi offers a Reign Scented Body Mist which are colored, shimmering scents with names like Bella, Wicked, Forbidden Fruit and Romance.

The Volturi line is sold at Hot Topics stores and on their website at www.hottopic.com.


www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.

Don't Leave Your Skin Out In The Cold

I consulted with a pro to find out what we should do to help our skin make the transition from summer to the colder months of winter.

I assumed we might need to change our routine, products and maintenance and those suspicians were confirmed by trained esthetician Julie Holly.

Julie is based LifeSpa & Salon http://lifetimefitness.com/lifespa in the Lifetime Fitness club in Rockville and has 7 years of experience in European facials, waxing, microdermabrasion, chemical/enzymatic exfoliation as well as body treatments. She has worked along side plastic surgeons and physicians and learned about chemical peels, laser treatments, light therapies and injectables.


Q: Julie should we care for our skin differently as the temperature and seasons change?

Julie: Yes. In warmer weather, especially in the DC area, the air is very moist and in order to reduce excess oil a mild, foaming cleanser and light weight moisturizer are best. A mask containing a clay such as kaolin is also beneficial in soaking up excess oil on a weekly basis.

In the colder weather that is now approaching, a switch to a milky, cream based cleanser is best as the air is a lot dryer and we don't want to strip the skin of precious oil. Your moisturizer should also contain a noncomedogenic oil to assist in keeping the water level in the skin balanced.

Lastly, exfoliate and follow with a hydrating mask weekly.

Q: Do you have any specific treatments or products that will protect our skin during the really cold months of winter?

Julie: A deep exfoliation, also known as a light peel, is a great way to remove the abundance of dead skin from the surface thus allowing the hydrating products that are introduced into the skin via massage and mask penetrate even deeper.

One peel to try at LifeSpa/Salon is the Murad IP5 treatment that contains 5 different types of exfoliators and brightening ingredients: glycolic acid, salycilic acid, vitamin C, lactic acid and Indian fig.

This is also a great time of year to receive a body scrub and hydrating body wrap -- don't forget skin is the largest organ of the body!

For homecare, I highly recommend switching over to a cream based cleanser such as Phytomer's Doux Visage Velvet Cleansing Cream or Murad's Moisture Rich Facial Wash. It is also advisable to ditch your astringent and turn to a hydrating toner followed by a more rich moisturizer such as Phytomer's Nutricontinue Cream with Shea Butter or Murad's Nightly Hydrolock with Immunodefense.

For body I recommend soaking in Phytomer's Oligomer Lyophilized Sea Water Bath followed by Hydracontinue Moisturizing Body Milk.

Q: How often should we get facials?

Julie: Depending on the condition of the skin and the goals that you want to achieve, facials can be received as often as once a week, although you can also notice an improvement in the skin with monthly treatments.

If you are trying to overcome a condition such as chronic acne, sun damage or fine lines and wrinkles, I usually recommend a series of 6 peel treatments done weekly followed by a monthly maintenance facial that may or may not include a peel.

Special: Book a Signature Facial with Julie in November and receive a complimentary Brow Shaping!


LifeSpa & Salon
1151 Seven Locks Road
Rockville, MD 20854
240.599.2924

www.BeautyInDC.com your local resource for specials on beauty services as well as the latest information on beauty, health and fitness with a local twist.