Spa Montage Teams With ASTECC to Offer Continuing Education Classes

Therapists from all over can now reap the benefits of the continuing education program at Spa Montage (Laguna Beach, CA) thanks to a new partnership the spa has formed with the American Spa Therapy Education Certification Council (ASTECC). Anne Bramham, president of ASTECC, will teach two courses, one basic and one advanced, on Vodder School Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) at Spa Montage.

Basic Body
(Nov. 9-13, 8am-4:30pm, $950 per student/40 credits)
Course lectures detail the anatomy and physiology of the lymph vessel system, fluid balance, and the body’s transportation system along with the effects and contra-indications of MLD. Practical training includes instruction in MLD techniques and protocols for specific body parts.

Advanced Spa Body
(Dec. 13-18, 8am-4:30pm, $1,100 per student/50 credits)
Focusing on the specific use of Manual Lymphatic Drainage in leisure and medical spa settings, this class concentrates on treatment protocols for pre- and post-cosmetic surgery, dermatological indications, cellulite, fluid retention, trauma, and lifestyle disorders. Prerequisite: Basic Body.

Practitioners who complete either class will be certified with 40 or 50 hours of continued education credits. Because courses are limited to 14 students, early registration is recommended.

To register or learn more, contact Anne Bramham at (800) 575-0518 or email bramhami@aol.com. You may also visit www.ASTECC.com to download the registration form.

Practitioners from outside the Laguna Beach area can take advantage of exclusive student room rates available at Montage Laguna Beach for Nov. 8-13 and Dec. 12-18. For reservations, contact Montage at (888) 715-6700.

Fairmont Sates the Need for Speed—and Spa

Not only does Sonoma County, CA, offer visitors a chance to slow down and savor the good life but it also allows them to gear up and reach adrenaline-pumping speeds. The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa invites guests to enjoy its Speed Meets Spa Package with Jim Russell Racing School. Starting at $5,391 for a three-night stay, guests can enjoy the thrill of formula racing during two days of classes at the Infineon Raceway. After catching a glimpse into the life of a competitive racecar driver, guests can refuel in the lap of luxury at the resort’s 40,000 square foot spa. The package includes two 60-minute treatments, as well as dinner for two at Santé Restaurant and a wine tasting at Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves. This package allows guests to take the fast track to fun and relaxation.

For more spa happenings in Sonoma, keep an eye out for American Spa’s November issue.

SpaQuality Updates Spa Management Standards Manual

SpaQuality LLC has released the fifth edition of its quality system management standards for spas, The International Standards of SpaExcellence 2010. The Standards have been reorganized and expanded, and more guidance and examples have been provided. The Standards, now featuring more than 200 pages, are offered in both print and pdf file format, making it even easier for spas to garner the valuable management tips.  Key changes to the 2010 Standards include:

• A new model of a process-based spa quality system
• Deletion of the Management section
• Addition of an Intention and Strategy section
• Addition of general quality management concepts as they apply to the spa industry
• Addition of a Leadership section
• Addition of general leadership concepts as they apply to the spa industry
• Guidance, examples, and tools have been combined and immediately follow the associated Standard element
• Addition of an index
• Addition of a biography of the authors
• Addition of a resource section
• Presented both as The Standards alone and as The Standards with Guidance and Examples
• Tabbed for easy use (print only)

The retail price for the print version is $195, and is shipped only in the U.S. The retail price for the pdf version is $95, and it is emailed globally as an electronic file. For more information, call (302) 426-0274 or visit http://SpaQuality.com.

American Spa Preps Professional’s Choice Awards
For Fifth Year

Thanks to you and your votes, American Spa fans, we have another great year of Professional’s Choice Awards to share with you. Our December issue will feature your preferred picks—with everything from Favorite New U.S. Spa and Favorite Spa Cuisine to Favorite Skincare Line and Favorite Spa Consultant.

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from our two-day shoot with photographer Luis Ernesto Santana, whose beautiful work has been gracing our pages since 2003.

If you didn’t have a chance to vote or would like to share more ideas and opinions, feel free to comment below or to email us at spablog@americanspamag.com. Thank you again for your feedback—it’s always appreciated!

Industry Insiders Reveal What it Takes
to Operate a Successful Day Spa

If you’ve always dreamed of becoming a spa owner, then you won’t want to miss the upcoming seminar, “How to Start A Day Spa,” at The Learning Annex (304 E. 42nd St., lower level, New York City) on Sat. Oct. 17 from 12:00 to 6:00pm. The half-day event will feature a panel of experts, from successful spa owners to consultants and creative designer, who will share information on how to make your dream spa a reality. The seminar will be moderated by Nancy Trent, president of the New York City-based marketing and publicity firm Trent & Company. Panelists include:

• Isabel Anton and Anna Antal, co-owners of Advanced Skin Care Day Spa (New York City)

• Wendy Bosalavage, president of American Leisure Corporation, innovators in cutting-edge design and operation of spas and wellness centers

• Mike Canizales, founder of Spa Chakra, a worldwide network of luxury spas

• Chris Kofitsas, owner of New World Design Builders, designers of a number of New York’s hottest new spas and salons

• Lorraine Massey, owner of The Deva Spa at the Devachan Salon, a widely known sanctuary for those with curly hair

• Sergio Mercado, creative director at Clodagh Design, known for visionary blending of leading-edge technology, innovative materials, and ancient techniques

• Candida Molina, director of The Deva Spa at the Devachan Salon (New York City)

• Melissa Shea, newest member of Fresh and the leader of the REFresh Spa Program

• Maria Varriano, owner of MariVar Spa Builders, a leading consulting firm in the development of spas and wellness centers

• Denise Vitiello, spa director at The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental, New York

For more information about the seminar, contact Nancy Trent at (212) 966-0024.

Living the Gelife at Dashing Diva

I love the look of a new manicure, but until recently, I had simply stopped getting them. I’m pretty hard on my hands, so no matter how careful I try to be, within a day, the polish has chipped, and my nails look sloppy. Recently, however, I discovered a solution to my problem, thanks to a visit to Dashing Diva, a charming nailcare chain in New York City (it also has outposts in California, North Carolina, Japan, and the Philipines, among other locations). I got a chance to sample the Gelife Manicure, and I think that it may be difficult to return to a regular polish regime again. This exclusive service banishes unsightly chipped polish and extends the lustrous look of manis and pedis for weeks, courtesy of a creative gel technology. Following a trimming, buffing, and shaping of nails, two coats of a soft, removable gel are applied, just like nail polish, then cured under a UV light after each application. The gel immediately sets in the UV light, leaving a manicure or pedicure that lasts for up to two weeks and requires no drying time. My mani lasted for nearly 10 days, hanging tough through two trade shows and a particularly tough deadline, where I was hammering away in my computer with my shiny new nails. I finally soaked the gels off just a couple days ago, and can’t wait to go back. Though I played it safe the first time, choosing a natural-looking cool pink color, I’m ready to jump in and test out one of Dashing Diva’s six new Gelife shades—Beige, Coral Orange, Darkest Burgundy, Deep Red, Hot Pink, and Taupe Brown. For more on this fab new nailcare solution, visit www.dashingdiva.com and check out the November issue of American Spa.

Spa Biz Does Good – Part 2

Check out what these spa and wellness companies are doing in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

Company: Babor
Product: Lifting Bust and Body Cream
Charity: A percentage from each sale will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
Contact: www.babor.com

Company: Beauty.com
Product: Online purchases
Charity: From Oct. 12 through 18, 10 percent of online purchases will be donated to Cancer and Careers.
Contact: www.beauty.com

Company: Cosmoholic Cosmetics
Product: Prudish Pink
Charity: 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research
Contact: www.cosmoholiconline.com

Company: Jeans Cream
Product: Jeans Cream
Charity: A portion of proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research.
Contact: www.jeanscream.com

Company: Kimberly Parry
Product: All products
Charity: A percentage of proceeds from all orders during October will be donated to The Wellness Community – West Los Angeles.
Contact: www.kimberlyparry.com

Company: Number 4 High Performance Hair Care
Product: Fleurs de Temps Body Lotion
Charity: 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Contact: www.number4hair.com

Company: Purple Lab
Product: SWAC (Sealed With A Cure) lip gloss
Charity: A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the Triple Negative
Breast Cancer Foundation.
Contact: www.purplelabnyc.com

Company: Rejoice! Body Care
Product: Bodycare Products
Charity: 25 percent of proceeds will be donated to the Pretty in Pink Foundation.
Contact: www.rejoicebodycare.com

Company: Sweet Grass Farms
Product: Faith Hope & Courage Fragrance Stick Set
Charity: 10 percent of proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer
Research Foundation.
Contact: www.sweetgrassonline.com

Company: Three Custom Color
Product: Be Bright Lip Gloss
Charity: 20 percent of proceeds will be donated to Bright Pink.
Contact: www.threecustom.com

For more items that give back, check out Spa Biz Does Good – Part 1 and the October issue of American Spa.

The PBF Heads to Capitol Hill

Tomorrow, more than 100 volunteers from spas, salons, cosmetology schools, manufacturers, distributors, and industry association members from around the world will be participating in the 10th annual Welcome to Our World event. Sponsored by the Professional Beauty Federation (PBF), this networking event, which will take place on Capitol Hill from 5 PM to 8 PM, allows those in the professional beauty industry the opportunity to get their voices heard on pertinent topics while pampering those in power. Members of Congress, their staff, and other key players will be treated to complimentary haircuts, mini-manicures, makeup applications, and neck-and-shoulder massages while learning more about issues important to our industry. In particular, this year’s event will focus on fairness in taxation and access to cosmetology education. To find out more about the PBF and these particular issues affecting our industry, visit www.probeautyfederation.org.

Celebrate Wellness this Week at
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York

This week, spa-goers can take advantage of a special offer at
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York that gives them 25 percent off on all treatments today, Wednesday, and Thursday. To book, simply call (212) 805-8880 and mention this limited-time promotion. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience all this urban oasis has to offer.

The Italian Way

Earlier this summer, I was able to explore a property I’ve heard a lot about—The Resort at Pelican Hill. After reading glowing reviews in Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Departures, my curiosity had definitely been piqued. My trip started off with a visit to T5 at JFK Airport, Jet Blue’s state-of-the-art terminal. After an easy flight—I was actually on time and able to watch Food Network the whole way—I landed in Long Beach, CA, and headed over to the resort. Saying that I’m an Italophile is an understatement, which is why I was thrilled to see the Italian-inspired resort with its colonnades, arches, and terracotta-capped buildings. Although the California rays were shining, I felt like I was under the Tuscan sun.

With a grandiose pool called The Coliseum, the creamiest risotto this side of the Atlantic, and a café that serves gelato worthy of a warm afternoon in Florence, the resort pays an elegant homage to its Italian roots throughout the entire property, including at the spa. The comprehensive treatment menu for the 23,000-square-foot spa includes Mediterranean-style services, such as the Olivo Pedicure ($80, 60 minutes), an olive-based pampering treat for feet, and the Body Gelato ($180, 60 minutes), a scrub and massage, which ends with a scoop of ice cream for further indulgence. While classical influences cannot be denied, the spa seamlessly incorporates high-tech equipment for maximum results. Thanks to the use of Ageless Aesthetic’s ULTRA machine and the expertise of a very experienced esthetician, I enjoyed a stellar Reveal Facial ($230, 60 minutes), which left my skin looking like porcelain. For more about The Spa at Pelican Hill, keep an eye out for American Spa’s December issue.