this month’s massage: the aromatherapy 1.5 hrs at Elements on Kloof

31 Aug 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG recommends, beauty, cape town, lifestyle, south africa, spa saturdays, things to do, 1 Comments

If you go for many massages, you’ll know that the aromatherapy massage is usually the introverted sister of the massage family, the quiet one who is lovely and sweet and extremely agreeable. Aromatherapy massages are generally not deep tissue affairs, and tend to be gentle and soft, allowing the oils to do much of the work, detoxifying and invigorating and what not. And if you go for frequent massages, you’ll probably want something with a little more kick and strength and well, personality. Well then, best you go to Elements on Kloof, and ask Stofelline to give you her aromatherapy massage, cos she understand a stiff muscle, while being able to give you the benefits of the aromatherapy oils.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE ELEMENTSONKLOOF FACEBOOK PAGE

There are 2 available - 1 hour (R390) or 1.5 hours (R490) – go for the longer one because it allows for you to drift gently in and out of the happy place to which this euphoria-inducing treatment takes you. And i also did something I don’t usually do with beauty treatments – I went on a weekday evening. Usually I go on saturdays to make a whole day of it but having a massage right before dinner speeds up your metabolism, making you extra hungry, and puts you firmly in relax mode for the rest  of the evening. I highly recommend it!

TO BOOK A MASSAGE, EMAIL ENQUIRIES@ELEMENTSONKLOOF.CO.ZA OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AND CHOOSE A TREATMENT HERE.

YOU CAN ALSO CALL 021 426 24 59

Spa Saturdays: Optiphi – the peel to have when you have places to go

16 Aug 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG recommends, beauty, beauty products, spa saturdays, 0 Comments

You know how it is with peels. You have to have one every now and again because makeup and aging and oh, LIFE takes its toll on your skin and maybe you don’t always take off all your makeup before going to bed (okay maybe you NEVER do, much of a muchness) and eventually it all gets a bit much and you just need to get rid of the first layer of nonsense protecting the world from your inner (epidermal) radiance.

Except you dread it because it’s a process that involves burning off the top layer of your skin and making you look like an over-zealous red-nose day patron who’s taken it next level to RED FACE DAY and if you go out within the first few days of having had it done people ask, with great concern, whether you tripped and fell into the bucket of acid, or whether someone pushed you.

But stop – there is a peel that does NOT cause the old acid face, and it’s called the Optiphi Skin Rejuvenation Peel. I had in over the weekend at Yemaya Spa & Hair. My therapist was Annchen and she was just delightful and assured me that my skin wouldn’t react, and it really didn’t. It simply brightened up, and now, three days later, I’m seeing a beautiful clear complexion and enjoying the benefits of the peel – softness and clarity… NO RED NOTHING!

I’ve just got acquainted with the Optiphi range - they come with solid creds such as:

CLICK HERE TO  FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OPTIPHI AND WHERE YOU CAN BOOK A TREATMENT OR BUY PRODUCTS ON FACEBOOK.

last day to be Queen for a Day

08 Aug 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG recommends, beauty, competitions, spa saturdays, things to do, 0 Comments

This is the last day for you to enter the AMAZING Queen for a Day competition that spa BFF ElementsOnKloof is running with Scar hair. Best you get clicking!

spa saturdays: hot stone massage and facial at Elements On Kloof

21 Jun 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG recommends, beauty, cape town, lifestyle, south africa, spa saturdays, things to do, 0 Comments

Ladies, book yourself a treat by way of the Elements on Kloof Winter Special. It’s a hot stone facial and massage that will be an hour and a half extremely well spent, especially considering its only R400 for the whole thing until the end of August. I’ve had many a hot stone massage before, but never a hot stone facial, and I am now a convert.

When you book, ask try and get the gorgeous Italian Daniele as your therapist. He’s got strong hands. My favourite thing to do is go for a run and a gym session before I go get a massage, and this is where the stones really come into their own. Hot rocks on hot sore muscles. First they do your neck and face, then they turn you over and do your shoulders, back, legs and feet. You see what we’re going for here? Click here to give Elements on Kloof a call. They’re at 39 Kloof Street, just opposite Scar Hair, tucked away in a peaceful urban sanctuary. They do all sorts of wonderfully pampering treatments – here’s the full list. And for those of you looking for salons that do threading – they do that too! I’ll be giving that a go shortly.

A gift for the glamourmommas

28 Apr 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG recommends, dealio, shopping, south africa, spa saturdays, 0 Comments

It’s Mother’s Day next Sunday 8 May. I am a big fan of mother’s. Especially glamourmommas. A glamourmomma is a wonderful thing to behold – she will instill a solid set of values in a girl while looking great in photographs. Values such as ‘leather before pleather because it’ll last forever’. And, ‘Less is more, now wipe that extra foundation from your paw’. And ‘No down-downs with him unless you want him to look down-down on you’. There are many pearls of wisdom, some snatched from friends and their own glamour mommas. Perhaps I shall compile a book. For now I have compiled some photos of my personal favourite glamourmommas, and I have also made a lovely suggestion for a gift, name a Spalicious hamper of pampering products. For a review of Spalicious read this Beauty Bulletin review.

The Spalicious hamper is going for only R299 here at dealio. A home spa for R299? And it’s delivered to your door?! Well that solves that gifting dilemma!

Spa Sunday Review: The Bastien Gonzalez Mani: Pedi: Cure experience

04 Apr 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG recommends, beauty, cape town, girl stuff, lifestyle, south africa, spa saturdays, things to do, weekends, 2 Comments

One&Only Island Spa - where the Bastien Gonzalez studio is located

Yesterday I went for a Bastien Gonzalez Manicure and Pedicure as an Easter treat to myself. They have a ‘chocoholics special’ on at the moment. The treatment involves cocoa-infused products so I figured it would be a better option that Easter Eggs, which really just set one back in the skinny jeans department, and with winter coming up well… Anyway, I’d heard loads about it, but having been for many such treatments in my life, the truth is I wasn’t expecting anything vastly different, apart from the fact that I had booked a ‘natural treatment’, as in, they weren’t going to paint my nails. Now if you paint your nails a lot you’ll know that it kinda messes up your nails, so in fact I was skeptical that this would be better than having some colour put on.

Bastien Gonzalez does do colour if you want - but I went for the natural treatment.

But I was completely surprised. The Bastien Gonzalez method is all about restoring nail health, rather than splashing out with colours, so it’s great for holidays and times when you want to take a break from the grooming cycle. The Gonzalez method eliminates the yellow from previous coats of paint, and restores the nails to their natural pink, and shapes them in a way that means they grow out stronger and healthy and look gorgeous – yet don’t have a stitch of paint on them! Kim & Celeste were my therapists and Kim did an amazing job of explaining to me what she was doing. First all existing colour was removed, then the nails were shaped, and then buffed. The whole thing was done dry – no soaking in water, only a swift coat of paraffin.

They buffed my nails with an exfoliant made from ground up pearls – called Stardust Buffing Paint- and then they polished the buffed nails with a chammy (am not kidding) and added some cuticle drops and the result was that my nails look like I’d had a French Manicure but they literally have nothing on them, not even a gloss. And they are smoother than if there was a gloss on them. Magic!

The same was done to my feet, and after the nails were done, I got a hand and foot massage with cocoa-infused paraffin wax which was just incredible, and makes you want to eat your hands and feet, and comes as part of the treatment. Luckily they give you Lindt hot chocolate to stop you gnawing on your paws. Guys – this is a great Easter gift for ladies and they have an Easter special on. Check it out here until special offers or call 021 431 5810 or email reservations@oneandonlycapetown.com. The special runs until the end of April.

Dealio deal of the week: Thai oils massage

15 Mar 2011, Posted by Cape Town Girl in shopping, south africa, spa saturdays, 3 Comments

By now you may have gathered I am mildly addicted to shopping through this site called Dealio.co.za. Their latest deal is a 1-hour Thai Oils Massage for R180. That, my friends, is ridiculous. And the deal is on so the price is guaranteed. You can thank me later!

Spa Saturday at Reyjeane: Lindt pedicures, head massages and Essie micro-dermabrasion manicures

23 Nov 2010, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG, CTG recommends, beauty products, cape town, field guides, girl stuff, hair, lifestyle, spa saturdays, things to do, weekends, 4 Comments

Proudly displaying french manicure with salon owner Rey

I tried out Reyjeane Spa & Salon in the Hudson round the corner from Cape Quarter on Saturday. I went for three treatments:

1. A Lindt Deluxe Chocolate Pedicure

2. An Essie Anti-Ageing and E-Juvenate Manicure

3. The Kerastase Aqua Oleum Moisture Treatment

The prices of which can all be found here. Very reasonable. Anyway Reyjeane, if you haven’t been, is a spa and salon that reminds me of a princess’s dressing rooms. The decor is beautiful and pretty and opulent – think armoires and chaise longues. I think it’s a great place to book, say, four of your friends in and go get your hair and nails done before a special event or a big night out, because you can all chat to each other and enjoy the champagne and Lindt choccies and the cupcakes and the cappuccinos that you are served while you get pampered.

Reyjeane - serene and chilled

Lindt Chocolate foot masque - unreal how delicious it smells. This was preceded by a foot massage. Lots of happiness going on here.

Macarons while you have your hair done?

Or perhaps some chocolate?

No? Fancy a cupcake then?

Now I went into Reyjeane with a knot the size of a child’s first in my hair. This happens sometimes - between the blur of charity balls and social soirees and hairspray and teasing sessions that is my life – I sometimes forget to ‘brush it out’ and then it gets worse and worse and eventually I actually cannot brush it out on my own. Enter the lovely ladies at Reyjeane, who used something called a ‘Tangle Teezer’ to get it out. What is a ‘Tangle Teezer’, you ask? It is a gift from god. Please. Try it and see.

Chilled salon times

After the knot was gone my hair was soaked in the Kerastase Aqua Oleum to help revive it to something resembling healthy hair. This treatment came with a head massage, and while it soaked in my hair I got a shoulder and neck massage, too. I struggle to communicate the awesomeness of this series of treatments. Head massage. Neck massage. Soft, silky hair. You do the beauty maths. It adds up to 7 000%.

The ‘Essie Anti-Ageing E-Juvenate‘ treatment is unlike any mani I have ever had before. It uses micro-dermabrasion (just process that for a second) to renew the skin on your hands, and then smother your hands in a vanilla-delicious Essie intensive recovery cream. It’s crazy – you can see the difference between the skin on your hands and your arm immediately. I was like, ‘can we do that on the rest of my body?’

I opted for a classic French Manicure on my hands, and blood red on my toes. I’ve never actually had a French Manicure. I always ‘go hardcore’ and get short red or closest-shade-to-black-that-is-not-black nails. Felt very grown up.

Frenchie.

Can I show you a picture of champagne and chocolate again? Yes? Great!!!

Basil – Reyjeane’s hair stylist – blowdried my hair into softly curled perfection. I flounced around the rest of the day annoying my friends with questions like, ‘don’t you just LOVE these soft curls? I clean up well, right? How pretty am I? Don’t you think Prince William should have proposed to ME?” etc.

I literally left a new woman. New hair. New feet, new neck, new hands. Reyjeane can be found at the Hudson building (same building as Origin Coffee and The Loading Bay – you MUST try their sandwiches if you haven’t yet) in Hudson Street in the Cape Quarter. Click here to see their prices - they really do have great pricing girls – seriously. And the ladies who work there are not only great at what they do but also very very sweet and kind and lovely.

To make a booking call 021 418 0391. Tell ‘em you want the Lindt Chocolate Pedi. You won’t look back, I promise!

weekend in pictures

25 Oct 2010, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG, cape town, lifestyle, restaurants, south africa, spa saturdays, things to do, 0 Comments

Did my once-a-year legging shop. Went back to WAG on Long, where I bought Best Leggings Evar last year.

Why are they Best Leggings Evar? Because they have a fold-over waist that doesn’t make a bulge on your hips. Because they have sizeable cuffs, so they shape your lower legs nicely. Because they are made from fabric that is stronger than a chick blogger posting ‘how she really felt about Eat, Pray, Love’ on her blog (v strong, prepared for anything). And now you know. You can fan WAG on facebook.

It was GJ’s birthday, so we made him drink til 4am, and then we made him eat eggs benedict at Lazari. He made us eat EB too, ‘because it’s his birthday’. What choice did we have? Had to just ‘put the diets on hold’ to make GJ feel good about his bday. The sacrifices we make.

Enjoyed the St Barth’s Harmony Massage at the Arabella Spa at the Westin Grand. This rates as one of the Best Massages Evar. Not just saying that because of the view (above and below). My masseuse was physio trained, and helped me ‘work through some neck issues’. She also got into my glutes which made me cry. And she fixed my lower leg cramps.

‘Sometimes you just need to be touched’.

It felt good. To be touched. Where it hurts.

View of the Harbour.

View of the city. One thing you have to do, once in your life, is lie on one of the heated waterbeds at The Westin after your massage. Above is your view, while you are enveloped in the loving, warm, womb-like heat of the waterbeds.

It is like a soothing revisit to your primordial past, evoking your inner amoeba, a single-celled world where nothing matters anymore.

Yes. It really is like that.

Hope your weekend was as much of a thrilling journey through the evolutionary phases as mine was.

gin & tonic. massage & facial. run & sauna.

02 Sep 2010, Posted by Cape Town Girl in CTG, competitions, girl stuff, spa saturdays, 14 Comments

Tea & Macarons?

Hey remember when I went to that new Massage place in Gardens – enmasse? Where I had my first oil-free Thai Massage? Well I’ve got 5 x 2-for-the-price-of-1 enmasse treatments to give away to CTG readers this week. Sounds good right? Grab your BFF & go get yourself each a Thai Massage for the price of one. If you’d like to win, just tell me what 2 things you need to get your relaxation on. Is it a massage & a facial? A cup of tea & some macarons? A double-vodka & Red Bull?

A nun & a gun?

I won’t judge you. Just tell me what takes you to your happy place. Leave a comment or email me editor@capetowngirl.com