Blissful Moments at the Banyan Spa

Recently, I visited the Banyan CitiSPA at 474 West Broadway in Soho, New York (212-388-1288). Although I usually go to Bliss just a few blocks away, the Banyan CitiSPA is new, and quietly tucked away on one of Soho's chic-est streets. I learned about it from my contacts at Pevonia Botanica (one of my personal favorites when it comes to spa-oriented products) and, since Pevonia products are used almost exclusively at the spa, I decided to give it a try.

One enters the spa from a storefront, and is greeted quickly and pleasantly at the front desk. I wanted to try a treatment that would showcase the skill of the spa staff, with Pevonia Botanica products, and selected a Botanical Body Polish that combined a massage (90 minutes $150) with an exfoliating scrub and moisturizing treatment. That settled, I was escorted into the changing area. Go through a curtain and you are directly at the lockers for changing (a little more privacy between the curtain and changing areas would be nice). On the plus side, the lockers are already stocked with fluffy, immaculately clean robe, slippers and towel and who really plans to linger in the changing area when you're in a fantastic spa? Turn around and enter a large room with multi-head showers, pedestal sinks, toilets, a nice steam room, and, at the other end of the room, a very nice sauna (both the steam room and the sauna were excellent).

At the end of the room, if you make a left, you're in the "lounge" area. There is a television mounted on the wall, I guess for those who simply have to have it. The rest of the room is tailor -made for relaxation, with comfortable settees, lounge chairs, the latest magazines, cold and hot beverages, and light snacks.

I immediately felt at home. Actually, I automatically envisioned myself relaxing for a few minutes, maybe a few hours (actually, I could have stayed there all day). Before I could settle in with a fashion magazine and a glass of water with lemon and get too comfy, Maggie, my masseuse/technician introduced herself and escorted me into the treatment room (right on time, which is a good thing, especially if you're a busy person taking some "me" time between appointements). don't really remember much about it because it was already thoughtfully darkened to induce that kind of "I'm here for me" feeling right away. I did note a gel-filled, heated mat covered with towel atop the treatment table, and above my head was a large, metal contraption with a number of nozzles (to wash off the products at the end of the treatment).

I am not exactly sure if the Pevonia Botanic exfoliating treatment you can buy for home use is exactly the same as the professional (and large sized) jar of product that Maggie used on me, but the Banyan CitiSPA's version has safe, rosemary, lemon extract and jojoba granules to gently remove dead, Summer-weary flakes. The standard "spa tunes" were activated, and I immediately began to relax as Maggie massaged, pushed and sometimes, gently pummeled the stress out of this writer's body. Even better, as the massage continued, Maggie was also exfoliating my dead skin cells..and I had to do is float on the bed of soft gel...simply heavenly!

I knew the treatment was coming to an end when the warm water began to flow through the overhead contraption, rinsing off the exfoliatior and whatever "yuk" had been removed along with it. It felt delightful though--a bit like sleeping in a perfectly temperature controlled room on a comfortable bed, during a warm rain shower. By the way, Maggie asked several times iif the pressure she used in the massage, and the temperature in the room and the water were confortable for me That shows good attention to detail and shows a high level of consideration for the client. You'd think every spa would do this, but often, you have to suffer in silence or speak up (and you should speak up if something is uncomfortable for you during any spa experience). Finally, there was an application of dry body oil (heavenly) and the blissful experience was over...sigh!

By the time I stood up, I could move my neck in ways I haven't been able to do for months, ok, maybe more like a year. Nothing hurt and everything felt right with my body and especially, my back (an usual feeling, especially since I sit and bend forward to type most of the day). Even better, my usually-sensitive skin wasn't red, sore or itchy. There wasn't a single mark on it. And, it felt smooth, soft, so "like a baby's" that I couldn't quite believe it was my adult skin!

Maggie offered a cool glass of water, gratefully accepted. I was invited to sit in the lounge, or use the steam room and sauna. I used both, reluctantly pulling myself out of the steam room to make another appointment. It was the middle of the day and the spa wasn't crowded (I only saw two other women there) and I'm sure it would have been ok to literally make a day of it, reading in the lounge, and alternating between the sauna and the steam room.

The shower woke me up (don't they always?) but it was time to go. I dressed, reluctantly, slowly, leaving my spa trappings of robe, slippers and towels, in specially-marked baskets. It was time to traverse that line between spa life and real life, by walking through the curtains and back into the front reception area. I blinked, a bit overwhelmed by the light and activity I'd left behind a few hours before. I didn't realize until then just how relaxing the spa (and the entire experience was) really was, until sounds and light assaulted my senses. Can just an hour or so really change the way you look and feel that significantly. At the Banyan CitiSPA, that answer, apparently, was "yes."

I wanted to meet and thank Kathy, the spa's Manager, and I admired the wall of products, mostly by Pevonia, available for purchase while waiting to speak to her. If you're a New Yorker, the spa is easy to get to from nearly anywhere and it's open Monday to Saturday 10am to 9 pm and Sundays 10am to 7 pm. If you're not nearby the Banyan CitiSPA, you can still have a taste of the fantastic treatment I experienced (and enjoy a total spa experience) at home) with products from Pevonia. I'd suggest the Silky Skin Body Scrub by Pevonia from their Ligne Nymphea line for $26.00 6.8 oz as it is very similar to the ingredients in the scrub used in my treatment. This gentle and deep cleansing scrub has Rose Essential Oil, Chamomile, Soapwort, Rosemary and Lemon Essential Oil (as my treatment version did). It eliminates dead cells and impurities , and soften dry and rough areas into submission, gently, no matter what your skin type (as I said, mine is sensitive, and this product passed the gentle but effective test with flying colors). Follow with Pevonia Botanica's Preserve Body Moisturizer $23.00 6.8 oz also from Ligne Nymphea. This fantastic body moisturizer is rich in oils, vitamins and phyto-extracts including: Chamomile, Horsetail, Vitamin E, Vitamin B Complex, Rose Extract and Orris Essential Oil It restores your skin's essential lipids leaving skin soft and hydrated, but not greasy. It also improves your skin's elasticity and is anatural, family-friendly product even children can use. Get more information about products and purchasing Pevonia Botanica products on their web site http://www.pevonia.com

I immediately thought of purchasing a massage for my husband (men have their own section of the spa, and they can get most of the treatments available to women) and I'm already planning my next visit.

Business cards and thanks, exchanged with Kathy, I literally floated back out onto the hot, humid, New York Street, but for a few more hours, at least, I enjoyed the sensation of being renewed, recharged, improved!

Beauty Bash 'n Bargains at Sheckys

I loved the Last Sheckys Girls Night Out event I went to, so I was really excited when Linda from Nurturuing Force Blotting Papers told me her company was going to be exhibiting at the Sheckys Girls Beauty Night Out on August 10th and I could come as a guest! The event features dozens of exhibitors featuring their wares at a discount and five hours of cute guys serving free drinks, lots of samples, and lots of fun bonding with your girlfriends.

It was a hot, humid night, and it ultimately rained cats and dogs. But as I walked up to the Puck Building on Lafayette Street in Manhatttan, past the waiting crowd of eager women trying to get in the door, I realized that Nurturing Force Blotting Papers would be doing a brisk business, helping to wash the "dew" off of our faces, for just $14.00 a roll of scented or non-scented blotting papers. What I like about Nurturing Force papers is that you get one large roll in a mini-dispenser with plastic "teeth" so you can roll out as much or as little of the 950 sq. inches (approx. 75-125 individual uses) as you wish. The blotting paper itself is made of soft, natural fiber. Just press onto T-zone or wherever you want to remove shine--it won't remove moisturizer, sun block or makeup, and won't leave lint on your face (great for guys too, since it won't leave lint on beards, either). I quickly found the Nurturing Force Booth, and said hello to the wrong woman (hey, I only met Linda once before, at the debut of the Makeup Show last Spring).

Correction and apologies noted, I notice lots of women trying to purchase blotting papers, so I said my thanks, and wandered around the myriad tables of everything from health and beauty items to hair ornaments, and lots of jewelry and handbags. True "eye candy" for "girls" of all ages.

What made this evening so delightful (other than the cute guys serving drinks...and did I mention how friendly and nice they all were??) was the opportunity to meet many of the beauty publicists I work with on a regular basis. It was like old home week. It was a blast. And, I also (finally, after emailing for many years) met Heidi Ouaknine from Make up For Ever, and Carolyn from Carolyn New York Nail (we'll be offering her entire line of polish in our upcoming Advice Sisters "The Devil (and You) Wear Prada" contest, coming soon (visit http://www.advicesisters.net/Features/Features.html for details in just weeks).

For those who attend and buy a ticket in advance, a "goodie bag" is offered, and the lines for the elvator and then on the second level of the Sheckys Girls Beauty Night Out quickly lengthened. I took a look in the bag and noted some of the sponsors, including a nail polish, some skincare, a feminine hygiene product, a book, a small bottle of Midori liquor (my favorite part of the bag, ha, ha) and a few other things. The bags are re-useable and eye-catching, featuring a colorful, Sheckys logo. A few of the women seemed to think the bags were too heavy to lug around, but then again, who wants a goodie bag without a lot of goodies in it. Yours truly wasn't entitled to one but then again, beauty reviwers like me don't really need lots of extra product, anyway.

I planned to stay just for an hour, but even solo, and as a reporter doing my job, it was so much fun I ended up staying a lot longer. I learned about botox, about laser surgery, about how much I really can't resist earrings at a great price (I walked away with a pair of faux turquoise and gold chandelier earrings I really love--for $8,00)! I took away samples from a lot of vendors and will be reviewing new brands for the What Works column, soon.

When I finally left the building, it was pouring, but even the rain couldn't dampen my "health and beauty, high"

Well done, Sheckys, and thanks again, Nurturing Force. ;-)

Hippiefest

I admit it, I try to avoid anything titled a "fest." Whether the word is supposed to be short for festive (as in a cheery occasion) or festival (as in Woodstock), in my experience, most "fests" are mostly disappointing event. The promoters, their family and friends are having a good time, but they're the inner circle. The rest of us wander around aimlessly through the exhibits or other activities, wondering why we went hours of out the way to attend.

But last Friday night, I attended a "fest" that really was festive. HippieFest 2006, at the Mountain Laurel Center in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, not far from Bushkill Falls, was meant to stir the heartstrings of baby boomers who had either been to the Original Woodstock, or wished they'd been there. The four hour long extravaganza starred many of the groups who participated in Woodstock, including: Mitch Ryder, Rare Earth, Country Joe McDonald, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, The Lovin' Spoonful, Mountain with Leslie West and Corky Laing, Badfinger with Joey Molland, Melanie, Canned Heat, and Denny Laine. The Master of Ceremonies was Wavy Gravy, whose real name is Hugh Romney, and who is now over age 70. Mr. Romney was at Woodstock as a member of an entertainment/activist commune known as the Hog Farm, but he is best known for standing on the stage of the original Woodstock concert and announcing...." What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000!"

But I am digressing, at least a bit. What I really wanted to write here was how strange and yet wonderful, Hippiefest was. There were few people under age 50 in the audience, save for a few, reluctant youngesters with sullen faces who were obviously dragged by parents who couldn't or wouldn't get a sitter. The rest of the crowd had a kaleidoscope of tie-dyed shirts sporting a variety of bands, causes, and even an insurance company corporate outing. The wore peace symbols, love beads, and headbands. They were paunchy, thick in the middle, balding, dyed blonde, wrinkled, botoxed... What seemed unique about this crowd was the energy level. The band members were old, probably ancient to anyone under age 30, but they were jumping all over the stage, doing what they have done for more than 30 years, and doing it well. And the audience, even those who were clearly way into retirement age, were rockin in their seats, dancing in the aisles, grooving to the great sounds as if they were 15 and not 50+. The bodies were old, the faces were old, the bands themselves were old..but the spirit was as youthful as back in Woodstock. There were pronouncements to "give peace a chance" and "get together." No one was angry, hateful, or half-dressed. The crowd, even when fueled by a lot of beer and mixed drinks (amazing that these were being sold at a concert where everyone was going to be driving home on mountain roads, cheaply enough to easily get seriously drunk) remained calm and relatively respectful of one another.

The concert when on for hours, but few left before the last group, the defeaningly loud Mountain, known for it's hit "Mississippi Queen." The line out of the parking lot was orderly despite the late hours. No one honked or yelled. Everyone had a good time,

You could say, it was a mini-Woodstock, new milennium style.

When I think of senior citizens, I think of my grandparents and parents, sitting quietly in wheelchairs or scooters, clapping hands to the hits of the Big Band Era. But we are not going to be "old" like them. The baby boomers may have aging bodies, but our minds, our hearts, and our spirits are young. We still care about the people around us. We acknowledge that even strangers we come in contact with are just friends we haven't met yet, and that they have feelings. We answer our emails and phone calls. We don't "talk to the hand."

I think once again, the baby boomers will help to define senior citizens and revolutionize the world.

Please post your comments and opinions!

Take Me Out To The (Brooklyn) Ball Game!

Last night a friend invited my husband and I to a baseball game. It wasn't the Yankees, the Mets, or even the Boston Red Sox...it was the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Normally, I'd politely refuse tickets to a baseball game, since I know little about this sport and frankly, the biggest attraction would be the popcorn and peanuts, and maybe, a cold beer. Worse, it was in Brooklyn, in Coney Island. Who wants to schlepp to the end of the line on a local train for the pleasure of watching a team that isn't even one of the majors? But our friend, applied for his seats as the stadium was being built, and he was #17 on the list for the best in the house. I don't know what happened to numbers 1 through 16 (although the Mayor's seats were right next to his so obviously he had one of the higher numbers), but our lucky friend has four season subscriptions to the seat in the first row literally right behind home plate.

With tickets like these, you can imagine that he has lots of friends (he does, even without the tickets), and I'm always touched when, once a year, we get invited to the ballpark to sit in fabulous seats for one of these coveted games. It's even worth the incredibly long, long, hot, sticky, smelling and generally unappealing train ride to Stillwell Avenue, the end of the line in Coney Island, to get there. We said "sure, we'll come."

Even the short walk from the Coney Island station to the ballpark is a sensory experience. When you first leave the station it doesn't take long before the wind shifts, and you realize you're smelling the brine of the ocean, just to the left of you a few minute's walk. As you continue to the park, there's the small of grease, and hot dogs from famous Nathans, with their famously long lines and now, a digital sign that tells visitors just how long it will be until the next Nathan's hot dog eating contest (always held July 4th weekend). And there's the noise: clinking, clanking, clacking from the Cyclone roller coaster, banging, bumping and music blaring from the bumper car establishments, that haven't changed at all since the 1950's when I first saw them. And, there's honking, yelling, rustling...the sounds of amusement park rides, happy revelers screaming their guts out, while on the ground there are mother scolding, babies crying, the chatter of girly in groups, men yelling.....

We met our friend and sashayed down to the front to our fabulous seats. I dont' really remember the game, but I do remember the Cyclones won, the nachos were goey and suitably messed up a perfectly great pair of linen pants (why didn't I just wear crummy shorts like everyone else?) and the beer, cold and in plastic bottles. The evening was hot and humid, but it was like another world in the ballpark. The lights were hot, but the air was cool. The moon glowed full, shrouded a bit with fog. The air smelled like brine as the wind shifted. I wanted to stay there forever. All that mattered was the moment.

But the game ended, and we had to leave. Blinking a bit, we re-entered the hot, humid world of Coney Island. It seemed almost as if we were in a tropical hothouse in some wierd, botanical garden. The rain that was supposed to soak us during the game was waiting....

We silently walked on the famous boardwalk, which seemed to be in a lot better shape then when I was a kid and went to the beach there with my grandmother, toting salted hard boiled eggs and iced tea in a thermos. It was dark, but lights twinkled here and there, dotted like sequins on a velvet evening gown. Every now and then the breeze shifted and we felt refreshed, just a bit, just for a second. But the night was "young," so we decided to go on the Wonder Wheel, still a gigantic, wonderful relic of another age. Our swinging car took us gently over the entire scene of noises, smells, and colorful, bright lights. My friend won me a pillow with a fish on it from a gaming booth, and we ate Nathan's hot dogs and french fries at nearly midnight.



The rain, never came.

The bona-fide, blasted, blogging and computer blues

Nobody knows, the blogger I've been
Nobody knows my sorrow.
My computer is broken, over a week
Maybe, bettter, tomorrow.....

(sung to the tune of...well, you already know)


I finally got my blog back up and working. However, right after I did so I had to "unplug" my circa 1999 computer to clean up my workspace for "Under One Roof," an HGTV show in which my husband and I were to have an episode filmed about our apartment (we didn't do it because reality shows are not real, and we would have had real trouble had we gone along--but that's a blog entry for another day).

Well, anyway, after I unplugged everything, a few days passed and the new computer we ordered finally arrived from Dell (without an important part, of course...it wouldn't be a new computer experience of any normalcy if the computer arrived exactly as expected). I had upgraded my former computer from Windows ME, a very unstable program that never should have been let into the marketplace, to an upgrade of Windows XP. The upgrade did work (thanks heavens, because I know lots of people who simply scrambled their computers into complete uselessness with this upgrade) but it also scattered my data and program files far and wide, into mirror directories, other directories, many different directories, and places where the proverbial cyber sun will never shine. As a consequence, to remove the important data and programs from this old baby and move them appropriately to a new system, is a nightmare.

We hired a professional. Good idea, but the poor man is dealing with a completely knotted up system and it is taking not one, not two, not three days, but likely, weeks. In the interim, I tried to be patient. I really, really did. But I quickly realized that I was more plugged in than I ever thought. My PDA upon which my days completely depend, and my ipods, also cannot work without the computer, so I wasn't just down email and all of my virtual activities, I was completely unable to work, schedule appointments, or call anyone whose name wasn't on my cell phone.

Finally, my husband, good soul that he is, brought my old computer home. Nothing really works, passwords are all gone, limited email of course, but at least I can get to some of the places I need to go including this blog, while the new computer "incubates" to completion. When that will be, I have not a clue.

I realize that I haven't good backup systems, and perhaps, I ought to keep a good old paper backup of my schedule and address book, if nothing else, but when you get into the routine of turning on a machine in the morning and letting it do your tasks, you really do take it for granted after a couple of years.

So what am I trying to say? I guess it's just that more than even, I'm impressed with my ability to harness some of the great technologies we have in the world, but we DID live before cell phone, Palms, Ipods and yes, even computers. If I'd had back to basics backups, I wouldn't be singing the "blogger blues" so long and so strong.

HOpefully, the next time I put up a post, it'll be on the new machine.

have a great week and stay cool!

ALISON