A few weeks ago Guerlain opened a spa in the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. The spa "ensures a comprehensive luxury experience for every Waldorf guest." On the menu are eight kinds of massage, four kinds of facials, six kinds of body treatments, and five men's treatments, as well as hand and foot therapies, makeup application and all-day and partial-day getaway spa experiences. The spa also has a boutique and personal training studio.

I'm no beauty maven, but I've had massages and lots of facials, and what's described on the site seems no more special than what's offered at any other upscale spa, except for the use of Guerlain products and exquisite descriptions of services. I've no doubt the products add a level of luxury that's likely missing from a run-of-the-mill salon-type spa on the corner. But does Guerlain do a better job for what I assume to be a big pricetag? I don't know. I might have to check it out!

Based in Texas Renée Rouleau is an aesthetician with a passion for skin care. At her salon she offers a variety of services including facials for everything from general cleansing to detox to anti-aging. Her top-of-the-line Synergy 7 facial is especially noteworthy, however, as it tops the price chart with a whopping $600 price tag.

The Synergy 7 facial gets its name from the 7 treatments that are combined into one to make for a truly luxurious and cutting edge two hour anti-aging experience that focuses on deep cleansing, resurfacing, Vitamin C infusion, lifting & firming, repairing & hydrating, oxygen infusion and calming & protecting. The end result? Renée Rouleau promises "your healthiest skin ever."

Via ForbesLife

Bird dropping facials and snake massages may sound like something straight out of an episode of Fear Factor, but they're really part of the growing list of strange options you might have at a luxury spa near you. An ancient Japanese secret often used by Geishas and available at Diamond Hawaii Resort and Spa in Maui is a facial that starts with Nightingale excrement, which is reportedly full of enzymes that help keep the skin smooth, clear, and white. Or maybe a Hakali massage is more your style at Apuane Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Punta Minta, Mexico, where spine-free cactus paddles are used to rub in an alcohol called 'pulque,' which comes from the agave plant and is in the tequila family.

Other strange spa experiences that might trip your detox trigger include snake massages (exactly what they sound like -- snakes slithering up and down your back!), getting yourself covered head-to-toe in caviar, soaking in a huge tub of dark beer, and "cupping" -- a process where several cups are placed strategically along your back and then lit on fire to create suction.

Fear Factor or not, some of these sound awesome! (Some, not all...)

The latest skin care treatment uses water and electricity to create better skin. The new trend in facials is the ultrasonic wet dermabrasion treatment using the Dermasound machine. The treatment is a three-stage system that uses low frequency sound waves to perform aesthetic services. The skin is cleansed with antioxidant-rich Glymed products, exfoliated and then moisturized. Dead skin cells are removed with ultrasonic water then ultrasound is used to push anti-aging and anti-inflammatory vitamins deep into the skin and then microcurrent therapy is applied to recharge and balance skin. Facials using Dermasound are available in spas around North America and generally cost around $100 for a one-hour treatment. The treatment is supposed to help with both acne and aging.

[via The Vancouver Sun]

One of the items that ended up in the Oscar baskets for presenters and nominees are from Köl, a body and bath line of salts, soaps and scrubs that are non gender specific and packaged in a simple minimalist manner. The company offers four bath lines: Curacao, Picnic, Bethlehem and El Maroc. They also have a line of mix-your-own facials and scrubs which come in travel-friendly metal tubes and use exotic clays, pumice and herbs to pamper your skin. The Oscar basket included the El Maroc candle which has scents of clove, leather and citrus.