Iceland-Blue Lagoon

One of my best vacations ever!!!
A couple of years ago, I visited Iceland. I was at first very skeptical as I had not heard much about it.  However, I can honestly say that Iceland is one of the top destinations to vacation to.
It is a place where they do not give into commercialism. I was a little upset that there was not a Starbucks in sight, but I quickly got over it. Its a country that is very chic and modern and home to one of the best natural spas, the Blue Lagoon bluelagoon.com which is a thermal heated natural spa that is open all year round.
On their site it best  describes it;
"The Blue Lagoon’s ecosystem is unique in the world, in fact one of Mother Nature’s laboratories, connecting us with the forces of nature. Through nature and science, Blue Lagoon spa treatments and massages provide you with the energy of the geothermal seawater and its active ingredients: minerals, silica and algae."
I took full advantage of the experience and tried a massage in the lagoon and ate at the lava restaurant. You can literally take the mud from the bottom of the warm lagoon and put it on your face. It is a white and has a natural exfoliant in it. I came out refreshed and relaxed.
I also took the opportunity to go on some nature tours.  It is amazing (but a little scary) that you can go right up a waterfalls edge and see the beauty of it all.
Truly a very relaxing get away that I recommend to everyone especially spa lovers.

Sweat it Out!

       Have you ever been told that the more you sweat the more weight you will lose? There may be some truth behind it.

       Everywhere I go lately, I've been hearing more and more about hot yoga and infrared saunas in the spa and wellness industry. I was a little doubtful when I heard that saunas can help burn calories as well as hot yoga so I thought it would be a great idea to test them out!

       When I walked into my first hot yoga class, the temperature was sitting at 37C. Since I was new to the whole yoga idea, I will admit that I was a little intimidated when I first started. During the class, I found that the instructor was extremely helpful with the various positions and poses. After an hour of class and buckets of sweat, I walked out and had never felt so refreshed! I even had the best night sleep of my life!
 I had read an article posted online at Hot Yoga Benefits, and I couldn't believe all the great benefits that were associated with it. Not only does your body detox from all the sweating, yoga itself assists in metabolism, core strength and flexibility, burning calories, boosts your immune system and really does help relax you and your state of mind. For the next couple of days after class, my body and muscles were beyond sore as if I had worked out for hours the day before.

       Another great alternative or even used in conjunction with hot yoga would be infrared saunas. Unlike yoga, in a sauna, you just sit there, relax, and sweat it out. The wonderful thing about infrared saunas is that it uses a dry heat which is fantastic for someone like me who hates the stuffiness that is normally associated with very warm temperatures. Dr. Oz appeared on Oprah discussing infrared saunas. He explained the benefits as boosting your metabolism, increasing blood circulation, and burning TONS of calories in short time. I also found that after one session in the sauna, my skin looked fantastic and was glowing!

     In conclusion, both methods of detox are absolutely amazing and when used together, the benefits are even better. Yoga and saunas aid in weight loss especially when done with a proper diet. There are many great studios out there that offer hot yoga and sauna sessions. In my opinion, if I had the space at home for an infrared sauna, I would definitely take one home! My only advice with both, make sure you drink lots of water!








 

Eyelash Enhancers- the Latest Gimmick?

      Caught up with the latest craze to get perfect full, long, and thick lashes? Well I certainly have! I tried a full year of eyelash extensions at multiple locations at varying price ranges. While the first few applications looked great, I found that over time my eyelashes, like anything else, needed time to breath and rejuvenate. It was a hard transition to go from perfect eyelashes to little "stubs" so I ventured out into the world of eyelash enhancers. I was skeptical at first as I didn't really believe that a serum could achieve the eyelashes I desired. However, I was proven wrong.

      One of my favourites is B Kamins Chemist Eyelash Fortifier ($99.00) found at your local Sephora store. It was extremely easy to use and you only needed a small dab per eyelash. I applied it once a day before bed and experienced no irritation. My eyelashes are naturally thin and short but over a three week period, they grew in length and volume. In order to keep my eyelashes growing during the day, I also purchased Peter Thomas Roth's Mascara from the "Lashes to Die for Collection" ($25.00) found at Sephora as well. It worked really well during the day to keep my eyelashes growing and volumized.

What are your thoughts Julie?

     Jen, I completely agree with you. I too didn't believe such products ever existed or if they did, would in no way actually help your eyelashes grow longer until I actually tried it! Like Jenn, I also have short, fine, and sparse lashes. Being of Asian ethnicity, many of us face the challenges of trying to "enhance" our short little lashes with eyelash extension services and wearing temporary falsies which I still love.

     I heard about a product called Stimulash by Fusion Beauty ($99.00) which can be purchased at Sephora. A girl I knew posted a picture on Facebook of her lashes before and after using this product and the results were UNREAL! Just like many other women would, I sought out reviews for the product to see what others who have used it thought and it sounded promising so I thought I'd give it a try. I applied it every night consistently before I went to bed and a few weeks later, I noticed a drastic difference in not only the length but my lashes looked fuller and curled naturally. It definitely was money well spent and I love that a little bottle lasts a long way. I always top off my lash look with my most FAVOURITE mascara ever, BADGal by Benefit Cosmetics ($19.00). It gives me the extra length and volume I need without the clumping and flaking!

     An alternative to eyelash growth stimulators, though I've had both and think they're both great, really depends on what your needs are. If you're looking for that quick fix or just the evening or weekend, I would highly recommend semi permanent eyelash extensions which can be done at most salons and spas. The service takes about an hour and is applied by a trained technician. Each lash bundle is applied with an adhesive which will eventually wear off after awhile. I found that depending on how aggressive you are with your eye care routine or how much eye make up you actually wear, it doesn't last as long as you'd like. If you're someone seeking long term permanent results like I was, I would definitely recommend eyelash growth serums such as the ones we've used because we know it works!

Behind the Blog

Something Spa was created by a couple of beauty experts from Toronto for professionals as well the spa and beauty enthusiasts to shed light on current trends within the beauty and wellness industry. We aim to give our followers the latest and greatest news from not only the top spas and salons but beauty overall.

Julie- I stepped into the industry at a very young age and there is no other place I would rather be.  As well as being a beauty and spa junkie myself, I have also dabbled in every job aspect of the beauty and wellness trade from beauty advisor, spa technician, spa management to beauty educator/ trainer. During my spa days, I met a girl named Jenn who was just as much of a beauty product and spa junkie as I was! My passion is anything spa and beauty related especially trying new products and services so much so that I had to share my experiences and expertise with everyone. 

Jenn- I love the beauty and spa industry! Although I currently work in the corporate world, I have also worked in spas over the years...which is where I met Julie! I love the spa environment and the calmness it brings to my hectic life. I have a severe addiction to beauty products, trying out spas and spa services world- wide, and fashion.  I am always looking for the latest product or service to try out and thought this blog would be a fabulous way to share my great finds.