There are many things I miss about living in Austin, and Hiatus Spa + Retreat is one of them. For those who are not familiar with Hiatus, they have a super awesome membership program where as an H-Circle member you pay $59/month and receive one Essential Service – a massage, facial, mani-pedi, body glow, or body wrap – each month. It’s a great deal for any of these top-notch offerings. Continue reading
Viva Day Spa is celebrating it’s eighth anniversary. If you read my interview last year with the owners, it’s easy to see how they’ve stayed in business in Austin for so long. Not to mention the consecutive years that Viva has won “Best Spa” in the Austin Chronicle, among other local awards.
Viva Day Spa has two locations, the original on 35th Street and another on South Lamar. Eight years young, Viva continues its dedication to fine service for the mind, body and spirit in a warm and relaxing environment. I was tickled pick that they invited me to indulge in a complimentary treatment. Continue reading
The current reigning philosophy in skincare is exfoliation. It’s important to remove the outer layers of dead skin to allow fresh skin to appear. Think about it. Retinoids, AHA/BHA exfoliants, peels are all about skin cell turnover. Circ-Cell is a line of skincare based in Dallas, TX turning that prevailing skin paradigm on its head. Circ-Cell believes in building up the skin, rather than tearing it down.
My friends at Hiatus Spa+Resort let me know of a few new treatments they’ve cooked up for the fall. One in particular sounded delightfully relaxing, the Chakra Balancing Massage. Per Hiatus, it’s “An innovative massage that focuses on the seven chakra energy centers within the body. Essential oil blends are used to uplift, calm and enhance well-being. Experience a variety of massage techniques including deep tissue, reflexology and energy work. A guided meditation enhances the benefits of stress relief and increases energy.”
Soon after that little Austin Monthly article came out, I was contacted by Mecca Gym & Spa. They kindly invited me to visit their spa to try out some treatments to review on Beautypendence. Truth be told, I had never been to Mecca, despite hearing nothing but good things about their spa. Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed. Continue reading
Hiatus Spa + Retreat‘s first location is in chic Inwood Village of Dallas and has won many awards in the Metroplex. Dallas women know their beauty indulgences, so it bodes well for us that Austin is their second location. On December 18, Hiatus Spa + Retreat had its soft opening in the 5th Street Commons complex. I stopped by after work the following day to introduce myself and for a quick look around. Continue reading
Early on in brainstorming ideas for the blog, I had the bright idea that Wendy and I do a workout swap. I would try CrossFit, Wendy would try ballet, and we would each blog about our experiences. Finally in December, the time had come for me to attend a CrossFit community workout. With an 8am Saturday class on the horizon, I no longer thought my idea was so brilliant.
I made sure to wake up by 7am to eat something (two scrambled eggs), as my body is not accustomed to early morning workouts. Actually, my body is not accustomed to being up early at all. I’m most definitely a night owl. Wendy picked me up at 7:45am to head to CrossFit Central.
I could immediately tell who the regular CrossFitters and coaches were. Those girls wore spandex tights, showing off their perfectly formed, muscular thighs. Yep, I was a little self-conscious, already assuming everyone there was more fit than me. For the most part, my hypothesis tested true.
Snatch jumps during the warm-up
When it comes to the full Travaasa Austin experience, Jenn’s post here can’t be topped. (Nor can the Travaasa experience, for that matter.) We only spent about six hours there, yet we left feeling like we’d had a full weekend away from it all.
I learned two important things that Saturday:
I was skeptical when a girlfriend insisted I go to a roller derby bout. I imagined it to be like WWF on skates: loud, tacky and above all staged, with rough looking half-naked women putting on a display for the sole amusement of drunken men. I thought it was anti-women, and I put it off for as long as I could.
When I finally gave in and went to a bout she gave me the “I told you so” look: I was mesmerized. All of my impressions had been wrong in the best possible ways.
Hell Marys vs. The Hustlers 2011. © Felicia Graham Photography.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about a new weightlifting cycle that I started thanks to my good friend, Kristy. I made it through all four weeks, and I am very pleased with my new weightlifting prowess. I’m no Incredible Hulk, but I am feeling good about my new and improved muscles.
