SPA WATCH | Spa Week starts TODAY

UNTIL I became a beauty writer some years ago, I was loathe to pony up my tiny reserve of cash for beauty treatments. No doubt, most of you are the same way. I have plenty of friends who, in their 30s and 40s, have still never had a manicure, pedicure, facial, massage or bikini wax. The lack of those activities in my life would be hard to imagine now, and I'm not embarrassed to admit it! They're fun and they make me look and feel better. For example, I would have been unable to walk two weeks ago after my back went out without that deep tissue massage. My complexion is always radiant after an hour and a half in Hiroko's hands at Spa Merge. My feet don't scare small children after I have a pedicure. Same with my mangled cuticles post-manicure.

Clearly I would survive without such activities in my life. But I would prefer not to as it's so much better with them. So, if you're up for finding out what all this spa stuff is about, why not try it out this week? SpaWeek gives you the chance to try myriad treatments across the US (sorry, Britain; it's not there yet!) for just $50 a pop -- a snip of the non-Spa Week price for many treatments on offer.

How to join in on the fun: 

1. Go to Spaweek.com >
2. Sign-up >
3. Search for spas in your area by state >
4. Find spas/treatments you want to try >
5. Call and book it >
6. Pay $50 (AND TIP THE THERAPIST. Discounted treatments doesn't mean you get to opt out of spa etiquette and good manners) and enjoy hours of beauty therapy bliss >

SpaWeek runs from September 13th to 19th and October 11th to 17th. You can also upload the SpaWeek iPhone App and get your spa fix on the go... 

Happy spa-ing!

Image credit: flickr.com/photos/wanhoff/226318202/sizes/m/in/photostream/

HOW TO | Pop a spot

YES, I'M really doing a post on how to pop a spot/zit/pimple at home. Having been prone to acne my entire post-pubescent life, I've learned a thing or two about how to and how NOT to pop a spot.

Every magazine you read, every dermatologist you visit will simply say don't do it because it's bad for your skin. Guess what? NO S**T! Did you need a medical degree to figure that one out? Those of us with acne can give you the exact medical reasons WHY it's bad. We pore (heh) over articles and studies about it. We, maybe even more so than you, understand. Yet we still choose to get rid of them because, boy, let me tell you, I'd rather pop it than have a giant whitehead waving hello to the PR Director of a skincare company while I'm walking in for a meeting. Counter-intuitive? Not at all. We ARE judged by our appearance, like it or not. Acne has a detrimental affect on that appearance, especially post-secondary school when it's not an acceptable trait to have. [editor's note: Fully aware that full-on acne is different from an occasional spot. Not downplaying how awful acne can be!]

And, really, you silly dermatologists, where do you get off? Did you go to the George Bush School of Abstinence Is The Only Way? As with teenagers and sex, you can teach them that they shouldn't do it, but it ain't going to stop them from bumping uglies.

Same with acne (although clearly without the resultant illegitimate child)... teaching people to simply not pop a spot because it's bad for your skin results in all sorts of heinous skin atrocities being wrought on poor, undeserving complexions at home due to simple ignorance. I've met people who literally scrape off the whitehead with their fingernail (ew), will go at it with unclean hands and fingers, who don't know what they can and can't pop and thus attack everything on their face with the same zest for destruction. I've even known someone to try to pop... a mole. Preaching pimple-popping abstinence leads to to all sorts of unmitigated skin disasters. Shame on you

Click to read more ...

SPA WATCH | occo london

THIS ONE is a big old head's up for some spa goodness in 2011. occo london launches its home and skincare ranges in London next month, and there's a new London boutique, which I'm well chuffed for (anything to do with moja Hrvatska and I'm all over it). Seven ranges inspired by seven different locations in Croatia (including Motovun, where you should all visit during the local film festival) with local ingredients and 95% (minimum) natural ingredients (yes, I know there's no clear definition of what is/isn't natural in beauty but just an FYI). I. Want. It.

Know what I want more? To hole up in occo spa(s) they're opening in Croatia in 2011. To think I rented an apartment in Dubrovnik for July 2008 (strictly for legal purposes while applying for that pesky work visa (and to hone my language skills)) and wiled away my days on the laptop with the online biz. Two years too early (and too busy). Damn. Just means I'll have to go set up shop in the walled city again sometime soon. 

Watch this space for more info on occo london -- the brand, the products and the spas. I might even share my pics!

occo london