If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen some of the travel I’ve been doing lately for the new travel series with FLARE and Air Transat called Style Jaunt. If you have yet to see the first set of episodes from our trip to Lisbon click HERE to watch them now on FLARE’s website.
Although I travel a lot in general, this is the first time I’ve had to travel and shoot while abroad. And I don’t mean just taking scenic pictures with my camera, I mean full on filming - with me in front of the camera.
Beauty preparation before a trip takes on a whole new meaning while shooting the Style Jaunt series alongside Montreal blogger of Le Cahier, Camille DG.
Naturally, I want to look my best while away and on camera, and there are few beauty treatments at particular places in Toronto that I’ve come to rely on before I get on the plane. But even if you’re not jetting off to film a show, these treatments are what I would suggest to anyone before going on vacation in order to feel and look your best while away!
Here are my Top 5 Essential Beauty Treatments to Book Before Summer Travel (or Any Travel, For That Matter):
1. A Pedicure and Shellac Manicure at Civello Rosedale
Getting a good, professional mani pedi really makes all the difference. And trust me, this is coming from the girl who loves her $10 manicure. The difference is, of course, that you really do get what you pay for. A better manicure will last longer, and the treatment will be more luxurious. I absolutely love getting pampered in Civello‘s glamorous spa-setting and private mani/pedi room at their Rosedale location. So much so that I even took a good friend with me before I left to help cheer her up after a stressful month. Not only will your nails look amazing, but thanks to the Aveda products they use, your skin will look and feel amazing too! http://www.civello.com
2. Facial with Victoria Radford
Right before heading off to Mexico, I paid a visit to Victoria Radford‘s Yorkville studio to try her Radford Facial for the first time. If you haven’t heard of Victoria before, she is a celebrity makeup artist and skincare specialist. It was my first time visiting her studio and meeting her in person, and I must say, she is just the coolest! The Radford Facial includes ‘The Wand’ treatment using the Rezenerate Wand – a non-invasive facial tool that’s a nanotechnology wand treatment. The benefits of the treatment include diminishing of puffy eyes, darks spots and wrinkles (we all need that before a trip, don’t we?) and it helps reduce signs of agents and acne, as well as improves skin tone and texture. There’s also zero downtown and you get immediate results so it really is a great treatment to look your best right before you take off, or before you get in front of the camera. http://www.victoriaradford.com
3. The Blow Dry Club at Tony Shamas
Tony Shamas recently opened up his new salon location in my neighbourhood, on the corner of Adelaide and Jarvis. The salon first caught my eye because their advertisement to join their ‘Blow Dry Club’ that provides you with 5 blowouts for $100. Since I’m particular about my blow outs and who does them (I’ve often had bad experiences) I wasn’t sure if I should try them out or not. It wasn’t until I found at that one of my best friends (who always has the best hair) has been a client of Tony’s for years, that I decided to go in and book. And thank God I did! Not only are my blowouts (I always book with Maureen) amazing, but they treat me to a glass of wine (or a few) while I’m there. It’s basically my favourite new bar, never mind salon. Also, Tony’s boyfriend Ivan who runs the salon is probably the cutest, funniest and most adorable man I’ve ever come across in my life. I love going to Tony’s! http://tonyshamas.ca
4. St. Tropez Treatment at Miraj Hammam Spa
Although I didn’t get this treatment done before I went to Lisbon, now that I’ve experienced it for the first time, I doubt I’ll ever travel anywhere warm again without booking in for a St Tropez treatment at the Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie Paris at the Shangri-La Hotel first. This is such a great treatment if you’re looking to rejuvenate your skin from head-to-toe, relax, and leave with a little more colour on your skin before you get to your destination. Especially since I was heading to Mexico, I didn’t want to show up with pasty white winter skin and increase the chances of a big red burn appearing on camera. How the treatment works is you lay down on a comfy heated bed, while the therapist scrubs your body with a luxurious body exfoliating scrub from your face to toes. If you’ve never had someone scrub your body down, I assure you it’s something you want to try – it feels INCREDIBLE! After the scrub you shower off, and return to the bed, then have the St Tropez tanner applied, again from face to toe. It should be noted that you won’t be able to wash it off for at least 8 hours, and it is pretty prominent on your skin – even a little streaky looking, although that goes away one you shower – so I would recommend booking a treatment later in the day, or evening, when you don’t plan to be in public much, except for getting home. Looking a little streaky and darker than I wanted was worth it, because once I woke up and showered I was left with a smooth and gorgeous bronzed glow all over my body. This treatment is a MUST try even you’re not going away and just want to add some colour as we head into the summer season. http://www.mirajcaudaliespa.com
5. A Good Wax and Lash Extensions with Courtney Guerin
If getting a wax down there isn’t something you do regularly, it’s probably something that comes to mind when you’re heading on vacation. Even as a regular waxer, an upcoming flight is always a great reminder for booking in for a wax before I take off. It’s just so helpful to know you don’t have to worry about any maintenance while you’re away, and the temporary pain you put yourself through is worth it. Before I left for Lisbon I booked in to the new WAXON WAXBAR that opened up in Riverside with the super cool and hilarious Courtney. Personally, a good sense of humour is something I feel is essential when you’ve got a stranger cleaning up the most private area of your body. Mid-wax she commented on the lash extensions I had at the time, and told me that she also does extensions outside of her job at WAXON. Once I had my travel confirmed for Mexico, I immediately tracked Courtney down to ask her if she could do my lashes. Courtney was super sweet and had me over at her cute Leslieville apartment (after I visited her at WAXON for a fresh wax of course!) and started working away on beautifying my lashes. Not sure about you, but heading to her apartment for the treatment wasn’t weird to me at all. In my experience, searching for the best lash extensions has always been a bit of an odd experience. The first time I had them done a friend tracked down a number of the supposed “best” girl in town, and we headed to her apartment at Dundas West. The experience was awful from start to finish – the building was ghetto and dirty, the apartment was filled with cots to perform the treatments, and the application itself was really painful. The end result was just as extreme – the lashes were way too big and obnoxious for my liking. The only good thing about that experience was when I went into her bathroom and discovered it was covered – literally COVERED – from floor-to-ceiling with Hello Kitty paraphernalia. Courtney’s place was much different – it’s low-key, cool and stylish. Since her massage table was being repaired, I basically got to take a much-needed nap on her comfy couch while she applied the lashes which was a-okay with me. For once, I experienced an eyelash extension application that not only didn’t hurt, but was relaxing. So much so that I actually fell asleep! The end results were amazing too – my lashes are longer but still very natural looking. They’re also light and fluttery, they don’t feel heavy at all. Although for camera I would still add on a bit of mascara and eye makeup with these ones, I love that they amplify my natural look (in a very natural-looking way) when I’m not wearing makeup, or just the bare minimum. Visit Courtney for a wax at WAXON and find out more about getting your lashes done too! http://www.waxon.ca
Happy Travels and Treatments!
xo
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