The Spa at Four Seasons Atlanta
Gray skies, chilly air and buckets of rain can do a number on your skin, hair and spirit. Flakes fly, hair frizzes, and it’s easy to get down in the dumps. But cheer up, kid. We’ve gathered five quick fixes to cure those cold-weather blues.
MADE FOR YOU
Authentic Beauty helps you discover your true self with an explorative service called Image Journey. Founded by owner Alyson Hoag (Laura Turner Seydel’s personal makeup artist), the Image Journey digs deeper than the average makeover. Using her own line of pure and natural cosmetics, Hoag and her team teach clients to bring out their inner beauty with professional application techniques and a lot of self-discovery. It begins with about 30 minutes of homework on your part: gathering a few magazines, cutting out photos of women that speak to you—whether you identify with their looks or aspire to—and arranging them in a collage around a photo of you. The process teaches you to look inward and focus on who you really are—not just who the money-dominated advertising industry wants you to think you are. Then you bring your collage and all your makeup to Hoag and her team to explore yourself through cosmetics. It’s an inspirational and educational experience. But be prepared to say goodbye to some outdated application tricks (hasta la vista, powder for women older than 40) and products you thought you loved (surprise, the color of prunes is not your best shade of lipstick). Price ranges from $150 to $200. Authentic Beauty is located at 4674 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-849-0443. www.authenticbeautyllc.com.
HEAD CASE
Celebrity stylist and Muse Salon and Spa owner Daniel Jones isn’t messing around when it comes to hair. The globe-trotter jet-sets to lofty locales such as Tuscany, Monaco and Paris to find inspiration for next season’s hair hues for L’Oreal International (he’s one of the iconic brand’s 10 master trainers in the country). It’s because of this lauded connection that Muse is one of only five salons in the state of Georgia to offer L’Oreal’s new ammonia-free hair color: INOA. What does this mean for you? It’s kinder to your hair fibers, less fading, has evenly distributed color, and, after nine applications, your hair returns to a virgin-like state: more natural and stronger. And since Jones is a cut above the rest when it comes to the latest in trends and looks, you’ll be rocking this season’s hottest hair shades, like warm honey and caramel tones, with subtly inverted cuts. Or, if you prefer your standard regular look, the team at Muse can expertly handle that, too. 4620 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta. 678-393-2214. www.musesalonandspa.com.
HONEY POT
Baby, it’s cold outside. Warm up with the comfort of natural honey and oatmeal at the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, a retreat of luxury. The new Honey Delight treatment starts with a signature scrub of locally farmed Georgia honey and soothing oatmeal from Virtues of Nature in Norcross. This process gently exfoliates and softens the skin. After a quick shower, the service is finished off with a complete body application of honey and oatmeal lotion, also from Virtues of Nature. The moisturizer has a hint of lemon to it, making the experience like a virtual cup of hot tea paired with an oatmeal cookie. Once you’re polished, pampered and relaxed, your technician guides you to a calming sitting room, where an actual cup of hot tea awaits you. The accompanying honey and honeycomb is straight from the fifth-floor beehive at Four Seasons. Fifty to 80 minutes, $140-$165. 75 14th St. 404-253-3848. www.fourseasons.com.
BODY GLOVE
Cold weather and skin can be BFFs with the help of Lush’s Dream Cream, a light and herbal vegan body cream that miraculously restores dry skin beaten up by the elements. This epidermal treat of oat milk, rose water, olive oil, cocoa butter and essential oils banishes alligator elbows, potato feet and snake scales without leaving you greasy. Make sure your skin is still moist when you apply it—it’ll lock in the cream. $22.55. Lush stores are popping up all over. Find a stand-alone boutique in Lenox Square Mall and Perimeter Mall, as well as in Macy’s at Town Center and Cumberland Mall. Order online at www.lush.com.
HEAT WAVE
Straightening your hair used to be so destructive to your follicles. When your hair’s already suffering from the cold air, why add to it with a product that’ll tear into the fibers? Seek out an iron with ceramic plates that are coated to protect hair from heat. The Solano SleekHeat 450 Flat Iron heats to 450 degrees F., but with ceramic, four-sided beveled plates to give your mane the protection it needs. Bonus: It’s ready to use in less than 60 seconds. The variable temperature settings and instant heat recovery provide you with more control, versatility and better overall performance while styling. The SleekHeat 450 iron also features ionic, tourmaline and far infrared heat technologies to ensure you a beautiful, straight coif. $139. Visit www.solanopower.com for retail locations.
