I Spy Beauty

My life’s mission is to make people feel Beautiful even if they don’t fit into that cookie cutter category. That’s why I opened the nitespa. It’s a special little place that makes everyone feel welcome and pampered. We have tricks and tools to make people pretty like skin care regimens and advice for living a healthy spa lifestyle. We clean up your toes and polish your fingers, pop your zits, iron out all the kinks and remove superfluous hair. I not only sell products that actually improve your skin and are good for the environment, I sell beauty.

It’s the way we perform these basic services that makes us extraordinary. With a sweetness and a care that is rare in Los Angeles. We make people feel at home. We lend an ear to the lovelorn, the curious, the newbies and the enthusiasts. We go the extra mile to truly create an experience.

I wanted to start a blog to share all the experiences and tips that I come across daily and I am afraid that my daily life got in the way and I felt uninspired to write. But I am determined to change my ways and commit to to telling these tales.

And I suddenly had an inspiration for a new blog name: Beauty is not a Secret. Perhaps just the act of describing the blog properly will propel me into writing it.

Swingin' bridges!

Here is proof that those bridges were scary! Zach felt exhilarated, but I was uneasy and made very careful steps. He is pointing out the beauty of the rainforest. I am walking on eggshells. A breathtaking wonder! Oh, and there is one of the marvelous swimming holes I was talking about. Zach took a cool plunge in that one.

Here are a couple snapshots. This is me on one of our walks from the Maui Sunset to Charley Young Beach.

And a couple fun pics from the rafting trip. I forgot to mention that the rafts take you through these amazing caves that you would not be able to see any other way. It was truly magical!

How to have a fancy island vacation on a budget (and drink like a fish)

First of all, it's all about miles! I saved my reward point miles until I had just enough for a round trip to my favorite island: Maui. And we found a great deal for our second ticket. So, my darling boyfriend Zach and I planned our annual visit to see his papa Duane and stepmom Diane in Kihei. The only issue was we wanted to go for a week, but the miles wouldn't allow just a week. We head to book for nine days in order to get the deal. So now we had to find ways to save money all around to make the extra days affordable. Here are some of my secrets!

I searched craigslist w/ my travel dates religiously and finally stumbled upon a time share condo for the EXACT nine days that we were going to be in Maui for $1000 including all tax and resort fees and everything, including a very late checkout. In Kihei, no less, and only blocks from Zach's family. Luck? Perhaps, or maybe I willed it to be. I really wanted to find a condo for about about $100 a night and I think my visualization worked.

The Maui Sunset has a pool, hot tub, outdoor grills and gorgeous grounds (see photo above) Our condo even had a peekaboo ocean view from our small lanai. We had a great kitchen and laundry right in the space. Another budget friendly bonus? Free ocean front yoga on the lawn in the morning!

The beach was not a swimming beach, but we enjoyed several walks on the ocean and a few cafes, bars & markets within walking distance. It was gorgeous at sunrise and sunset. The pool was simple, but perfect. I spent a lot of time out there reading and working on the suntan (with plenty of nitespa organics sunscreen, of course).

Cooking and activities were in order. We planned an itinerary that included lots of fun ocean time and how to make the most of our vacation without spending a fortune.

We immediately went shopping at my favorite health food store Hawaiian Moons for gorgeous local produce and healthy snacks and then hit up the Supermarket Times (best name ever for a grocery store in Hawaii!) for rum and mixers. We had brought a couple bottles of nice wine from our collection at home, so we were set. We bought fish from the delicious and fresh Eskimo Candy and Zach grilled it up that very night on our massive lawn. We saved tons of money by grilling and eating at "home" half the time and we found plenty of happy hours the rest of the time.

These are some of the highlights from our trip:

- Took a high speed raft to do some snorkeling and whale watching from Blue Water Rafting adventures. This one was a bit of a splurge, but so worth it. My #1 favorite thing that we did. We asked for our Kama'aina discount (Zach's parents live on the island, but they didn't ask us for id). This was a very exciting day. Left before dawn and our raft captains were super fun and adorable. They played great rock'n'roll tunes and served a decent lunch. It's a really fast boat and you definitely get a thrill. We also got the bonus of close-up whale sightings.

- My favorite beach: Napili Bay (near Kaanapali). Even though this beach gets voted "Best Beach in America" over and over agin, we never find it too crowded. You can park for free at the Napili Kai Resort, BYOB and enjoy an awesome day in the sun and water. Excellent snorkeling. Decent beach showers.

- Free Hula show and torch lighting ceremony at The Four Seasons Lobby Lounge. This was a true find. They have this complimentary hula show EVERY night from 5:30 - 6:30. Yes, we ended up buying a couple expensive cocktails, but they were the very best drinks we had the entire time. With local ingredients like lavender syrup for Zach's drink and the original Mai Tai recipe for mine. The beer is affordable and the hula dancers were off the hook. They also serve you yummy complimentary bar snacks (marinated olives and a delicious fancy nut mix).

- Happy Hour at Tommy Bahamas. This place is in Wailea and very lively. Great drinks; they have bar games and decent prices during happy hour. Live music on the patio. Call to find out the HH times because they change it up. We poked our heads into Tiffany at the Grand Wailea shops after TB and they gave us free champagne. Drinking and shopping, together at last!

- Pool crashing. I can't help myself. I have to do it at least once every trip. The Wailea hotels are easy to crash if you're a couple. We aways buy a drink (in cash) and never stay too long. Discretion is key! We've been to the Four Seasons, The Fairmont and The Grand Wailea (which has a swim-up bar in a grotto). Even though we had our own pool this time I couldn't resist the draw of poolside drinks and evian mist w/ a quick dip and Jacuzzi at The Four Seasons. They make the best pina colada too! The view is exquisite.

- Ocean kayaking. Now that was an adventure. Neither of us had been kayaking before. And we didn't exactly get a lot of instruction w/ our little 5 kayak tour. The guide was quite gruff. He gave us a little 2 minute intro and with a push we were off into open ocean. Poor Zach had to do most of the paddling on our 2 person kayak for the first half. We paddled for about 20 minutes when the guide shouted, "I see a pod of whales! Follow me!" We got to about 30 yards away from 5 whales. It was equally the most terrifying and exhilarating experience. I shrieked a lot. And I finally got the hang of the strokes after I calmed down from all the whale sightings. Oh, PS, they take you to some secret snorkeling spots too. Highly recommend kayaking during whale season. Just maybe don't choose South Pacific Kayaks unless you are experienced. On the budget tip: we found a coupon for 25% off in our car rental guide.

- Speaking of car rentals. Got a great deal by using a discount website to find our car rental. It was a basic Alamo car; we got it for $160 for 9 days, a lot less than the $800- $1200.00 quotes we got when calling all the rental companies directly. Not a scam. This really worked. And we got to use the money we saved to go on our super fantastic activity tours. Yay.

- Booze cruise. I love boats. Being on the ocean on a catamaran makes me feel glamorous. Especially when they serve up the 'Aloha' in the form of bottomless Mai Tais and complimentary pupu's. And there are endless whale sightings to be had. Seeing a whale when you are tipsy is quite a bit more exciting. I don't know why, but the crisp ocean air mixed with a little rum and sun and a giant whale shows off in front of you, well, I just turn into a little girl and get all giddy. Maybe it was the Barbie dream boat I had when I was young, or the fact that I never took island vacations w/ my family, but I seriously love the entire experience. Last year, we went on The Pacific Whale Foundation's sunset cruise and I was hooked. This time we tried The Pride of Maui, just to mix it up a bit. A local had recommended it because they don't give you the customary three-drink-ticket limit. It's just an open bar; have as much as you want, including great local beer on tap. The food is actually pretty good and plentiful. They grilled up some mean ribs and chicken right on the back of the boat. Lots of veggies and fruit too.

Our trip wasn't all about drinking, I promise. We tried to get in at least one good activity each day. Plus a little pool and beach time every day (both free!) Zach was also good abut buying some great books on Amazon before we left including one about all the wonderful secret hikes you can discover.

- - We tried the swinging suspension bridge hike in Waihee Valley. You have to purchase a permit at the entrance (where they also sell snacks and things). I think it was about $5 each. Totally worth it. Very thrilling. I found the bridges to be like a real live Tom Sawyer's island. A little scary and seemingly dangerous, but actually quite safe. Go early. We hardly saw a soul on the way in, but it started to pick up as we were leaving. You hike through a rainforest to get to a waterfall. Come prepared with a poncho as I started to get soaked. Bring your bathing suit for a swim in the great swimming holes you will see along the way. Bring sunscreen, trail mix and Deet. My natural repellant did not do the trick and I had horrible bites. It was a fun way to start the day and we had plenty of time to hit up Paia and a beach to watch the surfers on the way back to Kihei.

- Snorkeling. Another free activity that you can do on most beaches. We love the Wailea beaches and Black Rock for the most colorful fish and easy access. Last time when we were in Kanaapali, a beautiful girl was dressed as a mermaid and doing an underwater photo shoot. Stunning. Along with the real marine life!

- Beach picnic. Another Maui favorite is Secret Cove. This is easily the most special beach on Maui. For some reason, even though it's tiny, it's never that crowded. We saw a couple renewing their vows there when we went this time. The waves are spectacular and it's gorgeous to stare at the water from your own personal private beach. The best taco stand is on the road right above the beach. You can park right there easily. We order the smoked fish and the very best coconut rice w/ fresh mango from Makena Grill and walk down have a little romantic lunch on the beach. Very tasty! Don't miss the coconut candy-- highly addictive.

- Some more of the happy hours and bar meals we recommend:

Three's Bar and grill in Kihei. Super delicious and sustainable yumminess. The owner gave us free oyster shots. Great poke. I think we had a coupon from one of those free guides that are all over town, but they have a HH as well.

Zach and I rarely get a table when we go out to eat. We prefer the coziness of sitting at the bar. Less pressure to order a dinner. We like to share stuff to get more "tastes" and you usually get better service. This was true for the famous and spendy Mama's Fish House. We were able to snag seats at the bar immediately and shared some apps and enjoyed a couple excellent cocktails. Got out of their for about sixty bucks for both of us. A steal compared to the time a few years ago when we dropped $600 for a dinner for four.

- Maui Brewing Company. We love Coconut Porters and Bikini Blondes, so a stop at this pub was a must for us. Don't bother paying for the beer tasting as they will let you taste any of the beers for free. Just ask for each one individually. We also got the sliders which the waitress turned us onto as the best deal on the menu. Sweet!

I will post some photos and more tips as I think of them. Thanks for tuning in to my Maui itinerary for some Aloha time for lushes!

Maui Sunset

I took a little vacation from blogging. To the island of Maui. Maui has become our yearly destination trip. We have the good fortune of having family that lives in Kihei, so we have to go once a year without fail, sometimes twice. I know. Darn. When I met my darling boyfriend Zach (almost 4 years ago) his dad had just moved to Hawaii and he was planning a trip there. Wanna go? he asked. I jumped at the chance. What a romantic way to jump start a relationship. Anyway, here we are years later and we are still falling in love with each other and the island. A perpetual honeymoon.

I had planned on blogging while there this time, but we were having too much of a good time between ocean activities and Mai Tais. I thought by the 7th time visiting this island I would have wanted to just sit and chill and write. But I discovered the charm and magic of Maui is endless and I didn't want to waste a moment of 'island time'.

So, now I have lots to catch up on and I want to share how we did "Maui on a budget" and all of our secret places. Stay tuned for our fabulous itinerary!

Vanity Press finishes: L.A. Hotlist

Nitespa has been nominated for the 2011 LA HOTLIST by Cityvoter!

If you have a moment, please go to this page and vote for us. You know that good karma will come back around.

http://la.cityvoter.com/nite-spa/biz/56723

Vanity Press continues: Create your own lip balm!

Though the holidays may be over (phew!), winter, alas, is not. Dry windy weather can still cause havoc on our skin and yes, our lips. And if you're like us, the moisturizing balm is never far from our pocket all winter long. We end up having three or four all over the place. But for those looking to keep those luscious lips perfectly kiss-able all winter, we've got a great DIY treat for you. Now, this requires a few ingrediants you may not have around the house, but it if you're feeling brave, you will have serious bragging rights among your friends for creating your very own lip balm.

Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon of Shea Butter (or Mango Butter or Cocoa Butter)

* 1 tsp of Beeswax

* 1/2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

* 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

* 1 Vitamin E gel caplet

* 3 drops of Rose Geranium Essential Oil

Melt all the ingredients in a double boiler (except for the gel caplet and rose oil). Let it melt completely and once it's melted let it cool for about 5 mins. Pierce and squeeze the Vitamin E gel caplet into the container and add the 3 drops of Rose Geranium Oil at the end. Stir well and pour the solution into any tin you have at home. Once it hardens it's ready to use!

Congrats on creating your own super hydrating lip balm!

Vanity Press continues: Water Nymph

Is trying to get a relaxing soak in an impossibility? Is it usually a two minute shower or a bath shared with a couple kids and their toys? While we know there's never enough time, Nitespa is all about creating products that can turn the frantic into the serene in mere minutes. Here's one that just might tempt you to commit to that 30 minute much-deserved soak.

Nitespa Organics Water Nymph is a bath soak that uses organic New Mexican sea salts with essential oils of spruce needles, cedarwood and frankincense. Sprinkle a little of these under the hot tap and transform your bath into a magical aromatherapy experience. No time for rose petals? No problem. Go into your kitchen and cut up a few lemons and limes and toss them in. Even cucumbers are great. It'll help you feel extra pampered and add a hydrating feeling to your soak.

No kids allowed in this retreat. But husbands are optional.

Vanity Press continues: Organic Chocolate & Strawberry Mask

Yup, it's just around the corner. Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is upon us. But no matter which side you sit on the Valentine's Day debate, here is a fabulous DIY treat you can give yourself that's totally in the spirit and will definitely make you feel L-O-V-E-D.

Organic Chocolate and Strawberry Facial Mask

Ingredients

1 oz of organic dark cocoa powder

1 ripe organic strawberry (mashed)

1 drop of patchouli essential oil

1/2 tsp of honey

Mix everything together and apply to freshly washed skin. Rinse with lukewarm water after 20 minutes and marvel at this renewing facial mask.Chocolate and strawberries are extremely rich in antioxidants and can save your skin from any free radical damage.

Nitespa is also offering our amazing couples massage, "TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS" for $175 for Valentine's Day. It includes two COMPLIMENTARY glasses of bubbly. Come in with your sweetie for a luxurious 50 minute massage with both of you in the same room.

Vanity Press continues: Glitter Nails

Everyone's talking metallic nails this season. Silvers, grays, blues and purples are all over the place. Katy Perry just recently partnerd with OPI to launch her own brand of glitter nails. For the truly bold, the glitter can be on top of another nail color, like red glitter on black polish or you can paint the entire nail a glitter blue or purple.

Personally, we're a big fan of the multi-color. So if you're not quite ready to let the party go, don't worry. You don't have to.

Nitespa Presents Vanity Press

At the touch of the love, everybody becomes a poet. ~Plato

Nitespa has a newsletter! I'm trying to post it here but having trouble with Blogger and posting pictures. I'm going to post it in pieces and at some point our blog and newsletter will be one.

Happy 2011 to one and all! February is already upon us and we can't believe how quickly this year is going. A new year is always a time to reflect on the year that has passed and anticipate what we would like for the year to come. For some people it is changing careers, moving to a new home, having a baby, getting married, losing weight or quitting smoking. Nitespa has all kinds of plans for 2011 and we can't wait to share them with you along the way.

Below, we've got the latest in beauty trends, some DIY organic beauty treaments, a few Valentine's Day specials and much more... Check out our massage special below or take 10% off any couples treatments when booking during Valentine's week.

Consider this one of our many presents to you... ;)

This too shall pass

The Show Must Go On

I am no stranger to theft. When I first opened nitespa we had a cute white swing that hung from the lemon tree. Kids loved it. Every day when families would walk towards Abbot Kinney the children would beg to swing on our swing. We were delighted by all the happiness it brought.

Then, on Christmas morning, 5 years ago it was gone. Somebody stole our swing! We posted signs everywhere: Do the right thing--Return our Swing! To no avail, we didn't find it. It probably ended up under the tree for some child whose dead-beat daddy couldn't afford such luxuries like modern swings. Oh, well I got over it (sort of).

Yesterday morning, when Zach and I were on our way to Disneyland, I got a call from my receptionist. "Something really bad has happened," she sobbed. She proceeded to tell me that the door was unlocked when she got there and the cash register was gone. We had been burglarized!! "I'll be right there," I said.

Then I hung up the phone and started to cry. Zach told me to keep it together and offered to drive me to nitespa. Called Jody and called off our trip to The Happiest Place on Earth. When I arrived, the girls were in shock. I immediately started doing the opening procedures and getting ready for our client who was due to arrive any minute. Put the pillows and the sign out and make sure everything looks slightly presentable without disturbing the 'crime scene' too much.

There were pillows on the floor and a box of garbage bags had been moved from under the sink to the middle of the room. presumably they needed big bags to grab their loot.

We looked around and slowly started to put the pieces together. What was missing? Well, cash, of course and the drawer itself. All of my cute spa gift bags were gone. I had wrapped up several trifectas of beauty products in hopes that someone would purchase them for their Valentine. Perhaps the thieves thought they could sell them on the boardwalk (they did have $85 price tags, after all). Or some thugs wanted to impress their lady friends by giving them a fancy skin care regime.

They also grabbed Christina's entire manicure kit: tools, products, supplies, carrying case. I think that one was the biggest blow. I feel awful that one of my girls is a victim as well. What are the tweakers going to do with cuticle nippers and nail polish?

The police officer showed up and was very sweet about everything and even joked about us being a brothel. "Couldn't quite figure out what you ladies do when I first walked up," he smiled as he gestured to the paintings of nearly naked ladies. He wouldn't be the first one to get confused. I like to keep people guessing. I assured him we were on the up-and-up and that nothing illegal goes on here. I told him he should get a facial sometime. His response ? Too girly, he'd have to go undercover. With a smile. At least we could all keep our sense of humor during this vexing experience.

At this point, I'm still in shock. As soon as all the reports are done and everything is orderly as its gonna get, I call Jody to see if it's not too late to drive to Disneyland. She assures me that we can still make it to all the good rides and that a half day at the park is better than no day at the park. We make it to Anaheim in less than an hour. And for a few short hours I am transported back to my childhood playground and I turn one of the saddest days into the happiest of nights.

Health is wealth

Detox retox

I started 2011 with the intention of having a Detox January. This is common among lushes like myself -- we drink almost daily year round and enjoy foodie food and a good party now and then. Come January, after the decadence of the holidays, the body is always ready for a (short) break.

I had met a lovely Ayurvedic Dr. at nitespa who professed that she designed effective cleanses specifically for the individual. Mela is one of our clients; curious about Ayurveda, I decided this would be perfect! However, I didn't factor in her popularity; she was booked until mid- January.

Rather than wait for my appointment, I improvised a provisional cleanse for myself with Mediclear supplements. I chose it based on the testimonial of a friend (Stacy: "I love Mediclear. It really tastes good!") and the advice of a trusted professional Patrick Avedessian, my chiropractor. I hear about a lot of different types of detoxes during the course of my week. Spa enthusiasts love to cleanse.

This particular one appealed to me because I have impossible allergies and it is supposed to help with that. You actually eliminate known allergens from your diet and slowly introduce them back. Too bad many of the yummy things I like to eat are allergens: caffeine, alcohol, dairy products, soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts, corn, soy, beef, pork, & desserts. Giving up my coffee w/ a dash of milk, butter on toast, cheese on everything, pre-dinner bread, delicious bacon, steak frites, WINE and sweet anything has certainly put a damper on my foodie lifestyle. No charcuterie! No vino! Que horror!!

My darling-sweetheart-boyfriend Zach has graciously been going along with the detoxing month and has not only been avoiding wine, but he has been cooking yummy meals for me with our new healthy guidelines. So, we did the Mediclear for 2 weeks, but I decided to use it as a daily supplement rather than going by the strict crazy meal schedule. The powder is spendy, so we take it once a day rather than the recommended 3 X a day. I did eliminate the bad foods for the most part and only fell off the wagon 4 times in 3 weeks. Not bad for a daily wine drinker.

When I finally got in w/ Mela she gave me a new plan that was quite similar to the one I was already doing. Included are a whole bunch more supplements based on my constitution. She eliminated even more of my favorite snacks. And advocated all sorts of mysterious and challenging guidelines. I learned that bananas and macadamia nuts are too fattening, and I should stick to berries, apples, citrus & papaya for daily fruits. In the nut category, most other nuts are OK (except peanuts and walnuts). I can have all the turkey I want (Hooray for tryptophane! Along w/ low calories and high protein and lots of amino acids). Brown rice is fine 4 times a week, but garlic only twice a month. Stay away from pineapple!! Of course, alcohol (including my beloved wine) coffee, dairy and sugar are strictly forbidden. Among other things. More on that later.

How did I do? Well, I did fall off the wagon a few times by choice. A blog writing lesson, a pre-cinema glass of wine (the film was Black Swan, the wine was not), a champagne toast to welcome my brother's new baby and in-between cleanses bottle of Pleidades were all divine moments of tipsy splendor.

I have not had a single caffe latte or a drop of milk or a spoonful of sugar; I have managed to follow the food rules pretty closely. I had some rice dream ice cream which is sweetened with brown rice syrup and probably not allowed. Big deal. I definitely have had brown rice in some form or other daily. I am certain there was butter in my Luna Park meal the other night. I enjoyed several salads w/ feta or organic goat cheese. Almond milk chai tea has gotten me through a few days. Tea: green is good for you; black tea is for extreme moderation. Oh, well. It's bad enough I can't drink coffee.

When I told Mela about my weak points in the cleanse, she was unfazed. She was actually impressed that I did better than most of her new patients. She encouraged me to keep my stride and insisted that her goal was to give me long term tools for health.

What I realized is this: it’s not about which cleanse you choose or the ability to go 3 or 4 weeks without booze and bread. It’s about making sensible choices and adopting lifetime healthy habits. When faced with a choice between a sweet potato and any other type go for sweet. It’s the one time sweet is better.

Honey or sugar? honey, of course. Bananas or berries? berries.

A detox is a good way to come to the realization that you just feel better when eating better food. So, I'm not feeling guilty about enjoying the occasional great glass of wine w/ friends, even during the cleanse. Wine is made from grapes and they are on my list of "good for you" foods.

I leave you with two of my favorite Spanish proverbs:

"El vino mata lentamente; no tengo prisa" (Wine kills you slowly; I'm not in a hurry)

"Vino: te perdono el mal que me haces por lo mucho que me gustas." (Wine: I forgive the harm you do to me because I love you so much.)