Sunday, March 08, 2009
Life, In this Issue..., Style, Atlanta

Turning heads


Four hot beauty spots

Courtesy of Rosewood Hotels

The wet room at 29 Spa, which includes a soaking pool, a hot sauna and a steam room

By Kirsten Ott

Winter is almost over. Time for some serious spring cleaning—on you, that is. Check out the following editor-tested beauty destinations for much-deserved pampering with outstanding results:

OCULUS SKIN CARE

WHAT: A medically based spa housed in Dr. Chip Cole’s facial cosmetic surgery practice, Oculus Skin Care offers the combined knowledge of doctors and estheticians and a comprehensive solution to beauty, including skin care and premature aging. All clients receive a VISIA skin analysis, which goes deep under the skin to show you the damage you’re working with. If you’re curious about reconstructive surgery (face, eye, brow and cheek lifts, nose jobs and chemical peels) or simpler pick-me-ups, such as laser resurfacing, photofacials or injections of Botox, Juvederm and Restylene, they do all that, too. Oh, and Dr. Cole is one of the top 10 eye surgeons in the United States.
EDITOR’S PICK: A signature medical-grade facial from Allison Wildenburg, a licensed medical estheticians at Oculus Skin Care Center who’s certified in numerous aesthetic medical procedures. She’s also a licensed neuromuscular massage therapist, so she’ll give you a nice rubdown during your facial. With a degree in holistic nutrition to boot, Wildenburg can smarten you up on what vitamins and antioxidants to take to get your skin in shape.
GO: 5505 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road, Suite 640
CALL: 404-256-1500
SURF: www.oculusskincare.com

DRAGONFLY SALON

WHAT: A newly minted and super-hot salon located in burgeoning West Midtown. Dragonfly is owned by Chaz Anderson and Kyoko Akins, both of whom are stylists and wanted to create a salon that was built around master stylists with diverse backgrounds and experience. Playing to the strengths of its expert team of stylists, Dragonfly specializes in hair services from cut and color to extensions and Japanese straightening and boasts 12 styling stations, a blowout bar and a spacious shampoo and processing area.
EDITOR’S PICK: Cut and color with Max Sanchez, a seasoned pro who’s served as the go-to stylist for celebs such as Meryl Streep, Cameron Diaz, Paris Hilton, Nancy Pelosi, international royalty and dignitaries, as well as the babes and broads of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He’s been in the biz of making heavenly coif dreams come true for almost 20 years, and now Atlanta’s lured him back for some serious hair care.
GO: 1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite 101, in the White Provision complex
CALL: 404-815-6702
SURF: www.whiteprovision.com

BLISS SPA

WHAT: Fresh and oh-so-pretty, Bliss Spa recently opened a second location in Atlanta, this time on the sixth floor of W Atlanta-Downtown, sandwiched between Wet, a cocktail destination with a zero-edge pool, and Sweat, a hip fitness club. With lemon-infused aromatherapy pumping through the vents, a brownie buffet, tiled photographs of grass serving as the floor of the outdoor-like steam showers, a sauna to use before or after services, and a very relaxing playlist of rhythm and blues tunes, Bliss Spa has got relaxation down to a science.
EDITOR’S PICK: The R.E.S.T. Intentions massage. Give back while you relax your back (and the rest of you) with this rewarding rubdown, which includes an hour of kneading and 15 minutes of either reflexology or scalp massage. Twenty percent of profits go to the R.E.S.T. Initiative, an NYC-based charitable organization that calms patients with complimentary massages in their chemotherapy treatment rooms.
GO: 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. in the W Atlanta-Downtown
CALL: 1-877-862-5477 (TO BLISS)
SURF: www.blissworld.com

29 SPA

WHAT: By far the most sumptuous, over-the-top and swank spa in the Southeast, Lydia Mondavi’s 29 Spa pampers its guests with heated neck pillows filled with aromatic spices to relax you; decadent bedding (silk duvet, Egyptian cotton sheets and microfiber twill blankets); and top-of-the-line amenities available to all paying guests (Mondavi wines, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, a swimming pool, spacious private showers, a high-tech and fully stocked gym and a well-appointed quiet room you’ll never want to leave).
EDITOR’S PICK: Time in a Bottle facial performed by Angela, a veteran esthetician who’ll leave you all aglow. This service is perfect for winter-weathered skin in need of gentle exfoliation with grape seed extract, down-and-dirty extractions and serious cleansing.
GO: 3376 Peachtree Road, at the Mansion on Peachtree
CALL: 404-995-7525
SURF: www.rosewoodhotels.com SP