How To: Spa Week

Today marks the beginning of spa week (or should we say our favorite week next to fashion week) and as an ode to its brilliance we’ve dedicated this post to everything Zen-like. From dresses with hues that instantly send us into swirls of relaxation, to products that spoil your skin with soft luminosity, we couldn’t be more excited to think and write about the pampering we all deserve.

Suspending our busy lives for the selfish pleasure of a calm euphoria isn’t exactly something we’re used to. However, we see the importance in (occasionally) treating ourselves, and what’s more convincing than a week when pampering doesn’t come at the expense of our purse strings?  Yeah, we can’t argue with that either, so here’s some spa-like favorites we’ve found that will surely appease your tranquil appetites.

Spa Week Prep List:

This Robbi & Nikki maxi exudes ease and effortlessness, the perfect match for your post-massage easygoing attitude. Its radiant color will pair well with your beaming smile as you gracefully glide down the glittering sidewalk (we imagine you’ll be transported into a state of such bliss that even gray will look more like gold).

If you opt for a facial (though we think you should get one of everything), these skin care lines by Comfort Zone and Benefit are the ultimate in upkeep.

Comfort Zone offers organic scrubs and body butters to relieve your youthful glow of dead, dry skin while retaining moisture and keeping the silky smoothness of a body wrap treatment. We also love when products are created without all the harmful chemicals, so we couldn’t pass an opportunity to feature one of the best.

Also within the Comfort Zone family is the Renight facial line, featuring moisture boosting creams and derma-fillers. Talk about products that will keep you from ever walking into a plastic surgeons office. With the help of these essentials you’ll be able to put off that follow-up facial for months at a time!

Benefit is also on the skin savvy train with products like this B.right six-piece starter set, the ideal kit for testing their most beloved in skin care maintenance. Their focus is keeping your face looking young and vibrant, allowing your makeup to be less of a cover-up and more of a means for enhancement. We love a makeup company that keeps our skin’s health at the top of their list, even when we may not.

These are our must-haves for kicking off (and maintaining the radiance of) spa week! We can’t wait to pamper ourselves rotten this week, and we can only hope you do the same—we know you deserve it!

*Robbi & Nikki maxi is available at Cerato Boutique, or online. Comfort Zone skin care lines are available at Fuga Salon & Spa (ask for advice from their Estheticians, not only are they wonderful, but incredibly knowledgeable!)

Five Favorites

We’re in the mood for things that drip with color and remind us of the impending warm weather. Even though Chicago managed to get a little blip of what’s (hopefully) on its way, we can’t help but wish it’d stayed around a smidgen longer.  

We’re definitely not letting this overcast day get us down, however, as we venture forth with a post dedicated to color, spring and the allure of summer. We’ve been talking tangerine for some time now, and we’re finally filling the store with variations of its hue. Did you know even Pantone is getting in on the action? They recently teamed with Sephora to create an exclusive line of  “Tangerine Tango” nail color! Being design and fashion fanatics we couldn’t think of a more perfect duo.

We’ve managed to find these tints and tones in even more than just clothes, as demonstrated by Benefit’s ChaCha lip tint (obsessed). Lip tints are slowly becoming the new lip gloss and we must say, we’re absolutely okay with that! For one, they last longer, and instead of creating a clumpy mess that will eventually rim the edge of your wine glass, it stains your natural lip tone flawlessly.

Of course we couldn’t bypass the Easter candy lining the aisles in nearly every grocery store, so we’ve included our favorite sugar-coated marshmallow treats: Peeps. You can’t deny their cuteness, especially when they come in an array of colors and flavors (their newest batch includes chocolate dipped, mousse flavored marshmallow chicks). This is probably the one time during the year (aside from Valentine’s Day) where eating sugar-coated, chocolate everything is a given.

The remainder of our five favorites, tea and fringe clutches, are among the things that never quite go out of style, so long as they continue to reinvent themselves. We’re in love with the sweet smell and soothing taste of Rooibos tea (which you can virtually find anywhere tea is offered) and the play of cognac colored fringe on a clutch. We’re only hoping this trend is foreshadowing for yet another Indian summer (fingers crossed).

Things We Love:

1) Rooibos Tea

2) Marshmallow Peeps

3) Zambos & Siega fringe clutch (available at Cerato Boutique)

4) ChaCha Lip Tint by Benefit

5) Robbi & Nikki sleeveless top (available at Cerato Boutique)

Our Five Favorites for Valentine’s Day

In lieu of colored candy hearts and gushing, love-filled Hallmark cards, we’ve dedicated this week’s Five Favorites to the heart-melting holiday known as Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re in need of a last minute dress for your romantic night on the town, or a bottle of wine to share with your girlfriends (this will be absolutely necessary as you watch P.S. I Love You, tissues in hand), we’ve picked five things that will be sure to make your night wonderful or… bearable.

Our first favorite is Jenny Han’s criss-cross dress in punchy red. If you’re having a last minute dinner dress meltdown, we suggest you try this one! Simple and flattering, this A-line shape has just the right amount of flare for an evening out (though we also love this dress worn casual). Add some sparkle and you’ll be one red-hot tamale! (Jenny Han, $128; Available at Cerato Boutique)

Whether you’re staying in with your guy or reveling in singledom with your girlfriends, there’s no better time for Cupcake’s Red Velvet wine than Valentine’s Day. Its rich, bold flavor filled with hints of chocolate and blackberries makes for a foolproof after dinner dessert. Or, if you’re choosing to pair this wine with a slew of romantic movies, chocolates and a few boxes of Kleenex, we can assure your tear-laden self will enjoy every last sip. (Cupcake Red Velvet, $12-14; Available at most liquor stores)

Everyone needs a good red lipstick, especially around Valentine’s Day. Not only is it a head-turning confidence booster, but one lip shade that will never go out of style. Benefit’s Full Finish Lipstick in Flirt Alert is our favorite when it comes to channeling that old Hollywood pout. (Benefit, $18; Benefit Cosmetics)

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Valentine’s Day is candy. Chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, chocolate roses, red gooey hearts covered in gleaming bits of sugar and heart-shaped lollipops, to name a few. So naturally we had to include the sweetest part of the holiday with Candyality’s endless love-inspired treats. We couldn’t get enough of their sour gummy hearts in red and white. (Candyality, price determined by weight; Candyality)

Subtle sparkles are a must for any clutch collection. This Zambos & Siega structured handbag is a classic addition to your Valentine’s Day ensemble. Even Garmental thinks so, look how they styled it with our favorite Jenny Han dress, here. (Zambos & Siega, $78; Available at Cerato Boutique)

Our 5 Favorites

Spring means only one thing: summer is within sight. And with winter being somewhat bearable for once (we can’t help but envision the frozen chunks of ice making waves along the lake shore last year), we’re even more excited to embrace the transitional, spring pieces filling the boutique. This week our Five Favorites post will make you feel all fuzzy inside, and not just because the items exude warmth, but because they remind us spring is near.

1) We love this new Jack by BB Dakota sweater with its lightweight knitting and cropped, boxy shape. This is the ideal piece to layer during those chilly nights or wear with a simple tank all the way through spring. (Cerato, $68)

2) Coffee. Need we say more? We all love it; some of us (who will remain nameless) might even go so far as to say we need it, so when Starbucks fails to curb our sumptuous caffeine palettes, we tend to branch out. This particular flavored coffee, Butterscotch Toffee by Stockton Graham & Co., may as well be sited for being sensationally aromatic and far too delicious. You’ll melt with just one sip. Admittedly, this is one item that is not from the Southport Corridor. Our Store Manager orders it from a coffee shop in Wisconsin, but check out Stockton Graham & Co’s website for more flavors. (Stockton Graham & Co, www.stocktongraham.com)

3) There’s something alluring and feminine about rosy cheeks that we just can’t get enough of. Benefit’s new Hervana “good karma” face powder is just what you need to combat those winter blues. So take our advice and brush those cheeks into flawless spring bound bliss—we’re positive only good could come of such a thing! (Benefit, $28)

4) Perhaps not just an essential for spring, but a year round must, Francesca’s Collections’ Mini Emergency Kit is one of the more practical (and overlooked) things we’re into this season. How often we leave our houses without a much needed beauty product (namely hairspray, dental floss) is baffling, so we suggest keeping this kit in your glove box or laptop bag for all those unpredictable moments. (Francesca’s Collections, $16.95).

5) We’re just not ready to surrender our “spring is near” attitude, as made clear by our snakeskin loafer pick. These Jeffrey Campbell flats are streamlined with just enough edge to find themselves on repeat in both your winter and spring wardrobe. They pair great with a skinny jean or even tights, adding texture and play to the most basic of ensembles. (Click Shoes, $103)