July 2015 – East Village Spa Blog

The Spa Newbie gets her first CND Shellac Manicure!

Our awesome summer intern, Alyssa, has had her final “Spa Newbie” experience with us, the CND Shellac Manicure. We feel like she’s graduated to spa expert status over the summer and will miss her! Here’s what she had to say about her manicure:

*****

I have had my fair share of manicures at the local spas. I don’t normally like up keeping my own nails, so when I got the chance, I would find myself getting a gel-polish manicure. Every place I had been to, I felt as if I was sitting in the chair for hours. By the time I walked out of there, I wondered why I even went. At that point in time I wasn’t too thrilled going to the salons anymore. I felt like I exhausted my limits and decided it was something I could do on my own.

I went out and decided to go buy my own imitation “shellac” kit. At first I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. I could paint my nails once a week and I wasn’t concerned about money and the time spent at a salon. Eventually, I noticed that my cuticle beds were no longer healthy and my nails in general were in very poor shape. My manicure polish would only stay on for 3 days maximum. I have tried dozens of times to fix this but never have been able to make it last very long. I haven’t pulled out my kit in almost 4 months now. I will bring it out occasionally to give myself a manicure before a weekend trip. I do not think I will ever be pleased with my own at-home manicures. They never have that professional look.

I had the pleasure of receiving a CND Shellac manicure from Hannah. She did not use any products or water first and did a dry manicure. This included shaping the nails, pushing back the cuticles etc… Then she applied a base, two layers of color, and then the top coat. Then she used an alcohol cloth to remove the sticky layer. The last step was applying the Solar Oil on my cuticles to make sure they were nice and moisturized. I chose a bright pink shade that seemed fitting for the summer. I was very surprised how easy she made it look and how fast it was to accomplish a great shellac manicure. This was the perfect amount of length for me to be able to enjoy it to the fullest.

Alyssa's nails right after her CND Shellac Express Manicure with Hannah — Alyssa’s nails right after her CND Shellac Express Manicure with Hannah

I never had been to a place where there was CND shellac before. This is a non-gel which doesn’t damage the nails like all the other polishes out there. I have found that this is one of the best polishes that I have come across and wouldn’t go back to any other brand. It has been over a week now and it looks just as good as it did when they were first done. With my always on the go lifestyle, I found it amazing that I haven’t had one chip yet.

Alyssa's CND Shellac manicure 8 days later, still looks amazing! — Alyssa’s CND Shellac manicure 8 days later, still looks amazing!

I am very impressed with my manicure and 110% would recommend it to anyone and everyone. The quality of service I have received with each individual service since being here at East Village Spa, has been superb. Everyone here is so professional and makes you feel cared for. I have been to no place like it and I’m not sure I could ever go back to the places I had gone to in the past. I’m a big fan.

*****

Best wishes to Alyssa and we’ll look forward to meeting future interns and introducing them to the spa!

East Village Spa Proudly Using Rhonda Allison Skin Care!

We have slowly integrated Rhonda Allison skin care products into our facial services this summer, and we are ready to make a full switch in August. The new clients and long-time facial clients who have tried these products with us love the line as much as we do, but we know many of our clients have questions, so we’d like to answer them here.

Q: Why switch now when you’ve used Derma E so long?

A: Our clients and estheticians weren’t getting the desired results with Derma E and we wanted a line that offered faster, more dramatic improvements. Derma E doesn’t offer professional strength products that we can use to add additional refining or potency our facials, but Rhonda Allison has a wide array of products our estheticians can use to customize and enhance their facials to strengthen and refine skin.

Q: How did you choose Rhonda Allison?

A: For months, Camille and Cassie have been consulting with other estheticians and spa owners, researching product lines and ingredients, and having discussions with skin care companies. Rhonda Allison kept coming out on-top as far as reputation for results, ingredient integrity, and customer satisfaction. Once we started trying their products and meeting with their educators, the choice was clear. The clients (and spa employees) who have already made the change with us have affirmed this choice.

Q: Why is the change taking so long?

A: The Rhonda Allison line is HUGE because it is very customizable. Our estheticians have been doing training independently and with educators from Rhonda Allison. The break-room looks like a college library! Breaks have been spent reading ingredient books, studying products, and taking notes. In August, Rhonda Allison educators are visiting the spa to provide hands on training in their more intensive products. It has been really exciting, but time-consuming, to become experts.

Q: Will you continue to carry Derma E? Will you be having a clearance sale?

A: No. We will discontinue all of our Derma E products, but you can still purchase them online through the manufacturer and at health food stores. We will be providing free facials and donating the rest of our Derma E inventory to the women residing at the Beacon of Life Shelter in Des Moines to help them with their unique skin care needs.

Q: What about your Farmhouse Fresh facial products?

A: We will continue to carry the Farmhouse Fresh line as an alternative line. We love their products for the Farmhouse Fresh Hydrating Back Facial and for the 30 minute Express Facial. We’re creating a fun and whimsical package that includes the Farmhouse Fresh Back Facial AND a 30 minute Farmhouse Fresh mini facial with our new skincare menu. These products are also ideal for people who are just looking for a fun facial without making a big change in their routine or skin (i.e. our out-of-town guests).

Q: When can I get a facial with Rhonda Allison Products?

A: Now! Camille and Cassandra are fully trained, Hannah will be offering Rhonda Allison Facials starting later in July, and Cammie will be offering them in August. Lydia will no longer be offering facial services as she prepares for her move to California this fall. She hasn’t trained on Rhonda Allison due to her moving plans, but she recommends any of our other excellent and experienced estheticians.

Q: I liked Derma E because it was natural. Is Rhonda Allison Natural?

A: Yes. Rhonda Allison is known as a leader in natural, scientific-based skincare. Read more here. The website is a wealth of info about ingredients.

Q: Will your facials change much other than the products?

A: You can still expect a super-relaxing experience. You’ll notice more active ingredients (meaning you might feel them working…this is GOOD!) Our facials are also getting longer due to the nature of the professional-use-only products used to refine and improve skin. We’ll be incorporating more relaxation techniques into the treatments due to the longer time the products require to work. Yay! We will adjust prices September 1 as needed for the longer services and better quality ingredients, but we will honor all gift cards purchased prior to September 1 for the old price (so stock up on gift cards now!)

Q: What about peels?

A: We typically don’t suggest peels in the summer due to sun exposure post-peel. We are taking a temporary hiatus from peels until our estheticians are trained in the more effective skin refining procedures from Rhonda Allison in August. We’ll be ready to help transform your skin this fall! Click here for the Rhonda Allison before and after photo gallery! We won’t be offering all of the services in the photo gallery (due to licensing and regulation) but you can expect amazing results.

Book your facial now and request the Rhonda Allison line!

4 common reasons Shellac polish chips, plus solutions:

Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE CND’s Shellac nail polish (the Original Gel-Hybrid Power Polish), but we don’t guarantee it to be chip-free in every situation.

Problem 1. You’ve spent a lot of time in water. (The inspiration for this post was my weekend trip to swim in Wisconsin’s gorgeous, but skin-drying lakes…between the water and piles of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, my Shellac chipped on one very dry nail).

Water will cause your nail plate to expand and contract which gives more opportunities for the polish to lift. Spending time in chlorine-y pools, ocean water (yay, vacation!) or soapy water (lots of hand-washing) can also really dry out nails and polish leading to chipping and lifting and there isn’t much your nail tech can do about that.

Solution: Keep CND solar oil handy and apply regularly. I know, it isn’t fun to think about cuticle oil on vacation, and it is a pain to think about re-applying it regularly if you have a job that requires frequent hand washing, but it is really the best way to try to keep all that time in water from causing your Shellac to chip or pop off.

Also, using rubber gloves if you happen to have to be washing dishes or kids toys soapy water for an extended period of time helps!

Problem 2. Picking off your polish. If you pick off your polish, it will cause nails to peel (delamination). When your nail tech re-applies your Shellac, it is likely to peel because the nail underneath is peeling.

Solution: Keep a Shellac removal kit handy, we sell them, you’ll get several uses out of them, and knowing you have a removal kit at home can save you from mindlessly picking off your Shellac while waiting for your next appointment.

If the damage has already been done and you’ve got peeling nails, try a treatment like CND’s Rescue RX for a week or two on “naked” nails before going back to Shellac to give your nail tech a healthier canvas to work with. You can also just go to a polish like CND Vinylux which wears well (but not nearly as long as Shellac), removes easily (not a fun one to pick) and doesn’t require the extra time or up-charge that Shellac does.

3. Using your nails as tools. If you use your nails to scrape or peel at things, you are likely to experience chips at the tip of your nails, even with the best polish application.

Solution: Knock it off! ha ha, ok, I’m so guilty of this so I can’t really talk, but if you use your nails to pick at labels or tear open boxes, keep goo gone and box cutters handy so you have fewer excuses.

4. You have super short nails: Shellac still is great for short nails (we have so many massage therapists on the team so our nail techs are used to working with our little nail nubbins) but they can’t really “cap the free edge” of the nail as well as with nails that extend beyond your fingertip. This is a polishing technique that helps Shellac stand up to wear, tear, and shrinking better.

Solution: If you are trying to grow your nails, Shellac can be a good tool because it is a harder polish so makes them less prone to breaking and less fun to nibble if you’re a nail biter. Can’t grow nails because of your job or lifestyle? No worries, you are less likely to use your nails as tools (See #3) so you might still get some great wear out of your Shellac. Plus because the polish is thicker than regular polish, you might get away with a bit more length than normal because it blunts the edge of your nail a bit. You can also go with a more neutral color so it isn’t obvious if it pulls from the tip a bit.

Need expert help? Book a manicure with one of our awesome nail techs! They are great at advising you on the best polish or treatment, helping your nails to look great at the length they are, or helping you to grow them if that’s your goal!

The “Spa Newbie” gets her first professional massage!

Our Intern Alyssa has I have only had two massages before receiving our summer special, the one-hour “Massage on the Rocks” treatment with our therapist Tiffany. Both of Alyssa’s previous massages were done by students so this was her first professional treatment. She had the “tough” job of getting her first REAL massage and writing about it for her internship. Here’s what she thought:

I had only had two massages before getting the Massage on the Rocks at East Village Spa (a one-hour full body massage that incorporates warm and cool stones, Farmhouse Fresh Agave Nectar, and Farmhouse Fresh Watermelon Basil Vodkatini back scrub).

This massage was different from the others because I have only gone to massage schools where I didn’t feel a professional mannerism. I felt at ease with my Massage Therapist, Tiffany. In the first few minutes she checked with me to make sure that the pressure was just right. I had a knot underneath my shoulder blade for quite some time. She used more pressure in that area to work it out. She also used hot and cold stones which was definitely my favorite part.

The atmosphere at the spa is very relaxing. I felt completely comfortable just resting quietly and not having to speak. They allow you to get undressed at your own comfort level and I had no problem doing so. I am the type of person who always thinks of what I need to be doing next. I don’t know that I could fully shut my mind off but it was the closest thing to peace I have had in a long time. At one point I believe I fell asleep. I want to go back for another one just thinking about it!

After getting the Massage on the Rocks I would like to try the Two Feet Deep or Athletic Edge Sports massage next. It would be fun to compare different techniques and finding the best fit for me.

Envious of Alyssa’s great massage? You can book your OWN Massage on the Rocks through the end of August. Just click here to go to our online scheduler. Stay tuned for Alyssa’s last “Spa Newbie” post coming soon…next she tries a Shellac manicure!

What is your favorite muscle to massage and why?

I took a little survey of our massage therapists to find out what muscle or muscle group they love working on and why. The answers may surprise you!

Teresa Sage: Neck/cranial base release because it is such a nurturing area and because the tension ebbs and flows from the neck to the upper shoulders, almost always laden and heavy with tension on most people, especially females in my experience.

Teresa Sage demonstrates Craniosacral Massage techniques

Allison Peterson: Erectors because of how they run the entire length of the spine and when they relax, we notice that surrounding larger muscle groups will open up with more ease.

Tiffany Jackson: The neck muscles because I think that is when people relax the most.

Jamee Koopman: The Psoas! For more information about psoas massage, click here.

Many muscles in the abdominal area contribute to pain and tension, including the psoas and diaphragm.

Clair McClintock: The Diaphragm! It is often a place that gets left out of treatment for many different ailments. For example: radiating pain across the ribs, breathing issues, trauma from an accident, and more. It is not the most relaxing massage but I’ve had so much instant improvement in people’s back pain or some people that have come in with pain they’ve been dealing with for years. It can be a huge emotional release spot for people.

Cassie Sampson: The Piriformis. People who have severe pain from sciatic nerve issues can often find relief with massage to the piriformis and surrounding glut and hip muscles. It wasn’t until I had injured myself and experienced the horrible pain caused by a sciatic nerve issues that I knew just how limiting and painful sciatic nerve issues could be and I liked knowing ways to help.

The piriformis and gluteal muscles can be accessed directly on the skin with proper draping, through sheets or clothing. Gluteal and piriformis massage is extremely beneficial. — The piriformis and gluteal muscles can be treated directly on the skin with proper draping, through sheets or clothing or via stretching. Gluteal and piriformis massage is extremely beneficial.

Justin Behanish: The quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle because it it is the cause (or partial cause) of pain in at least 1/4 of the people who have back-pain. I think it is too often neglected by massage therapists.

The QL is a small muscle in the lower back that is the root of many peoples' back pain. — The QL is a small muscle in the lower back that is the root of many peoples’ back pain.

Kristiana Moore: The muscles in the feet because many of us stand all day and people find it the most relaxing. When I get to the foot massage at the end of the session, so many people tend to fall asleep!

If any of our therapist’s responses are tempting you to book a massage to relax your sorest muscles, click here to schedule online!