spa treatment

New Spa Alert: Exhale at the new Omphoy Ocean Resort

September 17th, 2009 |

Omphoy Ocean Resort

The latest fitness and relaxation destination in Palm Beach, the land of indulgence, is Exhale Spa at the new Omphoy Ocean Resort. With minimalist decor and modest treatment rooms, the focus at Exhale is on overall health and well-being, with the largest portion of the space devoted to a 1,200-square-foot group training room known as the Mind Body Studio.

Group class offerings include proprietary Core Fusion, Core Fusion Sport, Core Energy Flow and Yoga. Along with massage and other body therapies, transformational services include nutrition coaching, detox and cleansing programs, cupping, reiki and acupuncture.

A sister property to the Brazilian Court hotel, the Omphoy Ocean Resort is the only beachfront boutique hotel in Palm Beach, and the first new hotel development to be completed on the island in nearly 20 years. Omphoy is a modern respite amidst the deeply traditional backdrop of Palm Beach. The 134-room hotel has been designed with an emphasis on luminescence and the movement of water, its carpets evocative of gold coins and the bounty of the sea.

Oh, and they mix a mean cocktail on the beachfront Terrace, complete with the culinary stylings of Miami chefette Michelle Bernstein, who’s newest restaurant is right upstairs. Om….

Miss Violet goes to MSpa, Aime goes to heaven

August 17th, 2009 |

Author: Aime Dunstan

Violet the Schwinn @ MSpa, West Palm Beach

As part of my foray into self-obsession, I fished out the gift card to MSpa that I received in February from the lovely gals at Spark PR and made an appointment for a Purity Facial. The timing was perfect, given that for whatever reason my face exploded into teenagerdom on Wednesday.

So after yoga on Friday morning, I hopped on Miss Violet the Schwinn and cruised over to 2511 S. Dixie Highway, just a few blocks from our house. We received the warmest of welcomes, given that Voilet matches the chic purple decor at MSpa (aka Palm Beach’s Completely Bare in its former life). The front desk in the intimate space faces the glass front door, so I was barely inside before I heard a squeal from owner Michelle Crace: “I LOVE that you rode your bike!” Me too! Except I probably didn’t look very much like a spa-goer in my workout clothes and visor. No matter, Miss Voilet stole the show. Her little basket really is fab.

ANYWAY… As I undressed in the treatment room and wrapped myself in a cocoon of terrycloth and heated blankets, I wondered how, in nearly 10 years of writing about luxury real estate, food and wine, travel, beauty, fashion, architecture and design, have I not become a spa monger? I could get used to this.

Bare in mind this is not my first rodeo. I’ve been slathered in seaweed and grilled with wind chimes from Aspen to Mykonos. But my mind has never been in the right place to receive this peaceful energy. I’ve always twitched my way through, thinking of all the things I could be checking off my list if I weren’t laying around in a towel with some lady rubbing goo all over me.

I doubt I’ll ever be able to shut off my spastic mind, but now that I’ve made time to take care of myself, I like the goo. And I like the lady. Skincare specialist Lisa Ciampa’s soft hands massaged my face, neck and shoulders. She exfoliated, moisturized, extracted. She flashed various shades of age-defying LED light energy in my face while she massaged my feet and soothed my soul. I wasn’t sure flashing lights in my face would make me look younger, but I didn’t care. I drifted further and further into the zen buzz that is my new drug. The woman could have had her hands on my first born if I let it go on much longer…

And get this: The reason my face exploded, Lisa said, was likely due to artificial sweetener. Huh? I don’t like anything sweet, and I certainly don’t add sweetener to anything. But not too long ago, I asked my Facebook friends which green tea to buy, as I was looking to wean myself off the Diet Crack. WELL, nearly a dozen social networking divas replied with resounding support for Arizona’s diet green tea, and I’ve been drinking it like mad ever since. Sure enough, I took a look, and it’s sweetened with Splenda!

Know what else? There was cheese in my forehead! Ok so it wasn’t really cheese, but there were tiny stores of body fat as a result of eating dairy products. Guilty as charged. I may not go out of my way for sweets, but mama loves her Humbolt Fog goat cheese. And Stilton. And Epoisses… And apparently, under a magnifying glass with high beams, it shows!

Oh, and I have to step up my skincare regimen from bar soap and sunblock to some more serious business so I don’t look like an old bag before I hit 30. I brought home some samples of Eminence, a handmade organic skincare line out of Hungary, so we’ll see how that goes. I also made an appointment for microdermabrasion next month to help combat sun damage and reduce pore size.

I almost sound like I know what I’m talking about, don’t I? Yeah! Violet and I are on the high-maintenance super highway, and we’re going to ride it all night long…

Posts Tagged ‘spa treatment’

New Spa Alert: Exhale at the new Omphoy Ocean Resort

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Miss Violet goes to MSpa, Aime goes to heaven

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