Happy New YEAR!!! 2012

Haute Beauty Giveaway.... Marini Holiday Exfoliator #hautebeautyblog

A few days back I posted about my absolute LOVE of the new Marini Holiday Exfoliator. Now here is your chance to grab one for yourself, before they are all gone for the year!

Limited Edition Holiday Exfoliator

Everyone wants beautiful skin, so why not give everyone what they want – gorgeous skin for the Holidays!
Marini Holiday Exfoliator is a clinical-strength resurfacer that immediately refines skin texture and follicle size and leaves the skin with a radiant, polished glow.
Uniquely designed spherical dissolving bead technology, proteolytic enzymes and glycolic acid eliminate harsh abrasives (common within typical exfoliators) to gently and safely scrub and resurface the skin.

Key Technologies

• Glycolic Acid
• Proteolytic Enzymes - Papain from Green Unripened Papaya
• Spherical Dissolving Bead Technology
• Antioxidants

Features & Benefits

• Refines skin texture and follicle size
• Unique spherical dissolving beads, reduce excessive abrasion
• Creates a perfect, smooth canvas for make-up application
• Scrumptious sweet gingerbread scent

How to enter!

Must!
Like doranpskincare  on FACEBOOK or TWITTER. Leave a comment on this post with your FB or Twitter id. 

Extra Entries....

1. Tweet this post with #hautebeautyblog in the tweet and leave a comment here with a copy of the tweet url.  (can be done 3x a day)
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave a copy of the blog url in the comments.
3. Share on Facebook.

Open to US residents 18 and over!  Winner will be announce Jan 7, 2012.  Good Luck.

A VERY Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah!  I hope you are spending it with people you love, adore or at least only slightly irritate you.  May your presents be full of beauty secrets and labels of love.

Haute Right Now... Paleo Track Food Journal

I just discovered this amazing new tool from a connection I made on Twitter.  @PaleoVillage is an amazing resource for all thing paleo.  They recently tweeted a link to the Paleo Track Food Journal I instantly logged on, set-up an account and started.
I like it because:
1. easy to use
2. so much information in one place.  It tells me the percentage of certain minerals and vitamins I am getting and what I am falling short on. 
3. It congratulates me daily for staying on track. 

What it is missing for me:
A mobile app... in today's world it is so hard to live without being mobile.  So I just write things down in the notes section of my Iphone and transfer it each night.

Give it a try and tell me what you think!  Paleo Track Food Journal

A Trip To... Spa Moana

A few months back I created my top five spas I would like to visit... lucky for me I got to stop by #3 last month.

Spa Moana at the Hyatt Maui

I went for a tour as soon as we arrived, to check the place out and grab a menu.  After going back to my room and choosing my dream spa day... I scaled it back to a koana coffee scrub and Lomi Lomi massage since I only had 2 1/2 hours available. 

When I arrived I was shown to the locker room to change and then a snack room to wait for my therapist.  They had fresh fruit and water and the room was comfy and warm.

I was only there for about 2 minutes when my therapist arrived for my body scrub.  They had several "flavors" to choose from and I went with Kona Coffee.  It smelled AMAZING!  When we arrived to the room I was super excited to see it was a Vische Shower!!

The bed was so comfortable, unusual for a vische treatment.  My therapist started with a dry brushing and then moved into the scrub.  Like I said it smelled amazing, but what made the treatment great was the pressure.  Usually when I get a body scrub they just apply the salt and wash it off.  Not here, she used a nice amount of pressure and really worked the scrub in.  After she brought over the shower head and started my favorite part!  For those who don't know vische is a 7 head shower that the therapist uses to massage off a body treatment.  AMAZING!  The therapist seemed really confident and comfortable doing the treatment.  So I never felt uncomfortable and the treatment was relaxing and perfect. After the shower, she did some fancy origami with the sheets and towels and suddenly I was on dry fresh sheets, without ever getting up.  The treatment was finished with an application of a light coconut milk on my body and a macadamia nut oil to my scalp.  PERFECTION!

When my treatment was complete I was brought to a different waiting area filled with lounges and a spectacular view of the ocean.

Again I only waited for about 2 minutes before my next therapist arrived for my Lomi Lomi massage.  Surprisingly she was from Monterey, so we had a lot to chat about.  It was a great massage.  I zoned out so I can't really give a play-by-play of the massage.  The room was warm and the massage oil had a nice feel and texture.

After my massage I was super excited to get to the water rituals.  I was happy to see that I would have the place all to myself.  So I could take pics and relax in silence. I started with a shower to get some of the oil off before I went to steam.  After the steam I hit up the soaking pool.  A beautifully done tiled pool with a skylight.  I ended my day with another shower then was off to meet my family for dinner.

Overall Spa Moana totally meet all my expectations and totally deserved  a spot on my spa dream list.

What to Eat Wednesday

 One of my favorite holiday treats!

Pumpkin pie... but how to make it so that it is good for your skin is the tough part.

Here is a link to a great recipe that I tried over Thanksgiving and plan to do again for Christmas and New Years.  Pumpkin Walnut Pie

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

A Trip to Ying/Yang Spa... Day 4

My trip was coming to an end and I wanted one last visit to the spa to complete it.  My husband had the Thai Massage the day before and loved it so I thought I would give it a try.

I didn't fork up for the water rituals so I arrived right on time to begin my treatment.  My therapist greeted me and introduced herself, then brought me to my room.  It was much smaller than all the others I had visited but it was warm and pleasant.  After I changed and was on the table my therapist began the treatment.
She started out with the dry brushing and then moved into the poultices, starting at my feet she moved upward, towards my hips in a rolling motion with the warm lavender filled, cheese cloths.  She then massaged each foot and leg with a lavender oil.  The treatment was divine.  After working my legs she moved to my arms and back. This was where it all came together, the warm compresses felt perfect on my sore, well traveled muscles.  It was a perfect combination of heat and pressure.  After I flipped, my therapist placed the compresses under my shoulders to help loosen them up.  After massaging the front of my legs she went back to my shoulders.  Between the warm heat and massage I felt like I could stretch my neck better than when I started my trip.  It was such a great treatment I wish I could find someone here in Monterey that offers it!  So amazing.  They gave me the poultices to take home and reuse in a hot bath soak.  Unfortunately they didn't fit in the suitcase... so they stayed in Rome.  The perfect way to end my journey with the Norwegian Jade.