Spa Pedicure at Utopia Salon & Day Spa in Hawley, PA

Shannon Smyth
Review of Utopia Spa & Salon in Hawley, PA's spa pedicure via @agirlsgottaspa The best part of living in a tourist area (the Poconos), is that there are a lot of little gems waiting to be discovered. For me, this gem has been right in front of my face for 13 years. I've driven by Utopia Salon & Day Spa countless times, but let me be honest, I never really gave it a second thought based on the outside. I guess you could say, I judged a book by its cover. Utopia Salon & Day Spa is located on the busy highway of Route 6 in Hawley, it's also right by an intersection for Wallenpaupack school district and Turkey Hill (where all of those tourists going on Lake Wallenpaupack are gassing up their boats.) When one of my favorite spas was totally booked, I decided to do a quick search of others in the area. Utopia was the first to pop up. I looked at their menu and saw that they were completely affordable and when they said they could get me in next day, I was stoked. It was when I pulled into the parking lot that I realized there was a lot more to the building than you could see from the road. When I entered the back of the building, I was taken back by how beautiful it was inside with its local flare of wood floors, stone fireplace and wood beam ceilings. Utopia Salon & Day Spa in Hawley PA. Review of this Poconos spa, spa pedicure via @agirlsgottaspa I waited for my pedicurist, also named Shannon, and was greeted and taken down to another room to pick my lacquer. All of the polish was Morgan Taylor, and I chose Well Spent, a purple creme. I was then led to the pedicure room which is a quiet, intimate room of 3 pedicure chairs and a bench to sit on for polish drying. I sat in the chair nearest the window that looked out to some trees. I remarked to Shannon, that sitting there, you would never know that the intersection was just a few feet away. Utopia's spa pedicure ($47) consists of 55 minutes of calf and foot pampering. Aside from the typical nail clipping, buffing, polish removed and reapplied, your feet and calves are exfoliated with a citrus sugar scrub and then a hydrating green minty masque is applied. Before painting my nails, Shannon gave my feet a nice massage (honestly I probably would've paid more for her to do it longer because it was so relaxing!) Utopia Salon & Day Spa review via @agirlsgottaspa The pedicure chair is a massager and I sat there in pure bliss while it kneaded out my sore back muscles. Something I particularly loved about Shannon was that she was not an over-talker. We've all experienced those kinds of people at least once or twice while spa-ing where the person giving the treatment just won't stop talking. Shannon spoke when I asked questions, made light conversation, but didn't make silence feel awkward at all. I just felt completely relaxed. When I book my next pedicure, it will definitely be with her. If you happen to be in the northern tier of Wayne or Pike counties near Lake Wallenpaupack, I recommend stopping by Utopia Salon & Day Spa for some extra pampering. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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Pedicure How-To: Get Your Feet Sandal-Ready! #Sponsored

Shannon Smyth12 comments

This post was sponsored by Amopé™ as part of an influencer activation for the #AmopeCrowd and Socialstars™. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review, but all opinions (and sandal-ready feet) are my own.

Get your feet sandal-ready with Amopé™! How-to pedicure. #AmopeCrowd #DoYouAmope #Sponsored Florals and citrus, a shorter hairstyle, light breezy dresses, sandals...warmer weather opens the doors to both shed our winter layers and reveal some skin. Depending on how you look at it, this can be a welcomed change, or something that you dread. I used to be embarassed to wear sandals or my favorite flip-flops out in public. It always seemed that no matter what I did, I could not reign in the cracks on my heels or the dryness on the tops of my toes. (Please tell me I'm not alone.) Sure an amazing pedicure at one of my favorite local spas would whip my feet into shape, but only for a short time. As much as I enjoy time at the spa, it's not always in my budget and sometimes I just can't swing my schedule. So finding the right products to get that spa-worthy pedicure at home is something I'm always on the hunt for and I think I finally found the right mix. Get your feet sandal-ready with Amopé™! How-to pedicure. #AmopeCrowd #DoYouAmope #Sponsored I've been talking about the Amopé™ Pedi Perfect Wet & Dry Rechargeable Foot File for a few months now and I have to say, my feet have never looked better. I've been using it 2-3 times a week to exfoliate my feet using it on two speeds and both wet and dry. How-To Pedicure on Dry Skin: Doing a pedicure on dry skin with no water involved is easy peasy and literally only takes a few minutes. I'd recommend this when you don't really have too much time for a full-on pedicure. I squeeze this in while I am watching one of my favorite shows (The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Shark Tank, The Profit, etc.) 1. Put a few sheets of paper towel under your feet, and turn your Amopé™ Pedi Perfect on the highest speed (press the top button once.) I use this setting just for my heels, the sides of my feet and my big toe (for some reason I tend to get calluses on that toe the most.) Do this for a good 60-90 seconds moving the electronic foot file up and down. It works fast, so this amount of time is plenty. 2. Next, turn it to the lowest setting (hit the top button twice) and focus on the ball of your feet, gently on the tippity top of your toes (avoiding your nails) and anywhere else that your feet are sensitive. This will only take you less than 60 seconds. 3. Most of the exfoliated skin will be on the paper towels, but if there are any on your feet, just gently wipe it off. 4. Apply cuticle softener then clip and file your toe nails. Then push back your cuticles. 5. Apply your favorite lotion, which you'll notice will quickly absorb into your skin now that you got rid of the dead skin. 6. Last step is applying your favorite polish and top coat. Get your feet sandal-ready with Amopé™! How-to pedicure. #AmopeCrowd #DoYouAmope #Sponsored How-To Pedicure on Wet Skin: One of the best things about the Amopé™ Pedi Perfect Wet & Dry Rechargeable Foot File is that it is waterproof so you can use it in the shower and around water. Sometimes I just use it in the shower (again, when I am short on time) and sometimes I soak my feet to really soften them up. 1. Grab a plastic basin and fill it with warm water. Drop in a bath bomb - a mini bath bomb will do the trick, but most of the time I only have medium-sized ones on hand. The epsom salt will help to purify and remove toxins and the fragrance is always a great stress reliever. Soak for a good 5-10 minutes. 2. Follow steps 1 and 2 from the dry pedicure how-to minus the paper towels. 3. Grab your favorite salt scrub (mine is citrus) and scrub between your toes, around your nail beds and then a once over your entire foot. I love salt scrub for this because it has just the right amount of grit to really exfoliate where the electronic foot file can't go. The moisturizing oils in mine really hydrate my feet too. 4. Rinse and pat dry leaving your feet slightly damp. 5. Apply your favorite hydrating lotion - and don't forget between your toes (I feel like this is often overlooked!) 6. Then follow steps 4 and 6 from above. You could of course do this while watching your favorite shows too, it just takes a bit longer. These steps can be done in the shower, as well, naturally waiting to do steps 4 and 6 until you are actually out of the shower! I do the dry, quick version 2x a week and then do the wet version via shower once a week. Once a month I do the wet version with the basin and bath bomb. It makes a huge difference and I'm no longer embarassed by my feet. They are super soft, hydrated and are no longer dry and cracked. If you follow this how-to I would LOVE to hear from you, let me know the difference it makes in your feet! Follow Amopé™ on Facebook! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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Daily Beauty Routine #ad

Shannon Smyth4 comments

This post was sponsored by Amopé™ as part of an influencer activation for the #AmopeCrowd and Socialstars™. I received a complimentary product to facilitate this article, but all opinions are my own.

Daily skin care routine via @agirlsgottaspa #AmopeCrowd #ad A set daily beauty routine didn't really become a habit until I was in my 30s. When I was a teenager, I didn't really think long term about caring for my skin. I certainly didn't look at cause and effect either (not washing your face = congested skin.) In my 20s, it was much of the same with a few adjustments (I knew moisturizer was a must.) Back in the "olden days" (as my kids like to say), skin care was no frills. We didn't have sonic cleansers or electronic pedicure files. Paper masks weren't a thing and SPF definitely wasn't part of your beauty routine. Something else I recall is that most advertisements and magazine articles focused on facial skin care while the rest of your body suffered the consequences. (I cringe thinking about what my heels looked like for too long.) daily skin care via @agirlsgottaspa #AmopeCrowd #ad Once in my 30s and now in my 40s, I love to take care of my skin and view it as a form of wellness and self-care. So here's what my daily and weekly skin and body care look like: Daily A.M. Face Care: Cleanser, toner, 2% BHA treatment, serum, eye cream, Vitamin C treatment, moisturizer with SPF. Daily P.M. Face Care: Makeup remover, sonic skin care tool with cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, night cream with Retinol. Weekly Face Care: Exfoliator, mask (paper/mud etc.), 4% BHA treatment Daily Body Care: Body wash, lotion (both day and night) Weekly Body Care: Exfoliator (sugar or salt scrub), Amopé™ Pedi Perfect Wet & Dry Rechargeable Foot File (3x week) Treat your feet via @agirlsgottaspa #AmopeCrowd #ad I have to say that exfoliating is my favorite part of my routine. Not only does it give your skin a mini-massage, but it's kind of mesmerizing to exfoliate away dry, dead skin to reveal skin that is healthier. It's kind of like erasing a few years off. Where my skin care routine in my 20s only included a few items and was mainly focused at the beginning of my day and on my face only, it now includes anti-aging products and body care. I used to only throw some polish on my toes and call it a day. Now I can pamper my feet a few times a week with my Amopé™ Pedi Perfect and watch my skin soak up my lotion, keeping my feet touchably soft. How has your daily beauty routine evolved through the years? Leave a comment and let me know! Follow Amopé™ on Facebook! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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How To Get Date Night Ready #spon

Shannon Smyth

This post was sponsored by Amopé™ as part of an influencer activation for the #AmopeCrowd and Socialstars™. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review, but all opinions are my own.

Get your feet date night ready with Amopé via @agirlsgottaspa #AmopeCrowd #spon The key to a long-lasting relationship is scheduling time together 1:1. It can be really difficult to do, especially when you have a large family like mine. For my husband and I, spending any quality time together typically means sleeping soundly in the same proximity in 2 hour increments until our baby wakes up for his feeding. So when we have the opportunity to actually go on a date OUT OF THE HOUSE? I am all about making sure I look great. (When you look good, you feel even better after all.) Get date night ready with Amopé via @agirlsgottaspa #AmopeCrowd #spon When I know that date night doesn't include renting a movie and eating take-out (because my fellow moms know this is usually the case), I take full advantage of using my arsenal of beauty products and giving myself some extra me-time in the process. My typical process for getting date night ready includes: A relaxing bath to get my mind re-focused: Having 6 kids and working full time can equal quite the frazzled brain. Soaking in the tub for even just 15 minutes literally melts away the stress. A fragrant bath bomb added to the mix helps to declutter that internal conversation in preparation for an evening out with my man. Indulging my hair with a hair treatment: Most days you can find my hair in a ponytail or looking unruly in the tiny fist of my 6 month old. In other words, I totally have the mom look down. During my bath time ritual, I typically use a hair mask or leave-in treatment to repair any damage to my hair. The result is touchably soft locks that make me look like I have a good hair day every day. Pampering my feet: If I'm going to trade my sneakers for heels for a night, there's some serious work that needs to be done on my feet. To smooth dry spots, rough patches and callouses, I use the Amopé™ Pedi Perfect Wet & Dry Rechargeable Foot File. I like this for two reasons - it's waterproof so I can use it while in the tub (so I can basically multi-task as usual), and it does a better job than using a manual foot file with its two-speed roller head. Moisturizing my skin: After my bath I make sure my face and body are hydrated with my favorite body lotion and facial cream. Skin always imparts a healthy glow when it's nourished! Finishing touches with hair and makeup: From the best hair styling products that reduce frizz and impart shine to using makeup that spotlights my best features (my eyes, hello!), this is where most of my time is spent getting ready. Get your feet date night ready with Amopé via @agirlsgottaspa #AmopeCrowd #spon There you have it! While it may sound pretty simple, setting aside time for some pampering before your date will seriously do you a world of good. Self care is the best form of wellness in my book and it shows when you're out with the one you love! How do you get date night ready? Be sure to follow Amopé™ on Facebook! If you liked this post please tweet it!
Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

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Review: True Blue Spa 60-Second Manicure Hand Scrub & Smoothing Foot Scrub

Gail Lewis
Although going to the spa can never be an overrated experience, there is something to be said of being able to bring the spa to the comfort and privacy of your own home with you and a few of your closest girlfriends...or sometimes just solo.  The only problem with bringing the spa to your home is the quality of the spa products.  More often than not, spa products that I am able to get my hands on are never spa quality and being that neither me nor my girlfriends are professional estheticians, we need our products to do the job that we can not.  Which is why I love products from True Blue Spa by Bath & Body Works.  The brands products are spa quality without the spa prices, they really allow you to experience the true spa experience at home. My two favorite True Blue Spa products are the 60-Second Manicure Hand Scrub and the Smoothing Foot Scrub.  The Hand Scrub is a sugar based exfoliating treatment that also contains moisturizing Shea Butter.  I love starting  my at home spa manicures with the scrub because it immediately softens my hands and cuticles and allows any moisturizing products that follows, whether it's a hand lotion, masque or cuticle oil, to do a more effective job.  The scrub also has a great citrusy scent...like a blend of sugar and grapefruit.  Much like the hand scrub, the Smoothing Foot Scrub also smooths and softens, allowing moisturizing products to be better absorbed by the feet.  The foot scrub also has a great refreshing minty scent, due to the Peppermint Oil that is a part of the ingredients and that also stimulates tired feet. I may never completely give up going to a spa in favor of spa-ing at home, but for those days when the spa budget is a bit too tight or if I just want to have a girl's night in with my at home spa products and a bottle of wine, it's great to know that I have two amazing products on hand that very closely captures the spa experience and results without the steep spa price tags or having to change out of my jammies.

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