5 Ways To Get a Spa Experience at Home

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Update: Miracle Skin Transformer has been discontinued. Our review of this product was done in 2013.
I am not someone who enjoys wearing foundation or face powder. All of the brands that I have tried...or that have been applied to my skin on shoots by professional makeup artists, have left me feeling like I had a veil of some kind on my face, which is not an enjoyable sensation.
Even those foundations that have claimed to be invisible or weightless, still felt heavy to me. So unless it is a working situation like a photoshoot, TV or video shoot, I normally forgo any and all foundation, concealer and face powder. This is unfortunate because there are times when I would like to look a bit more polished than normal, but even then having a veil of foundation on my face is not worth it to me.
I have tried a plethora of tinted moisturizers in the hopes that they would feel lighter on my skin but those have just ended up looking and feeling greasy, even the non-oily formulas.
What I would really love is a product that is not as heavy as a foundation, has a matte finish, but does not make my skin look dry and is actually weightless, especially in the summer. Well I now have a product that does all of the above and then some... For the last two weeks I have been wearing Miracle Skin Transformer with SPF 20 and this stuff is absolute genius.
It's like an uber performing tinted moisturizer, but is actually called a Hydrating Tinted Skin Enhancer with UVA/UVB SPF 20. The Skin Enhancer has a great, velvety, matte texture. It does not feel oily or greasy at all...in fact it felt like I had applied a very lightweight serum to my face. In addition to feeling great, it performed magnificently.
The Miracle Skin Transformer covered my imperfections and evened out my skin tone. My skin also looked and felt smoother and I loved that it still looked like skin and not skin plus a veil of makeup. Even though it leaves a matte finish and has a matte, velvety feel, it still manages to hydrate my skin and leave it looking radiant. A HUGE added bonus is that it also contains SPF 20 so that while it's doing all that other stuff like making my skin look flawless while also hydrating and improving it, it's also protecting it from UVA/UVB rays.
Oh and in case I forgot to mention, best of all...I can apply it with my fingertips and it literally takes about ten seconds max...talk about time saving. I wore the Miracle Skin Transformer on a fourteen hour day move shoot as well as a twelve hour day commercial shoot and it definitely stood up to the test and kept right on performing.
The Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 is touted as a 3-in-1 formula...meaning it hydrates, enhances and protects the skin, but I think it should just say "everything you have ever wanted or needed in your makeup and skincare in this one lovely tube"...okay now I know that would be a mouthful but it really does seem to do EVERYTHING.
I'm not sure how founder Sarah McNamara managed to create a product that does so many amazing things for your skin simultaneously, while making you feel beautiful and comfortable in your own skin...I guess we will chalk it up to her being a miracle worker.
A few years ago when I went to The Lodge at Woodloch for a facial and massage, I swore that one day I would spend the weekend at their destination spa. The rooms are luxuriously appointed, the spa cuisine is to die for, and the grounds are breathtaking.
Although I only live about 40 minutes from The Lodge at Woodloch, the resort is tucked away here in the Poconos in such a way, that it felt like I was traveling far far away… One of the first things I noticed about The Lodge at Woodloch, was their superior customer service. We (Bryan & I) pulled up to the gated entry to give our name for our stay and by the time we got to the valet, they opened my door calling me by name and once inside, the concierge, also motioned to me calling me by name…all of which made me feel like a valued customer and not just some random person checking in.
We scheduled a spa treatment, 9 holes of golf at Woodloch Springs, Wake-Up kayaking for 7am the next morning and made a reservation for dinner. After a quick tour of the resort, Bryan sat down for lunch at Tree while I was whisked away for a Tension Tamer massage with Gwen.
If you haven’t heard me tweet and Facebook incessantly about how much I LOVE this spa, then you certainly need to stop by and try it for yourself. I chose the Tension Tamer massage, as sitting at my desk all day working has really had its way with my upper back and shoulders. At times, the pain has become unbearable.
The Tension Tamer focuses on this key muscle group to help melt that stress away. And boy did it! At the beginning of the massage I told Gwen that I could barely feel any pressure from her hands in the area surrounding my neck because some of the area had gone numb. She worked her magic and within 30 minutes I was telling her that she was a magician. Suddenly there was feeling back in that area and the tension in the surrounding muscles began to ease up. I honestly did not want to leave after my 50 minutes were up. Gwen told me that due to my line of work, that I really needed to have massages focusing on that area more often. I completely agree!
After finishing up a lunch plate that Bryan brought me to the room, we made our way over to Woodloch Springs, which is a private community with an 18-hole PGA 2 golf course. Since I have never played golf before, we decided on just doing 9 holes. The course was gorgeous despite how wet the green was from all of the rain we’ve been having in the Poconos. Bryan taught me how to play and I have to say, golf is hard work! I have a new respect for pro-golfers now! Dinner at Tree was delicious and we each had salad and chicken that was out of this world. At about 9pm we decided a swim was in order and made our way to their Aqua Garden (which has amazing waterfalls) and their Horizon Whirlpool. On a dark night with a view of the stars, it was breathtaking.
I slept like a baby that night and I honestly didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning because the bed was so comfortable! Made me realize that I’m about due for a new mattress for my own bed. The morning was a little chilly, but we made our way to Little Lake Teedyuskung for our 7am kayaking.
Since the rest of the people who signed up for the session were no-shows, we had the guide all to ourselves! This 1:1 session was great as we learned more about the area we live in and got to take in all of the wildlife. Although the really ridiculous spider that kept jumping into my kayak, which almost made me flip over when trying to get it out, was not so amusing (at least for me, but Bryan and our guide thought it was pretty funny.)
After breakfast at Tree, my feet begged me for a Restorative Rosemary Pedicure at their Lotus Salon…and how could I say no? The view from my seat was beautiful and the bourbon vanilla soak helped soften my dry heels. I loved the seaweed wrap and Antoinette made my toes look pretty with SpaRitual’s Crystal Water nail polish.
All in all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend that we truly enjoyed. So whether you live locally and are looking for a staycation without feeling like you are really still local or are looking for a Pocono getaway, The Lodge at Woodloch should top your list of places to go. If you’ve visited or have had a spa treatment here, please share your experience in the comments!
disclosure: a portion of this stay was gifted.
Lately I've been into creating my own beauty products. A DIY deep conditioning hair mask has been on my radar for a while now.
I am always obsessed with the condition of my hair and would love for it to always be strong, healthy and shiny, but it seems that lately my hair has been a bit challenged. My hair seems to be taking a beating from the sun and feels really dry and brittle, and it needs help big time.
A GIRL'S GOTTA SPA!® began in 2005 as a beauty blog. Here you'll find informative reviews and helpful articles.