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Health + Beauty
Finding Nirvana
By Leslie Garisto Pfaff
Day Spas
Most Convincing Evidence That You Can Have It AllIs it a world-class spa, an ultra-luxury salon, or amedispa offering peels, skin analysis, and blue-light acne treatments? Depasquale, of course, is all three: a two-story world unto itslef, with 21 treatment rooms, a boutique brimming with signature products, and 25,000 square feet of salon space. DePasquale the Spa, Morris Plains, 973.538.3811, depasqualethespa.com
Top Pacific Getaway Without the Jet Lag
Flic's intention is to transport you to another world, through exotic therapies like a Hawaiian lomilomi massage and a rejuvenating mask of ginseng, crushed pearls, and rice powder. And yes, they succeed, in a serene environment where candlelight flickers over hand-carved Asian antiques and body scrubs may come wrapped in a banana leaf. Try Flic's exclusive Pacific Raindance therapy, which melds modern water therapy with body treatments once reserved for royalty. Flic Spa, Bloomfield, 973.429.3542, flicspa.com
Most Indulgent Way to Go Green
Eden Organix proves that environmentalism and luxury aren't mutually exclusive, with three intimate treatment rooms, a line of organic makeup and skin0care products, and wellness counseling on subjects such as nutrition and naturopathic medicine. Eden Organix, Highland Park, 888.907.3336, edenorganix.com
Best Bath Ever
You're wrapped in derma-fleece sheets infused with Swiss goat-butter cream, then lowered into a warm-water flotation table where you stay miraculously dry while bobbing like a blissed-out frog on a sun-warmed lily pad. You're experiencing the Fountain's heavenly flotation therapy, followed by a tingly-all-over scalp and body massage. And if there weren't a grilled vegetable wrap waiting in the Tranquility room, you'd certainly want to stay like this forever. The Fountain Spa, Ramsey, and the Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, 201.327.5155, thefountainspa.com
Most Relaxing Spot to Shop
At the Urban Muse you can spend the morning indulging in some quality retail therapy and then recuperate in the afternoon with therapy of a different kind. on teh ground floor, the shop and gallery feature Maruca textiles, handcrafted jewelry, hand-poured candles, and plenty of indulgences to pamper your face and body. The spa upstairs offers holistic facials, a menu of 14 kinds of massages, and treatments that scrub your body with crushed herbs or swaddle your soles in peppermint. The Urban Muse, Denville, 973.627.3455, theurbanmuse.com
Smartest Way to Pamper Yourself from the Chin Up
There's no better place to get a little face time than Facelogic, a spa that does only skin-care services for the face. Whether you want to go skin deep with a peel or microdermabrasion, conjure up your optimum glow with one of nine luxurious facials, or get pretty with eyelash and brow tints, you're likely to be pleased with Facelogic's experienced staff, relaxing surroundings, and comforting prices. Facelogic; East Windsor, 609.336.7836; Morristown, 973.993.1010; facelogicspa.com
Ultimate Place to Belly Up to the (Oxygen) Bar
We’d love Mesh even if it didn’t offer the coolest oxygen bar this side of the Hudson. What’s not to love, after all, about a spa that offers both a Night Out on the Town package (mini-facial, manicure, and makeup application) and a Day After package (detoxifying mud wrap, massage, and organic facial)? Mesh, Hoboken, 201.420.0004, mesh-spa.com
Hottest Way to Rock Out
Is there anything more satisfying than a luxury manicure or hot-stone massage? Well, yes, if you’re a client at Metropolis, the high-end spa and salon that offers—you guessed it—a hot-stone manicure. And if that little indulgence leaves you wanting more of the same, try a hot-stone facial or massage. Or, forgo the rocks entirely for a divine Vichy shower or an anti-aging body scrub. Metropolis, Princeton, 609.683.8388, metropolisspa.com
Best Vacation from Your VacationIf you can't bear one more minute of quaint trolleys, broad beaches, and Victorian B&Bs, you'll find the perfect respite at the Cape May Day Spa, where you can soak in an invigorating seawater bath, have your body buffed by soothing lavender sachets, and undo the efects of sand and sun with a seaweed pedicure. Cape May Day Spa and Holistic Center, Cape May, 609.898.1003, capemaydayspa.com
Ultimate Heavenly Spa Setting
For 15 years, Bangz has been the go-to destination for Montclair's cognoscenti in need of a chic haircut, a luxurious salon pedicure, or an indulgent massage-cum-body treatment. And now all those folks will be flocking someplace even more fabulous: the new Bangz, just around the corner, in a meticulously renovated stone church that spent the last century as a Masonic hall. Expect 9,000 square feet of gorgeously repurposed architecture (including the world's comfiest church pews); a new water treatment incorporating massage, whirlpool, and a double-sided waterfall. Bangz Salon & Wellness Spa, Montclair, 973.746.8426, bangz.net
Best Place to Enjoy the Atmosphere
There's something in the air at Amber, and it's the same thing that's working to rejuvenate and hydrate your skin: The spa's signature Oxygen Infusion promises smoother, brighter, younger-looking skin in just 30 minutes--reason enough to visit this calming neighborhood oasis. Need another? How about the Spa Perfect package? Offering a Swedish massage, hot-stone aromatherapy scrub, facial, mani-pedi, and scalp treatment, capped off with a spa lunch, it more than earns its name. Amber Spa, Pennnington, 609.737.8400, amberspa.com
Closest to Your Own Personal Spa
What’s in a name? In the case of Nurture, pretty much everything, since that’s the guiding philosophy behind this welcoming, client-friendly spa. From the pared-down elegance of its chic décor to the personalized attention, Nurture lives up to its name. Nurture Spa, New Hope, Pa., 215.862.7010, nurturespa.com
MediSpas
Most Serene Spot for a Full-Body Transformation
There’s something for just about everyone at Apothecary, including line-smoothing fillers, surgical body sculpting, customized facials, and mineral makeup. Drop in for a 30-minute facial, enjoy a romantic spa weekend for two, or book an extended surgical stay, all in a luxuriously appointed 18th-century mansion. Apothecary, Frenchtown, 908.996.6300, apothicaire.net
No. 1 Staycation
As you walk into Elizabeth Roche MedSpa’s expansive light-filled lobby, you might think you were entering an elegant European hotel. But this medical spa earns its “medi” appellation with a host of serious beauty therapies that include Botox, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing, chemical peels, and photo-rejuvenation. Elizabeth Roche, M.D., MedSpa, Woodcliff Lake, 201.505.1020, elizabethrochemedspa.com
Best Spa Hiding Inside a Medical Practice
It’s only one segment of the Summit Medical Group’s multispecialty practice, but Apogée is no afterthought. With a serenity room, nail theater, and both private and duet treatment rooms, it’s a high-luxury, full-service spa offering a broad menu of treatments. And if your needs run more toward the medical, Apogée’s concierge service can link you to other areas of the practice, including cosmetic surgery, nutrition planning, and Lasik vision correction. Apogée Spa, Berkeley Heights, 908.277.8900, apogeespanj.com
Techiest Way to Get Comfortable in Your Own Skin You’ll find cutting-edge therapies at Reflections, including plasma technology for skin toning as well as Fraxel and Erbium lasers. In fact, if your skin is in need of smoothing, tightening, exfoliation, or all-around rejuvenation, you’ll find a treatment that fits at this high-tech, skin-saving medispa. Reflections, Bridgewater, 908.575.1122; Livingston, 973.740.2444; reflectionscenter.com
Hottest Place to Get Your Shine On
Who knew a little light could do so much? Apparently, the folks at the Bliss did: They’ve got state-of-the-art lasers and light therapies that whisk away unwanted hair, tone and tighten muscles, zap spider veins, and even out skin pigment. And when light won’t do the trick, they’ll use sound (acoustic wave therapy to treat cellulite) or heat (far-infrared emissions to help detoxify overstressed bodies). The Bliss, Piscataway, 732.777.9577, theblissmedspa.com
Yummiest Treatments
Caviar, pumpkin, green coffee, passion-fruit yogurt: You could work up an appetite just reading Rejuv’s services menu. This intimate spa offers a spectrum of tasty treatments, such as an aromatic salt-glow scrub and a tropical spa manicure — not to mention massages, microdermabrasion, and permanent makeup. Rejuv, Bernardsville, 908.630.9437, spaofbernardsville.com
Nicest Way to Pamper Your Face
It just might be the ultimate facial: A beauty triad of deep-pore cleansing, exfoliation, and extraction; followed by a face, neck, and shoulder massage; and finished off with a therapeutic mask intensified by ultrasound. Of course, there are lots of other reasons to visit: laser therapy, facial peels, cosmetic injections, and paraffin treatments for hands and feet. Vibrance, Denville, 973.328.1700, vibrancemedspa.com
Brightest Way to Bypass the E.R. Even though you are in a busy hospital, don’t expect revealing gowns or fluorescent lighting. Beyond is an oasis of calm, with its Zen-like design, civilized tea service, and indulgent spa treatments. Start with an oxygen-mist facial and a radiant salt-glow exfoliation, then slow down with a reflexology massage. If you’re still not feeling sufficiently transformed, consult with the staff next door at the world-renowned Center for Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery. Beyond Day Spa at the Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, 201.996.4500, beyondspa.com
Destination Spas
ost Luxurious Time Travel You Can Have in a BathrobeFrom cascading waterfalls to Vichy showers, Qua is all about the healing properties of water, which reach their apogee in the most indulgent Roman baths you’re likely to encounter this side of the ancient world. They’re a perfect antidote to the noise and glitz of the casino below. Qua at Caesars, Atlantic City, 609.343.2400, harrahs.com/qua
Best Room With a View
You won’t find a casino at the sparkling new Water Club hotel, but who needs quarter slots when you’ve got million-dollar floor-to-ceiling views throughout a breathtaking state-of-the-art spa? And while you’re ogling the lights of A.C. and the Atlantic beyond, find additional bliss in an ayurvedic facial and the Egyptian Milk and Honey Cocoon Float or a nap by the spa’s infinity-edge lap pool. Immersion Spa at the Water Club, Atlantic City, 800.800.8817, thewaterclubatborgata.com/spa
Hippest Place to Open Your Pores — and Your Chakra Imagine two massage therapists, working on your tired muscles like partners in a dance, applying a customized blend of ayurvedic oils and herbs. Now imagine this taking place in one of New York’s chicest boutique hotels, in a spa founded by wellness guru Deepak Chopra. Throw in yoga classes, mind-body workshops, and the Lila Hasta hand ritual designed to nourish your nails along with your spiritual energies — and you have a sense of this otherworldly spa in the worldly heart of Manhattan. Chopra Center and Spa at Dream, Manhattan; 212.246.7600, chopracenterny.com
Most Relaxing Recovery from a Slice into the Sand Trap
At the luxurious Crystal Springs Resort, it’s a short hop from the links to a private four-room suite at Elements Spa, where you and your partner can embark on the Elemental Journey, complete with a side-by-side massage and body polish, mineral mud treatment, stress-easing steam, and reinvigorating rain shower. Or if a foursome beckons, prepare yourself with a sports therapy massage and the Golfer’s Foot Renewal. And visit Crystal Springs’ recently opened Reflections Spa, a European-inspired oasis featuring unique treatments, including a rare Thai yoga massage. Elements Spa, Vernon, 973.864.5850; Reflections Spa, Hardyston, 973.823.6500,
thecrystalspringsresort.com
Top Spot for a Fabulous Body Renovation
After a $7 million renovation, this doyenne of New Jersey spas has been reborn as Spa Chakra. If you loved the old spa, you’ll adore its latest incarnation, which has triple the treatment space and a Vichy shower, a hydrotherapy room, a brand-new fitness center, and four footbath thrones. While you’re at the spa, don’t pass up the chance to ogle the gleaming Venetian ceiling as you backstroke through the newly renovated indoor pool. Spa Chakra at the Short Hills Hilton, Short Hills, 973.379.0100,
hiltonshorthills.com/spa
Most Civilized Response to the Call of the Wild Immerse yourself in the great outdoors at the Lodge at Woodloch, where you’ll encounter 75 acres of woodland gardens, outdoor meditation areas, and an open-air horizon-edge whirlpool. For those whose tastes run more to indoor pleasures, there are 27 very civilized treatment rooms, three mind-body studios, and the divine Aqua Garden, a series of soaking pools with heated hydromassage water walls. The Lodge at Woodloch,
Hawley, Pa., 866.953.8500, thelodgeatwoodloch.com
Beyond the Spa
Finest Deep-Tissue Massage in Deep WaterThe new Celebrity Solstice cruise ship's spa offers everything you’d find on dry land, including acupuncture and aroma stone therapy, as well as entrance to the soaring Solarium, with its indoor pool, towering water wall, and ocean vistas that seem to go on forever. AquaSpa on board the Celebrity Solstice, celebritysolstice.com
Most Inspired Theme Party Sparties will outfit you and your party guests in comfy spa gear, transform your setting with lighting, music, fragrance, and flowers; and then indulge the crowd with massages, facials, and mani-pedis. Sparties, 877.772.7843, sparties.com
Most Ingenious Way to See (and Escape From) the World
If you’ve always yearned to be a citizen of the world, what better way than aboard the World itself, a 12-deck, 644-foot cruise ship. Celebrated for its high-touch, low-tech Asian therapies, the ship's Banyan Tree Spa provides Total Bliss: a 130-minute body scrub and massage. Banyan Tree Spa aboard the World, 954.538.8400, aboardtheworld.com
Grandest Full-Service Spa in Your Family Room
SpaLean brings the whole spa to your home--from basics such as a bathrobe, soy candles, and tranquil music to a full range of services that include facials, body wraps, and lots of lovely massages. SpaLean, 888.227.9242, spalean.com
Most Exquisite View from a Massage Table
Aboard the Seabourn Odyssey yacht's two-deck, 8,600-square-foot spa, you’ll find seven treatment rooms, two saunas and steam rooms, a fitness studio, a gym, and a thalassotherapy (healing seawater) pool. You’ll also find a panoramic sliding glass wall to let in the salubrious ocean air, and a private outdoor treatment terrace. Seabourn Spa aboard the Seabourn Odyssey, seabourn.com
