Milles Away
After nine years, the Millefleurs Spa Mondial, a longtime favorite with the Tribeca crowd, has set its sights on a more uptown clientele. Two months ago, a branch opened in a luxe townhouse on the Upper East Side (26 East 64th Street; 212-527-9907), and a small outpost in Southampton (33 Henry Road; 631-287-2459) is just being finished. Like the flagship, the uptown branch has an exotic feel, with faux-stone walls, wooden doors that owner Gina Michael had flown in from Morocco, and North African candles and incense. Apart from standard fare, including eight different facials, there are more unusual offerings, like henna tattoos, belly-dancing classes, and children’s massage. The East End spa, which is part of a bed-and-breakfast, offers facials, wraps, and massage on the premises and at the nearby Omni fitness center. It’s charming, if a bit more rustic than the original. But you may not mind the well-worn house, semi-private baths, and slightly overgrown lawn after a few laps in the 50-foot tiled pool, followed by a strong massage and a soak in the candlelit hot tub.
Make Your Brown Eyes Blue
Blue eyeliners and shadows have been making their comeback for a while now – who can forget the rash of electric turquoise kohl pencils that hit the stores last spring? – but now blue is taking on a more wearable tone, with deep, smudgy hues that are as easy to pull off as the tried-and-true browns we’ve been using for years. The shadows give this fall’s smoky eye a touch more richness than standard charcoal, and they’re easily paired with blacks and grays. “These blues are not the tacky bright colors of the past,” observes makeup artist Kimara Ahnert. “They are more sheer and modern-looking.” Blues with sea undertones work best on olive-tone skins, while soft violets complement fairer types. Among the most versatile are Clinique’s Blue Pearl Touch Tint for Eyes in a tube ($13.50 at Bloomingdale’s), M.A.C’s Plumage (available in late August at Macy’s for $12.50), Lorac’s Blue Ice and Sapphire ($16 at Henri Bendel), and Shu Uemura’s P 630 Blue ($18 at Barneys New York). One caveat: Remember to apply them with a careful hand, or you’ll end up looking like you’ve got a shiner.
Short Cut
If you’ve been tempted to permanently knock the frizz out of your tresses with Japanese thermal reconditioning – in which mild chemicals are ironed into the hair, leaving locks sleek and flat, impervious to the summer’s most humid weather – but you haven’t been willing to make the time commitment (over four hours, a long haul for even the most patient salon addict), help is on the way. Salon Ishi (70 East 55th Street; 212-888-4744), which almost five years ago was one of the first hair salons to bring the process to New York, has introduced “express service,” in which four stylists work on you at once and get you out of the chair in just over two hours. Though it’s twice the usual price for the procedure – a frightening $1,000 and up – the benefits last as long as a perm (though you may need a touch-up after six months). Just think of the time and money you’ll save on blowouts.
Editor’s Pick
Chance by Chanel
Chanel is introducing a new fragrance for fall, but it’s not aimed at the couture house’s traditional soigné audience. Chance, due in stores in September, is Chanel’s first scent for girls in their teens and twenties who love their mothers’ sophisticated perfumes but are not quite ready for them. The light and flirty scent, a combination of floral and spicy elements, is a design departure for the company as well – Chance comes in a round bottle rather than Chanel’s classic square shape. Fifty dollars for the 1.7-ounce eau de toilette at Chanel boutiques and Saks Fifth Avenue.