beauty bah humbug

Spas Go Into Holiday Overdrive

Every holiday season, spas repackage their treatments with a seasonal spin, usually involving some kind of nostalgic foodstuff. What was a plain old body scrub in April becomes the Gingerbread Body Buff in November, or the Christmas Cookie Body Wrap, or what have you. This season, perhaps in some way related to the economy (a stretch, but work with us), the naming trend is more about happy childhood memories than rich, caloric sweetmeats. There’s the Very Merry at Tribeca Beauty Spa (8 Harrison St., nr. Hudson St.; 212-343-2376), a 75-minute facial or hot stone massage and 75-minute manicure and pedicure ($180). Just Calm Down (30 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-337-0032) has both the Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toe pedicure ($85) and the one that really charmed us: the “Run Pine Forest Run” massage ($140). Get it? It is, of course, a sports massage that uses peppermint oil and Topricin (a pain reliever) to relieve the stress brought on by going long on the eggnog.

Spas Go Into Holiday Overdrive