If you’re looking for a cozier feel than theclassic steel-and-mirrors gym, check out ElysiumFitness, the Upper West Side’s newest one-on-oneworkout facility, opened by Equinox alum Tony Hearns.The arches and columns—even the towelcontainers—are mahogany, and the products in theshowers are Clinique and Origins, not your averagegeneric brands. The biggest draws here, though, areprivacy and personal attention; at Elysium, there arenever more than eight people working out at once (signup early for that 8 a.m. slot). When you’refinished on the Cybex and Free Motion equipment, easeyour aching muscles with massage and physical therapy.Elysium also has a machine that tests your oxygencapacity, as well as Body Gem, a softwareprogram—compatible with your computer or palmdevice—into which you type your daily foodintake. It breaks down what you are eating and tellsyou whether to consume more or less. How’s thatfor full service? (117 West 72nd Street;212-721-1010.)
Matching your bright-red lipstick to your favoritebright-red jacket—as well as finding your mostflattering shade—has suddenly become a painlessprocess. Starting next month, Prescriptives will offerCustom Blend Lipstick, which allows you to concoct apersonalized product from more than 280 base colors.Once you’ve picked your base, a“custom-blend artist” melts and hand-mixesit, adding small amounts of color until you get thedesired shade. You also select the degree of coverage,from sheer to a more dramatic matte; a finish, likecream or shimmer; and even a flavor—champagne orvanilla-mint? ($60 for a set of two at Saks FifthAvenue.)
Though there are countless creams and gels for womenthat promise to improve the appearance of dimpledthighs and sagging middles, the other half of thepopulation has—until now—had nothingto smear on its stubborn love handles. ButAramis’s Lab Series for Men is finally targetingthe male ego … er … waistline. Ab Rescue BodySculpting Gel has caffeine to stimulate the skin,soybean protein to strengthen it, and acetylglucosamine to exfoliate—there’s even somementhol for that manly bracing sensation. The companyswears that there’s an immediate 20 percentimprovement in skin tightness and, after eight weeks,improvements in firmness, smoothness, and tone(we’ll be the judge of that, thank you verymuch). Shipments just hit stores, so men should bemore than ready for bathing-suit season. Butdon’t give up the crunches just yet. ($30 atBloomingdale’s.)
Flowers and their bottled essences have long beentraditional Valentine’s Day gifts. Thisseason’s scents seem particularly appropriate.Calvin Klein’s just-launched Eternity PurpleOrchid is meant, the company says, to be an ode to“committed, long-lasting love,” with notesof orchid, purple plum, and freesia ($40 for 1.7ounces at Macy’s). Annick Goutal’s newQuel Amour—a blend of wild roses and geraniumrosa with notes of red currant, cherry, andpomegranate—is intended to suggest “thebeginning of love,” according to theperfumer’s literature ($90 for 1.7 ounces atHenri Bendel). And the new Roberto Cavalli ($66 for1.3 ounces at Saks) is all sensuality in its pinkserpentine bottle.