V.F. beauty director SunHee Grinnell races through the land of Hollywood to share with you the seven must-book appointments leading up to the red carpet
by SunHee Grinnell
Leading up to the most storied event in Hollywood, the Academy Awards, getting there in top form can feel a bit like a marathon. To look and feel your Oscar-worthy best and red-carpet ready, here are seven beautifying destinations that celebrities from Taylor Swift to Charlize Theron are all flocking to in Los Angeles this season.
Illustrations by Donald Robertson.
Mile Marker One: DMH Aesthetics Kick off the beauty run with a B12 vitamin boost administered through an IV. This method includes a larger dose of various vitamins, as opposed to the traditional B12 injection in the glute muscle, while receiving LightStim LED light therapy. With three weeks left to go, we recommend the ResurFx Laser treatment along with IPL Photofacials. DMH also offers countless other body-slimming and beautifying treatments, from CoolSculpting to VaserShape and everything in between. DMH Aesthetics provides excellent service with much attentiveness to their clientele, making it an easy stop on your race to the finish line! (dmhaesthetics.com)
Mile Marker Two: Body By Simone Utilize that B12 vitamin energy and get in shape like never before with former Broadway dancer Simone De La Rue. “How do you get a dancer’s body? Well, you dance,” says De La Rue, the founder of Body by Simone. This Australian transplant powerhouse incorporates high-powered, upbeat dance moves with hard-core repetitive motions that are never (ever) boring. And the best part about her classes is that they are just plain fun—you will burn a ton of calories in a judgment-free zone! (bodybysimone.com)
Mile Marker Three: Cryohealthcare Cool down at Cryohealthcare Clinic by entering a cryogenic air chamber set between minus-200 degrees to minus-256 degrees for a maximum of three minutes. Cryotherapy is a hyper-cooling process that lowers a person’s skin temperature approximately 30 degrees Fahrenheit and is a proven anti-inflammatory method often used on athletes. This cooling-air-chamber concept was first brought into the U.S.—Los Angeles, specifically—by Dr. Jonas Kuehne and his wife, Emilia Kuehne, and it seems to be the latest craze for muscular-pain, arthritis, and cellulite reduction. It can also help with increased metabolism, collagen production, tightening of the skin, and much more! (cryohealthcare.com)
Illustrations by Donald Robertson.
Mile Marker Four: Grotto de Sal The co-founder of this peaceful space, Elias Amkie, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2013. After a few crippling years, he managed to make the flight to Israel to the wonder of the Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Lake. After floating in the “miracle” water over a period of one week, he began to walk on his own without a cane and soon became a true believer of the astonishing benefits of floatation therapy. He brought the concept to Los Angeles with Grotto de Sal and fills his mineral-water baths with 2000 pounds of salt imported from Israel and sets them at 100 degrees. The Dead Sea is historically known to help with countless body ailments such as arthritis, joint pain, and psoriasis, and has the ability to improve the immune system and offer other therapeutic benefits. (grottodesal.com)
Mile Marker Five: SaunaBar Turn it up a notch and burn up to 600 calories in just 40 minutes while relaxing inside an infrared sauna pod. This concept, developed by SaunaBar owner Joseph Harounian, is about a personal-journey-from-illness-to-health-and-fitness story, derived from much research and determination. These futuristic-looking pods use infrared-light therapy—both fast- and slow-wavelength—to permeate and heat the skin from the inside out without the risk of burning or overheating (which is especially impressive, considering that the temperature ranges from 180 to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.) The longer the treatment, the greater the detoxifying effects, and it will simultaneously help release tension and reduce wrinkles, age spots, and varicose veins and even treat sunburns and inflammation. The list of benefits goes on—it is a must-try! (saunabar.com)
Mile Marker Six: Ma Maison de Beauté This beauty boutique, located on Melrose Place, specializes in the latest collagen-producing treatment for the face and body, called the Venus Legacy. According to owner and aesthetician Diana Podeanu, this method is the first and only F.D.A.-cleared device to utilize 4-D technology. But what does that mean? It means that it helps to reduce stretch marks and cellulite while contouring the body, and it plumps and tightens the face with zero downtime. (mamaisonspa.com)
Mile Marker Seven: Tomoko Spa Beverly Hills In the last mile, treat your body (plus a buddy, if so desired) to a day at the highly coveted Tomoko Spa. This celebrity haunt is as exclusive as it gets, with exquisite and traditional Japanese settings, top-of-the-line massages, and traditional Japanese tea service–—one might think that they’ve gone to Zen-full heaven! The massage service starts with a foot bath, ends with a bath in a traditional Japanese bamboo-wood bathtub, and is followed by a decadent sushi dinner for two. Truly five-star perfection—wow! (tomokospa.com)