What to do to prepare for your vacation

We all want to look fantastic but keep things simple and easy. 

At Urban Retreat spa and Salon, we love to assist you in looking and feeling your best while keeping it affordable and simple!

Here are some tips on what to bring on your next vacation:

What to do before you go:

1.Take care of your hair...Try a Brazilian Blowout for extraordinary silky hair. It is a breeze to keep looking fantastic and lasts for weeks. 

After the Brazilian Blowout service...beautiful!

or

Get a cut and color to have a fresh updated hairstyle

for your time away.

2. Take care of your nails...all too often we get on vacation and wish we'd gotten that manicure and pedicure we kept meaning to get but didn't make time for! Take the time and make an appointment. Every time you look down at your sandal clad feet you'll be glad you did. 

Some fun trends to try are pastel colors! The "it" color this Summer? Pastels!

3. Take care of your skin! We all are aware these days that sun damage should always be avoided to keep your skin young and safe. But what about getting that beautiful Summer tan that looks so fantastic? At Urban Retreat Spa and Salon we carry a product called Fake Bake. It's well-known for looking absolutely real! It goes on so simply and smoothly. Come in and try some on. You'll fall in love with it and get that tan we all long to have.

4. Dress fabulous! At the Whimsy Clothing Boutique at Urban Retreat Spa and Salon, we carry some perfect options for your travel attire. Many of our comfortable but chic maxi dresses, tops and skirts are wrinkle free and will look fantastic even after being packed in your luggage. They are easy to wash and you will look chic the whole day! 

Come in to see what's new! We receive new items weekly. 

This skirt is wrinkle free!

5. Lastly come in for laser hair removal...Who wants to worry about shaving on vacation? How wonderful would it be if you stayed silky smooth without any effort? 

Looking for individual advice?

Give us a call at 801 386-7009 or contact us directly.

Sexy Summer Style: Top to Bottom

Summer is in high gear and we are all wanting to have that sexy Summer style that seems effortless yet beautifully chic.
Whether it it throwing on a fabulous maxi dress or having a simple but fashionable up-do here's our advice on how to have style from top to bottom!


SEXY SUMMER HAIR: 

Flirty Fishtail Braid

This is the perfect style to rock if you're hanging out by the shore, since the salty air will give your strands great texture for braiding. If you're not near the beach, you can fake that texture by  applying hair product through damp strands (a good one: Kevin Murphy's Hair Resort Beach Texturizer sold here in our Salon) and letting hair air-dry. Then do a fishtail braid: Divide your hair in half, and hold the left side in your left hand and right side in your right hand. Pull a half-inch section of hair from the outside of the right side and add it to the inside of the left side. Repeat with a piece from the outside of the left side, adding it to the inside of the right side. Continue adding half-inch pieces down to your ends, and secure with an elastic. Position the braid over your shoulder, then tug out a few pieces around your face for a breezy effect (or just let the wind do its thing).

Fast Figure-Eight Bun

You know how you twist your hair when you're bored on a lazy day? That's the key trick to this style, seen here. Make a low side ponytail, leaving a few pieces loose around your face. Twist the length of your ponytail, and wrap it into a figure-eight shape — smoosh it up against your scalp, and tuck the ends into the loop. Insert a few hairpins or tiny barrettes to lock it all in place. Finish with a mist of lightweight hair spray that'll give you extra hold minus any stickiness. We like Kevin Murphy's Anti Gravity Hair Spray.  

Swept-Up Sexy

Embrace your inner slacker and opt for this style when you've just rolled out of bed. If your hair's too clean, it will be slippery and won't have enough grip. If you've just shampooed, rub some mousse into dry roots to get some gritty (in a good way) texture. Try Kevin Murphy's Body Builder Volumising Mousse. Next, use a comb to tease strands around the crown to build volume. Make a side part, and sweep back the top half of your hair. Push the section up slightly to form a small bump before securing with bobby pins. Brush strands to smooth out weird pieces, but don't make it perfect. It should look a little rough.

Mermaid Mane

Curly strands are always a summer hit, but this year, it’s less about kinks and more about undulating waves. To cop the effect:Apply Kevin Murphy's Body Building Volumizing Mousse to towel-dried hair, then blow it out using a paddle brush. Don’t pull it down too hard though—some natural wave (if you have any) is good. Wrap 3-inch-wide sections around a small curling iron. Working on large chunks creates languid spirals and is a quick way to do your whole head. Avoid the roots. Finish by smoothing shine-boosting Kevin Murphy's Easy Rider Anti-Frizz cream over your locks. 

Silk-Wrapped Strands

Slipping a colorful scarf around your do is an easy way to glam up a simple look. Fold a bright scarf several times until it’s about 3 inches wide. Twist the ends. Brush your hair back, then place the scarf 2 inches behind your hairline (don’t put it any farther back or it’ll be prone to slipping off). Make sure the ends are an even length. Urban Retreat Spa and Salon's no-slip securing strategy: Tie the scarf twice at your nape underneath your hair. First, knot it horizontally, then do it again, but this time pull each side of the scarf vertically. This will keep the knot tight and also make the ends lay down evenly.

Beachy Bouffant

Want to wear your hair down but just can’t deal with it being plastered to your face on a steamy day? No sweat. Because your face-framing strands are pulled back in this style, you won’t have to fuss over them, but the overall effect is still sexy. To do: Apply Kevin Murphy Volumising Mousse to damp tresses and blow-dry using a round brush to create ends that bend (some inward, some outward). Try Kevin Murphy's Texture Master to hold the shape. Make a center part. Brush the hair on each side of your part back to just past your ears, twist each half a few times, and pin behind your ears.

SEXY SUMMER CLOTHES:

Summer Brights

Summer is a great time to break out those brighter colors! In stock at the Whimsy clothing boutique in the front of our salon are many great clothing options for the height of the Summer heat. Try one of many new bright colored items to add that punch of color. Many items sell out fast but new items are always coming in! 

Summer Prints

This hot summer trend is definitely the maxi dress. Especially maxi's with fantastic prints like this one. Add a beautiful maxi to your wardrobe (we have several styles in stock) and you will find it's the easiest way to look great instantly. We love maxi's because come Fall you can throw on a cardigan or denim jacket and it will be perfect for the coming colder weather. 

Summer Protection

We all need to protect our skin and still look chic on the same time. Add a flirty summer hat to your outfit to be functional yet adding a sophisticated touch to your wardrobe. 

SEXY FOOTWEAR

Think boots are just for colder weather? Think again! Adding cowboy boots to your summer style will be a fashionable surprise to any outfit. We paired it here with one of our flirty summer skirts and basic tank tops. Several new styles in stock now in our Whimsy boutique.

SEXY SUMMER NAILS

This summer the sexy color is blue! This adorable trend is surprisingly sexy and very unexpected. Come in to Urban Retreat Spa and Salon for a manicure or pedicure and try this fun color! See how the celebs are wearing it for inspiration! 

We hope you are enjoying your summer and can use these tips to have sexy summer style all season long! Stay tuned next week for 

WHAT TO PACK: Great tips on what to take on your next vacation for easy style while you're away!

Head to Toe Skin Solutions

Let's start with your face...

Step 1: Know Your Skin Type

Who doesn't want healthy, great-looking skin? Start by knowing your skin type. Then you will know how best to take care of it. The 3 main types of skin are:
DRY SKIN: usually flaky, scaly, or rough to the touch.
OILY SKIN: shiny, greasy, and you may have large pores.
COMBINATION SKIN: dry in some areas (usually the cheeks) and oily in other (usually the forehead, nose, and chin)

Step 2: Cleanse

Don't just grab whatever soap that is in the shower or at the sink! Use the skin care product that is correct for your skin. At Urban Retreat Spa and Salon we carry the fantastic Glymed skin care line.
We are happy to help you know exactly which products are appropriate for your skin type.  Try Glymed's: Mega-Purifying Cleanser. This ultra-gentle cleanser instantly dissolves makeup and the daily accumulation of oils and evironmental debris on the skin. 

Step 3: Balance and Moisturize

Balance? Yes! Proper balance is key to healthy skin. Glymed Plus offers a afull range of balancing products that nourish and protect skin cells and prepare your skin to be moisturized. Try Glymed's:
Skin Recovery Mist: Quench dehydrated, lackluster skin in a mega dose of skin protective phytonutrients, moisture boosting hyaluronic acid and vitamin B panthenol. 

You may think you're too young to need moisturizer, or that your skin is too oily, but all skin needs moisture. Moisturizers help keep your skin from drying out. Use it daily, no matter what type of skin type you have. Apply it while your skin is still damp from washing or rinsing to seal in the moisture.
Glymed has several great moisturizers for all skin types. Try Glymed's: Daily Repair Mega-Moisture Cream. This lightweight vitamin, mineral and glyco-protein cream hydrates as it helps repair photo-damaged and environmentally stressed skin. 

Step 4: Protect

Sun can damage your skin no matter what your age. It's the number one age factor for skin and of course you should be concerned with skin cancer. Wear it daily, even if it's not sunny and even if it's cold. The sun's rays can reflect off water, sand and snow. Glymed has several products that have SPF. Such as: Photo-Age Environmental Protection Gel SPF 15. It's light-weight, non-oily UVA/UVB full spectrum protection. 


What about wanting that sun kissed glow? We all know the dangers of the sun and tanning beds. But we also want to have a great tan! We offer a fabulous product called Fake Bake Sunless tan. It is amazing! Easily applied and streak free. You'll have that beautiful tan without all the damage.

Step 5: Prevention

So you're working hard at keeping your skin at its best. The logical thing is to prevent damage correct?
Let's talk about makeup. Ever go to bed with your makeup still on? Time to stop! Did you know that
going to bed before washing your face will leave makeup on your skin that can clog your pores and cause acne.

As far as choosing makeup, choose products that have "nonacnegenic" or "noncomedogenic" on the label. They will be less likely to cause acne or clog pores. Look for makeup that is water-based and not oil-based. Mascara should not be used any longer than four months.

Don't want to worry about makeup? Try our permanent makeup service. You'll wake up looking fantastic!

Step 6: Health and Nutrition

They say beauty comes from within and they're right! What you eat, drink and do to your body effect the health of your skin. Keep your skin healthy by eating smart. Eat lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Choose lean proteins like chicken, fish, beans and eggs. Watch out for foods that are high in cholesterol, trans fats, saturated fats, salt and sugar. And get plenty of sleep for good health and to avoid dark circles, fine lines, dull skin, and other side effects of bad rest.


Remember to relax! Even stress can make you break out. Try a massage from Urban Retreat Spa and Salon to bring you to a more peaceful emotional, mental and physical state. 

Step 7: Last but not least...
Now how about those hands and toes? Think a manicure and pedicure are only a luxury? Think again!
Your hands and feet take a beating each day. There are several health benefits to having proper maintenance of them. Cutting, clipping and cleaning of the nails prevents nails from growing incorrectly or infection.

Exfoliation, or the sloughing off of dead skin cells, prevents the cells from accumulating and causing bunions or corns, which can be painful. Removal of the dead skin cells also encourages newer skin cell growth which creates a smoother, more appealing foot.

The most enjoyable part of the salon manicure and pedicure is the massage. The lotion and/or oils used gently moisturize the newly exfoliated skin, and massaging promotes circulation and reduces pain from overuse. And let's face it, a nice time out for this pampering can reduce stress!

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment for any of our services or to learn about our products feel free to contact us:

Give us a call at 801 386-7009 or contact us directly.