SpaSalonProducts
New Spa Partisans, News

Get to Know: Susan Michele, milk + honey’s New President of Operations

June 29, 2015

Susan Michele 4 (2)What better way to get to know someone than with a rapid-fire series of irreverent questions? Quick: what is your most-used emoji? What came first, the chicken or the egg? How do you say “Caribbean”? Are you a morning person or a night owl? Telling stuff, right?

For our inaugural Get to Know post, we put our newly-minted President of Operations, Susan Michele, to the test. And spoiler alert: she’s pretty great.

What’s your favorite spa treatment?   
My favorite spa treatment is always the one I just came from. I fall in love with skincare each time I have a facial.  My mainstay is massage because my body carries tension that massage takes away . . . and I love the fresh, polished, and buttered feeling after a body treatment.  
As a new Austin-ite, what’s high on your “to-do” list?
1. Find some favorite music spots.
2. Learn to stand-up paddle board on Lady Bird Lake.
3. Discover all the swimming holes and hiking trails.
4. Find the right community service organization to join.  
 
Your dream breakfast taco combination is…  
Scrambled eggs, cilantro, cheddar, and jalapeño.
If you could pick any city (after Houston), where would you like to see milk + honey next?
Dallas, Portland, and Seattle.
 
What’s your favorite milk + honey product?
Arnica balm is heaven.
 
What is your spirit animal — and why?
Wolf.  The wolf often appears both in my dreams and in my waking life when I’m in nature.  The wolf represents instincts and intuition. Whenever I see a wolf, I am reminded to be strong and fearless in all situations, to trust my instincts, and to be my most authentic self. 
If you could pick three dream dinner guests (past or present), who would they be?  
Jacque Cousteau, Queen Elizabeth, Sheryl Sandberg
 
Best beauty advice:   
Be exactly who you are. Express your inner self outward and your beauty will shine forth.  Next, find the place that nurtures you the most and then, go there physically or in your dreams. I think the most beautiful people are those who sparkle with health and vivaciousness and also those who glow with a gentle inner serenity. I love the spa/salon industry because the people in that industry are both sparkle and hush, excitement and Zen. That’s true beauty to me.
 
What’s the one beauty product (or three) you can’t live without?
A hydrating water-based moisturizer, SPF lip balm, and salt scrubs.

 

Beauty, Events, News

The Ultimate Eye Trifecta Event Is April 23

April 13, 2015

We’ll let this event speak for itself (with a few added details for posterity, of course).

The first-ever Ultimate Eye Trifecta Event takes over our Hill Country Galleria location on Thursday, April 23, 2015. From 3:00 p.m. ’til close, you can take advantage of our day-only deal: lash flare + brow shaping + brow tint for $99.

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Um. Have you made your reservation yet? Call 512.236.1115 to do so.

P.S. If you book with a friend, you both will receive an extra 10,000 VIP points.

P.P.S All eye-related products (like RevitaLash!) will be 20% off.

News, Products, Wellness

Big News: milk + honey Products Have Landed in Whole Foods Market Austin!

March 18, 2015

That’s right. Not only can you find us here, here, here, here, and here, but now, we’re officially on the shelves at the Whole Foods Market North Lamar flagship and at The Domain. It’s incredible to see our milk + honey products available in both stores and, of course, it feels great to partner with another Austin-bred brand.

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To celebrate the latest, we’ll be holding two Whole Foods Market demos over the weekend, one at North Lamar on Saturday, March 21 from 11am to 2pm, and one at The Domain on Sunday, March 22 from 11:30am to 4pm. Come by, say “hi,” meet Alissa, sample our products, and get to know your new favorite bath and body products!

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Did we mention you might just see our founder, Alissa Bayer, “hanging” around? She’s featured on the Local Maker posters that greet you as you walk into the store. If you see her, be sure to tweet (or Instagram) us a selfie with her with the hashtag, #hangingwithAlissa.

Thank you for all of your support!

News

SXSW 2015 with Outdoor Voices? We Have the Update Here.

February 27, 2015

Okay, okay. We admit. We’ve been a bit silent on the blogging front as of late. Nothing a good update post can’t fix. And more importantly, our absence has everything to do with all the great things we’ve been plotting and planning… for you.

We’re excited to be a part of Austin-based Outdoor Voices’ A Brunch of Joggers #SXSW event on Saturday, March 14, 2015 from 9am to noon. Interested? RSVP ASAP. The first 150 RSVP attendees will receive a custom Outdoor Voices South-By tote with special treats for yours truly, KIND, Evian, Thinksport, and more. We. can’t. wait.

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Where else can you expect us to pop this Spring?

We can’t reveal all of our secrets (just yet), but please come say “hello” to us this Saturday — February 28 — at Austin’s annual 2nd Street Soundcheck! We’ll be there with milk + honey’s latest bath and body care products for you to sample and stock up on! Win-win.

Remember you can always find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, even when we’re not diligently blogging. Which, yes, we need to be much better about. We consider ourselves warned.

Living

Quoted // Maya Angelou

February 9, 2015

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It’s Monday. Mercury is still in retrograde. We’re days away from Valentine’s Day. Let’s put it this way — we won’t blame you if you’ve been feeling a little off lately.

We’re taking extra inspiration from incredible poet & writer/soulful person/insightful being, Maya Angelou, in a conscious effort to appreciate who we are, what we’re doing, and where we’re going. As trite as what we’re about to say may sound, it is true. Loving yourself, giving life and stock to your own ideas and beliefs, and never letting the noise get in the way of doing so is your very own, built-in secret weapon.

New Spa Partisans

Meet the Newest milk + honey Faces — And Yes, We’re Hiring!

February 9, 2015

If you haven’t guessed it, our milk + honey family is growing by the day. And, as we continue to seek out exceptional talent for our spa, salon, concierge, and management team (click here for all open positions), we also want to take a brief moment to introduce you to the newest faces.

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Meet Winter, one of our newest concierge team members. She credits her outgoing personality as one of the reasons she wanted to be a milk + honey concierge — it’s the perfect way to interact with others and meet new people. If she’s not making your milk + honey experience a great one, you might catch her on the lake. Because, she says, who doesn’t love to jet ski?

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Meet Kristen, our newest shampoo assistant at the Arboretum Market location. She has been an Austinite for six years now and when she’s not in the salon, you can usually find her doing something outdoors, trying new restaurants, or exercising.

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Meet Anil, one of newest concierge team members. She has wanted to be a part of the wellness industry for some time now and milk + honey is the perfect place to kickstart that career. Plus, her impressive customer service experience is an asset to the milk + honey concierge team. When she’s not at work, Anil loves to walk around town lake and grab a yummy Juiceland smoothie.

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This is Tiffany, the newest member of our 2nd Street District housekeeping team. While she may be fairly new to Austin — she moved here nine months ago! — she is already in love with all of the restaurants and food trucks this city has to offer.

 

Gift Guide, News

This Is How We Do Valentine’s Day.

February 6, 2015

Single, taken, in the mood for love, or just feel like a bit of indulgence? Good. Let Valentine’s Day be your excuse. We like to think we show the ones we love how much we appreciate them year-round, but there’s nothing wrong with a little extra TLC come February 14. If you’re with us on that point, then stick around — we’re making it easy to get it right next week.

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1. Give an Experiential Gift 

It’s not just a gift certificate to milk + honey, oh no. It’s your (or someone special’s) ticket to a luxurious massage, facial, mani-pedi, blowout, etc. Basically, this is a guarantee “in writing” that an awesome treatment is just an appointment away.

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2. Pucker Up

“O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.” 

— Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

This organic, plant-based lip butter is packed with moisturizing virgin coconut oil and shea fruit butter, and fragrant with a warm, spicy mix of cardamom and vanilla. In short, those lips don’t stand a chance. In the best way possible.

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3. Set the Mood

Nothing like a little ambiance — preferably one that smells of sandalwood, vetiver, and cardamom — to set the mood. Love is in the air, with a little help from our delicious milk + honey Home Fragrance No. 46 of course.

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4. Make plans

This year, Valentine’s Day lands on a Saturday. Translation? Reservations are a must. Start with a couples massage at our 2nd Street District or Hill Country Galleria location (book now!), then head to one of our favorite new restaurants in East Austin, Gardner. If Valentine’s Day is actually more of a “Gal-entine’s” celebration, that’s still a valid reason to treat yourself. Head to Gardner with friends, or go for pizza at Bufalina and top it off with delicious cocktails at Weather Up.

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5. Have fun

No reason to fret over this day. If nothing else, it’s a Saturday. Enjoy it!

News

The Catch Up: 9 Links For a Lazy Sunday

January 25, 2015

Sit, click, stay awhile. May these reads round out your weekend nicely.

Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 12.19.00 AM[source: Waiting for Saturday]

Wanderlust is a real thing. Add these 52 places to your wishlist — The New York Times

This is Austin interior design envy-meets-voyeurism in the best possibly way — Tribeza

Is sitting the new smoking? — Forbes

When in Austin, know where the best late-night eats are — Austin Way

Long (but good) read: 53 historians weigh in on Barack Obama’s legacy — New York Magazine

How Austin’s iconic ‘hoods got their names — CultureMap Austin

The way we “grab drinks with friends” in 2015 — The New Yorker

How wellness became the new luxury status symbol — Style.com

Living, News

Quoted // Cheryl Strayed

January 25, 2015

You will learn a lot about yourself if you stretch in the direction of goodness, of bigness, of kindness, of forgiveness, of emotional bravery.
— Cheryl Strayed

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If you haven’t read Wild, do.

If you haven’t read Tiny Beautiful Things, run (don’t walk) to get yours.

Beauty, Body, Products, Wellness

Product Spotlight: milk + honey Cream Deodorant

January 24, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 10.41.10 PM{milk + honey cream deodorant no. 20}

It may not be the most glamorous or sexiest of topics, but it sure is an important one.

Fact #1: We all sweat.

Fact #2: Many of us are guilty of using deodorants and anti-perspirants that are chock-full of nasty petrochemicals, synthetic ingredients including hormone-disrupting fragrances, parabens, and aluminum compounds. Whether you’re familiar with the adverse effects attributed to the aforementioned elements or not, the bottom line is: they’re no good.

Fact #3: For most, smelling nice/feeling fresh is a personal hygiene preference and priority. (Right?)

Enter: milk + honey Cream Deodorant
{available in two blends: No. 20 and No. 52}

We’ve created our own plant-based, organic cream deodorant in two blends — a sweet vanilla coconut mix and a warmer bay, clove, and blood orange combo. Yes, these deodorants are effective and smell amazing all day long. More importantly, though, the ingredients found within are simple, straightforward, and good-for-you. Isn’t it nice when you can read the label and actually know what you’re putting on your skin?

Exhibit A

No. 20: Organic Virgin Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil, Organic Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Fruit Butter, Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), Organic Arrowroot (Maranta arudinacea) Root Powder, Organic Beeswax, Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) Oil.

Exhibit B

No. 52: Organic Virgin Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil, Organic Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) Fruit Butter, Sodium Bicarbonate, Organic Arrowroot (Maranta arudinacea) Root Powder, Organic Beeswax, Wildcrafted Bay (Pimenta racemosa) Leaf Oil, Blood Orange (Citrus sinensis) Peel Oil, Organic Clove (Eugenia caryophyllus) Flower Oil.

Both blends are available for purchase online and in all of our milk + honey spa locations. In addition, the No. 20 blend can be found in Whole Foods Market stores throughout the North Atlantic region.

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