Enter Dad in our first-ever Father's Day Contest! We're treating one lucky man to a day of relaxation… and some darn good food. We've partnered with La Condesa to offer the winner the following treats:
– 60-minute Signature Facial
– 60-minute Lux Massage
– Buff + Go Combo
– Hair Cut
– a $100 gift certificate to La Condesa
($450 value)
To enter, please apply here by Thursday, June 12, 2014. We'll contact the lucky winner on Friday, June 13.
Lucy, shampoo assistant at SALON by milk + honey 2nd Street District
Lucy moved to Austin 11 months ago to attend Avenue Five Cosmetology school. Her favorite thing to do in Austin is to eat — and she loves to try new restaurants downtown. She also enjoys hiking and doing yoga. Book your next appointment downtown and see Lucy for your shampoo.
Jen, concierge for all milk + honey locations
Jen moved to Austin only one week ago from Newport Beach where she was a spa concierge and just finished esthetics school. We are so pleased to have her knowledge and experience on our team. Jen decided to work with m + h because she wants to share her knowledge and help people live happy, healthy lives.
Melinda, nail therapist at milk + honey spa 2nd Street District
Melinda became a nail therapist because as she was receiving a pedicure, she realized how much she enjoyed the atmosphere and wanted to be a part of it. She went to nails school shortly afterward and fell in love with her new career. Melinda has been in Austin for two years, and likes to explore the city. Help us welcome Melinda to the team and book you next mani/pedi with her at the downtown spa!
“I have a lot of great memories with my mom from as far back as my memory serves, but ultimately, I love being able to know her as an adult. I’ll always be her child, but now that we’re both adults, it’s nice to be able to enjoy a drink together and have mini adventures when she visits me in Austin! We’ve been able to paddle board, hike Pedernales Falls, swim in Hamilton Pool, and stroll through downtown. Plus, it’s always fun to see your mom let loose and enjoy a cocktail!” — Katie A., Arboretum Market manager (with her mom, at left)
“My mother has always been obsessed with creams! I remember her always have a tub of expensive cream on her night stand and a tub of high SPF sunscreen for the morning. Her skin is absolutely gorgeous, so I have learned to hydrate and protect! When I was about six or seven years old, she walked into her bedroom and saw me there by her night stand. I was so proud because I was using cream just like her — I used a whole jar of $100+ eye cream on my face!” — Alanah M., 2nd Street District assistant manager
“My mom is my BFF, and we have always been close. Growing up in Washington state, near the Puget Sound, was an incredible influence on me. My mom has always been active and loved nature, and tried to share that with me. We used to go on long hikes, see the waterfalls, and just talk. As a teenager, I thought I was humoring my mom — I was talking about my current crush, or what so-and-so did at school that week. The more I talked, the more we walked. We could spend half a day walking and hiking, and I wouldn’t even realize it. Looking back now, those are some of the most special moments I’ve shared with her. Now, I am a nature lover and will take a mountain, trail, or a waterfall over a mall any day. I didn’t realize then how special those walks would be, building trust and a solid relationship between us. She recently came to visit me here in Austin, and I was so excited to have someone to go hiking with! We drove out to Dripping Springs and visited Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve. I loved sharing some Texas nature and impressing her with the beauty of the pools. We hiked half the day, talked, and bonded just like we used to. I miss those times, and appreciate that she influenced me to love nature as much as I do. And I even taught her how to take a selfie. :)” — Teresa S., Hill Country Galleria manager
“My mom’s best beauty advice? Wear your sunscreen every day. She looks 15 years younger than her age, and to this day, I wear sunscreen every single day!” — Summer L., general manager (with her mom, above)
“Even at the height of my experimental makeup phase — we’re talking bright blue glitter eyeshadow and too-dark lip liner — my mom held her ground. She’d always advocate for ‘less is more,’ which didn’t appeal to me then, but now, I couldn’t agree with her more. And while she’s obviously biased, it’s nice to know that she has always loved me for who I am, and not how I look from the outside.” — Marisa T., marketing manager
Our third annual milk + honey Mother’s Day Makeover contest is back, and we’re treating three amazing women — one winner for each location — to a luxurious head-to-toe makeover.
The makeover includes:
– Signature Facial
– m + h Manicure and Pedicure
– Hair Cut and Color
– Makeup Application
– A goodie bag of m + h products and makeup
($600 value)
To enter, fill out this application form. The deadline to submit for consideration is Wednesday, April 30. Winners will be contacted and announced on Friday, May 2.
We can’t wait to read what’s sure to be an amazing range of inspiring entries. And know this — contest or no contest, we appreciate everything our moms and mother figures do for us!
P.S. Meet our 2013 winners here!
“My favorite service is our new Ultimate Pedicure. Getting a pedicure is usually about maintenance for me: soft feet, seasonal polish and a moment to relax. However, when I finally start to relax, my pedicure is usually ending and I’m left wanting more. The Ultimate Pedicure provides that extra massage and luxury that I am looking for. Almost a full hour and a half devoted to my tired calves and achy feet is the best!” — Teresa S., manager at milk + honey Hill Country Galleria
“I love Radiance from CosMedix for my daytime serum. It gives me a supple glow that I get compliments on all the time! I strive for healthy skin and Radiance helps me achieve just that. It feels great under my mineral makeup, too. A trick I like to use is to always make sure my face is damp (toner is great for this) before applying serum — this allows you to use less product (one pump is sufficient) and it spreads much easier.” — Brooke M., assistant manager at milk + honey 2nd Street District
“The Signature Plus Facial is a dream come true for mature, stressed, or damaged skin. You enjoy our signature facial with cleansing, toning, extractions, mask, massage and moisture, then are treated to particle-free microdermabrasion that leaves your skin so soft and glowing. This treatment has helped me get rid of hyper-pigmentation and feel more confident about my skin.” — Emilie S., milk + honey HR
“My favorite can’t-live-without product is Kevin.Murphy Young Again oil. It’s great for all hair types and not greasy. It has repaired my damaged ends and continues to keep my hair shiny and healthy. Pro tip: it’s great on dry skin, too!” — Katie A., manager at milk + honey Arboretum Market
“I love Reflect by CosMedix! It’s a spray-on sunscreen that is light and not greasy. With the sunnier summer months approaching, it is essential! It’s the best! The spray-on SPF by Coola is also the bomb. It’s great for chasing down my nephews at the pool and spraying them quickly and easily. My nephew Connor loves it too. He says it makes his skin feel silky.” — Kelley W., assistant manager at milk + honey Hill Country Galleria
“Designed to thicken and plump thinning hair and prevent hair loss, the Kevin Murphy Plumping.Line helps with hair growth while boosting the appearance of fullness. I can tell an immediate difference in the texture and density of my hair after I shower. It’s milk + honey’s newest miracle.” — Summer L., general manager at milk + honey
“‘A Solution’ in the ResultsRx line is my fave. I love it because it has both vitamin A and alphahydroxys. It helps to break up dead layers of skin and promote faster cell turnover.” — Maureen, esthetician at milk + honey Hill Country Galleria
“I’m loving the Citrus Blossom Dermabrasion by EcoInventive. This all-organic exfoliant smells great and leaves your skin feeling like you just got a facial. It has a jojoba oil base so it moisturizes while it exfoliates. Pro tip: cleanse using the Citrus Blossom Dermabrasion, then cleanse once more with normal routine for freshest effect.” — Shawn, esthetician at milk + Honey Hill Country Galleria
“Aveda’s Inner Light Mineral Tinted Moisturizer is the perfect sunscreen + hydration + skin tone secret weapon for you. Infused with finely-powdered tourmaline, it boosts skin’s energy and radiance and stays on for the entire day — even through exercise.” — Emilie S, milk + honey HR
“Let’s not forget about Fresh Hair from Kevin Murphy – it’s the BEST! I can go much longer in between blowouts because it keeps my hair oil-free and smelling great.” — Brooke M., assistant manager at milk + honey 2nd Street District
“The Ultrasonic Treatment is my favorite. It is a short, relaxing service that leaves my skin glowing afterwards. If my skin is feeling dull, it brightens me right up!” — Chris W., milk + honey HR assistant
“One of my very favorites for perfect natural curls is the Deva Curl Light Defining Gel. With your hair wet, apply a generous amount to your hands and scrunch it up into your hair. When your hair is dry, shake the curls loose – the gel won’t leave any hard or sticky residue! Just soft beautiful curls.” — Alanah M., assistant manager at milk + honey 2nd Street District
Alissa Bayer, milk + honey’s founder and owner, shares some of her favorite Austin places with the Elizabeth Street Mom blog. Among the highlights? Great shopping, a kid-friendly restaurant (that happens to serve up some seriously delicious Mediterranean fare), and a hidden gem, perfect for relaxing at without taking a proper vacation.
For the full profile — and more Austin recommendations — go here now.
We’re lucky to have such a talented, inspiring team of stylists, licensed massage therapists, estheticians, and concierges. And as we grow, so does our milk + honey family. Meet the newest faces, and make sure to come in to all three locations to say “hi!”
Meg, stylist at SALON by milk + honey at Arboretum Market
Meg is a beauty industry veteran. After 15 years as a makeup artist and esthetician, Meg sought a new challenge and became a hair stylist. She spent three years in New York, falling in love with her new field, and moved to Austin in 2013. Meg feels a connection to her clients and has a knack for understanding their needs, and creating cuts and colors that are wearable and easy to maintain. She loves creating luxurious blondes, eliminating frizz with keratin smoothing treatments, and cutting sassy pixie styles. When she’s not in the salon, Meg is probably at the movies, cooking extravagant dinners, or playing with her Chinese Crested puppies, Billie and Miles.
Mark, licensed massage therapist at 2nd Street District/Downtown spa
Mark has been in Austin for the past seven years and has been heavily involved in our local dance community. He has two cats whom he likes to spend his spare time with. And when he’s not dancing or chilling with his cats in his down time, he also enjoys yoga and bodywork.
Alyssa, shampoo assistant at Hill Country Galleria salon
Alyssa has been in Austin for the past six months, but she has already fallen in love with the city’s hike and bike trails, music scene, and busy outdoor life. She decided to become a cosmetologist because she loves hair, the salon life, and meeting new people. Her beauty tip is “as long as you own your style, you can pull it off!”
Kim, licensed massage therapist at 2nd Street District/Downtown spa
Kim moved to Austin seven years ago. She loves being outdoors, and her favorite place to be (outside of the spa) is the Greenbelt. Kim became a massage therapist because she really wanted to give something special to other people. Her favorite beauty tip is a DIY oil, mixing castor oil and grape seed oil — it’s great for your skin and hair.
Jordan R., nail tech at the SALON by milk + honey at Arboretum Market
Jordan moved to Austin three years ago from Seattle, Washington. She loves it here, and enjoys going to see any concert or live music. Jordan loves being a nail therapist and being able to make others feel beautiful inside and out.
Written by guest editor and milk + honey licensed massage therapist, Matt W.
Hi everyone. I wanted to check in and see how those New Year Resolutions were coming along.
I know, New Year Resolutions were so three months ago, but if life got in the way, and we didn’t follow through, we may just forget that we wanted something different for ourselves in the first place. Don’t wilt if your “New Me” hasn’t completely hatched yet. Often we begin things without realizing there’s also a middle and an end to them. These things take time, about three weeks according to some, or a life time according to others.
Changing often requires a lot of hard work, faith, and support. In the beginning, it can be difficult. In the end, it will ideally be second nature. Yet we are constantly changing in between those two poles. We can change what we habitually do, and by doing so, we can change, at the very least, our experience of ourselves. There’s some science behind this for sure, and a lot of it is very exciting.
As the mechanisms for brain change become better understood, the implications seem to grow. The enormous generalization I would like to make here is that the things you do in your daily life change you. I would add that the way you do things in your daily life also changes you. We can all take advantage of the brain’s adaptability in creating new habits by, well, doing new things. Every activity you undertake affects the physiology of your brain, the neural networks, and the body. The more you do a thing, the easier it is to do it. This goes for habits of mental action and feelings as well as for physical action.
The double edged sword inherent to the brain’s nature for change and engraining will conjure arguments for free will, and this is where you’ll find the best results. Frustration and one’s ability to tolerate frustration seems to play a key roll. Something about just barely succeeding (or failing) sends all kinds of urgency cues to your brain that you really want to improve your skill, or your effort, or your will power right here specifically.
Weightlifting provides the obvious analogy whereby the weight you almost cannot lift is the very weight that will increase your strength the most. You can fine tune and take advantage of other components of the equation to get the most out of your efforts. Collectives of individuals striving for the same excellence, expert coaching, goal affirming environmental cues all contribute to this phenomenon. I find it interesting that, under the right circumstances, you can change your habits of thoughts and feelings as well.
If you have a strong sense concerning what you want to change, and why, you can get some great advice on classic goal setting and accomplishment. You can change your basic behavior and there are some great tools to help you with that. Take advantage of a service like HabitForge or simply follow the wholesome and common sense advice available regarding goal setting.
Humans are complex, no doubt, and this brings me to the paradox of self-initiated change. We are who we are. Not liking who we are can provide enormous motivation for change, but ultimately provides your inner saboteur its greatest monkey wrench. It is what Buddhist nun Pema Chodron describes as “self-aggression.” We all have pieces of ourselves we’d rather not see, let alone show to others, and yet these are the very aspects of our being that require the most love. Change that ignores this, or skips over this step, will only provide incomplete results.
Working with this habit, the habit of seeing oneself as not good enough, or the habit of seeing success and failure in absolute terms, can be pretty interesting. Working in this way requires a new habit, and that habit is compassion, for yourself and others. So you didn’t make it to the gym today, and aren’t going to. Maybe tonight you give yourself some love in a different way, and support yourself for going back tomorrow. Cut yourself some slack.
Now, you have a couple of options. You can agree to forget, or agree to remember that you made your resolutions. Should you agree to remember, then you can notice where you fail. You can be gentle with yourself when you do. You can gently but firmly pull yourself back up, and put yourself back on that horse. Good luck, and enjoy the rest of 2014.
This post is written by one of milk + honey’s esteemed estheticians, Val P. She works at the 2nd Street District location — come say hi!
The worst of the Austin cold-snap hibernation may be over, but you know what still may be hibernating? Your body’s natural oil!
Your sebum has stayed nice and cozy in your pores all winter long. The barrage of heat and low humidity causes a pore-tightening effect that will leave the oilier skin types happy that their pores have decided to disappear, but all skin does seem to develop a new topography. As result of oil being trapped inside those teeny tiny pores, small bumps have popped up on the thinner parts of the skin, usually the forehead. Fine lines tend to linger after smiling or lifting your brows as the surface layer of the skin is not very flexible when not properly hydrated and moisturized — think paper maché.
To fix the problem before your pores unleash their fury come spring, you only need one hand and a hydrating toner. An alcohol and fragrance-free antiseptic toner with hyaluronic acid will provide water hydration to the top layers of your skin, in turn giving your face and pores some flexibility. You may use the toner throughout the day without overwhelming your skin with occlusive products, it’s more than okay to spray over makeup as well. It is not okay to put moisturizer on dry skin that hasn’t been washed, you’re just asking for additional problems. Also, make sure you’re not moisturizing dead skin cells, it’s a waste of moisturizer and creates buildup in your pores, so exfoliate one to three times weekly depending on your exfoliation method and skin type. Ideally, you should wear a heavier moisturizer, or a thin application of a hydration masque to sleep over your toner and serums, so that your skin can repair itself overnight for the day ahead without bacterial interference or dehydrating. You can cut back on the moisturizer once the weather warms, of course. If you’ve been neglecting your skin this winter then you should consider a facial with added exfoliation and hydration to get your skin glowing again. These are just a few suggestions for common post-winter skin challenges.
For a skin routine tailored to your skin, book a consultation to discuss treatment, products, and home care.
My Recommended Service:
Signature Plus Facial $145 with a Today’s Peel $50
Product Recommendations:
Mystic by Cosmedix ($36.50) This toner has a refreshing cucumber-citrus aroma and contains skin calming L-alpha bisabolol, high performance humectant Sodium PCA, precursors to hyaluronic acid L-Limonene & D-Glucuronic acid, mixed with a heavy dosage of anti-viral/ant-bacterial free radical fighting Deuterium Oxide and Witch Hazel. A perfect toner for year-round hydrating for all skin types.
Rescue Balm by Cosmedix ($44)
The delicious cherry infused hydration masque provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, and melanin suppression. Willowherb and a potent Copper Complex promote collagen and fibroblast production as well as regeneration and healing. This masque is a must have for sensitive, dry, injured, eczema, and post-procedure skin that can also be used as a moisturizer.
Don’t think about it as one day out of the year where your love is on blast. Instead, look at it as the perfect excuse to treat yourself — and the ones you love — to something unbelievably relaxing and well-deserved. We’ll make it easy on you. Limited-time only Valentine’s Day packages are just the thing to make this Friday anything but dreaded.
Valentine’s Mini Retreat
Signature Facial OR 60-minute Lux Massage
m + h Manicure
Buy Gift Certificate
$129
Cupid’s Retreat
60-minute Lux Massage
Signature Facial
Buy Gift Certificate
$179
Valentine’s Ultimate Retreat
Ultimate Massage
Ultimate Pedicure
Buy Gift Certificate
$259
Valentine’s Dreamy Retreat
90-minute Lux Massage with Exfoliating Back Scrub and Hydrating Hair Mask
Signature Facial
m + h Manicure and Pedicure
Buy Gift Certificate
$319
Date Night
60-minute Couples Massage
Side-by-Side m + h Pedicures
Buy Gift Certificate
$279
Enhance Your Retreat:
These services can be added to any treatment or package.
Couples Retreat
milk + honey is one of those things that is even better when shared. You’ll each enjoy a 60-minute Lux Massage in our couples room, a Signature Facial, and a m + h Manicure. About 3 hours for $449.
Buy Gift Certificate
Lux Massage
A customized, luxurious Swedish-style massage for relaxation that treats your problem areas and releases stress from your muscles. 60 minutes for $100, 75 minutes for $120, 90 minutes for $140, 120 minutes for $170.
Buy Gift Certificate
Lux Pedicure
Yum! Warm foot bath, exfoliation, a warm essential oil wrap, aromatherapy foot massage and hot towel compress. Finish it off with nail maintenance and polish. 60 minutes for $70.
Buy Gift Certificate
Manly Retreat
Your body works hard for you, so say “thank you.” The Manly Retreat includes a 60-minute Sports Massage, Men’s Deep Clean Facial, and Manly Manicure. About 2.5 hours for $259.
Buy Gift Certificate
The Spa Partisan
The signature milk + honey body treatment. Body brushing opens your pores before the skin is polished with a blend of brown sugar, coffee, crushed almonds, and dehydrated milk. Next, a steam treatment moisturizes, and a 60-minute Lux Massage with body butter completes the relaxing treatment. 100 minutes for $190.
Buy Gift Certificate
2nd Street District (spa + salon) | [email protected]
Hill Country Galleria (spa + salon) | [email protected]
Arboretum Market (salon) | [email protected]
