Shizuka New York Day Spa Blog

We’ve been telling you about the dangers of tanning for awhile now. In case you need a quick refresher, here it is in a nutshell:

1. Tanning is a MAJOR cancer risk, according to the World Health Organization, along with arsenic and mustard gas, due to the UV rays in sunlight and in tanning beds.
2. Tanning is your skin’s natural reaction to DEFEND itself from the sun’s UV radiation, not encourage you to stay out longer.
3. Tanning seriously ages your skin, weakening connective tissues in your skin, causing fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation (sun spots).

Here’s more bad news for the tanners out there. If you’ve been in search of that ever-elusive full body tan, you will be searching a long time, according to a new study.

Published in Experimental Dermatology, the study found that some parts of your body (ex. buttocks) are just less prone to holding a tan. There’s tan through swimwear out there in addition to nude sunbathing, tanning beds, and that guy above. However, our bodies seem to be telling us that there are some places that are just not meant to be tan. Staying out for hours in the sun may not get you closer to the full body tan and it only increases your risk of skin cancer.

So stick to spray tanning or, better yet, no tanning. Keep in mind that skin cancer is on the rise, especially among younger women, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS protect your skin with a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 daily.

[LiveScience via FoxNews]
Photo Source: DailyStrength

Okay, so we’ve all seen those crazy Swarovski-crystal-studded false lashes, right? (Think Ricky’s at Halloween-time). If you could go matchsies with your car this Halloween, would you do it? If so, Carlashes^TM has the solution for you that gives new meaning to “pimp my ride.”

This BMW is ready for her(?) close-up. Find more information about eyelash treatments for people here.

[Carlashes via TheFrisky]

TheBerry.com posted a collection of 27 epic plastic surgery fails titled I think their plastic surgeon used a butter knife. From mammoth lips to breasts that could keep you afloat on the open seas, it’s clear that some of us will go to extreme lengths for “beauty,” and that the concept of beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Is there a moral to this story? Less is more. People generally prefer natural over circus-freak beauty. Rather than resorting to extreme plastic surgery, try simpler treatments such as Botox and Juvederm administered by a tasteful and skilled doctor (such as Dr. Silich). Plus, if you find Botox and/or Juvederm aren’t for you, the results are not permanent. This may not be the case for many of those poor souls you’ll see after the jump.

See more plastic surgery fails.

[TheBerry via TheFrisky]

The Geisha “Bird Poop” Facial was on ABC News Now  Health on July 8, 2010. Also included in this segment titled “Bizarre Beauty Secrets” was the wacky Fish Pedicure where tiny garra rufa fish literally nibble the dead skin off your feet.

Bizarre Beauty Secrets was hosted by ABC’s Tanya Rivero and also featured Dr. Susan Evans, a Los Angeles dermatologist. Other weird beauty rituals shown were leech therapy and skin care treatments made of volcanic ash, beer, and papaya.

Shizuka Bernstein of Shizuka New York Day Spa was invited on set to view the taping and you can also see her behind the scenes photos on this blog!

If you still haven’t done it, you can enter to win a FREE BIRD POOP FACIAL through today!

If you’ve tried (or thought about trying) the Geisha “Bird Poop” Facial we want to hear about it!

Leave a comment and let us know what your experience was like! Was it weird? Funny? Effective?

If you haven’t tried it yet, would you want to?

Enter here to win a FREE Geisha Facial with owner and master aesthetician Shizuka Bernstein.

Entries will be accepted until June 30, 2010. One entry per person. Does not include airfare or NYC accommodations. Winner will be contacted by email. Prize is non-transferable and has no cash value.

How far will people go in search of beauty, and what the heck does beauty mean anyway? The Frisky posted a series of wild (and often disturbing) examples of bod mod, a.k.a. body modification, practices ranging from the “lip window” to Lord of the Rings-style elf ears, scarring and more.

All of these make the Geisha Facial seem vanilla in comparison.  After all, it’s just bird poop! They also demonstrate to what great lengths women and men will go to in search of beauty. [The Frisky]

You may remember from our recent post, Style Watch: Nail Bling, that Katy Perry rocked a ‘disco ball’ manicure at this year’s VMAs. Other fans of this celebrity manicure include Serena Williams, Pink and Beyonce.

Time Out New York featured this trendy nail look at Shizuka New York Day Spa as a great way to bling out your New Year’s Eve look. What goes into a disco-ball manicure? Hundreds of shimmering Swarovski Crystals that will make your nails shine like the Swarovski star atop the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree a few steps away from our NYC day spa. The price of a disco ball manicure is $180, although you can get it for $150 through December 31, 2009 when you mention Time Out.

To make an appointment for a disco ball manicure, contact us online or call (212) 644-7400. BTW, Shizuka New York Day Spa is open until 6pm on New Year’s Eve, and while you’re at it, try our brand new Collagen Boost Facial, the ultimate pre-party facial on special through December 31.

Is Katy Perry’s look a little too extreme for your style? Try our Crystal Manicure ($65), a more subtle and affordable version of the celebrity manicure.

Check out this space-age-looking Japanese creation that tells you if your breath is date-ready. The Digital Bad Breath Checker is $50 at Japan Trend Shop. They say it’s for women, but maybe we all could benefit from such a handy gadget. BTW, the English product name does not do the original Japanese justice, loosely translating to Loving Breath. [TheFrisky.com]

Here’s a bit more of Japanese culture in a crazy kitty. From Chopsticks Feeding Squirrel-Like Kitten on Youtube:

“To avoid being bitten and pounced on during kitty training, we have been using chopsticks and toothpicks to feed the kittens their treat. As seen in this video, this technique has worked particularly well with training “Gluteus,” where the kittens will sit up straight, balancing on their buttocks muscles (the largest of which is the gluteus maximus).”

Crazy? Cute? Crazy cute?

The Huffington Post debuted a new series this week titled “The Big Picture” where you can find blown-up and untouched photos of celebrities in all their glory, or lack thereof. Take a look at the above closeup forehead crops of Lindsay Lohan (age 23) and Elizabeth Hurley (age 44) who were among the first lucky celebs to be featured. Can you guess which photo matches which celeb? Click on the images to find out!  [TheFrisky.com]

If you liked it then you should’a put some bling on it. Nail bling is a hot celebrity fashion trend because of it’s immediate wow factor. By celebrity logic, why have one or two jewels on your hands when you can have a hundred shimmering crystals? Witness Katy Perry (above) at the VMA’s.

Other fans of nail bling include Serena Williams, Pink, and even Sasha Fierce herself who sported this nail ring from Bijules NYC in the “Sweet Dreams” video. Priced at $4500, Jay Z really must “like it.”

Understandably, these looks may be a little over the top for the everyday woman. However, we recommend our Crystal Classic Manicure ($45, 40 min) that adds just a few sparkling Swarovski crystals to two fingers of your choice for a much subtler look that can still give you that celebrity vice you’ve been craving.

P.S. Don’t forget that the Classic Manicure is 10% off October 26 – 31 as a part of our Halloween spa specials.

We already know that women will go to great lengths for beauty, however this might be a bit much. There’s eyelash perms, eyelash extensions, and even Latisse, but what about LED eyelashes?

Korean fashionista Soomi Park has created a unique new tool for self expression. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, hers is looking rather bright.

LED Eyelash is a clever product that speaks to many Asian womens desire for bigger eyes. It features an inclination sensor with mercury to turn on and/or off. The sensor can perceive the movements of the pupil in the eyes and eyelids. If someone wears it and moves her head, LED Eyelash will flicker following the movement.

We’ve been fans of LEDs (light emitting diodes) for years, and LEDs are actually used in one of our skin care treatments, the GentleWaves Facial. What do you think…is this trend going to catch on? A great Halloween look? Enjoy the video.

Dawn of the Dead? Zombie B-Movie? Nope, it’s French Vogue!

This gothed-out geisha may be crumbling before our eyes, but she sure is rocking out that blood-red leather jacket, manicure and…football?

Read more about Shizuka’s spooky Halloween spa specials and Halloween skin care tips.

Is Lindsay Lohan starting to look old? We were shocked to see the Project Runway season premiere (above left) a few weeks back with LLo looking a bit dark and puffy under the eyes, tanorexic, and saggy in the skin for a 23 year old.

Perhaps Lindsay should take a cue from Kate Moss who woke up one day in her mid thirties to realize that all the partying, drinking and smoking can definitely catch up.

Excessive drinking can seriously dehydrate your body, including your skin, and smoking can rob it of essential Vitamin C. Excessive partying can also lead to lack of sleep – your body’s time to regenerate.

For more tips on remaining youthful and delaying the signs of aging, see Shizuka’s Secrets to Beautiful Skin.

Capture from the online video “How to Use Makeup for Men“

Okay, so we’ve previously dished about the new 21st Century metrosexual man and are 100% behind great grooming and skin care for men, but finding this was still a bit of a shocker.  For the couple that shares everything, introducing his and hers…unisex makeup?

Holly Doss Cosmetics has a new line of unisex foundations, bronzers, and for the more adventurous, eyebrow mascaras, “lipstix,” eye shadow, and even blush for men (and women) who want to look their absolute best. With product names such as “BECKHAM” and “JETER” you kind of can’t go wrong. Does Derek Jeter wear foundation? We’re not sure, but apparently a portion of the proceeds of JETER under-eye concealer go to his “Turn 2″ Foundation.

What do you think…is this going to be the hot new registry item for 2010?

Is Jessica Simpson the next celebrity to go geisha? Jessica was recently photographed in Tokyo, Japan filming her new VH-1 series The Price of Beauty in a full geisha get-up including kimono, fan and, of course, the signature white face paint of the geishas.

What else is on Jessica’s beauty menu, you might ask? Apparently a stint in a Ugandan fattening hut “because, in Uganda, fat is beautiful. So the bigger you are, the more beautiful you are.”

The question on our minds is will Jessica also be taking up Geisha “Bird Poop” Facials? She’s going to have to find some way to get all that makeup off! Perhaps we’ll just have to wait and see…

Scandalous vixen Kim Kardashian of Keeping up with the Kardashians and Dancing with the Stars fame is now a contributing beauty editor at OK! Magazine.  Kim will divulge some of her personal celebrity beauty secrets and makeup tips for looking gorgeous.

She will make her editorial debut covering New York Fashion Week on September 10, and we’re all  very curious to see what she has to say!

Source: Examiner.com

Did you know…?

Shizuka’s Foaming Cleanser was featured in OK! Magazine shortly after Shizuka’s line of skin care products was introduced.

“My facialist used this during a treatment and I’ve been addicted ever since!” said an OK! staffer.

Read more about the Shizuka New York Skincare System and purchase through our online store.

If you’re planning a Hawaiian vacation, you might want to think about showering first!  Two Honolulu city council members are proposing a ban on “odors that unreasonably disturb others or interfere with their use of the transit system.”  Stinky offenders could be fined up to $500!

Underarm Botox, anyone?

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

Women didn’t always feel the need to shave, wax, and laser hair removal away their underarm hair and, even though your grandmother probably never heard of such a thing, Brazilian waxes could be “the prevailing look for most women these days” according to a recent Allure blog post.  Men’s grooming is also going places that were probably unimaginable a mere decade or two ago, and men of all sorts are shaving, waxing, and plucking away.

Metrosexuals and übersexuals such as David Beckham (pictured above) have told men it’s okay to look pretty, and shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy have assured men that fortifying their hair with products will not strip them of their masculinity.

A new campaign from Gillette also aims to push the male grooming envelope with the catchphrase, “sweaters are meant to be worn, not grown.”  Take a look at the hilarious instructional video:

Here at Shizuka New York Day Spa we can attest that men are definitely becoming more image conscious and are partaking in men’s facials, manicures, and pedicures with increasing enthusiasm, in addition to the traditional chest and back waxes.

What do you think?  Is metrosexual grooming a huge advance for ‘mankind,’ or should we just let men be men?

Uh-oh!  It looks like years of excessive sun, drinking, and smoking can catch up to even the most beautiful among us!

British supermodel Kate Moss learned this the hard way when she saw pictures of a recent St. Tropez vacation posted online.  35-year-old Kate was shocked to see that her skin had seriously aged.

According to a Daily Mail source:

“Kate didn’t like seeing pictures of the state of her skin while she was on holiday. She knows it’s down to her lifestyle, so she is deciding to try a particular health plan to help regain a fresh look.”

As a result of seeing her deep forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, and blemishes, Kate has decided to turn over a new leaf and lead a healthier lifestyle by cutting down on the drinking and smoking, revising her diet, and upping her water intake.

These are all great steps and we applaud Kate.  As we’ve stated in previous posts, excessive sun exposure, drinking and smoking can be serious skin-agers.  It’s so important to remember that our lifestyles directly affect the way we look on the outside.  Exposure to the sun’s UV rays leads to wrinkles, sun damage, and potentially skin cancer (also take a look at this post on tanorexia). Too much drinking can dehydrate the body and affect the quality of our regenerative sleep. Smoking robs the body and skin of essential Vitamin C and can also lead to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.

For anyone feeling like Kate, we recommend microdermabrasion or chemical peeling procedures to even out the skin texture and Botox Cosmetic at our New York City Medical Spa to smooth forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet in addition to leading a healthier lifestyle.

Source: Daily Mail

Beneath all that makeup celebrity skin is sometimes a disaster and other times a revelation. Here are our top picks for flawless celebrity skin in a special 5-part post:

#1 – Anne Hathaway

As our number one pick for celebs with flawless skin, Anne Hathaway has truly amazing skin. In this high definition age, she always displays a clear, even and healthy complexion that is unrivaled in the industry.

Anne obviously follows the rules of beautiful skin and most definitely limits her sun exposure and stays away from tanning beds as evidenced by her perfect porcelain skin that would rival that of a geisha.  However, she did have a funny spray-on tan incident in her recent picture Bride Wars (see left).

We look forward to seeing more of Anne and her flawless skin in the future and are waiting in great anticipation for her next role as the ‘White Queen’ in Tim Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (opening March 5, 2010), also starring Johhny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

If you have any favorite celebs that you think we’ve left out, please feel free to leave a comment or email blog@shizukany.com.

L: Anne Hathaway as the ‘White Queen’ in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010)
R: Click to view the movie trailer