How is there only one week left in October? We’re 7 short days away from Halloween, 14 days away from the end of daylight savings, and only 30 days away from Thanksgiving… making it only 31 away from Black Friday! And you know what that means? Before you and I know it holiday madness will be upon us, and honestly I’m already exhausted, behind schedule, and frazzled.
I just need a pumpkin spice latte and 5 minutes peace please.
Yep fall is flying by and taking with it my sanity! The only thing I can think of to help me regain my footing is a SPA DAY.
You heard me right: SPA DAY. Even saying it aloud immediately relaxes me, as I’m sure you can see from my sunny smiling photos taken when I took that Spa Day last week at Palm Beach’s Eau Resort & Spa. Yes, you may have seen all the incredible up-to-minute details from my day of pampering on Instagram Stories, and if you didn’t well get on over their to follow me because it was epic!
I’m fairly certain that I’m not the only one drowning in my coffee each morning, drained by 3pm, and simply constantly stressed out. I even think calling in sick today, tomorrow, or sometime this week is a true and honest self preservation move you need to make. And honey, if you aren’t sick now, the hell of Halloween weekend is sure to do you in. All my single ladies and all my moms out there, I’m thinking of you, truly.
Let me make it even easier for you to follow my advice, or really make it impossible for you not to:
To my wonderful South Florida readers, I give you the last week of #Spatober! Thanks to the amazing folks at Discover the Palm Beaches, the finest spas across the Palm Beaches are offering staggering discounts on some of their most signature and sought after treatments. CLICK HERE or visit www.spatober.com to explore what your favorite local spa has on offer, and just book it. You really can’t miss out on these deals, and you should feel great that at almost all the participating spas are donating a portion of every discounted service to Breast Cancer related charities. So now you REALLY have no excuse do you?
In celebration of Spa and Wellness month or #spatober (great concept right?) I was invited for a day of ultimate relaxation and enjoyment at Palm Beach’s ocean-front Eau Resort & Spa, and treated to their fall signature treatments (being offered at nearly 50% off discount). It was a dream come true, an exhilarating and eye opening morning that led to a much welcomed eye closing afternoon: exactly what the doctor ordered!
The Eau Palm Beach
When I arrived at the Eau I was met with a fresh glass of champagne, complimentary valet parking, and ushered through the lobby out to the ocean front pool, There I joined a small group of South Florida influencers for a delicious brunch in the newly opened Breeze Ocean Kitchen Restaurant. The restaurant and bar (and also the guest rooms of the entire hotel) was meticulously designed by Jonathan Adler who I must say masterfully created an indoor-outdoor space that feels like you could be sitting poolside at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs, dinning on the beach in South Beach, or, at the very least, on a total escape from your daily life.
I must say that I’m a really tough critic when it comes to food. Not only have I spent the better part of my 20s working in food: attending London’s Le Cordon Bleu, catering and cooking in kitchens from Europe to New York, but as a foodie I have been privileged enough to eat in some of the best restaurants around the globe. Keeping that in mind, I must tell you the food at the Eau’s Breeze Ocean Kitchen is excellent. The entire menu is supremely fresh, beautifully presented, and the entire restaurant is almost diary free- the only exception is the spiked milkshake menu. So as a lactose intolerant diner I was particularly happy and relaxed. Order the local caught ceviche, mahi mahi tacos, and tuna poke. Then wash it all down with a not so classic margarita or a “Bahama Breeze” cocktail. Weekend brunch there is terrific, and they now offer a great selection of tapas after 5pm so an after work happy hour by the beach finally really does exist in Palm Beach! Ahhh happiness.
After walking the beach and snapping some shots by the pool and ocean, it was time to head to the spa. Walking in was breathtaking to say the least. After meeting with my spa consultant, I was given a floating candle and instructed to place it in the central pool while making a self-centered wish. I was told that this time is to be about me and that without taking time here and there to indulge focusing on oneself we cease to be helpful to others. I liked the message.
On to champagne cupcakes and robes!
I don’t know what it is about robes, but I really could live in one all weekend long, so an afternoon spent in a robe in the Florida sunshine, splashing about in garden lined water features is pure heaven for me. You just have to see the Eau Spa to believe it, check out their site and you’ll get a taste for what I mean www.eauspa.com . There is a custom body polish and scrub bar, and relaxation room complete with artisanal “Eau” honey, fruit, fruit infused water, teas, mini cupcakes, and lounging decor that would make Maria Carey swoon. A steam room, sauna, hot tub whirlpool that takes up an entire room, with a central rain water feature that showers you from the ceiling. Magical.
After enjoying the endless features of the spa, I was brought into my treatment room, complete with a private indoor AND outdoor shower, protected outdoor lounge space and vertical garden. My therapist took me through several versions of lighting, asking me which I preferred the most. Apparently my choice gave her all the insight she needed to know what I was looking for from my day. Out of the 3 areas of focus, Pause Play and Perfect, I needed to PAUSE…and she was spot on. Then began the 3 step Sea Salt & Honey Pumpkin Polish & Mask treatment. The process began with a full body sea salt & honey exfoliation to remove all the dead and dry skin, draw out surface toxins, reduce inflammation, and bacteria in the skin. After a warm shower outside in the Florida air, I was then covered from head to toe in a bentonite clay based pumpkin mask, and immediately wrapped in a warming blanket to allow the body to warm and release further toxins, as a collagen-rose serum was massaged into my face by the therapist. This was supreme luxurious relaxation, and I honestly could have stayed in that warm wrap for hours. Another outdoor shower, and then the massage enhanced application of a “marshmallow melt” cream was applied to my entire body which released all my muscles and made my skin softer than it has ever ever felt.
Afterwards I took a warm cup of spiced tea over to the newly outfitted nail salon with in the spa for a perfect pedicure. The spa has invested in these incredible state of the art pedicure chairs that are so comfy, heat up and provide additional massage as your feet are groomed to open toe perfection.
So if you find yourself responding to a barrage of trick or treat questions this week, just answer TREAT already, and book one of these incredible TREATments. You deserve it. We all do.
Other Palm Beach Treatments of Note:
The Breakers & Essie Polish Mani-Pedi with take home nail kit & polish
Anushka Spa ‘s signature facial (both my mother and I are regulars)
The Four Seasons Palm Beach Pink Moon Massage (it incorporates pink rose & lavender oil- my two favorites)