I recently visited the beautiful island of St. Lucia, and with its dramatic mountains, lush rainforest and white sandy beaches, it is truly a magnificent place.  The twin mountains or the Pitons – the Gros Piton and Petit Piton – and their valley, the “Val des Pitons”, in the southwestern part of the island, create a spectacular site.  Some describe it as the place where “heaven meets earth”.  O, The Oprah Magazine claims of the five places you must see in your lifetime, a visit to the Pitons is at the top of the list.  UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site.  St. Lucia has also been called the ‘Helen of the West Indies’ – as captivating to guests as Helen was to Troy.

We stayed at the gorgeous Jalousie Plantation, Sugar Beach, in Soufriere.  The resort is set on one hundred acres of lush forest, directly in between the famous Pitons, and also features a beautiful white sandy beach.  We experienced the famous drive in volcano, botanical gardens and waterfalls – all just minutes away from the resort.   The sulphur mud bath was certainly quite hot… and fantastic for the skin!

As we further explored the area, we got a taste of the unique and delicious local fruits and vegetables.

With so much to offer – whether you’re up for hiking Gros Piton (2619 feet high), ziplining, whale watching, scuba diving, kayaking, or relaxing on the beach, a trip to St Lucia is an adventure.  And back at the Jalousie Plantation, the view from our luxurious grand villa was amazing.

Each villa has a modern and elegant design, and everything is in white… yet the resort retains a colonial-like feel.  I loved our oversized outdoor plunge pool (each villa has its own private pool on a terrace).  The amenities at Jalousie Plantation are wonderful; the Rainforest Spa is so charming, and its treehouse treatment gazebos overlook the famous Gros Piton.  Jalousie features two fantastic restaurants – the elegant Great Room, which offers an old world colonial charm in a candlelit setting, and The Bayside Bar and Restaurant, which is a wonderful open-air sea side dining experience.  After dinner, guests may venture to the Cane Bar, a specialty “glowing white” rum bar.  Jalousie has almost completed a multi-million dollar renovation, at which point it will be rebranded as The Tides Sugar Beach. (Sugar Beach Residences will also be up for sale!) The resort is owned by Roger Myers, former accountant to the Rolling Stones.  Jalousie Plantation is one place I will never forget… and I’ll be sure to stay longer next time around.  Perhaps then I’ll check out one of their eight new luxury beachfront bungalows… which are just steps away from the water’s edge. Photos are below:

The next resort we visited was Jade Mountain, also in Soufriere.  We took a 15 minute water taxi from Jalousie Plantation to Jade Mountain. (I highly recommend taking water taxis or helicopters in St. Lucia whenever possible,  in order to avoid the bumpy, winding roads with steep inclines/ declines throughout the region).  Jade Mountain is unbelievable – it’s secluded and set high up in the mountains, above its 600 acre beach front sister resort Anse Chastanet.  Jade Mountain’s architecture is bold and unique, with individual bridges leading to the infinity pool sanctuaries and stone faced columns reaching up to the sky.  Jade Mountain is a very special place – each sanctuary has only three walls – there’s no fourth wall!  You are completely exposed to the elements, with an infinity pool which makes you feel as if you’re floating out to nature.  Infinity pools range in size from 450 to over 900 square feet, where the size increases in relation to the room type – Star, Moon, Sun or Galaxy.  The sanctuaries truly have unrivaled views of the Pitons.  Each of the spacious open-air suites with 15-foot ceilings has its own individual design… and of course each is extremely private.  Many agree that there’s no need to ever leave your room!  Perhaps it’s one reason so many couples and honeymooners flock to this resort.  It’s a fabulous resort to enjoy St. Lucia’s breathtaking vistas from your indoor-outdoor abode:

We then ventured up north to our final venue - Cap Maison.  It’s approximately a ninety minute drive from Jade Mountain to Cap Maison (and the roads are much better in this part of the island).  Cap Maison is located above Smugglers Cove beach in Cap Estate on the northwest coast of the island.  The villa suites are spacious and modern, and include a large kitchen, dining and living area – this place is great for larger groups or families where you can also enjoy a private outdoor pool overlooking the beach.  You may recall seeing Cap Maison during one of the rose ceremonies from an episode of the reality TV show, “The Bachelor”.  Since then, Cap Maison actually offers a “proposal package” to help others pop the question.

We took a scenic helicopter ride from the north of the island back to UVF airport – it was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend it!  We flew over St. Lucia’s spectacular rainforest, and arrived at our destination within 10 minutes.  St. Lucia is truly captivating, I now understand why travel press often call it the Caribbean’s most romantic and beautiful island.

I recently returned from a lovely weekend at the W Retreat & Spa, Vieques Island (Puerto Rico).   Upon my arrival at Vieques airport,  I was immediately greeted at the W airport lounge and soon after whisked away to the W Retreat & Spa.  The friendly staff graciously upgraded me to a beautiful, chic oceanfront room - which was stylishly designed with colorful artwork and a luxurious sunken tub.

The W Retreat & Spa is beautiful and stays true to W’s signature style - it features a secluded private beach where you can get away from it all, two outdoor pools with a bar so you stay hydrated all day long, and poolside cabanas (useful while catching a break during sporadic sunshowers in PR).  And if you ever wonder ”who’s gonna ride your wild horses”  (as Bono would say) - W Vieques has the answer.  Wild horses gracefully mill around the property and even make appearances during morning yoga sessions!   Relaxing hammocks appear throughout the property where you can just chill, take in the ocean breeze, and catch a snooze.   Pamper yourself with a massage overlooking the ocean at the Away spa - (I met the lovely new spa director, Jennifer Findlay, who said to stay tuned for more exciting yoga and spa offerings going forward).  And if you’re a fan of glowing sea creatures… the Bioluminescent Bay Tour will wow you with bright critters while kayaking all around.

Check out my video from W Vieques:

P.S.  If you’re planning a visit be sure to check out Vieques Airlink,  unless of course you fancy a long swim from San Juan…

When I toured the Zappos headquarters in April 2010, I discovered some interesting factoids…”Zappos” is derived from “zapatos” (it translates to shoes in Spanish);  employees walk 8 to 12 miles a day picking stock from static racks; 1 out of 60 UPS shipments is a Zappos item; $128 is the average spend per order; 35-40,000 orders are placed per day on average;  75% customers are repeat!  In 2008 Zappos reached $1 billion in gross merchandise sales for the first time… and despite the economic downturn, Zappos is still growing… And what was Hsieh’s first business?  It all started out with a little pizza company.

I spoke with Hsieh immediately before his keynote. Take a listen:

One of Angela’s favorite poems from Ralph Waldo Emerson resonated with me, so I’m sharing it with you:

Success…

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was inspired after speaking with Bert Monday afternoon – he told me optimism may be your most powerful tool to realize your dreams.  Take a listen:

My favorite quote from Bert?  ”More than anything it’s about disposition. It’s not about what you have or where you are, it’s more about how you view the world.”

Bert Jacobs was presented with the Alex Szekely Humanitarian Award at ISPA this year, and he’s certainly most deserving…

If you haven’t been to Kohler, it’s a lovely little town with a warm and friendly mid-west kind of vibe.  The Food & Wine Experience attracted many from the local area to experience some of the top wines and celebrity chefs right in their own backyard.   Celeb chefs and presenters included: Alex Guarnaschelli, Executive Chef of Butter and the Darby; chocolatier and pastry chef Jacques Torres; Jon Ashton of CW’s The Daily Buzz; Emmi-Roth Kase USA’s Regi Hise; Stefano Viglietti of Trattoria Stefano; Bart Vandaele of Belga Cafe; Charlie Trotter; Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern.  If you’re a golfer, you surely know Kohler is home to Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run – two beautiful world class golf courses that have hosted PGA Championships, U.S. Women’s Open, among other tournaments.

Some of the highlights from the weekend?  My favorite event was Taste of the Vine at the Kohler Design Center on Friday evening, hosted by Wirtz Beverage Wisconsin.  Guests nibbled on Wisconsin cheeses and Kohler chocolates while tasting wines from numerous vintners, including Domaine Serene, Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Caymus, Charles Krug, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Duckhorn, Rodney Strong, Trinchero Napa Meritage, Twenty Four Wines, among many others. The venue was ideal – who wouldn’t love viewing all the fabulous products and designs at the Kohler Design Center?  And, let’s face it, where else can you have an amazing night surrounded by 100+ toilets?

I learned how to pair up chocolate, cheese and beer at the lovely Craverie Chocolatier Cafe – the Kohler chocolates are so yummy!  A refresher seminar on Rioja wines with Dominic Guerrieri of FOLIO Fine Wine Partners where we tasted different blends of tempranillo, garnacha, mazuelo and graciano grapes brought back fond memories of living in Barcelona and Seville.  At the Grand Tasting event, there were, once again, many different wines to try.  Two of my favorites were from Duckhorn Vineyards – the 2007 Paraduxx Napa Valley Red and the 2008 Napa Valley Merlot were both delicious!

Kohler Waters Spa was certainly a fantastic highlight from the weekend!  I pampered myself with two treatments – a 50-minute massage (which was delightful) and an 80-minute Complete Harmony Treatment – incredible!  It’s one of Kohler’s newest treatments, and I was pleasantly surprised.  The treatment started with a wonderful facial cleansing and exfoliation in the Stillness room.  I then entered the Harmony Wet Treatment room for a full-body hydrotherapy exfoliation using Kerstin Florian’s Aromatherapy Turkish Body Scrub under the KOHLER Custom Vichy shower. The Vichy shower was absolutely amazing, and it was also specifically designed by Kohler. Next, I took a 10-minute relaxing bubble bath with Olaive Chardonnay Bubble Bath. And last, but not least, a full body moisturizing treatment was applied in the Stillness room, concluding this luxurious treatment.  What a treat! I highly recommend the Complete Harmony Treatment the next time you are in Kohler.

And, I was welcomed back to my room after a long day of meetings with delicious chocolate truffles – one of my all time favorites… that’s the kind of personal touch I love.

ISPA President Lynne McNees says “seventy percent of spa-goers are women, and the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 230,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2011 alone.”  That’s scary, and stressful.  McNees adds “…the spa industry provides a nurturing and relaxing environment for healing the mind, body and spirit.”

And it’s not just women who develop breast cancer. It’s rare, but men may also get breast cancer.  San Diego 10News Live anchor Bill Griffith first told me about his battle with breast cancer many years ago during our CNN interview. I too, was surprised to meet a man with breast cancer.  Here’s a link to Bill’s journal entries if you’re interested learning about his story.

Okay, so who are the do-gooders?

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston partnered with the Ellie Fund to support its “Do Good Campaign” helping local families in the fight against breast cancer.  This month, a portion of the proceeds from the Oriental Essence massage will go to the Ellie Fund.

Spa Gregorie’s in Newport Beach, CA is still going strong with its “Greet the Day” program – the spa provides services for those going through cancer treatment, in addition to accredited oncology massage training for therapists working with cancer patients.

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara, CA, is offering a pink grapefruit massage and giving 10 percent of the proceeds from each treatment to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

At Sundara Inn & Spa in Wisconsin, 10 percent of proceeds from select treatments – the Radiant Glow Organic Facial and the Signature Manicure/Pedicure – will go to Breast Cancer Recovery, which offers healing environments for women.

And you can help the cause by purchasing specific beauty products this month!  When you purchase Skin Authority’s Touch Transforms Kit for $59, Skin Authority contributes $5 to Look Good… Feel Better, an organization which helps cancer patients improve their appearance and self-esteem.

Jane Iredale will donate 100 percent (yes that’s right, 100%!) of the proceeds from its Roses & Lollipops lip duo to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national support organization.

As Murad, Inc states, “your skin loves moisture, your heart loves a good deed.”  Murad will donate 10% of proceeds from the Hydrate for Hope duo, its Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture product, to the City of Hope for breast cancer and women’s cancer research programs.

Stay safe from the sun with Soleil Organique’s organic skincare line! Soleil Organique will donate 20% of all purchases to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for the month of October.

Buy Eminence Organics’ Sweet Red Rose Whip Moisturizer (which helps rejuvenate skin while minimizing fine lines) and the company will donate $5 from each sale to the Breast Cancer Foundation.

And, 5% of profits from HydroPeptide’s PINK kit will go to the American Cancer Society and the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

If you or your organization helps raise awareness for cancer or other causes, I’d love to know about it! Please email me at wendy@wendyfurrer.com.

WF’s List:  Below are a few of my favorite spa/beauty products I enjoyed over the summer… please check back frequently for updates!

1.  Skin Authority’s wrinkle reversing serum — its the company’s first product to incorporate breakthrough SGF-4 (skin growth factor) technology. Within a few minutes of the first application, you should see some of your wrinkles plumped up, and a more radiant skin tone with a tighter, smoother glow. After all, who isn’t searching for the fountain of youth?

2.  La Bella Donna’s couture pure mineral makeup line, sold exclusively in spas and resorts, and online. It’s 100% pure and all natural. It heals, corrects and protects the skin and includes natural sun protection – while looking fabulous on your face!

3.  A few drops of MoroccanOil‘s oil treatment for your hair is fantastic – it conditions your hair and adds body to make styling that much easier.

4.  Hampton Sun’s continuous mist sunscreen with SPF 35 and 55. It smells amazing while keeping you safe from the sun!

5.  Kerstin Florian’s rehydrating Neroli Water smells like bitter orange blossoms; it’s the perfect product to refresh and hydrate your skin on a hot summer beach day.

6.  Farmhouse Fresh‘s Sweet Cream Body Milk – it’s sooo moisturizing and leaves you with a wonderful scent reminiscent of tea, scones and sweet cream.

7.  Philosophy’s green tea shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath (which I discovered from Super Saturday 14‘s fabulous goodie bag this summer!)

8.  Clarisonic’s sonic skin cleanser is a game changer. It’s a sonic micro-massage which cleanses, softens and smooths your skin, and is 2x more effective than manual cleansing.  It removes 6x more makeup than regular cleansing, and it has a 61% greater absorption rate of vitamin C after use.  And, Clarisonic Pink Gives Back! Purchase a pink cleanser and a portion of the proceeds go to women fighting cancer.

9.  Skinceuticals CE Ferulic serum is one of my long time favorites.  It’s a super-antioxident and protects against photoaging – neutralizing free radicals and rebuilding collagen so your skin remains youthful looking.

Geoffrey Bradfield and Wendy

Atmosphere

Over at Steuben on Madison Avenue last night, star interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield invited guests “on safari” and held a cocktail reception with Sebastian + Barquet to view The Big Five (tapestries) by Geoffrey.   Veuve was flowing freely while beautiful male models (some were outfitted in safari gear and others, sans the gear) passed delicious hor d’oeuvres.  Geoffrey always hosts entertaining and exquisite parties, and those on his list are well aware…  If you’re also looking for ways to give back, a percentage of the exhibition sales will benefit the Hoedspruit endangered Species Centre. 

Courtesy: Cutty McGill

7 Spa Trends to Try in 7 Days

By Wendy Furrer

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