Style Blog

Summer Essentials

If you're like me, you've got a bag of summer essentials that is close at hand during these beautiful but brief sunny months. I've always prided myself on being a light packer - Sunglasses? check. Swimsuit? check. Towel? check. But after chatting with the Department Directors at Gene Juarez, I realized my summer essential bag was severely lacking! Thankfully I've made the necessary additions to my bag, bathroom, and beauty routine. Here's the inside scoop on summer's must haves.

A little summer glow is nice, but not if it means age spots and premature wrinkles! Protect your face with Skin Authority's Sunscreen Moisturizer SPF 30. It's powerful protection in a lightweight formula, and perfect for daily wear and under makeup. If the sun does happen to get the better of you, Éminence's Echinacea Recovery Cream will heal and hydrate your sun burnt skin.

Like our skin, our hair needs protection too! Aqua-Seal by Kérasaste Paris, is a protective waterproof cream that when applied before a swim in the ocean or pool will ward off damage from salt water and chlorine. After, shampoo your hair with Kérastase Bain-Après Soleil, which nourishes and restores sun exposed hair.

If you want sexy, sandal-ready feet, make sure that Essie’s Lapis of Luxury Polish makes it into your summer essentials. This beautiful ocean blue polish is all the rage from the runway to the resort! At night, use Get Fresh’s Rescue Me, a rich cream infused with healing lemongrass that will heal the heel and leave you with soft, smooth feet.

It’s not unusual to forgo heavy makeup in the summer months, so if you’re looking for coverage that won’t weigh you down, Custom Blend Pure Mineral Makeup by Gene Juarez is a great option. A professional Makeup Artist will blend your mineral foundation, concealer, and finishing powder to match your exact skin tone, and can even custom blend eye shadow and blush perfectly suited to your unique style. And for hot summer nights, don’t forget to bring along See the Light Illuminating Lip Gloss. You’ll get a gorgeous pout with these lip plumping glosses, and never have to worry about application because they come with a built in mirror and light – how cool is that?!?

It’s always important to stay hydrated, but during the summer months, this is especially true. Add a little flavor and a whole lot of benefits to your water with Pure Inventions. These delicious antioxidant water additives are all natural, zero calorie, sugar-free, caffeine-free, and gluten-free. My personal favorite is Cranberry with Elderberry.

Finally, if you want stunning skin year round, consider adding a Tampico Dry Body Brush to your routine. Dry brushing exfoliates, smoothes, tones, and detoxifies, and just two minutes will give you the circulation and blood flow benefits of 30 minutes of cardio. Tampico’s dry brush even includes a detachable handle for those hard to reach areas – brush away my lovelies to brighter, more beautiful skin!

So there you have it! 10 little additions to your summer essentials that will make this season unforgettable. See you at the beach!

Posted by: Ashley Wilson, Marketing Coordinator

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Clarisonic Opal

We all know that wrinkles are part of aging, but sometimes it feels like they show up way too soon, particularly around the eyes. Eyes are so expressive – they crinkle when we smile, open wide when we are excited or surprised, and squint when we’re upset – all this activity over time leads to what I like to call “character lines,” not to mention that this delicate skin is easily damaged by the sun, making it more susceptible to wrinkles. So what’s a girl to do? Freeze her face in an emotionless state and never venture out of doors? Absolutely not! You can age gracefully and reduce the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes, now in as little as 60 seconds.

Most people are familiar with the Sonicare tooth brush and its incredible plaque destroying power, and if you’ve had the pleasure of using a Clarisonic face cleansing brush, you know how it leads to softer, cleaner, healthier skin. The creators of these systems have just launched their latest breakthrough, the Opal Sonic Infusion, which uses sonic, micro-massage technology to immediately reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, with results that build over time. The Opal helps your eye serum penetrate deeper into the damaged skin layers, revealing your skin’s natural, youthful appearance. It is so easy to use and the application is only 30 seconds for each eye. I have personally been using the Opal for the last two months and the skin around my eyes looks brighter, healthier, firmer, refreshed and renewed! Plus, the soothing micro massage feels amazing. I use my Opal in the morning and at night with my favorite eye serum.

If you are interested in learning more about the Opal, our Skin Care Therapists and Makeup Artists are always happy to share there expertise and help you design a personal skincare regime.

Posted by: Lise Corriveau, Skin Care Director

Thursday, July 1, 2010

A Few of our Favorite Guest Experiences

Everyday, we, the Artists, Therapists, and Management of Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, have the immense pleasure of sharing in the lives of our guests. Here are just a few of our favorite guest experiences that come to mind as we celebrate you!

Jamie, General Manager at Alderwood
At Alderwood, I am honored with many opportunities to interact with guests and share in their experience. Being around people who are here to celebrate events, spend time on their personal well-being and maintain a beauty regimen is so fun. I get to manage the flow of their visit and support their experience. I am constantly reminded that the smallest things often make the biggest difference for an individual. The other day I was able to procure a small item that we did not have available for sale and gift it to a guest who visits us every week. She had fallen in love with a small bag that was part of a promotional drawing and upon each visit she would remind me (and the front desk staff) how much she would love to carry our branded bag. After asking around I finally found one and surprised her by leaving a message that the bag would be waiting for her upon her next visit. It is such a silly thing, but I imagined the guest's small joy and celebration upon receiving the message. This, of course, was corroborated once she came in for her visit. She was "over the moon" about her little lunch bag and has been carrying it around as she travels. Again, I am honored to work in a positive and giving environment where I can share in the experiences with guests. I could probably recount a new fun story for each day that I work here. The little things in life; a sincere welcome, a small gesture of kindness, a moment of personal service, a token of gratitude, make all the difference. This is what I hope to deliver to guests since I am thankful to have gained all of these things from my experiences with them.

Rochelle, General Manager at Redmond
My favorite guest experiences are those I get to read about through a personal letter sent or through a phone conversation. To take time out of your busy day and give a compliment about your experience is so meaningful!!

Over the years I have received a range of letters/phone calls but one that stands out most:

A Bride called right before she left for her honeymoon (she was at the airport) to thank the staff for making her day so special. She wanted to thank everyone from the Bridal Coordinator who set up her appointments, to the Front Desk for greeting her so kindly and telling her congratulations (she felt extra special that they knew it was her special day as she arrived), to the Designer and Makeup Artist for making her feel so beautiful all day long.

Hearing how we get to help create these memorable guest experiences makes me proud to be the GM at the Redmond Gene Juarez Salon and Spa.

Mercedes, Manager at Tacoma
One of our guests with very thin hair has tried everything we've ever offered to help with thin hair and hair growth. She was very hesitant to try our newest product "revitalize hair" because of the price, but after some education from her Artist, she was open to give it a try. She has been using it for approximately 6-8 weeks. She was in last weekend and her new hair growth is visibly noticeable. She told us that one day she was leaving her house and her husband made a comment that she needed to fix her hair because it was sticking up everywhere. She looked in the mirror and notice that all of the hair that was sticking straight up was new hair growth! She was ecstatic! She can't stop staring at herself in the mirror because she keeps noticing more and more hair growth! She ended up purchasing 3 more of the product and is keeping track of all her new hair growth and giving us regular updates.

She told us that she has more confidence, she feels like she has conquered something that she has been battling with for many years! We are so happy that we were able to help and share in this experience with her!

Posted by: The Gene Juarez Team

Friday, June 25, 2010

Nurturing a healthy lifestyle can be achieved with ….a massage or facial!

Often spa services like massages and facials are considered “pampering” or “indulgent” as opposed to necessary. And while they are not one of our ‘core’ needs, they do play a very important role in our lives, promoting health and well-being. They are not purely indulgent!

Think about when you have a muscle ache from sitting at your computer all day. It limits your mobility, affects your sleep and alters your mood. You just aren’t yourself. Or, did you move recently and find yourself lifting items you might not have normally lifted? Maybe your back aches as a result? A backache is insidious; it takes over your whole world. Lifting your child or groceries becomes an issue. And we all know that connecting with your child is so important for them and you!

Then there is the change in seasons, where your skin takes on a whole new personality based on temperature, humidity, exercise, sun, and other environmental and lifestyle factors. Your body’s overall balance and energy is adjusted.

At Gene Juarez, we are no longer using words like “indulge” or “pamper” as it relates to our spa and our spa services. Instead, we are increasing the focus on the holistic and well-being benefits of the spa services. How a massage can release tension in your muscles and reduce pain and stress. How it can trigger circulation and alter your body’s energies. How it can release your mind from the little things and allow you to truly rest. How a facial sloughs off and renews your skin, stimulates new cell growth, and improves muscle tone. The results are not ‘pampering’, they are good for your well being!!!

To support this celebration of our guests’ well-being, we are providing offers toward our most popular services including the Signature Serenity Massage and the new Biodynamic Facial, among a list of others! Simply visit the Special Offers section to print out the offers.

Also, we have launched an entirely new retail line-up of products that support natural, holistic well-being practices. One of the favorites is the line of H.Gillerman Organic aromatherapy remedies. These easy-to-use essential oils work to naturally solve common ailments like muscle tension, stress, insomnia, sinus congestion and jaw tension, to name a few. We also have items to promote healthy hydration. Pure Inventions make drinking water more interesting and good for you because they are all-natural, calorie free, sugar free, anti-oxidant water enhancements that come in delicious flavors such as Blueberry White Tea and Wild Cherry Apple. We even have a stylish, refillable water glass (no plastic!) bottle to encourage hydration on-the-go. A dry Body Brush is very popular because it promotes circulation and reveals soft, beautiful skin. Last, our Aromatic Shoulder Wrap will melt away tension and the stress when it is heated in a microwave and draped over the shoulders.

We are so excited about the celebration of well-being and providing the services and retail offerings that we offer. Our goal always remains helping guests live life beautifully -- inside and out!

Posted by: Frieda, Director of Massage and Body Care

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

This Summer, We Celebrate You, Our Guest!

“Without our guests, we do not exist. The loyalty of our guest is never assured; it must be earned every day.” – Gene Juarez

We believe in a sincere respect and appreciation for our guests. Our unwavering goal is to provide the highest level of care and expertise, enhancing the beauty and well-being of our guests at every opportunity. At Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, this credo lives in the hearts of every employee, just as it did nearly 40 years ago, and it is why this season, we are celebrating you, our guests.

In the coming months, we will feature blogs from guests and Gene Juarez employees. If you have a story about your relationship with Gene Juarez that you would like to share, please email it to Ashley Wilson at ashleyw@genejuarez.com Thank you for being our guest.