Beauty & Spas in Agoura Hills

A visit to a spa is considered a luxury: indulgent, extravagant, and pricey. But spa-savvy Angelinos know there are cost-conscious ways to get that fresh-from-the-spa look and feel without having to spend money like a starlet. Since owner and aesthetician Tanis is a former cellular and molecular biologist, you might think this Eagle Rock spa would be overrun with highfalutin—and expensive—services. You'd be wrong. The spa's signature custom facial will run you $89—not bad considering the hour-long treatment kicks off with a thorough skin analysis before turning to a custom-blended mask, a choice of acid, enzyme, or manual exfoliation, and a shoulder and arm massage. But the real value comes in the add-ons; clients can opt for more intense exfoliation in the form of a $15 enzymatic peel or a $25 fruit acid peel. The spa also sells four different skincare lines, from Eminence Organics and Lotus Moon to Pharmaskincare and a set of signature house formulas—each of which hits a different budgetary sweet spot. The financial appeal of Westlake Korean spa, Wi Spa, isn't in the massages or skincare treatments; it's in simply entering the spa itself. For $25, visitors gain access to hot and cold tubs, dry and steam saunas, and the jimjilbang, a coed floor complete with five mineral saunas. Since the spa is open 24 hours a day, one entry can go a long way; spend an interlude between sauna sessions on the rooftop terrace or in the computer room, relax with a comic book in the library, or visit the gym, which is equipped with treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and weights. Thanks to the spa's specials, the entry fee drops to $15 on weekdays between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m., all day Tuesday, and any time during the week of your birthday. One way to cut spa spending is to pick a treatment that takes care of multiple needs at once. That's just what the $75 botanical back treatment does at Purity Organic Spa—which, incidentally, is helmed by Carol Zubrin, a celebrity facialist to Ashlee Simpson and Missi Pyle and a featured expert on Style Network's What I Hate About Me. Primarily a skin treatment—it includes botanical sugar grain exfoliation, extractions, and a mineral mud mask with steamed towels to purify the pores—the 45-minute session also includes light kneading of the back with warmed oils and hot stones. Skip the full massage and save at this Universal City spa. For many, spray tans, like mani-pedis and waxing, are a frequent habit, but the cost can add up quickly. Santa Monica sunless tanning salon Chocolate Sun has seized on this insight, offering not only reasonable prices for full-body spray tans ($55), but also a $30 upper-body tan for times when clients aren't concerned about how they look in bikinis. Each spritz also functions as a nourishing skin treatment because Chocolate Sun's in-house sunless solutions leave bodies with a streak-free tan and moisturize the skin with an organic blend of botanicals, herbs, and antioxidants.

I must confess: I am just a little bit obsessed with all things pampering and beauty, and I have made it my mission to find the best beauty professionals in Los Angeles to ensure that I look my absolute best on a regular basis. Over time, I have created what I fondly refer to as my Glam Squad, my go-to professionals for all of my beauty maintenance needs. No I’m not a celebrity, I’m just a normal woman who wants to look and feel pretty and well put together, and these gifted pro’s get it right every single time! Lash Extensions Nicole Murnin-Certified Xtreme Lash Stylist La Sirene Irresistible Beauty Los Angeles I started getting lash extensions (individual lashes that are glued onto your real lashes & filled in every few weeks) over two years ago and I haven’t stopped. This is probably my most favorite beauty indulgence because it instantly changes the way I look and it makes me look refreshed everyday without make-up. I freely admit this is more of high maintenance beauty service, but the results are well worth it! I have been getting my extensions from Nicole from the very beginning because her work is stellar, clean, long lasting and she knows exactly how to make my eyes look fab and flirty. She is mobile, professional, a great listener and uber-talented. Love! Eyebrow Shaping Laurie Zadeh-Eyebrow Stylist Beauty Boutique Studio City Never under estimate the power and importance of a well groomed brow! Your brows frame your whole face and when they are shaped right you feel totally put together. Laurie has been grooming my brows for almost 10 years and her work is amazing! In all honesty, I have thin sparse brows but when she gets her hands on them (typically once every 4-6 weeks) and cleans, shapes and tints them, I emerge with full well arched brows and it totally changes my face. And I just love how she ends every brow styling session with a little aromatherapy brow massage, Fab! Rockin’ Blowout Julie Justice-Hair Stylist Syndicate Salon Encino Julie wields a blow dryer and brush like a master! Her blowouts are full, smooth, polished, gorgeous and last for Days! I recently got hair extensions and have become addicted to Julie’s masterful blowdry’s. She takes her time (usually 30-40 minutes), she gets good tension on the hair and dries with confidence. The results are perfection every single time, and when I dabble with other stylists, they suffer by comparison. Natural Looking Camera Ready Make-up Lisa Siegal-Makeup Artist Senna at Syndicate Salon Encino & Locations Throughout SoCal I adore getting my makeup professionally done because when it is done right, it brings out my natural beauty and lasts for hours. I only have my makeup done for special events and photo/video shoots. But, when I want to look like my best self, I call Lisa at Senna. Lisa is a seasoned make-up artist with a skilled hand and a light touch. I always look enhanced and beautiful, but not made-up when I leave her chair. Senna’s make-up line is exquisite and Lisa’s work is natural, finessed, luminous and stunning. I’m ready for my close-up!

Let’s face it, living in Los Angeles is a breeze: idyllic weather, pretty people, and regular celeb sightings to name a few of the perks. However, there is one annoying  downside -Traffic! I don’t know about you, but the traffic situation in LA has gone from bad to worse. I find myself constantly frazzled about getting places on time and strategizing the best routes to get me places on time with minimal stress. So my antidote to this constant stress and the frenetic pace of life in LA is treating myself to regular massages. Although I adore a good rub, massages can get a little spendy, right? Well, there is no need to sacrifice pampering and relaxation if you are on a budget, so I’ve taken some time to scout some of the best areas and locations in Los Angeles for top notch, ‘get those nasty knots out’ massage places for a fraction of the price of their chi-chi counterparts. Sound good? Here are some of my favorite areas: The San Fernando Valley is super easy to navigate and find parking, so I am rather partial to this area. The Valley (as it is more commonly know as) has a plethora of Asian Foot Massage joints along Ventura Blvd. that offer high quality, relaxing one hour massages in a cushy chair, fully clothed for about $20-$35 including tip! You get to soak your feet, have your kinks worked out and they spend most of the time on your feet (my fave part). The best of the bunch is Happy Feet in Encino because it’s clean, well laid out and it has a waterfall in the middle, which makes it feel like a relaxing Asian spa. Korea Town (located in the Mid-Wilshire district of LA) is filled with great affordable spas where you can get amazing skilled shiatsu massages (a pressure point massage) for about $50/hour. I can honestly say that I have had some of the best massages ever in Korea town. As an added bonus, you can use the saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms and add a Korean scrub to your massage (can you say hello baby fresh skin!) and for typically under $100 including tip. My hands down fave is Olympic Spa  intimate, authentic, women only and top notch services. I leave blissful and transformed every time I visit. Thai Town (located on the outskirts of Hollywood) is known for delicious authentic Thai food restaurants and amazing healing Thai massages. Thai Massage is typically performed on the floor, wearing loose fitting clothing for 1 ½ hours (for about $65) and combines Ayeurvedic medicine, Hatha yoga like stretching and Chinese acupressure. I had the most profound Thai massage experience with a Thai Massage Master at Thai Sabai in Thai Town  It was intense, relaxing and tremendously therapeutic, I loved it!