Deals in Elysian Park

I am proud to admit that I recently turned 45 and you would never know it by looking at me. People regularly compliment me on my skin and always ask what my secret is, so here goes: Regular Facials (supported by using great anti-aging products at home)! Simple right? Well, I have been getting regular facials for a long time and one of the best perks of being a beauty insider it that it allows me to try out some of the best facials in town and vet the most noteworthy to share with you. I am thrilled to share the following list of some of the best kept skincare secrets in LA, many of which are frequented by some of today’s top celebrities. These are definitely more indulgent and costly services, but isn’t more youthful radiant skin worth it? Nadia Thibault Institut d’Esthetique The Center at Coldwater 12930 Ventura Boulevard Suite 104 Studio City, CA 91604 Nadia Thibault is a seasoned professional and has more than 30 years experience in European skincare treatments. Nadia is my local go-to esthetician and I adore her because she is thorough, skilled and ‘no pore gets left clogged’ in her capable hands. She does a classic, in-depth European style facial that my skin craves and glows for weeks after treatment. Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts 8428 Melrose Place Suite C Los Angeles, CA 90069 Kate Somerville is probably one of the most well-known celebrity estheticians in Los Angeles because she is passionate about glowing skin and developing transformative skincare products. Her Clinic is a gorgeous vision of white, it feels like a well appointed boudoir and it offers clinical skincare treatments that are both pampering and results driven (I adore the DermalQuench Oxygen Treatment) A-List celebrities regularly frequent Kate’s Clinic for the FAB treatments and privacy, in fact the last time I was there I almost ran over the paparazzi who were in pursuit of scoring a photo of one of Hollywood’s top starlets. Spa at Four Seasons Beverly Hills 300 South Doheny Drive Los Angeles California 90048 This is another celeb fav hangout spot and it will come as no surprise that the Spa is top notch. I recently experienced the most divine treatment called the Effervescence Facial featuring the patented iS FiSZZ Facial System by Innovative Skincare. This sensory masterpiece is designed to smooth, brighten and transform your skin instantly using a variety of warm, cool and effervescent modalities. Imagine the luxurious sensation of champagne-like bubbles on your face! This was one of the most unique facials I have ever experienced, it made my skin radiant and the results last. Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie 701 Stone Canyon Road Los Angeles, CA 90077 The Hotel Bel-Air is a hidden gem tucked into the mountains of Beverly Hills where the wealthy and famous come to escape and unwind. La Prairie is the gorgeous Swiss beauty brand, known for results oriented, powerful, anti-aging products and I enjoy coming to this spa because it’s remote, serene and totally indulgent. I love getting the La Prairie Signature Facial which is customized to my skin’s needs and incorporates a wonderful assortment of La Prairie’s revitalizing products = Heaven!

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.

The upcoming week will be easy on your pocketbook: there’s a food-truck lunch on Santa Monica Pier, a gallery exhibit with a celebrated British street artist, and a comedy show featuring some bona fide TV stars, all of which are free. (Bring some money to that last one, though—there’s a silent auction for a good cause.) And as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Los Angeles. Final Day of Food Truck Week Santa Monica | Saturday, October 11 The only thing better than a food-truck lunch? A free food-truck lunch. This year's finale feast is brought to you by Wicked Kitchen, who will be giving out spicy italian-sausage mac until they run out. Can't make it to the Pier? Share the FTW poster on social media and win a free lunch with 10 friends. (Santa Monica Pier; free) IndieCade Culver City | Through October 12 Open to both industry professionals and the general public, IndieCade gives gamers a chance to play more than 150 of the year's most celebrated independent video games. Attendees may play casually or enter tournaments, go to meet-and-greets with game creators, and network at industry events. (9300 Culver Blvd.; $20–$445; tickets sold onsite) The Harvey Show! Hollywood | Tuesday, October 14 Yes, this comedy show’s lineup includes Pete Holmes and Silicon Valley's Kumail Nanjiani. And yes, it's free. But bring some dough—NerdMelt will be taking donations and auctioning off items (including SNL tickets) to raise money for Chicago comedian Steve O. Harvey, who's battling cancer and whose infant daughter is hospitalized with a rare congenital disorder. (7522 Sunset Blvd.; free; RSVP required; buy tickets here) D*Face: Scars and Stripes West Hollywood | Through October 15 A pop-up exhibit from famed British street artist D*Face, this collection of portraits depicts Hollywood stars and musicians who died young (Cobain, Tupac, et al.). The multimedia artist has been celebrated for his ability to integrate graffiti, animation, punk-rock influence, and Lichtenstein-style pop art. (315 S. Robertson Blvd.; free; RSVP required) The Trip to Bountiful Downtown | Through November 2 Leading an all-star cast that includes Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood, Cicely Tyson reprises her Tony-winning role as an urbanite who wants to return to her small Texas hometown before dying. It’s Tyson’s first stage role in 30 years, and the New York Times is calling it the performance “of [her] lifetime.” (Ahmanson Theatre; $30–$110; buy tickets here) Photos courtesy of Wicked Kitchen, Pete Holmes and Kumail Nanjiani, and the Ahmanson Theatre