And then you got to pick your own aromatherapy scents?

And then your masseuse really applied pressure … I mean REALLY got in there … and it felt awesome?

Cuz that’s what happened to me on a recent visit to newly-opened Hiatus Day Spa. It’s tucked into an unassuming storefront in the Gables on 5th, but once inside it’s pure spa experience. Small, clean locker rooms stocked with robes and shoes, a lounge-y waiting room with cucumber water, tea, hershey’s kisses, and the latest magazines, and industrial-chic concrete-floored treatment rooms.

Christopher Demers was my masseuse, and he was phenomenal. Really dug into my sore, tight muscles and helped alleviate some lower back pain I’ve been having from the snowboarding injury last winter. It. was. awesome.

I’m in the locker room afterward changing back into my clothes and another guest asks me how my treatment was. I raved about Christopher and she said, “Oh, he’s awesome. I’ve followed him from spa to spa for seven years, I’m so glad he’s downtown now.”

Seven years.

That’s a good massage.

Hiatus is still running their Founder’s specials through January, where you can buy a Founding H-Circle membership for $49/month. Sign up for a year and enjoy one Essential Service each month in exchange for your membership fee.

Super-Hot, New, and Best Deal

Award-winning day spa Hiatus Spa + Retreat celebrates its grand opening in Austin with a Founding Membership in its membership program, the H-Circle, which locks in $49 per month spa services for life. This introductory offer is only available now through February 14, 2011.

How awesome is a $49 spa treatment a month? It’ll force you to go and is cheap! H-Circle members can enjoy a different signature “Essential Service” every month, including: Hiatus Massage, Hiatus Facial, Body Glow, Revitalizing Body Wrap, or a Mani-Pedi Retreat. Plus, Founding Membership offers unlimited spa services at significantly discounted H-Circle member pricing. A one-time initiation fee of $29 applies. Perfect for you and as a gift!

hiatusspa.com /  Gables 5^th Street Commons, 1611 West 5^th Street, Ste 155

For the Fellas

Staying in tune with Travasaa’s signature musical massage treatments, the Double Trouble couples massage is inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan, a Texas icon whose band was called Double Trouble. The treatment is composed of rhythmic movements that are choreographed to Stevie’s blues music. Reflecting the blues influence, the treatment features Blue Cypress, Agave and Sandalwood ingredients, a schematic blues-themed decor and guests receive a distinctive takeaway gift. (Cost $135 per person for a 50-minute session)

The new exclusive men’s What Ale’s You (apostrophe abuse but that’s how they spell it) spa package features an 80-minute Energetic Edge massage (intensive sports massage therapy for active athletes) followed by a Peppermint Zenergy foot treatment, completed with an refreshing, organic Texas ale of choice.  (Cost is $265, including gratuities with tax additional, for a 2 hour treatment)

All of Travaasa Austin’s spa offerings: travaasa.com/austin/#/travaasa-spa-overview

Seasonal Specials

San Saba Spa at Lakeway Resort and Spa has three new seasonal spa treatments:

Pumpkin Oatmeal Body Scrub: Natural apricot seeds gently scrub away dead skin cells while vitamin-rich pumpkin and oatmeal nourish the skin and work together to build up natural defense barriers. Botanical oils and extracts remind the senses of autumn delight. $210 for 100 minutes

Peppermint Mocha Scrub: the peppermint mocha body polish and white chocolate soufflé wrap includes the healing properties of chocolate with the gentle exfoliating peppermint mocha scrub to smooth and soften. A stress reducing and moisturizing White Chocolate Soufflé wrap rounds out this delightful treatment. $222 for 95 minutes

Spiced Stone Hot Massage: Using the traditional holiday spices of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Vanilla combined with warm polished river stones, therapists will soothe, balance and restore you thisholiday season. $192 for 80 minutes

http://lakewayresortandspa.com/

You can use any necklace as a headband in a cheap, temporary way. All you have to do is cut a thin elastic, tie each end of the elastic to each end of the clasp, and voila! Headband!

This works better with shorter necklaces so the elastic is tighter, but you could experiment with looping and doubling over long necklaces.

So easy!

Luckily, blowout salon blo is hosting a night of complimentary hair consults, unit testers (limited), and raffle with 15% off select tools and products. Nibbles, bevvies, and catwalk-quality hair guaranteed.

Check it out Thursday, November 17 from 6-8pm. 1611 west fifth street, suite 145

These new babies just arrived in the mail and I’m certain they will receive much love too:

And so you can get in on the goodness, I have a new discount code for thisislifeinaustin&aspen readers—especially commenter Amanda! I have two things for you to do before Halloween (October 31, um duh?), the first for you, the second for breast cancer.

1. If you haven’t joined already, you can get 50% off your first JewelMint purchase with code BOCT50 (expires October 31).
2. I’m pretty psyched about BeautyMint, Jessica Simpson + Nerida Joy’s new personalized skin care line, which is launching on Monday, October 31, 2011.  In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, BeautyMint will donate $1 for every BeautyMint registration to the National Breast Cancer Foundation starting today through the October 31 launch.  The more signups, the more money donated!

BeautyMint members will take Nerida’s online Skin Care Consultation to identify their skin type and concerns so BeautyMint can personalize the right system to  each member’s needs. The line will feature products ranging from an Ultra Replenishing Serum to an Ultimate Eye Treatment.

… and you’ve heard a ShoeMint is in the works with Rachel Bilson? Stay tuned for the inside scoop on the exploding ______Mint family!

I am now at least as famous as Phaedra Parks from Real Housewives of Atlanta...

To make me feel just a smidge like a celeb, SkinMedica sent me two of their award-winning products, the Vitamin C+E Complex and the TNS Lip Plump System. The Vitamin C+E Complex is the closest thing I’ve found to the Paula’s Choice serum I’m obsessed with. C+E Complex is an antioxidant serum featuring a concentrated cocktail of 15% stabilized Vitamin C and Vitamin E to work together to provide amazing anti-aging benefits to the skin. It improves skin tone, texture, and increased firmness to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It also protects against UV and free radical damage. For me, the most important thing is that it feels like silk on skin. It’s also weightless, so you can use it under sunscreen/makeup/whatever and not feel at all clogged. Love it. ($95)

The TNS Lip Plump System was more terrifying … I have pretty full lips already, so I’ve never been concerned much with them—I don’t even own lipstick. But the TNS Lip Plump system is not actually scary, and is pretty sweet in the end. It features two tubes, a renewal formula and a plumping gloss. The renewal formula (that improves lip texture and shape by rejuvenating and stimulating collagen spheres, while smoothing out the fine lines around the lips) is super moisturizing, so that’s really nice in the dry mountain air! ($55 for both).

SkinMedica products are only sold in professional dermatologist offices, which can be found on SkinMedica.com.

No, these products do not fall under the “clean” beauty guidelines I am so fond of. I don’t mind stepping out of that zone to try something and then if I like it, for exceptional products—I still use Paula’s Choice cleanser almost daily. Read the ingredients, know the possible side effects, and decide for yourself!

Wahl will set up a 30-foot mobile barbershop to give guys FREE facial hair grooming and tips. Guys can also enter a national search for the best facial hair in the country. Plus, looking good supports a good cause: for every trim, Wahl will donate $1 to Movember, a non-profit organization that provides funding for Live Strong, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and Movember Foundation.

Get a free man mo’ on the streets of Austin this weekend.

No offense to the ladies, but I’m probably getting my hair cut by men from now on. They don’t even have to be gay. First it was visiting badass Vinnie of Proper Barbers LA, my “brother” who does not live here but cut my hair during a party at SXSW (yes.), and now there’s equally badass (and equally tattooed) DeVille, via Venice naturally, who actually happens to live in Austin now and work at Bella Salon.

He also used to do private security for Dre and Eminem. And date Miss Idaho, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The day before I went to get my hair cut, one of my besties (who has a brand-spankin’ new blog at allisonmacalik.com) had just gotten her hair cut by some (straight) dude with dreads who made her look amazing. Girl already looks amazing, but he made it even better. He also lectured her on her previous haircuts and has a six-month wait time for an appointment. So I was a little jealous as I headed to my own appointment, which I had secured via aDealio, having no idea who this homeboy was.

5 Reasons Jason (DeVille) is my new fave hairstylist (yes, I know I change pretty often) …

1. I went in with the faded-out version of my LC Rainbow Tips. He did not judge. In fact, he told me how he gave another stylist a bias (side) mohawk as an example of how he likes to mix things up. Rainbow tips <punk< side mohawk.

2. My hair feels like silk. SILK.

3. He regaled me with celeb stories for two hours. Do you know anyone else who once stood outside of Dr. Dre’s house with a shotgun, semiautomatic rifle, and “sidepiece” waiting for a van full of thugs to show up?

4. He respected my desire not too go too short, even though it meant leaving a few oddly fading blueish-green pieces near the very bottom. They’ll wash out.

5. My hair looks damn good.*

*Here’s the other part of the story. I loved my hair when I walked out of the salon. But by that night, I was convinced it was a mom haircut (I was at a wine tasting when I decided this, so my judgment may or may not have been impaired). After a shower and blow-dry of my own, I was back to loving my hair. When I showered and didn’t blow dry and the air-dried hair looked just as fantastic?? Back in love with my new haircut.

bellasalonaustin.com, ask for Jason or DeVille (they are one in the same).

PritiNYC Polish in Coronation + SoEasy Stripe Rite in Silver Glitter … hot. May also try again with thicker tips, perhaps a slow fade of glitter?