BURKE WILLIAMS WOODLAND HILLS OPENING PARTY
This was a lovely, peaceful zen event, which is exactly what my co-hort Alice and I needed in the middle of a busy week.
I’ve long been a fan of all the Burke Williams Spas, and if you’re a female in Los Angeles in the past decade of so, so are you. They just opened a new branch, and threw a really fun party to celebrate.
It’s in The Village in Woodland Hills, which is a beautiful new-ish outdoor mall, ala West Hollywood’s The Grove, adjacent to the Westfield Topanga Canyon indoor one.
Looking into the blow-dry salon from the Garden Room. Photo by Karen Salkin.
Alice said of the opening fete, “What great service from the moment we walked in.”
The champagne was flowing all night, and for those of us non-imbibers, they also served various waters embellished with cucumber/fruit, and herbal tea, which Alice went nuts for. She said it had “essence of violets,” and was “very delicious, with no sugar needed.” She deemed it “calming and soothing,” which is perfect for this spa!
Alice and I were the very first ones of the evening (I almost wrote “ladies of…,” but I realized that that doesn’t sound right,) to get our hair done in the beautiful, plush, exclusive, three-stylist salon. But this was no usual hair-done-at-events treatment; we each got shampooed and began the styling from scratch. After Michelle Powell did the least messy shampoo ever on me, she blew mine straight and sleek, while Rebecca Augustus styled Alice’s long locks into soft cascading waves. And the whole time, we admired the design of the wonderful area.
The Garden Room. Photo by Karen Salkin.
When we were now gorgeous (because, for both of us, it’s all about the hair,) we joined the rest of the party in the Garden Room, which is basically the bridge from the lobby and waiting area to the actual spa. This is where the main action was. (And where a table of healthful snacks was replenished all night, to keep us going.)
While we all sat around in various interesting seats, the spa techs came around and offered us a mini-treatment from a menu of four, all-interesting ones. The choices were: massages on neck and scalp, hand and arm, leg and foot, or anti-aging for the hands, (which always needs it the most, ladies!)
Charles, working on Alice’s hands. Photo by Karen Salkin.
Because he was so pleasant, we wanted to share Charles Macaranas, so I went first and chose to have him work on my poor, tired, aching legs and feet. It was heaven. That is one strong guy, let me tell you! I bet he gives the best overall massages.
Then it was Alice’s turn. She cooks a lot, so her hands are never as pampered as mine, so she went with the Anti-Aging for Hands treatment. She said, “Wow, this was such a different and relaxing experience. He exfoliated my hands, then treated them with an anti-aging formula cream, and put them in aromatherapy mitts, with hot stones in there, too. I received thick, cotton gloves to continue the treatment. It was all so wonderful; I definitely highly recommend it!”
The Custom Blend Bar. Photo by Alice Farinas.
Before we left, we stopped by the Custom Blend Bar, (that only this BW location features,) where they blend personalized aromatherapy potions. An alchemist (we were helped by the knowledgeable Jewel) blends several oils into body lotions or bath for you on the spot, according to your health or mind-set needs. You answer some lifestyle questions on their computer, and, as Alice put it, “Voila–your own special blend!”
We finished the evening with a self-tour of the beautiful spa facilities. Let’s just say my mouth, and sweat glands, are watering to go back there soon!
