Saturday, August 10, 2013

Of affordable pampering and keeping the marital peace

Of affordable pampering and keeping the marital peace
by Eric Michael Santos

When my wife asked me—nicely and twice—to go with her to a nail and face salon, I decided to make the smart decision. I manned up, overcame my male instincts and obliged the missus. Keep the peace, avoid the pain and suffering. I even went the extra mile and agreed to get a foot spa.

Full disclosure: my decision wasn’t really that hard to make. The foot spa, my wife pointed out, includes trimming of ingrown toenails, a condition which I have a congenital predilection to and zero skills in remedying. Moreover, the proprietors of Luxe Aura Nail and Face Studio are an amiable, engaging couple whose obsession for quality and attention to details I can personally vouch for.

The newest addition to Better Living Subdivision’s row of commercial and business establishments along Doña Soledad Avenue, Luxe Aura offers a wide range of services such as nail spa, waxing, facials, body rituals and hair and make-up. It’s located about a hundred meters away from Parañaque Doctors Hospital (PDH), on the second floor of the brand spanking new Silverio Building across Puregold Jr. That’s the stylish edifice at the corner of Doña Soledad Avenue and Peru Street with an EastWest Bank on the ground floor and an adjacent 7-Eleven. There’s ample parking space on the front and right side of the building. Free Wi-Fi access will be available at Luxe Aura before the end of August.

“Luxe Aura provides pampering in a relaxing environment, using only premium-quality products and services—‘me time’ every customer deserves,” says obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Angel Rodriguez-Bandola.

Indeed, pampered was how I felt as I sat on a cushy sofa chair enjoying the foot spa my courteous and efficient therapist Dolly was giving. Sitting beside me and also visibly relishing her foot spa and manicure-pedicure was my beaming wife. Thanks to the superb airconditioning system, the ambient temperature was comfortably cool. Luxe Aura’s “modern classic” interior design with its black, cream and gold color scheme lent a soothing, relaxing ambience to the salon. 

“The salon’s interiors were designed to be gender-neutral because we want Luxe Aura to appeal to both women and men,” explains anesthesiologist Dr. Eric Bandola. “We also offer child-friendly foot spa oils and masks, so kids are welcome to pamper themselves in our salon as well.”

As my wife and I were savoring our foot spa, salon manager Irene hovered constantly, checking for any customer questions or concerns while supervising the therapists who I thought didn’t need any supervision. Garbed in professionally-tailored, motif-matching uniforms (black with gold trims), the therapists informed customers about the treatments, masks, or oils prior to applying them. They asked whether the massage pressure was just right or the hot towel was too hot. Watching Dolly trim my ingrown toenails was like witnessing a master at work. I felt no pain or discomfort while she cut those darned ingrowns, a testament to how good Dolly is. And yes, all manicure and pedicure sets used in Luxe Aura are zapped free of germs by an Ultraviolet (UV) Light Sterilizer. Doctors as nail and face salon owners are always good news, hygiene-wise.

“Luxe Aura offers affordable luxuries,” Dr. Eric says, a claim I later confirmed when I settled the bill, which amounted to only P1,500 (including tips to our three therapists). When I told her about our bill, my wife’s eyes immediately lit up and her lips slowly formed a mischievous grin—clear indications that the country’s nail polish index will spike shortly.


Free of painful ingrown toenails and unsightly feet calluses, pampered and rejuvenated, I guess I can’t blame my better half. The next time my wife wants me to go with her to Luxe Aura, she won’t have to ask me twice.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Auras

Auras, fields of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding people and objects. It is the densest part of the Astral Body - our Soul - the subtle form which interpenetrates and surrounds the entire physical body, every cell and organ. Our individual auras are in a constant state of flux, changing form, volume and color, to reflect altered moods and emotional/mental reactions. We have one or two basic colors corresponding to our identity, but there are many other color areas about our aura that change with our thoughts and moods. Colors create balance in our lives and help in general well-being. The right colors bring relaxation and harmony in our lives, leading to inner peace.


Read more: http://www.luxeaura.com/auras