Molly Each

The wind keeps whipping, the snow keeps falling and frigid, bitter air won’t stop taking jabs at our delicate skin ever since Old Man Winter settled in. After several months of harsh weather that post-shower layer of lotion is having a hard time keeping up and we’re all starting to look a little alligator-ish. With many weeks of unfriendly conditions left, it might be time to treat your skin right. Fortunately, we live in a world-class spa city, and there’s an array of ultra-hydrating body treatments out there, ready to take your skin from scaly to supple in just about an hour.

If curling up in a cocoon and escaping your hectic life sounds like the perfect day, then the Milk Paraffin Cocoon body treatment is for you. Their signature treatment drenches your body in warm body butter and follows with a massage. Then the body is covered in a paraffin mask, which holds the moisture in (and forces you to stay in one place for a moment). You’ll emerge from the cocoon with baby-soft skin and long-lasting results. (Kiva Day Spa, 136 East Pearson, (312)840-8120, $135.)

Ditching the sleet and slush for a week in paradise sounds ideal for most of Chicago, and thankfully, the Pineapple Papaya Pacific Paradise body treatment will suffice until we board the paradise-bound plane. A thirty-minute pineapple-papaya body scrub is followed by an hour-long kukui-coconut massage. The process stimulates senses, nourishes the skin and leaves you feeling silky-smooth—and craving a Mai Tai. (Spa Space, 161 North Canal, (312)466-9585, $160.)

We’re all in need of a little heat, and the Hot Oil Infusion is the perfect way to get a little dose until the sun comes out. The skin is prepped for ultra-absorption with compresses and then covered in a warm essential oil of your preference. After being wrapped in a blanket cocoon, you’ll be treated to a facial or a scalp massage and rinsed in a Vichy shower (read: a lay-down, five-headed experience), leaving your skin soft and flake-free. (At Kaya Day Spa, 112 North May, (312)243-5292, $115.)

(2008-02-19)

Also by Molly Each

Closed for Business
Once upon a time, Chicago shoppers could walk up and down the intersection of North, Milwaukee and Damen and find a plethora of independently owned boutiques, ready to outfit nearly every style palate with hard-to-find designers, unique pieces and personal attention. But last week’s closing of two-year-old boutique Language and the shuttering of Jade later this month prove that one of the city’s most eclectic shopping areas is undergoing a sad makeover
(2008-02-06)

Looking Green
Ecotools, a new line of Earth-conscious bath and cosmetics products from Paris Presents, is aware of the environment from top to bottom: bristles are made from animal-free taklon and the metallic ferrule on the brush is constructed from recycled aluminum cans
(2008-01-29)

In the Closet
Susan Maxwell enters my small walk-in closet. I am embarrassed. This means that someone (aside from myself) is witnessing my overflowing hamper of dirty clothes, my makeshift shelves, my unorganized heap of purses and my old/outdated/just plain awful clothing that I haven’t yet brought over to the Brown Elephant
(2007-12-18)

Family Style
Friday night at Leaders 1354 in Wicker Park and a DJ spins beats in the back of the room. Each person who walks through the door is greeted like an old friend, and small groups of guys chat amiably, admiring t-shirts, sneakers and intricate wall murals in between conversations. They speak their own language; a language peppered with phrases like "treated," "kicks" and "throwing out the tongue" (a reference to shoes rather than the mouth). It doesn’t take long to realize that this isn’t just a shopping stop for the customers here
(2007-12-11)

By Design
(2007-12-11)

PRESENTS
(2007-11-19)

By Design
(2007-11-06)

By Design
(2007-10-23)

By Design
(2007-10-02)

By Design
(2007-09-18)

Open for Business
(2007-08-28)

Open for Business
(2007-07-10)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment