10 Must-Try Beauty Treatments
Skin and body treatments and what local spas to find them in.
Teaching Self-Care | Skagit Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique, which was created by Frederick Matthias Alexander in the late 1800s, is a method for improving posture and movement through self-awareness, with the aim of decreasing pain and increasing mindfulness. “The way I usually describe it is that it helps you learn to do things that you do every day, but with less tension, less pain, less fatigue,” explains Angeline…
Personalized Care with a Positive Touch
Callahan Wellness
Beauty More than Skin Deep
Mae Botanicals
Easy Steps to Skin Success
Our largest organ often gets overlooked and taken for granted, but you can start making small changes to your daily routine to see and feel big differences in the health and appearance of your skin.
This Mother’s Day, say ‘I Love You’ at Spero Spa
Mother’s Day Specials at Spero Skin Spa Salon
Men Like to be Pampered Too
PURE Skin + Wellness offers Waxings, Lash Lifts, and More
Skincare for your 30s, 40s, and 50s
As your skin changes, so should your skincare routine. Here’s a guide on how it should change through the decades.
A Silver Lining
To learn more about the process of dying gray, we sat down with Katie—a stylist at Bellingham’s Vanity Hair Studio on Dupont Street.
Set Yourself up for Clear Skin Success
Master esthetician and owner of Crosier Skincare, Lisa Crosier, talks acne tips and the importance of seeing a skin therapist for long-term, clear skin.
Pro Tips for Highlighting Your Freckles
Bellingham makeup artist, Elizabeth Marie Hayes gives us some of her top pro tips and products to help your freckles shine all year long.
Bringing the Heat
Beauty connoisseur Lindsey Major is here to share—check out her go-to summertime makeup looks and products, along with hydration and protection tips.
Acne and Self-Esteem
Master esthetician and owner of Crosier Skincare, Lisa Crosier, talks acne in this age of social media and the effects it can have on self-esteem.
Scrub Me Tender
Learn to make your own natural Tea Tree and Lavender Sugar Scrub to exfoliate and remove dry, dead skin after a long winter.
Want Healthy Skin? First, Look at What You’re Eating
Tianna Tsitsis of RejuvenationMD shares her favorite foods and bad habits to break to help us achieve radiant, healthy skin.
Skin Care Goals: A New You for the New Year
Lisa Crosier, owner of Lisa Crosier Skincare and Beauty Boutique, shares her secrets and goals for healthy skin care for a new you in the new year.
In Her Last Call, Ashley Shares Her Finishing Touches
Makeup artist and owner of Love Beauty in Bellingham Ashley Thomasson shares her secrets to can’t-live-without products for her finishing touches.
Skin Care Rehab?
Tianna Tsitsis of RejuvenationMD shows us an advanced, effective natural treatment for cellular rejuvenation throughout the body using blood platelets.
A Younger Glow
Master esthetician Lisa Crosier shares her secrets on anti-aging and the two types of exfoliation to give you a younger glow.
Seasonal Touch-Up
This fall season, get that fresh, clean, bold look with beauty tips from makeup artist Ashlely Thomasson, owner of Love Beauty.
Getting Serious About Sunburn
Stay safe this summer and protect your skin from sunburn by learning about UV radiation.
Esthetician to the Rescue
Many people wonder what exactly an esthetician does or how regular facials can help their skin. I am passionate about changing skin through proper education, treatment and most of all, addressing the misconceptions you may have about your own skin. I have been a…
Getting Through Tears, Sweat, Heat
As a makeup artist, one of the questions I’m most commonly asked by my clients is: “Will my makeup last all day long?” My answer? “This ain’t my first rodeo.” The bulk of my business happens in the heat of summer, so I’ve had a lot of practice getting this art down to a science. Whether it’s for a graduation, wedding, photo…
Medical Aesthetics, Explained
Doctor Answers Questions About Growing Industry Increasingly, older Americans are looking in the mirror and unhappy with what they see: Scars, skin laxity, wrinkles, moles, liver spots, excess fat, cellulite, unwanted hair, skin discoloration, and spider veins top the list of complaints. As skin worries grow, so have new ways to treat them (think Botox) and new places to seek help. Once mainly the purview of dermatologists and plastic surgeons, only a few…
Skin Esthetician’s Mission: Empowering Women & Teens
Around age 10, I started going with my mom to get her hair cut. Sitting in the corner and watching the staff, I knew then that I wanted to be a part of the salon industry. I didn’t really have an interest in doing hair, but more in the connection that I saw taking place. I tried to sign up for part-time hair-dressing in high school, but my parents wouldn’t allow it, saying “it would be a waste” of my brain. I…
Makeup Tips for the Time-Challenged
As a makeup artist, I often get questions/comments about my own beauty routine, somewhere along the lines of “Do you airbrush yourself every day?” or “It must take you forever to do your makeup in the morning!”…
Adding Easy Glitter Puts a Shine on the Holidays
While I love creating soft and feminine looks, I’ve never been one for the traditional “girly” stuff. Pink frills and sparkle never captivated me the way it does some. But for…
Jet-Setting Makeup Hacks
For me, 2017 has been the year of travel! Both domestic and internationally, I’ve had the privilege of trekking all over the globe. Now that there are so many great flights coming directly in and out of Bellingham, I have the feeling we’re all going to get the travel bug. Since I’ve constantly been in a…
Halloween Makeup, DIY-Style
Doe, Queen of Hearts Make for Sweet or Sinister Look If you’re looking for quick and cute costume makeup ideas to apply on yourself, your friends or your kids, I’ve chosen two of my favorite and most popular looks to teach you! The doe is super-cute, innocent, easy and perfect for all ages. All you need is a blending brush, deep bronzer or matte brown eyeshadow, black liquid eyeliner, white face paint and another brush — that’s it!…
Tips to Make Your Wine Tour Fashionable (and Comfortable)
Anyone who knows me knows I love wine. There’s something about wine-tasting and visiting vineyards that transports me to another place and time. Even if I’m only at a winery 10 minutes up the road, I find myself temporarily in Napa, or Tuscany, or the Columbia Gorge — I’m on a mental vacation from my responsibilities, sharing in a glass that is a universal symbol for hospitality,…
A Casually Chic Night Out
WHAT TO WEAR The perfect outfit isn’t one that breaks your wallet, nor is it that adorable LBD (Little Black Dress) that has faded into charcoal grey because it’s worn at least four times a month. The most fashionable outfit is one that you feel comfortable and confident in. It’s a plus if it’s versatile. Clothing that works well as office attire can also be worn for a night out. Let’s say that you and a friend,…
Cosmetic Enhancements
If you want to enhance your image, you have more options than ever before. Like any surgery or procedure, there are always risks involved. But cosmetic enhancements have become easier, less expensive, and more mainstream than you may realize. We are taking a closer look at some of the more commonplace and minimally invasive procedures on the market today….
Shaping Up For Spring And Summer
Spruced Hair and Brow Studio Last summer, Brooke Becnel, along with the help of her loyal stylists, opened Spruced Hair and Brow Studio in Fairhaven. Opening a modern, hip salon was not necessarily Becnel’s plan, but she always knew she wanted to work for herself, and so Spruced was born. The salon is clean, open, and airy. Comfortable lounge chairs greet customers in the intimate lobby space. Five or six styling chairs line the back wall. Lights reflecting off chrome…
Food Thoughts: the Art of Mindful Eating
The other day someone asked me, “Do you eat salad every day?” To which I replied “I do. Don’t you?” I sometimes forget that most people don’t eat a pound of vegetables a day. A lot of people don’t even really give much thought to what they eat on any day. And I get it, because…
Spring Break Travel Essentials
In just two days, I’ll be headed out of town, taking the redeye to New York City. In between sitting down to write this article and penning the last of my emails, I’ve been frantically running…
Self-Care Essentials
We all have our stories, the things that shape our character and make us resilient, the things that break us down and make us whole again. Like all of you, my story is too long for this time and place, but there’s something I learned along the way that I want to share with you: Above all else, whatever you do, the most important…
Partly Sunny: Clear Skin is in the Forecast
Though the rest of the country might believe it’s perpetually raining in the Pacific Northwest, we know better. Our weather is more complicated than that, which makes it challenging to know how best to care for our skin. In the fall…
Five Minutes to Fresh and Fabulous
Raise your hand if you have more than an hour a day to do your makeup? Okay, now if your hand is…
Brow Rehab
There’s no denying ’90s nostalgia is in the air with the notable reemergence of baby-doll dresses, Doc Martens, and brown lipstick. Don’t be fooled, though, when it comes to eyebrows. Women are swapping their pencil-thin brows for a more modern, full look. If you are like me and spent the ’90s tweezing your brows into oblivion, don’t lose heart. Here are some tips and tricks for getting your brows on point for…
Berry Beauty
It’s never been a secret, I’m a summer girl through- and-through. To me, just about everything gets better in the summer. The weather is warmer, the colors are richer, senses are heightened, and the flavors are sweeter. As it always seems to go by ever-so-quickly, I find myself trying…
Five Minutes to Fresh and Fabulous
Raise your hand if you have more than an hour a day to do your makeup? Okay, now if your hand is raised, then…
Conscious Cosmetics – Go Beyond The Label
When reading labels, we should not only be reading our ingredient lists but learning about them.
Fresh Face For Winter
simple solutions and product recommendations to help your beauty shine bright despite the wet, blustery winter weather.
Hello, Sunshine! Summer Beauty Tips & Tricks
This summer—my, oh my! It feels like this summer started about two months early this year and that beautiful, warm sunshine is continuing to knock it out of the park. As a makeup artist, summer is my busy season and all too…
Olympus Spa
Some people remember the strip mall at 196th and 36th in Lynnwood as the former home of Cinema 12, the local rundown theater that featured movies for a dollar. It was also the place you went to cruise on a weekend night in the pre-cell, pre-Facebook era, checking out the kids from other high schools in the area, in-person. Now the locale is a little more sedate—in fact,…
Creating a simple date night look
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching and spring just around the corner, there is no question that the air is brimming with love. As women, I think we all…
The Skinny on SPF
If you aren’t intimidated by all of the acronyms associated with sunscreen, then my floppy straw hat is off to you. Even as a beauty professional I completely understand how labels like SPF, UVA, UVB, PA+++ (yes, that’s a real thing) can leave…
Vintage Glamour
Makeup How-To: Step 1: Skin Never skip skincare. You want to ensure that you have healthy skin to create a masterpiece from…
Spring Beauty Trends
GLOW Try mixing Mac’s Strobe Cream with your foundation. Use a damp sponge to apply it to your face, and your face will have a subtle glow. GILDED EYE A fancier way of saying metallic looking eyes, and it’s easy to do. Apply a smoky eye and top it off with glitter. Use a dark eyeshadow pencil…
Ombú Salon + Spa
How many people get to live the dream of owning a spa? Well Beth and Tom Sanger do. At the beginning of 2014, Beth and Tom were the proud new owners of Ombú Salon + Spa, an Edmonds fixture at the corner of 6th and Main. The spa, on the verge of closing, needed rescuing, and the couple happily stepped in. They found they already had an excellent location, an amazing staff and loyal patrons…
Beauty Resolution
If your New Year’s resolution combines a renewed focus on beauty and extravagant self-pampering, you’re in for a treat. These fun, DIY skin products are perfect for nourishing your skin and giving you a head-to-toe glow. For ease and convenience, we have included products that you most likely already have in your kitchen. So dig in your pantry and get started on a great way to…
Beauty Magic
The New Year is upon us, and with it the desire to look our best. It would be so nice if we could wave a magic beauty wand, spin around and be ready for the ball. But in reality, we do have magic — it just is found at your local medspa and beauty bar. Wrinkles, loose and blotchy skin and other imperfections can get in the way of looking polished and refreshed. Fix those three…
Keep your skin healthy
The New Year is a beautiful time to re-fresh, re-start, and focus on what really matters. Although I have never been a person to jump on the “resolution” bandwagon, I always love and relish in the scent of possibility each New Year brings. When looking forward to each New Year, one of my favorite things is to take a step-back and reflect on my goals; not just what I’d like to see happen but how I’m going to get there….
Holiday Glam
Everyone loves a bold, glam look for the holidays and this one is no exception. I wanted to create a look that was fun and fresh, but also sexy and versatile. Glitter is a trend that never goes away and is especially present during the holidays. Here, I’ll teach you how to use it in an easy and quick way that will give your glammed-up holiday…
Styling For the Family Photo
It’s that time of year again — vacations are winding down, school is back in session and routine has resumed once more. Although we all know we’ll miss those carefree summer days, I can’t help but feel that fall is Bellingham’s favorite season. We rejoice in the beautiful colors, praise cozying up with a warm latte (pumpkin spice, perhaps?), and can hardly wait to start wearing our favorite sweater. …
Purple Door Spa
Owner and nail specialist, or shall I say nail guru, Tara Ellis is still sculpting and manicuring nails but with a few changes — a new location, a new business name, and a bigger staff. The Purple Door Beauty Lounge is a 4000 square foot pampering paradise that opened in March. “I wanted a name that was unique…
Vintage Inspiration
Have you ever wondered if you were made for a different era? I sure have. Ever since I was young, vintage styles have always inspired me and I often found myself nostalgic for those simpler days. Today, my Pandora station is riddled with the Rat Pack and Elvis Presley, A-line dresses make me swoon, and…
Warm Weather Glow: Staying Beautiful in the Summer Months
Cleaning Your Makeup Bag Toss anything expired! Do this now. Start with mascaras and toss out anything that is more than 8 weeks old. Old makeup is the most likely thing to cause problems ranging anywhere from skin irritations, pink eye and,…
Silhouettes Salon & Day Spa
Tucked away on the Guide Meridian, just a short drive down Telegraph Road, is one of the most relaxing, fun and professional day spas around. With an added salon, it has everything a customer could want. Silhouettes Salon & Day Spa, owned by Nova Scotia-raised Darlene Van Larkin, offers massages, hair services, make-up application, skin treatments and jewelry sales. Larkin attended Blanche MacDonald Centre, School of Esthetics…
Healthy Spa
Pampering, relaxation just the start of the benefits a spa visit can bring.
Glam up for the holidays
Sure-fire tips for a gorgeous holiday you! Once again, the holidays will fast be upon us and it seems they come faster and faster every year; and every year we vow to get a jump on the shopping, present wrapping and decorating, giving us more time to enjoy our friends, families and certainly all of the spectacular…