Best of Westchester 2010: Health & Beauty

Get beautiful, get buff, get bargains.

EDITOR’S PICKS
READERS’ PICKS

Editor’s Picks

New Yoga Center (Above)
O2 Living Cross River
(914) 763-6320

Yoga is all about transformation and the space that houses this yoga center has seen its share of it. But the arrival of O2 Living early this year has breathed new life into this funky little enclave of 18th-century buildings, and, with it, an energized new vibe. Sure, the studios, with original ceiling beams and wide floorboards, looking out on blue sky and trees, are inviting and the teachers top-notch. There are classes for every taste and energy level, from gentle, restorative to fast-paced vinyasa, kundalini with lots of chanting to meditation with lots of quiet. The transformative factor? Everyone in the place—employees, stressed-out soccer moms, harried executives—has a blissed-out expression even before they take a class. It makes you happy just to be there, in the moment, just as yogis over the millennia have taught. Namaste.

Sports Yoga
Gwen Lawrence
(914) 954-8394

What do the New York Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, and Giants have in common? Gwen Lawrence, their team yoga instructor, who puts these big boys through their paces and poses. When not on location with the sports teams, she offers classes for mere mortals Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at the Community Synagogue in Rye (200 Forest Ave, 914-967-6262).

Hardcore Workout
Full Tilt Training: MMA Conditioning with Robert Cannon West Harrison
(914) 860 5385

“This class is not for the weak-hearted,” declares trainer Robert Cannon. “Only the strong survive.” Full Tilt Training is one of the toughest workouts imaginable. Operating out of Strata Health Club in West Harrison, Cannon teaches members tactical moves in the mixed martial arts while focusing on conditioning to get them in the best shape of their life. Bear crawls across a football field, uphill wind sprints, circuit interval training, and sprints with seemingly no end in sight are among the drills Cannon instructs on a daily basis. He may even ask you to push his car across the parking lot.

Day Spa
Oasis Dobbs Ferry
(914) 409-1900

Last year, Westchester Magazine named Oasis best new day spa. We weren’t the only ones to take notice. Readers of Spa Magazine named Oasis their favorite day spa in the whole country, and Day Spa magazine also gave it a top rating. We’re happy to report that the place remains top-notch with terrific treatments like massages (we’re partial to the Muscle Meltdown Massage), scrubs, wraps, and facials (do ask for Diana Rainsford). Go ahead, make a day of it. The perfect end to your spa day? A refreshing drink on the rooftop deck.

New Hair Salon
Numi & Company Scarsdale
(914) 574 6402

We all want a little (okay, a lot) of TLC when it comes to our hair, and at this cozy new salon, owners Gabriel Abrams and Nuriel Abramov give you the personalized attention we crave. The former Static employees, who have 17 years of Madison Avenue experience between them, including stints at Rosario Acquista Salon, Kim LePine Salon (now closed), Warren Tricomi, and John Frieda, seem to know what looks good on anyone before he/she even sits down in their chair. The two Russian émigrés really consider a client’s hair texture and style, as well as the $64,000 question: Can you replicate that salon look at home? “If you don’t like a style after you leave here, you can come back and I’ll fix it, no charge,” says Abramov. Bonus: the salon is open Sundays and Mondays so you can pick up your pie at the famous Galloway’s (next door—open Friday through Sunday) and eat it, too! Now that’s the kind of TLC we can get used to.

Rising Yoga Star
Chris Chen
Katonah Yoga Bedford Hills
(914) 241-2661

It’s a safe bet that anyone who goes through yoga guru Nevine Michaan’s rigorous yoga certification program is going to know their triangle from their tree pose as well as every asana under the sun. But 28-year-old Chris Chen was brought to our attention, not only for his classes (which are usually packed), or his private clientele (he’s usually booked), but for his background—a blend of the best of East and West, acupuncture and traditional medicine, which informs his practice.

Personal Trainer
Rob Forcelli
(914) 509-1393 or (845) 891-4067
Equinox Fitness Club Scarsdale
(914) 472-9000
The Gym Armonk
(914) 219-1601

If the proof is in the pudding, to judge a personal fitness trainer, we have to ask: Just how buff is he? In Rob Forcelli’s case, buff enough to pose in the buff in Playgirl magazine back in the ’90s. And he’s maintained his physique in the ensuing years, leading classes that inspire such a devoted following that people line up a half-hour in advance to squeeze themselves in. That, plus private personal-training sessions, Contenders Basketball (a year-round league for men over age 35), Contenders Club workouts, and semi-private fitness training, keep Forcelli and his clients in tip-top shape.

Bargain Haircut
$25 Cuts at Beautiful Hair Color Salon Pleasantville
(914) 741-1522

Book a haircut with the salon’s “Rising Star” stylist, and you’ll only have to shell out $25 for a new ’do—a quarter of what a haircut costs under the salon’s master stylist. (You can get single-process color for $25, too.) No worries: You won’t come out looking like you did that time your mom swore she could do a good job cutting your hair. Owner Franco Marino personally trains the “Rising Star” stylists—who’ve first gone through two vigorous years of training.

Waxing
Ellen Marie Day Spa Larchmont
(914) 833-7800

Don’t you want a good relationship with the person ripping hairs out of your body? The aestheticians at Ellen Marie manage to be warm, efficient, and empathetic, making a painful ordeal feel more like a few minutes with a friend. And after your eyebrows—or other parts—are perfectly groomed, elegant Ellen Marie might throw in a complimentary makeup application.

Zumba
Dojo Dance & Fitness White Plains
(914) 376-2900

When owner and instructor Micha Shines moved from her Ferris Avenue dance studio to Mamaroneck Avenue, she not only gutted and renovated her new location but expanded her zumba classes. Today, she has a team of 10 zumba instructors—all of whom started out as students and were handpicked by Shines. “I know who’s going to be good.” Shines, a zumba instructor herself, has a background in salsa, ballroom, Argentine tango, and American tribal-style belly dancing. Zumba classes run twice a day, seven days a week, accommodating schedules of all kinds.

Skin Rejuvenation
SkinCentre Advanced Medical Aesthetics Hartsdale
(914) 949-6200

When it’s time to turn back the clock, turn to SkinCentre for all the latest and greatest in skin rejuvenation: anti-wrinkle injections, facial peels, and a whole slew of lasers to correct sun damage, even out pigment, tighten pores, and eradicate spider veins.

Scalp-Tingling Experience
James Deagan Salon Dobbs Ferry
(914) 231-7174

Owner Marie Molnar recommends having her signature scalp massage “to wake up your hair” with the change of each season. Okay, we get the hair health benefits, but, truth be told, we’re in it for the massage. You just sink back, enjoy the scent of the aromatic oils—like freshly peeled oranges—and drift away as Molnar massages every inch of your scalp. Then, as the oils sink in, there’s a gentle tingling sensation that slowly brings you—and your hair—back to the land of the living—fully awake, yet totally relaxed.

Bargain Mani/Pedi
Ivy Nails Hartsdale
(914) 946-6245

Everybody is looking for a good deal these days, but it’s no bargain if you have to wait forever, then end up with cut-rate polish and a streaky application. No worries at Ivy Nails—these folks are prompt (do make an appointment first), use salon-quality products (OPI, Essie, Creative), and are as meticulous as salons that charge two to three times more. The deal? Full manicure and pedicure, just $22 Mondays through Wednesdays. So you’ve no excuse for ungroomed nails.

Eyebrow Specialist
Liza Borukhova
Eiluj A Beauty Lounge Katonah
(914) 232-2227

Eyebrows are all geometry. That’s what Liza Borukhova, who has been sculpting eyebrows for a decade, will tell you. During your first half-hour appointment, she’ll assess the shape of your face, nose, and eyes—even whip out a measuring stick to determine the best eyebrow length, thickness, and arch. “Eyebrows are the frame of the face, and even one hair makes a difference, so it has to be precise,” Borukhova says.

Baliage
Prada Studio Pelham
(914) 576-3018

Europeans have long preferred their baliage method of highlighting hair over foils. City folk flock to salons offering the treatment as well. Sadly, Westchester has been a bit behind the curve, a situation that Prada Studio has seen fit to change. “This is a more natural, lower-maintenance form of highlighting,” says Hernan Prada, who owns the salon with L’Oreal master colorist Kelli Devine. “You only have to do it two to three times a year as root lines aren’t as obvious.” In the three years since the salon opened (Prada also has a salon on Madison Avenue), baliage has become its signature treatment. And the County is catching on.

Hair Accessories
My Essentials Larchmont
(914) 834-2220

If accessories make the outfit, hair accessories make the hairstyle, and you won’t find a better selection than at this charming shop. Looking for a simple tortoiseshell clip for every day? They’ve got it. What about a jewel-encrusted clasp to go with a formal gown or something flowery and frou-frou to make your daughter feel and look like a princess? Check, and check, along with lotions, potions, and creams for hair, bath, and body for a total girly experience.

New Perfumery
Eau de Luxe White Plains
(914) 328-3358

Go on, indulge. An elegant scent from this luxe Parisian-inspired perfumery is still way more affordable than a European sojourn—and smells a heck of a lot sweeter than the recycled air you’d breathe during the five-hour-plus trans-Atlantic flight. Spritz and sniff more than 300 men’s and women’s fragrances ranging from popular celebrity scents to rare imports and even discontinued, hard-to-find lines. Offerings include Juliette Has a Gun, a women’s perfume made from roses ($85-$135); the very exclusive—and very hard to find in the States—Rance cologne ($95-$135); and the beautiful and classic Guerlain. perfume ($400).

Our Favorite Spa Treatments Beyond the standard massage

Massage for the Weary Athlete
Kathleen Doherty
The Gym Armonk
(914) 219-1601
Eurolaser Rye
(914) 921-3265

Relax, rejuvenate, and replenish: that’s the mantra of massage therapist Kathleen Doherty. Her hands work magic—whether they’re used to soothe skin or to aggressively knead muscles. You can find the Tarrytown native kneading away at The Gym and at Eurolaser; she also makes house calls (914-552-2856, katt1023@hotmail.com).

Neuromuscular Therapy
Tom Kleinman at The Club @ 1133 White Plains
(914) 774-3644

Got pain? Count on Tom Kleinman to help with sciatica, frozen shoulders, chronic back pain, migraines (if they’re soft-tissue-related), and other sports-related injuries. How good is he? Not only is he the in-house neuromuscular therapist at venerated Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, he also kneads muscles every week for PhysioArts, which works with Broadway stars. “They beat the hell out of themselves,” he says. You can find him once a week at The Club @ 1133.

O2 Essence Massage
Christine Brooking/Juan Johnson
O2 Living Cross River
(914) 763-6320

Okay, so the sight of a standard-issue oxygen tank in the treatment room gave us pause, but after a few minutes into the masterful ministrations of either Christine Brooking or Juan Johnson, we were willing to go with the flow. Pure oxygen is administered through the nostrils for the last 20 minutes of the 90-minute treatment while tootsies are tended to; expect to emerge limp as a noodle with a surprisingly youthful glow.

Thai Lymphatic Drainage Treatment
Vicka Biskup
Radiance Medspa of Westchester Mount Kisco
(914) 242-4882

Technically this isn’t a massage and the name leaves something to be desired, but we’re not about to quibble over technicalities—it’s fabulous. This centuries-old Thai treatment uses herbal compresses—bundles of aromatic herbs and spices, wrapped in muslin cloth, heated with steam, and stroked over the body to drain toxins and stimulate circulation. The resulting sense of euphoria is a bonus.

Readers’ Picks

Beauty Salon
Static
White Plains (914) 997-2600; statichair.com

Beauty Products Shop
Oggi/Adam & Eve Salon and Day Spa
Scarsdale (914) 472-0010; oggiadameve.com

Day Spa
Tranquility Spa
Scarsdale (914) 713-0066; tranquilityspa.com

Eyebrow Wax/Shaping
Shine Salon & Spa
Ossining (914) 762-6675; shine-salon-spa.com

Facial
Euro Laser Services
Rye (914) 921-3265; eurolaserservices.com

Fitness Center/Gym
Club Fit
Briarcliff Manor (914) 762-3444
Jefferson Valley (914) 245-4040; clubfit.com

Hair Colorist
Matt Gagliardi at Eclipse
Tarrytown (914) 524-0835

Hair Stylist
Lisa DeMaria at Salon Topaz
Dobbs Ferry (914) 231-6212; salontopaz.com

Makeup Artist
Rosemarie Pomilla at N.Y. Prostyle
Dobbs Ferry (914) 478-2684; nyprostyle.com

Men’s Salon
Eclipse
Tarrytown (914) 524-0835

Men’s Shave
Gino’s Barber Shop
Ossining (914) 762-9705

New Spa
Demirjian Laser & Spa
White Plains (914) 686-2121; demirjianlaser.com

Yoga Center
Yoga Haven
Tuckahoe (914) 337-1437; yogahaven.com