Red Door Spa at the Willard InterContinental

I'd heard of the legendary Red Door Spas from the time I was a little girl. One particular D.C. socialite spoke of her lengthy stays there (gifts from her lawyer husband) and her compatriot celebrity patrons in such a way that I imagined the Red Door not as a place that was actually accessible to me, but rather a lone, posh compound of spas located in the highland dessert of the southwest where one could attend by invitation only.

Last week I visited my first Red Door Spa on the eve of it's one year anniversary at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel (Red Door locations are in fact plentiful.) I was pleasantly surprised to find that the mystique accumulated by The Red Door during the 100 years since its inception is in fact earned by its superior services and design, but that its demeanor is nothing short of the friendliness one normally finds only in Mid-western neighborhoods where people also commonly place gnomes in their front yard.

With a young, enthusiastic staff and their incredibly hip and talented national makeup director, Lindsay Ebbin, on hand I felt at home immediately. Lindsay (pictured above with Julia from All About the Pretty) provided the trend forecast for fall noting that lower liners were big for eyes this season, both increasing the apparent size of the eye and adding an updated structure to the nearly played out smokey eye that has been prancing down catwalks since FW09. (Just try it - more on the lower liner than the upper - you'll thank me - & Lindsay!)

On a final note, I claimed one of their cloud-like (read: divinely comfortable) robes as my own and it has revolutionized my daily beauty routine. At the end of the day when I normal squint my way to the sink so as to not acknowledge the heaping pile of as yet un-reviewed products begging for my attention, I now simply open my eyes, don my Red Door robe and I am instantly transported to the perfection that is the Red Door. Turns out the Red Door (state of mind) is in fact any location where Spa is supreme.

If you aren't lucky enough to live near one of their 33 locations, I highly suggest you pick up a robe to take home with you. Enjoy!

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The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown: Where Washington D.C. Culture Resides

There is something intangibly magnificent about The Ritz-Carlton's boutique hotel in Georgetown. Writers (yes, I'd like to be one someday) have a long standing tradition of taking up residence in hotel lobbies to do their best work. The Roosevelt Hotel in New York played nurse maid to more than one great American novel by keeping their creators well nourished with a diet of seemingly endless inspiration arriving through the revolving doors of it's Madison Avenue entrance.

Housed on the high banks of the Potomac river, Ritz's hip boutique hotel in Georgetown was in fact an old Native American campsite where the area's American Indians retreated during the 4,500 years leading up to the first settlers' arrival. More recently it was home to 19th century working class families before finally being converted into the local incinerator. Beneath the current incarnation's centrally located, refurbished staircase you can view the arrowheads, tea cup dolls, and apothecary bottles these geographic ancestors left behind. This is the stuff that makes for good writing.

The intersection of cultural inspirations ancient and modern, a cozy fireplace, and whispers of a hot chocolate bar in colder seasons and I began to wonder...why hadn't I set up shop (or at least laptop) there sooner? By the end of the DC Beauty Tour, suspecting that my two year exclusive declaration of the W Lobby as my creative home was drawing to a close, I summoned up all my courage to ask the one final important question. "Yes." (Fellow aspiring writers and laptop-totting bohemians take note) there is in fact free wireless in the lobby. Actually there are also two macs for guest use on the way. This, my friends is no longer your grandpa's Ritz-Carlton.

With French-certified organic facials being preformed in the subterranean spa, the area's hottest Budokon Yoga instructor on call, and the spirits of eras gone by mingling in the lobby, my creative center (and that of hip, youthful DC society) has, simply put - shifted. If you see me there this winter be sure to say hello and join me for a cup of hot chocolate. Until then, enjoy!

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DC Beauty Tour Photo Album

Girls, I'm back in North Carolina and my 7 year old sister is with me so I don't have much time to talk. Here are some pictures from the DC Beauty Tour to tide you over until I can write again. (How does A Mom in Red High Heels do this?!!)

Spa Patio at The Red Door at the Willard. Amazing
Ted Gibson & Gibson Girl, Anne Hathaway

Phyto Hair Care at Ted Gibson.

The Willard Hotel Lobby

Me, Stylin' & Profilin', and Yummy 411 - these girls know their beauty.

Lindsay Ebbin, National Makeup Artist for The Red Door Spas gives GouldyLox Reviews a seriously fab touch-up!

Enough said.

Me & Bliss

View from the W Hotel

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The After Shot: A Ted Gibson Salon Hair Cut.

Me (yesterday) after the best haircut ever. One day later, and (as per my usual Sunday routine) my hair is piled high atop my head. Last Sunday however it was an unimaginable maze of knots, curls and dead ends. Today it is a dainty, sprightly knot befitting a pre-pubescent (read: pre-frizz) school girl. Why the change? Neven at Ted Gibson's DC Hela Spa location is a miracle worker and my new hair boyfriend. Despite living fours hours south in Chapel Hill, NC I intend to be fully committed and see him at least every two months. Neven is pictured below working his magic on @silverlips, the brains behind Silver Lips Beauty.

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Check Out the DC Beauty Tour's Hot Ride

Girls, yesterday I went on the most fabulous beauty tour . Having participated in beauty tours of LA and New York I decided (due to the recent openings of Ted Gibson Salon, Hela Spa, Bliss Spa, The Red Door at the Willard, Juara's invasion of Celadon Spa, and the ultra hip new offerings at the Ritz Carlton Georgetown) that it was time to get my DC beauty girls together with my favorite brands and make a day of it.

The first hurdle was transportation. These are some of the most coveted bloggers in the country and they are used to being spoiled. Despite my well intentioned efforts to throw them all in my step-mom's SUV I knew that wouldn't fly. So I started with the connoisseurs of perfection, The Ritz-Carlton. After finding out they preferred US Sedan, I knew we had to have them.

I couldn't have been happier. If Yasser, our driver wasn't a well trained, professional attentive luxury car driver, I could have easily mistaken him for a stalker. Despite our getting lost in product and primping and getting off schedule several times. Yasser always knew where we were and would roll up at the exact moment we exited DC's most fabulous beauty haunts. The ride itself was hot. Part limo, part van, with flat screen TV and leather seats we had the paparazzi stalkin' - or at least several heads turning. Anytime your are staying at the Ritz's ultra hip Georgetown location or simply need to go anywhere in the DC area in style, US Sedan is the way to go. For reals. Tell Yasser I sent you!

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Ted Gibson Salon at Hela Spa in Chevy Chase: Don't You Ever Get to Thinkin' He's Replaceable

For the past two weeks my hair has felt like a bad rash. My new job has me more tethered to North Carolina than I'm used to and so, to accommodate the 9 to 5 (or 10:30 depending on the day) life, I've had to abandon my previous hair boyfriends in LA and New York. The results have been much less than satisfactory.

But Ted Gibson, being the patron saint of hair (I say this sincerely as I earnestly believe he was put on earth to help materialize his motto - "Beauty is Individual" - as ultimate truth as well as a chic statement) was two steps a head of me. By opening his DC Salon at The Collection in Chevy Chase he has once again saved my hair and subsequently my self image.

The thing about people like Ted, who are blessed enough to be fulfilling their divine purpose, is that they attract equally talented, beautiful (kind-hearted) people like Neven. Neven began working at Ted's DC outpost before it even opened. Imported from Croatia on the basis that his talent is irreplaceable by an American citizen Neven is a heavenly combination of Gianni Versace and the statue of David. The Ted Gibson Salon at Hela Spa opened on Inauguration day weekend. With in a few hours a Croatian news crew had stumbled upon Neven and the headlines in Croatia were fairly equally weighted - Obama at the White House and Neven at Ted Gibson. Between Croatia's priorities and it's beaches, I'm seriously considering a move or at least an extended vacation.

Neven is a bit of a hair genius and I now have lovelier longer layers than ever before. (Pictures to follow tomorrow.) I realized while watching him artfully shape a style out my tangled brown mop (utilizing nothing more than an expert pair of scissors and massive reserve of natural talent) that no matter how thick your hair is, a master stylist will never need to use thinning sheers. Neven simply cut around the weight in such a way that the hair can move and live on its own volition. Like Michelangelo set the image of David free from that marble slab, so too Neven reveals beauty from whatever medium is lucky enough to find herself in his chair. If feeling like an iconic work of art (which mind you is the only thing that walks out of any Ted Gibson Salon) isn't reason enough for you to part with $150, consider what price you would pay to receive the best scalp massage ever from irreplaceable Croatian talent. Tell Neven I sent you!

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