EVANGELINE SPA @ THE EPICUREAN HOTEL - TAMPA BAY FLORIDA

Evangeline Spa @ The Epicurean Hotel in Tampa Bat

On my recent trip to Tampa Bay I got to experience my first ever HydraFacial MD® Spa Treatment! Before I talk about this breakthrough facial treatment that my head is still whirling over, let me give you some back story!

The Epicurean Hotel - Tampa’s upscale boutique hotel was voted one of Florida’s Top 10 Hotels by Conde Nast Traveler. From the ground floor up this hotel was made for food lovers! From the wine shop and theatre kitchen on the main floor to The Edge cocktail bar on the roof this hotel is the place to see and be seen. The Evangeline Spa located on the main floor of The Epicurean mimics the hotel’s passion for food by featuring food based materials, including coffee scrubs, to help guests relax. It’s no surprise then how excited I was when I got to experience their spa.

The Evangeline Spa is the best place in Tampa to spend a day relaxing and being pampered. The intimate spa setting makes you feel like a true VIP and their selection of treatments will have you walking out of there felling completely rejuvenated. Each product you will experience during your treatment has been carefully selected to awaken your senses. Their fresh fruit scrubs, buttery lotions and rich botanical oils are infused with fresh herbs to successfully relieve stress and leave you feeling revitalized.

One of the spa’s newest offerings is the HydraFacial MD® Spa Treatment. This 30 minute treatment cleans, exfoliates, extracts, hydrates and adds antioxidant protection all at the same time. The newest advancement in non-laser skin resurfacing HydraFacial MD® Spa Treatment is completely painless and is known to deliver clearer, more beautiful skin with very little redness, swelling or downtime.

Having never done a HydraFacial MD® Spa Treatment before I was surprised to see this state of the art skincare equipment in action. The non-invasive, multi-step facial procedure first exfoliates your skin using a serum that removes dead skin cells. The hand held instrument used to conduct the treatment drops serum onto you skin at the same time sucking it up again along with all the dead skin cells. It’s the weirdest sensation! Each step in the procedure is done in the exact same way where a small amount of serum is applied and suctioned off. This technique allows you to do a full peel without any irritation and clean on your pores using suction! How crazy is that!

The last step in the procedure includes an antioxidant protection serum that aims to nourish and protect the skin. I could instantly feel my skin soaking up as much of it as possible! The results were perfect – no irritation,  no redness from extraction just clean, smooth skin! After my procedure was over my technician showed me all the dead skin and dirt that was pulled off my skin - gross I know but also so cool! It was amazing how much he was able to remove even with consistent exfoliating and cleansing on my part!

If you are ever in the Tampa Bay area I greatly suggest you go check out the Evangeline Spa at the Epicurean Hotel for some relaxation and rejuvenation. After your treatment go next door and check out the amazing wine shop at the Epicurean Hotel or rooftop lounge for cocktails under the stars! A perfect way to end any day!

Have any questions about the HydraFacial MD Spa Treatmetn, Evangeline Spa or the Epicurean Hotel? Leave them in the comment section below and I will try my best to answer them!

LANGDON HALL HOTEL AND SPA - CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO

Have you ever had something great and completely unexpected happened to you? Did it make you pause for a moment in disbelief before cloaking you in happiness and gratitude? In June it happened to me. I won! I woke up one morning still dazed, nursing my morning coffee as I perused through my new emails when I saw the subject line, Congratulations! You're the Winner… Winner!? What did I win? What a great way to start of my day. A gift certificate to Langdon Hall from Branding and Buzzing's July giveaway! One of the most prestigious spas in Canada! Are you kidding me! Is this a joke? Is someone playing a huge trick on me? Is Ashton Kutcher going to jump out of my closet and punk me?

I literally had to read the email three times.  I have never won anything. ANYTHING. My next immediate thought was – who am I going to invite? Friends? NAW! Think Soheila, think! Family? Getting warmer. My mom!? Ding Ding Ding!!!!  I mean I owe the women my life. Not to mention she has probably invested a bazillion dollars in educating me, feeding me and making sure I have clothes on my body and a roof over my head. I think it’s safe to say she deserves a little getaway to Langdon Hall, especially with her favorite person in the world. Or at least I will be after this!


FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @ISTHATSOH


So off we went last week! We jumped in the car and within an hour and a half we arrived at Langdon Hall! The Cambridge property is gorgeous and although it was my first time to the hotel and my mom is practically a regular, we still were blown away by the beautiful property and landscaped grounds.  Once checked-in we were also very happy to hear that the spa had recently been moved into a newly renovated space and our spa services would give us access to all their new amenities including a comfortable indoor sitting room, a sundeck with lounge chairs, an indoor exercise room and a whirlpool and sauna.  Wow!

After my mom and I indulged in much needed massages we continued onto our mani, pedi spa services. Now one thing that I am going to point out about Langdon Hall Spa that I absolutely loved was their product line. They have a variety of products and scents that make services easy to customize to your preferences! Weather you prefer citrus or frankincense or only like vegan/organic products, they‘ve got it! I was especially impressed with their SpaRitual line of products and nail lacquers that are completely vegan and free from 5 of the most harmful chemicals found in nail polish. Not only do they use such great products, but if you get a mani/pedi they send you home with two SpaRitual nail lacquer bottles! What!? Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

Once our spa services were complete and there was time for a small pause before dinner I took the opportunity to wander around the property. Curiously enough, as I poked my nose around the property I came across this gorgeous little secret garden door, a green house to die for, tennis courts, a pool and an expansive vegetable and flower garden I could of spent hours exploring.

However, I wasn’t about to keep my hungry mom from dinner. Back to the main house I went – very excited because Langdon Hall’s Executive Chef Jason Bangerter is known for combining ingredients that are grown and foraged on the property to create dishes and experiences so grand and captivating that they are impossible to forget. From the black trumpet mushroom amuse bouch to the summer fruit and foie gras appetizers (yes, I had two appetizers) my meal could not of started off on a better foot. To conclude the meal I chose the beef tenderloin –  so moist and flavorful it could make a vegetarian crave meat! To finish off my mom and I each ordered a desserts – the Chocolate Ganache and the Peanut Butter Sable with some Langdon Hall Honey Mousse. A symphony of flavors! Great dishes on their own but even better combined together!

It’s definitely safe to say that after the experience I had at Landon Hall, winning a Langdon Hall gift card is one of the best things that happened to me this year and the absolute best way to celebrate my one year blogiverssary! I definitely recommend anyone looking to celebrate an upcoming milestone or interested in a relaxing weekend getaway to look into Langdon Hall. Although I did not stay overnight they do offer many packages that include a mix of accommodations, spa services and dining options you should definitely consider checking out before booking your reservation.

If you are interested in visiting Langdon Hall or making a reservation visit their website -> HERE