August 6, 2008

Magnificent Mile’s Posh Pampering

You've probably been making sacrifices with your budget in today's economy, but many of us have a few indulgences we just can't do without. There are many Chicago locales where you can find the hottest trends and must-haves in beauty and fashion that are on every well-pampered lady's list.

At downtown's Oak Street (near Le Colonial), you don't have to look far to find high-end beauty treatments. One hot new trend for hair is long, luxurious locks. However, almost every time you see a celebrity with lusciously long hair, it's being 'assisted.' You can get the celeb treatment right here in Chicago, but it may cost you a penny or two. Salon Mor offers the full Great Lengths service for over $3,000. Actual human hair from Indonesia is attached to your own hair and is maintained by stylists for the five months you wear it.

hairJust a few doors down is another highly-ranked destination in the beauty business: the Marianne Strokirk Salon. Marianne has treated the likes of Maria Shriver, Diane Sawyer, and Hillary Clinton in her career and has appeared on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.' As you can imagine, getting a seat in her chair doesn't come cheap. All new clients pay over $350 for their consultation and quality cut.

After all that treatment to your hair, what about your beautiful face? The Four Seasons Spa is considered one of the most luxurious in the country by Forbes Magazine. Open to the public, you can get a facial that you can't get anywhere else. The 80-minute 'essence of rubies' treatment utilizes oil imported from Dubai infused with rubies. It also includes a three-layer mask and relaxing massage techniques. Pampering yourself with this lavish treatment will run you $225.

plaza escadaNow that you've gussied up your hair and face, you can't go out wearing the same old dress now, can you? Fine fashion is a must. At the Plaza Escada on Michigan Avenue (across from the John Hancock Center), you'll find some of the most extravagant (and expensive) looks around. While the store claims to have something for people of 'all walks of life,' they also make it known that they only carry 'the best of the best.' Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Catherine Zeta Jones, Bette Davis, and Katherine Heigl have all been known to wear Escada fashions on the red carpet. You too can look like a movie star in these gowns, which can cost as much as $12,000. Want something a bit more casual? Try the Escada Couture jeans hand-beaded with Swarovski crystals on for size. They retail for $10,000.

While you're on the Magnificent Mile, make a stop at Saks Fifth Avenue (across from the Apple Store). You can find one of the hottest names in shoes here: Jimmy Choo. You can take home a pair of heeled snakeskin sandals for just $1,295. Or get yourself a purse that may be worth more than the money you'll keep in it! You can currently pre-order a Bottega Veneta tote for over $5,000. Or book a personal shopper for the afternoon and have him/her browse through names like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and Prada for you.

tiffanyAnd finally, everyone knows that there is only one place to go to complete the high-fashion look: Tiffany & Co., where it's all about that little blue box. You can slip on a ring with round pink sapphires and round diamonds set in platinum for over $7,500. And you've heard of and may even own a pearl necklace, but what about a diamond necklace? A necklace of emerald-cut diamonds in platinum retails at $1.25 million.

Even if your budget doesn't allow for such grand expenses, you can at least have fun doing some haute window shopping.

Photo credit: (c/o SXC) elvis santana, (c/o Flickr) six steps, cammom

Salon Mor: 49 E Oak St; 312-573-0626
Tues ' Sat: 9:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Parking pay lot
Public trans: Bus # 36
http://www.salonmor.com/

Marianne Strokirk Salon: 41 E Oak St; 312-640-0101
Tues, Fri: 9:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Weds: 8:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Thurs: 10:00 a.m. ' 7:00 p.m.
Sat: 8:00 a.m. ' 5:00 p.m.
Parking pay lot
Public trans: Bus # 36
http://www.mariannestrokirk.com/

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago Spa: 120 E Delaware Pl; 312-280-8800
Daily: 8:00 a.m. ' 8:00 p.m.
Street parking difficult, valet available
Public trans: Bus # 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151
http://www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/spa.html

Plaza Escada: 840 N Michigan Ave; 312-915-0500
Mon ' Sat: 10:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Sun: 12 noon ' 5:00 p.m.
Parking pay lot
Public trans: Bus # 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 or Red Line train (Chicago)
http://www.escada.com/

Saks Fifth Avenue: 700 N Michigan Ave; 312-944-6500
Mon ' Sat: 10:00 a.m. ' 8:00 p.m.
Sun: 11:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Parking pay lot
Public trans: Bus # 3, X4, 10, 26, 125, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 or Red Line train (Chicago)
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/

Tiffany & Co.: 730 N Michigan Ave; 312-944-7500
Mon ' Weds, Fri ' Sat: 10:00 a.m. ' 6:00 p.m.
Thurs: 10:00 a.m. ' 7:00 p.m.
Sun: 12 noon ' 5:00 p.m.
Public trans: Bus # 3, X4, 10, 26, 125, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151 or Red Line train (Chicago)
http://www.tiffany.com/

2 comments

2 comments to Magnificent Mile’s Posh Pampering

  1. Posh Pampering (Men’s Edition)
    August 13th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    [...] week, I talked about a few of the ways that women can luxuriously pamper themselves here in Chicago. But if you think high-end style is just for ladies, you'd be sorely [...]

  2. Allerton Hotel Is in Tip-Top Shape
    September 29th, 2008 at 7:16 pm

    [...] from Saks Fifth Avenue, the hotel was built by the Allerton House Company as part of a national chain of 'club [...]

Leave a Reply

You can use these HTML tags

<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

About PlanetEye -  Help/FAQ - Contact Us



Amsterdam - Athens - Atlanta -  Auckland - Bangkok - Barcelona -  Belgrade - Berlin - Boston - Budapest -  Buenos Aires - Cape Town - Chicago
Denver -  Dublin - Edinburgh - Florence - Hanoi -  Hong Kong - Honolulu - Istanbul - Las Vegas -  Lisbon - London - Los Angeles - Madrid -  Manila
Mexico City - Miami - Montpellier -  Montr'al - Munich - New Orleans - New York City -  Paris - Prague - Qu'bec City - Rio de Janeiro -  Rome
San Diego - San Francisco - Seattle -  Singapore - St. Petersburg - Sydney - Tokyo -  Toronto - Vancouver - Venice - Washington