You can be the unwitting victim of a fashion crimes and you can become the willing participant if you aren’t well informed. Like a magician’s slight of hand you can be sold an out-of-style dress or accept the perp’s suggestion of what is fashionable. Well that is why the Fashionator exist, “fighting fashion crime one trend at a time”, to keep us abreast and help us stay clear out of a life of “fashion crimes”. Check out the Fashionator’s blog and the article about Joanna Vargas, a non-offender and a true fashionista herself.

Source:IVillage

By:Jennifer Merritt
March 2009

Stop and Let Your Skin Smell the Roses

Roses are red, diamonds are clear–did you know they could be used as facial gear?

Neither did I, which is why I was so intrigued by the Red Rose Facial at Joanna Vargas Skin Care in New York City.

Joanna, who looks 10 years younger than she actually is–perhaps the best advertising any esthetician could ask for–is a big fan of organic products and she uses them exclusively. “Think about how you feel physically after you eat fast food for dinner,” she says. “Now think about how it feels to eat a salad. Your skin feels the same way when you use products with chemicals. How do you expect your skin to look its best when you don’t feed it properly?”

This is where the roses and diamonds come in. Meant to increase skin’s hydration and circulation, Joanna came up with the Red Rose Facial after seeing all the red, dry and chapped faces walking around wintery Manhattan–mine included.

The treatment starts with a diamond peel–an exfoliation wand that uses diamonds to slough off dead skin cells and dirt. Next, skin is treated to a red rose cleansing milk, rose toner and a rosehip and maize exfoliating mask, followed by a facial massage with herbal oil. Then comes the extraction, and a mask with rose petal, peppermint and aloe. In the end, Joanna applies a serum with rose and peppermint to soothe the skin, topped off with a little balm for the lips.

I was so relaxed I felt a little lightheaded after it was over (my own fault for sitting upright so quickly). I headed over to the mirror expecting to see a splotchy and reddened face; something I’ve had to contend with after other facials. But no spots! I wasn’t the only one surprised by my clear face, either: On my way out, a client in the waiting room asked if I even had a treatment done!

At $175, the Red Rose Facial is a definite splurge, but well worth it if you’re looking to treat yourself. Even Joanna’s aware that in tough times, facials might not be high on the priority list, so she offered up these tips to help extend the life of a treatment:

• Invest in the proper products (read: organic) and stick to a care routine. “Your facial will last a lot longer if you exfoliate twice a week, cleanse every night and use a great organic moisturizer,” she says.

• Joanna’s favorite budget-friendly products are from Eminence Organics. “My favorite is the Citrus Exfoliating Wash,” she shares. “It’s foaming and has tiny exfoliating beads. It smells great and takes off makeup, too!”

• If you’re a beauty junkie, the one item to splurge on is Phyt’s, an organic line from France, Joanna says. “Their serums are my top-selling products,” she says. “My favorite is Reviderm Serum. It comes in pre-measured capsules and contains chlorophyll which is wonderful in oxygenating your skin.”

Call Joanna Vargas Skin Care at 212.949.2350 and make your appointment today.

Fashion Binge is so full of style and chic that it is like a water well deep in the desert that women must come to. It is here that we find insightful articles on what’s chic, fashionable, elegant and the avant-garde. In one such article we find Joanna Vargas, owner and skin care guru of Joanna Vargas Skin Care in Midtown Manhattan. Read the full story below.

Source: Beauty Binge
Sunday, March 08, 2009

Bridal Beauty Binge: PLEASE Get Yourself A Wedding-Day Facial From Joanna Vargas. Please.
I’m getting married in February 2010, which means I have approximately 340 days to engage in almost a year’s worth of trial and error, which is basically the way I like to do things. Already I’ve looked at seven different venues, purchased and returned one wedding dress, tried on and rejected several more wedding dresses from one of New York’s “premiere” wedding salons, attended countless wedding workshops, and had a body wrap I definitely wouldn’t recommend to brides-to-be or anyone else for that matter. But the one thing I did right so far (besides say yes to my “boyfiance”) was getting a facial from Joanna Vargas (that’s her on the right) at her flagship salon here in New York.

Joanna Vargas looks about 12 (she’s not, but she could easily pass for 22), and has the luminous skin of a just-bathed toddler who’s never seen the light of the sun. So right there, you know she’s doing something right. But it turns out she does EVERYTHING right; A few weeks ago, I visited her salon on Fifth Avenue and 42nd (right across from the Bryant Park tents — she treats a lot of the famous fashion faces inside) for a customized 60-minute Red Rose Purifying Facial, and truly, my skin has never looked better.

Joanna’s treatment started off with a Diamond Peel — a form of microdermabrasion that uses a diamond-tipped wand to remove the top layer of dead skin, and while I like to think I do a decent job of cleansing and moisturizing, it is winter in New York, so I’m sure Joanna had more than enough unpleasantries to deal with. Despite the fact that I have rosacea and my skin gets hot and flares up at the mere opening of a jar of unfamiliar moisturizer, the Diamond Peel felt great, and I had no negative reaction to it or any of the treatments or organic products Joanna applied.

Next up was a vitamin-packed red rose cream cleanser, followed by an exfoliation, an herbal oil facial massage, some extractions (it happens — don’t hate), and a mask made of red rose petals, honey, and beetroot extract. One of the last steps was the oxygen process, with combines 98% oxygen with a serum made from green tea, vitamins and aloe. She sent me home covered in Eminence’s Sweet Red Rose Moisturizer. And honestly, when I got home, I passed out for SEVEN HOURS because I was so relaxed. That was more than three weeks ago, and still my skin look healthier, less red, and, miraculously, the odd, slightly lumpy/ bumpy patches — just little, not-major-but-still-annoying inconsistencies that I figured were just part of getting older — are completely gone.

Also, I need to note that Joanna Vargas’ salon is small yet totally clean and super cozy and extremely relaxing (like I said: I was so zoned out, I passed out from 5 - 12pm). And Joanna is unbelievably intelligent, down-to-earth, and easy to talk to about everything from organic products (I REALLLY need to get on that… I knew it before and she only helped convince me — not in a scary brainwashy way — why) to Abaete. And she didn’t do any of that steam machine stuff that’s absolutely made me nearly choke to death when I’ve gotten facials in the past. Also, another thing that makes me choke: blatant upselling. None of that here. (Thanks again, Joanna.)

Now, here’s the catch, but let me explain to you why it’s not really a catch. A 60-minute purifying facial with oxygen with Joanna is about $325. But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, brides. If you’re spending $3-, $4-, even up to $5,000 if not more on your entire head-to-toe bridal suite — dress, alterations, shoes, hair and makeup, jewelry, WTFever — do me a favor and DO NOT skimp on your face. People are going to be kissing you, hugging you, taking photos of you, cooing and gooing all over you. Your face is WORTH $325, is it not? Same goes for you, non-engaged women who just got a new job, promoted, laid off, turned 30, turned 31, woke up on a Saturday. Whatever. Trust me when I tell you that my skin has never looked better.

And though so far I have little else than a groom, a venue, and a wedding date, I at least know that I’ll be back to Joanna Vargas before I walk down the aisle.

Joanna Vargas
501 Fifth Avenue, Suite 707
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: 212-949-2350

Labels: beauty, Eminence, facial, Joanna Vargas, organic

Joanna Vargas is known for two things: keeping her famous clients close to the vest and for the amazing, effective treatments she gives. One of her clients, Lola Schnabel, decided to give an interview to NY 1 about Joanna, the salon, the artwork that adorns the walls of the salon and those amazing facials!

Read the full story below.

Source: New York 1
By: Stephanie Simon
March 2009

During the current recession, art dealers are getting creative in how and where they sell their work. NY1’s Arts reporter Stephanie Simon filed the following report.

At Joanna Vargas Skin Care Salon in Midtown the face is a canvas that the treatments beautify. One of her famous clients, artist Lola Schnabel, also shows her artwork there.

“I picked mostly ethereal images because I thought people would be sleeping and they’d open their eyes and want to see something warm, or something fuzzy to adjust in,” says Schnabel.

Schnabel, the daughter of artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, says over the years Vargas has done wonders for her skin. In turn, Vargas says Schnabel’s work fits the aesthetic of the salon.

“So she helped create the atmosphere of the whole place and it’s kind of beautiful,” says Vargas. “Some clients have purchased pieces through me and they feel like they have a special connection with her because of me.”

At the Ana Tzarev Gallery on 57th Street, what seems like a traditional art gallery is also moving into nontraditional spaces to sell art. The gallery created a splashy billboard and bus campaign to celebrate its opening.

Executive business manager Reed McMillan says it’s a way to reach a new audience.

“Certainly in a financial time like this, it’s an opportunity for galleries to reach some new clientele,” says McMillan. “It’s a chance to try some new, maybe some untested ways to reach the art market.”

At Cafe One in Hamilton Heights, owner Jean Delphonse was approached by local artists to show their work as soon as he opened in 2004.

“They have these wonderful pieces of work but they don’t have space. They don’t have a gallery to put their work up in,” says Delphonse.

He says he likes being able to give artists a space to show their work, and it also benefits him.

“They also invite their friends in and outside of the community to come see their work,” says Delphonse.

The new ideas for display spaces could make an art gallery as commonplace and easy to enjoy as a cup of tea or joe.

To read the full story and see the video…

There is an oasis of skincare in midtown Manhattan that is so spectacular I hesitate to let too many in on the secret.

When you walk into Joanna Vargas Skin Care, you feel as if you have come home, and they have planned a perfect arrival just for you.

Let Jennifer Dowling, a beautiful goddess with flawless skin, custom design your treatment and after a blissful hour , you will leave looking 10 yrs younger. That is no lie. All the products are natural, and these women couldn’t be more genuinely concerned with creating a perfect skin care experience.

I am amazed at how incredible my skin can look after one treatment. I am addicted and will keep coming back for more. I just hope there is room for me to come next time I call.

This is the real deal and worth every penny… If you’re going to splurge, Joanna Vargas is definitely the place to do it!

Stacey Spencer
Videographer

Since I started having my facials and LED light treatment my skin looks younger and tighter in such a healthy way that I can stop going back again and again. When you realize you are being treated by someone who knows whats she is doing, as Joanna, you just feel, you can relax and wait to see yourself in the mirror looking great!

Sabrina Mavas
Journalist