Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Neighborhood Nexus: The Muse House Retreat & Spa Le La, the Neighborhood Body & Soul.

By Laura Medina

Studio City's Tujuana Village is undergoing transformation, a refresh.

First, it was Mommy-Me Time, Spa Le La, a spa with a nursery upfront in the lobby then a infared sauna, bath, and massage throne rooms way in the back.

Now, there's the Muse House Retreat https://www.musehouseretreat.com/, for your first step and the consequenstial steps in life. Everyone has to start somewhere.

It took Muse House Retreat creator, Ashlan Christoph, courage to break away from what's not working, in order to move on to what's working...and sensing what the neighborhood needs, especially in this age of anxiety and worry.


The Muse House Retreat is a warm place of solace, a sanctuary where you'll be accepted for whom you are while getting your soul cleansed with a tea bar and good viberations from crystals.  If you need guidance-no judgement here-you can seek wisedom from their bookstore and tarot card section...

 

Or, you can journal your journey...



You can use crystals and gems for protection and intentions and they look good too...



You can even sip crystal-infused water for better viberations...


To honor Ashlan's Native American heritage, she set up a teepee where the sound baths are held to realign people's vibes...


Way in the back, are two guidance rooms with tarot card readers to give people guidance and help them spot sign posts.


Once you got your inner soul attuned, it's time to tune up your body.  Spa Le La is few storefronts away from The Muse Retreat House.

 

Even though it's primary focus and goal is an escape retreat for moms, with a playroom up in the lobby while the treatment rooms are way in the back, mere mortals can use their treatments.




On a blustery winter day, you can warm up in the Infrared Sauna, more than being toasty, it:
  • Pain relief
  • Stress relief
  • Decreased inflammation
  • Relaxation
  • Weight loss
  • Detoxification
  • Skin purification & repair
  • Increased circulation
And if that’s not enough to convince you, one 25-minute session in our sauna burns the same amount of calories as running two miles (true calories not just water weight). This is a great way to show your body a little love for all the work it does! 
The fave is the hydraulic, robotic, massage throne.  If you need unknot and knead the kinks out of your sore muscles but can't stand being touched, Spa Le La's robotic massage throne can give me a full body, head-to-toe massage, hands-free.
Sit back and melt into their state-of-the-art, zero gravity, three dimensional massage throne. By measuring your spine and adjusting to your body, you’ll receive a custom experience regardless of your shape or size. There are dual foot rollers available which work on the bottom of your feet to stimulate the acupuncture points while they spin. The motion of these rollers triggers instant relaxation throughout the body and also improves blood circulation in the feet. 
The three dimensional massage technology allows the rollers not only to move upwards and downwards, but also enables them to move in and out an additional 3-5 inches making it a three dimensional massage. The 8 automatic programs of this chair can give you the best Shiatsu massage experience, which is a great way to bust stress and can also help fight insomnia, with just a push of a button.
One of the features enhancing the effectiveness of robotic massage is zero gravity. While the so-called high-end massage chairs provide only 1 zero-gravity position, our Kahuna LM8800 blows its competition out of the water by providing 2 zero-gravity positions, which makes it a perfect chair for zero-gravity lovers.
The squeeze feature is part of the stretching program of this chair. It targets the shoulders, lumbar area, and hips, squeezing the body left and right, giving your body an effective stretch. This is done by programming the airbags to inflate at a specific time, one after another, making your shoulders, lumbar, and hips squeeze and twist. 
Spa Le La's massage throne is a cocoon that appropriately snuggles, hugs, pumps, and tones thru sensor-pressured air and temperature heat.  No fear is true relief and actual relaxation.
Both Infrared Sauna and the Massage Throne are affordable and fits into a fast-paced lifestyle and a jam-packed schedule.
Thanks to Tujuana Village's Muse House Retreat and Spa Le La, you can get both your body and soul aligned and tuned for the rest of the day and for the next steps in life.




Monday, June 24, 2019

Traveling Murad Wellness Pop-Up Pod Coming Soon...

By Laura Medina

To it's 30th anniversary this month, Murad – founded by renowned dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad – will kick off its innovative 30th Anniversary Wellness Vault pop-up experience, a first-of-its-kind experiential activation for a prestige skincare brand, in LA this recent past weekend.

When dermatologist and pharmacist Dr. Howard Murad founded Murad Skincare 30 years ago, it was never just about products. CARE is at their core: SkinCARE. HealthCARE. SelfCARE. 


It's the core of his 2015 book, battling the destructive effects and results of peer pressure, that Dr. Howard Murad re-termed, "Cultural Stress."  Nobody is perfect. The peer pressure causes dehydration and hormonal imbalance that causes adult acne.  It's much more fun and enjoyable eating and snacking your water.


As a treat, Murad Wellness Pop-Up Pod offers watermelon slices on a stick.


To get folks into a good vibe, "good viberations," the pod has a soundbath to re-tune your brain waves.


Knowing they're a skincare company, Murad's Wellness Pop-Up Pod has the company's staff giving consultations while debuting the newest and latest products...





Knowing that people live fast-paced lives in increasingly cramped spaces, Dr. Murad developed the multi-use Prebiotic 3-in-1 MultiMist, a spray-on refresher, pre-makeup primer, and makeup-setter.

A peptide-rich, hydrating mist that replenishes with prebiotics to balance skin’s microbiome for healthier-looking skin. This three-in-one formula features hydrating sugars to moisturize and refresh skin, while a yeast peptide helps lock in hydration. A multi-tasking biopolymer complex also primes and sets makeup.

Prebiotic Hydrating Sugars: Promote good bacteria; reinforce and help boost skin's natural hydration reserves for a smooth, healthy barrier.

Yeast Peptide: Helps lock in skin’s natural moisture levels to promote healthy, hydrated skin, which supports an ideal environment for a healthy microbiome.

Bipolymer Complex: Helps prime and set makeup, and ensure longer makeup wear.



A rich antiaging moisturizer featuring strong, broad-spectrum sun protection to inhibit premature aging and rebuild youthfulness. 

Perfecting Day Cream is a rich, moisturizing, antiaging cream. It features 360° sun and antioxidant protection to shield skin from UV and free radical damage that can age skin. Essential fatty acids and lecithin deliver moisture and restore suppleness while pomegranate and grape seed extracts condition. Soy flour protects elasticity and softens the appearance of fine lines. Ideal for use as a step three moisturizer in any Murad regimen, this must-have day cream is formulated to protect and restore skin’s youthful beauty as part of Dr. Murad’s Inclusive Health® System of care. 

Included in the traveling pop-up pod, are samples of the new classics...


Travel-sized/samples of...



Science-based cosmetics and skincare are the most functional for the most practical person.  Murad was one of the clear sunscreen, with skincare benefits, pioneers.

A three-in-one invisible primer with advanced skin benefits that primes, protects, and perfects the skin.

Skincare meets makeup in this colorless primer with a velvety-smooth finish that flatters any skin tone. It won't clog pores and helps makeup go on faster, look smoother, and last longer. Soft-Focus Complex reduces the appearance of pores, fine lines, and uneven texture as it primes for up to 12 hours of flawless makeup wear. A skin-perfecting blend of peony flower and black currant extracts helps even skin tone. It contains SPF that shields against UVA/UVB damage without streaks or a white cast. This product works to minimize pores, fill in fine lines, and keep skin matte without looking flat. 


Looking for a comforting moisturizer that isn't a greasy, pore-clogger?

Leave it up to Dr. Murad, he developed a water gel that deeply moisturizes and softens, thanks to his principle of hydration and water, Nutrient-Charged Water Gel, https://www.sephora.com/product/nutrient-charged-water-gel-P427638?icid2=products%20grid:p427638

A lightweight, oil-free gel moisturizer with cumulative hydration-release technology that locks moisture to skin and increases retention for up to five days.
This moisturizer features a unique blend of five minerals, five vitamins, and five peptides that helps strengthen the skin’s barrier in as little as 30 minutes to prevent water loss while plumping and smoothing skin. Vitamins alleviate dryness, provide anti-wrinkle benefits, and soothe as essential minerals support healthy-looking skin tone and texture. Five potent peptides help visibly restore damaged skin.

This product features limited-edition Hydration packaging to celebrate Murad’s 30-year anniversary as the skincare hydration experts.

Just a dime-sized amount of Nutrient-Charged Water Gel provides enough hydration for wearing alone, or underneath your SPF and makeup. It is cruelty-free, and formulated without gluten and animal-derived ingredients.

There are many factors that contribute to a damaged skin barrier, including emotional stress, fatigue, dehydration, pollution, and over-exfoliation. When the barrier is damaged, skin experiences redness, dryness, and tightness. However, when the barrier is healthy, skin appears even-toned, clear, smooth, and balanced.

"‘Eat your water’ is a phrase I have been using for many years. Staying sufficiently hydrated isn’t just about drinking eight glasses of water a day. When we eat more water-rich foods, we absorb water more slowly because it is trapped in the nutritional structure of these foods. Slow absorption means that water in food stays in our bodies longer to optimize hydration. The same rule applies to skin. Applying nutrient-rich ingredients will strengthen the skin barrier and help our skin trap and hold onto more water, longer. That’s how the formula for Nutrient-Charged Water Gel was born."—Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD 

If you're a parched desert-dweller yearning for that Southern/Caribbean humidity for all-natural moisturization, don't fret.  You'll get the soft humidity in a Murad jar and/or bottle.



Nutrient-Charged Water Gel works hand-in-hand with Murad's newest cult hit, Revitalixir™ Recovery Serum, https://www.sephora.com/product/revitalixir-tm-recovery-serum-P434550?icid2=products%20grid:p434550

An "one & done" face and eye space-saving serum that addresses stress-induced aging and instantly revives for a quick pick-me-up.   It's face serum that's also a eye serum to tackle crow's feet and bags underneath the eyes.

This sphere-infused serum for the face and eyes smooths stress lines, reduces under-eye puffiness and dark circles, and renews vibrancy immediately and over time. A skin-relaxing blend of neuropeptide, paracress, and cannabis helps smooth while boosting softness and moisture. Niacinamide refines texture, wild indigo visibly reduces under-eye dark circles, and caffeine re-invigorates tone while minimizing under-eye puffiness. 

If you're extra-dry in Las Vegas and Phoenix or Dallas, you can smear Nutrient-Charged Water Gel all over your face then pat Revitalixir™ Recovery Serum over your weary peepers as an eye serum.

Or if the stress is causing you to wring and rub your eyes into wrinkles...tsk, tsk, bad habit,...you can switch it up. Smear Revitalixir™ Recovery Serum all over your face then smear Nutrient-Charged Water Gel over your wrinkly crow's feet to rehydrate your weary eyes.



In fact, the Nutrient-Charged Water Gel & Smear Revitalixir™ Recovery Serum duo is part of Elaine Welteroth's trio, including Essential-C Toner, https://www.sephora.com/product/essential-c-toner-P9939?icid2=products%20grid:p9939

Come visit Murad's Wellness Pop-Up Pod to get a first-hand touch and felt with Murad's newest and latest and score some sample goodies...


The tour launched this past weekend in Los Angeles, but will move onto:

Westfield San Francisco Centre Mall on June 29th and finally to Westfield UTC San Diego on July 13th. Each location will be supported by in-store events with retailer partner, Sephora, where shoppers will be treated to product giveaways, one-on-one consultations with Dr. Murad, mini facials, a D.J. and more.








Friday, June 21, 2019

TI's and Jeezy's Trap Rap Producer, KHAO, Returned during BET Weekend with “Unified,” Marrying Punk & with Nipsey Hussle, Snoop Dogg, Ice T, The Game, Mozzy, G Perico, and E-40, "Don’t just be successful, be significant."

By Laura Medina

DJ and Producer, Kevin “Khao” Cates debuting his newest and latest release, "Unified" with star turn collaborations from the late Nipsy Russell, Snoop Dogg,  Ice T, The Game, Mozzy, G Perico, and E-40.

After taking a break from the usual hip-hop star rigamarole where KHAO said it's like repeating grade school over again then you go to the prom, called award shows, he wanted to explore and live up to his father's advice, "Don't just be successful, be significant."

This gave him the movitation to use his break, from producing, for a greater good.

He used his industry contacts and experience and some of his own money to KOOLriculum, Inc., https://www.koolriculum.com/ an innovative technology driven media company that delivers content using music to teach youth in grades Pre-K through12 academic competencies across subjects; and Bridge DA Gaphttp://www.bridgedagap.com/ a non-profit social-emotional program and curriculum, combining Hip-Hop music, education and mentoring to reach students and teach life skills applicable in today’s socially challenged environment. 

President Obama awarded KHAO for his educational work.

Now with the current political and social climate under the Trump Administration and the fast and sad passing of Nipsy Russell, recently, KHAO felt it is time to return to producing, but do it better with meaning.

For him, moving on never means moving out.


While making the comeback, he discovered the Bad Brains. He was pleasantly researched that the forefathers of punk and later, speed metal, were African-American Rastafarians. Wow! African-Americans have roots in punk!

KHAO used that piece of history for his return and latest release, "Unified," not only unifiying the community, the legends and the freshest in hip hop but African-American history to a certain degree and aspect. 


KHAO's using punk or speed metal as the basis for the Olde School West Coast rapping from the legendary West Coast rappers and hip-hop artists, such as ICE-T, Snoop Dogg, and the recently departed Nipsy Russell, brings it back to late Eighties/early-Ninties hard core rap before hip-hop was commercialized into today's pop tunes and dance hits.

He released his return and his latest release, "Unified," right before BET Weekend.  This just drops today...


KHAO hit the stage last night, fully debuting "Unified" and several fresh songs at his pre-BET Weekend listening party at The Study on Hollywood Blvd.

With KHAO, it isn't a comeback, it's continuation of education and American-African history and the evolution of culture.