Hello everyone!
We've been thinking about what kind of new services we can add on to our menu and we thought about Vajazzling! Check out the video from youtube and let us know what you think!
Would you vajazzle YOUR vajayjay?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnDwcSfL2Tw
~ Traci
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Check out this interview!
We are so excited to share this with you!
Owner and COC, Iris Alicea, was interviewed for this article.
Check it out!
http://thejewishbusiness.com/2011/01/18/small-business-meet-facebook-and-twitter/
Owner and COC, Iris Alicea, was interviewed for this article.
Check it out!
http://thejewishbusiness.com/2011/01/18/small-business-meet-facebook-and-twitter/
Happy Sunday!
GO BEARS!
That is all.
Happy Sunday everyone!
~ Traci
Bears, chili and wine... what else do I need?
That is all.
Happy Sunday everyone!
~ Traci
Bears, chili and wine... what else do I need?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wine & Football Food Pairings... had to share!
I found this on Lynfred Winery's website and though this was so cool and wanted to share it with you ASAP, just in time for the big game tomorrow!
Looking for the perfect wine to serve at your football party? Check out these wine and football food pairings for some suggestions:
Italian Sausage: Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Sangiovese, Vin de City Red
Brats: Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Vin de City Red or White, Zinfandel
Corned Beef Sandwiches: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sangiovese, Vin de City Red
Buffalo Wings: Riesling, Seyval Blanc
BLT: Rose', Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese
Italian Beef Sandwiches: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah
Nachos: Zinfandel, Vin de City Red
Pork Rinds: Sparkling Wine, Riesling
Pizza: Sangiovese, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Rose', Syrah, Zinfandel
Chili: Malbec, Vin de City Red, Syrah, Zinfandel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy the game tomorrow and I hope this helps!
~ Traci
Footballers need to feed their souls too, why not with a great wine?
Looking for the perfect wine to serve at your football party? Check out these wine and football food pairings for some suggestions:
Italian Sausage: Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Sangiovese, Vin de City Red
Brats: Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Vin de City Red or White, Zinfandel
Corned Beef Sandwiches: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sangiovese, Vin de City Red
Buffalo Wings: Riesling, Seyval Blanc
BLT: Rose', Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese
Italian Beef Sandwiches: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah
Nachos: Zinfandel, Vin de City Red
Pork Rinds: Sparkling Wine, Riesling
Pizza: Sangiovese, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Rose', Syrah, Zinfandel
Chili: Malbec, Vin de City Red, Syrah, Zinfandel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enjoy the game tomorrow and I hope this helps!
~ Traci
Footballers need to feed their souls too, why not with a great wine?
My favorite Cabernet
Happy Saturday!!!
Ok, so I said I would do this last night, but ended up not having enough time.
So here it is... my favorite Cabernet right now:
2007 Domaine des Corbillieres Touraine Cabernet Franc
Domaine des Corbillieres is located in the town of Oisly near the city of Tours in the Loire Valley of France.
The Loire Valley has a long history of winemakeing dating back to the 1st century. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux.
The Cabernet Franc based wines from this region are lighter in color with more vegetal or "weed"-like aromas. In riper vintages, a Loire Cabernet Franc will develop aromas of raspberries and lead pencil shavings.
But why do I like it?
Well, I like it because it's a lighter, creamier version of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon, while delicious in it's own right, can sometimes be a little too bold for me. I prefer this lighter version, with it's deliciously fruity flavors of cherries and blackberries and just a slight hint of earthiness. It warms me up and satisfies my need for a great red during these long winter nights!
Stop by Uva to pick up a bottle of this little gem of a red!
Have a "wine"-derful Saturday night.
~ Traci
Drink red... it satisfies!
Ok, so I said I would do this last night, but ended up not having enough time.
So here it is... my favorite Cabernet right now:
2007 Domaine des Corbillieres Touraine Cabernet Franc
Domaine des Corbillieres is located in the town of Oisly near the city of Tours in the Loire Valley of France.
The Loire Valley has a long history of winemakeing dating back to the 1st century. In the High Middle Ages, the wines of the Loire Valley were the most esteemed wines in England and France, even more prized than those from Bordeaux.
The Cabernet Franc based wines from this region are lighter in color with more vegetal or "weed"-like aromas. In riper vintages, a Loire Cabernet Franc will develop aromas of raspberries and lead pencil shavings.
But why do I like it?
Well, I like it because it's a lighter, creamier version of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon, while delicious in it's own right, can sometimes be a little too bold for me. I prefer this lighter version, with it's deliciously fruity flavors of cherries and blackberries and just a slight hint of earthiness. It warms me up and satisfies my need for a great red during these long winter nights!
Stop by Uva to pick up a bottle of this little gem of a red!
Have a "wine"-derful Saturday night.
~ Traci
Drink red... it satisfies!
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Importance of Exfoliating
Hello everyone!
It's a super cold day in Chicago! I hope eveyone is keeping warm. The cold winters and below zero temperatures wreak havoc on our skin. We start to look and feel dry, scaly and flaky. It's a great time for exfoliation. This process helps scrub off the dead skin that lays on our skin's surface, revealing beautiful, fresh new skin!
Below is a note that I posted on Facebook about the different types of exfoliation and the benefits of each. Just wanted to share that here as well. Enjoy!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Did you know?
Skin cells that have been around for about 25 days are starting to shed, making room for the new skin cells that will be taking their place. Sometimes the old skin cells remain attached to the surface of your skin, which can create challenges for the new skin: blackheads, whiteheads, rough texture, or an uneven appearance of the skin tone.*
When the natural process of shedding the dead, dry skin cells doesn't work, you need to step in and help it along. Keeping the skin exfoliated helps ensure that your other skin care products, like serums and moisturizers, are more effective. When they don't have to penetrate a layer of dead skin cells, they can target the new skin cells, which is where they need to work.*
This is a big part of why your Esthetician advices getting facials every 4 - 6 weeks. Most facials include an exfoliation step, using either a manual form of exfoliation (also know as a scrub) or a chemical form of exfoliation.
What's the difference, you ask?
Well, a manual exfoliator or scrub will almost always have a "gritty" type of feel to it. The purpose of that grittiness is to physically remove the dead skin cells. A chemical exfoliator uses ingredients like glycolic and lactic acids to chemically disolve the old skin cells.
When choosing an manual exfoliator, make sure it is specifically made for the face. Do not use body exfoliaitors on your face becasue the skin on your face is thinner then the skin on your body and the grittiness used in body exfoliators could be too harsh for the delicate skin on your face.
Also, you should look for a product that boasts “beads” or “spheres”, denoting that the gritty ingredient that does the scrubbing is perfectly round. Many products use ground-up shells, which are abrasive and harsh. The shells have uneven, sharp edges that can create small rips, causing minor skin damage and irritation to the pores. You should avoid these types of manual exfoliants whenever possible.*
Two of the most common chemical exfoliating ingredients, glycolic acid and lactic acid, are found in the alpha-hydroxy family. Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) are derived from fruits and the sugars in milk. Nearly every professional skin care line, and many over-the-counter products, use these two ingredients. Glycolic acid and lactic acid are the most popular AHAs because they are better able to penetrate the skin than some of their counterparts. Alpha hydroxy exfoliants work by dissolving the “glue” that holds the dead skin cells to the new skin cells, allowing the old skin to be washed away easily.*
In addition to their exfoliating benefits, AHAs also offer many restorative benefits. In higher percentages, they can stimulate collagen production and also help reverse the effects of sun damage, such as fine lines and spotty pigmentation. However, AHA products also make your skin more sensitive to the sun, making use of a daily sunscreen mandatory for those who choose to exfoliate this way.*
With winter upon us, most of us are seeing and feeling a difference in our skin. Tight, scaly, flaky skin is causing us to look tired and gray. Let Uva Spa & Wine Boutique revitalize your skin. Come in for any one of our facials and let our licensed estheticians work magic on your skin to gently exfoliate away all the dry skin and make your skin bright and beautiful again!
We also have a Manual Microdermabrasion Facial and a Chemical Peel Facial that both focus on shedding your skin of dead skin cells as well as minimizing pore size and dimishing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Call us today and set up your appointment at 708-669-7169.
From your Uva Team,
Iris, Traci & Candace
*From the article titled "Exfoliating Your Skin" by Annalise Kaylor
________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading this note.
Stay warm and cozy up with a nice Cabernet! Maybe I'll share with you my favorite Cabernet a little later today! ;)
~ Traci
Feed your body and soul at Uva Spa & Wine Boutique!
It's a super cold day in Chicago! I hope eveyone is keeping warm. The cold winters and below zero temperatures wreak havoc on our skin. We start to look and feel dry, scaly and flaky. It's a great time for exfoliation. This process helps scrub off the dead skin that lays on our skin's surface, revealing beautiful, fresh new skin!
Below is a note that I posted on Facebook about the different types of exfoliation and the benefits of each. Just wanted to share that here as well. Enjoy!
_________________________________________________________________________________
Did you know?
Skin cells that have been around for about 25 days are starting to shed, making room for the new skin cells that will be taking their place. Sometimes the old skin cells remain attached to the surface of your skin, which can create challenges for the new skin: blackheads, whiteheads, rough texture, or an uneven appearance of the skin tone.*
When the natural process of shedding the dead, dry skin cells doesn't work, you need to step in and help it along. Keeping the skin exfoliated helps ensure that your other skin care products, like serums and moisturizers, are more effective. When they don't have to penetrate a layer of dead skin cells, they can target the new skin cells, which is where they need to work.*
This is a big part of why your Esthetician advices getting facials every 4 - 6 weeks. Most facials include an exfoliation step, using either a manual form of exfoliation (also know as a scrub) or a chemical form of exfoliation.
What's the difference, you ask?
Well, a manual exfoliator or scrub will almost always have a "gritty" type of feel to it. The purpose of that grittiness is to physically remove the dead skin cells. A chemical exfoliator uses ingredients like glycolic and lactic acids to chemically disolve the old skin cells.
When choosing an manual exfoliator, make sure it is specifically made for the face. Do not use body exfoliaitors on your face becasue the skin on your face is thinner then the skin on your body and the grittiness used in body exfoliators could be too harsh for the delicate skin on your face.
Also, you should look for a product that boasts “beads” or “spheres”, denoting that the gritty ingredient that does the scrubbing is perfectly round. Many products use ground-up shells, which are abrasive and harsh. The shells have uneven, sharp edges that can create small rips, causing minor skin damage and irritation to the pores. You should avoid these types of manual exfoliants whenever possible.*
Two of the most common chemical exfoliating ingredients, glycolic acid and lactic acid, are found in the alpha-hydroxy family. Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) are derived from fruits and the sugars in milk. Nearly every professional skin care line, and many over-the-counter products, use these two ingredients. Glycolic acid and lactic acid are the most popular AHAs because they are better able to penetrate the skin than some of their counterparts. Alpha hydroxy exfoliants work by dissolving the “glue” that holds the dead skin cells to the new skin cells, allowing the old skin to be washed away easily.*
In addition to their exfoliating benefits, AHAs also offer many restorative benefits. In higher percentages, they can stimulate collagen production and also help reverse the effects of sun damage, such as fine lines and spotty pigmentation. However, AHA products also make your skin more sensitive to the sun, making use of a daily sunscreen mandatory for those who choose to exfoliate this way.*
With winter upon us, most of us are seeing and feeling a difference in our skin. Tight, scaly, flaky skin is causing us to look tired and gray. Let Uva Spa & Wine Boutique revitalize your skin. Come in for any one of our facials and let our licensed estheticians work magic on your skin to gently exfoliate away all the dry skin and make your skin bright and beautiful again!
We also have a Manual Microdermabrasion Facial and a Chemical Peel Facial that both focus on shedding your skin of dead skin cells as well as minimizing pore size and dimishing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Call us today and set up your appointment at 708-669-7169.
From your Uva Team,
Iris, Traci & Candace
*From the article titled "Exfoliating Your Skin" by Annalise Kaylor
________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading this note.
Stay warm and cozy up with a nice Cabernet! Maybe I'll share with you my favorite Cabernet a little later today! ;)
~ Traci
Feed your body and soul at Uva Spa & Wine Boutique!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Hello from Uva Spa & Wine Boutique!
Hi everyone!
Welcome to our blog! My name is Traci and I am the Lead Esthetician and Store Manager at Uva Spa & Wine Boutique. Iris is the owner and COC (Chief Oenophile in Charge), and she also happens to be my Mom! And we also have the fabulous Esthetician Candace who rounds out our little team.
We are excited to start this blog, something none of us has ever attempted... so be patient :) !
A little about Uva Spa & Wine Boutique:
Well, there are two sides to our shop that are joined together by one big component...
the GRAPE!
We are a retail wine shop, carrying select and unique wine from all over the world. We are also a spa, focusing on grape-based skincare. Yes! We use skincare products made with grapes and the by-products of grapes that are used to make that delicious wine we all love to drink!
We hear it all the time, red wine is good for you... in moderation, of course ;). It can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. It's high in antioxidants, which can repair cell damage caused by harmful oxygen by-products in the body.
In regards to skincare, grapes contain high concentrations of grapeseed polyphenols, known as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). It is proven that OPC’s are 50 times the strength of Vitamin E and 20 times the strength of Vitamin C with regards to their levels of anti-oxidants. What wonderful benefits for our skin!
We offer several types of facials for all kinds of skin conditions that can be customized to your unique specifications.
But it's not just a facial... it's an experience! The Uva Experience! All of our services begin and end with a taste of wine in a comfortable and relaxed setting.
We also have complimentary wine tastings every Saturday from 3-4 pm.
So, to sum it all up, skincare products utilizing all the benefits of the grapes... delicious and unique wine from all over the world... that's how we tie a retail wine shop and spa together! Grape Therapy for your body and soul!
Visit us at:
5102 N. Harlem Ave.
Harwood Heights, IL 60706.
Call us at:
(708) 699-7169
Check us out at:
www.uvastore.com
www.facebook.com/uvaspa (join our mailing list from our Facebook page!)
What's ahead for us as far as this blog?
We're going to keep everyone updated on any specials, wine tastings, parties, etc. that we think you might be interested in.
We are also going to feature wine that we love, food and wine pairings, skin care tips and suggestions, information about our newest products, etc.
We'll also be taking any questions that you have about wine and skincare and featuring those questions on our newsletter. Not sure yet, but I think we might be able to link that newsletter to our blog.
I hope that I've peaked your interest in our Spa & Wine Boutique. I hope that you'll look to us as wine enthusiasts and skin care experts to learn about how Grape Therapy can benefit you.
And if you're in the Chicago area, come by, enjoy a taste of wine and experience Uva first hand!
~ Traci
Life is too short to drink bad wine! ;)
Welcome to our blog! My name is Traci and I am the Lead Esthetician and Store Manager at Uva Spa & Wine Boutique. Iris is the owner and COC (Chief Oenophile in Charge), and she also happens to be my Mom! And we also have the fabulous Esthetician Candace who rounds out our little team.
We are excited to start this blog, something none of us has ever attempted... so be patient :) !
A little about Uva Spa & Wine Boutique:
Well, there are two sides to our shop that are joined together by one big component...
the GRAPE!
We are a retail wine shop, carrying select and unique wine from all over the world. We are also a spa, focusing on grape-based skincare. Yes! We use skincare products made with grapes and the by-products of grapes that are used to make that delicious wine we all love to drink!
We hear it all the time, red wine is good for you... in moderation, of course ;). It can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. It's high in antioxidants, which can repair cell damage caused by harmful oxygen by-products in the body.
In regards to skincare, grapes contain high concentrations of grapeseed polyphenols, known as oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs). It is proven that OPC’s are 50 times the strength of Vitamin E and 20 times the strength of Vitamin C with regards to their levels of anti-oxidants. What wonderful benefits for our skin!
We offer several types of facials for all kinds of skin conditions that can be customized to your unique specifications.
But it's not just a facial... it's an experience! The Uva Experience! All of our services begin and end with a taste of wine in a comfortable and relaxed setting.
We also have complimentary wine tastings every Saturday from 3-4 pm.
So, to sum it all up, skincare products utilizing all the benefits of the grapes... delicious and unique wine from all over the world... that's how we tie a retail wine shop and spa together! Grape Therapy for your body and soul!
Visit us at:
5102 N. Harlem Ave.
Harwood Heights, IL 60706.
Call us at:
(708) 699-7169
Check us out at:
www.uvastore.com
www.facebook.com/uvaspa (join our mailing list from our Facebook page!)
What's ahead for us as far as this blog?
We're going to keep everyone updated on any specials, wine tastings, parties, etc. that we think you might be interested in.
We are also going to feature wine that we love, food and wine pairings, skin care tips and suggestions, information about our newest products, etc.
We'll also be taking any questions that you have about wine and skincare and featuring those questions on our newsletter. Not sure yet, but I think we might be able to link that newsletter to our blog.
I hope that I've peaked your interest in our Spa & Wine Boutique. I hope that you'll look to us as wine enthusiasts and skin care experts to learn about how Grape Therapy can benefit you.
And if you're in the Chicago area, come by, enjoy a taste of wine and experience Uva first hand!
~ Traci
Life is too short to drink bad wine! ;)
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