Skin Deep: Bamboo Massages, the Cambridge Weight Plan and a Celebrity Yoga Class

Stick it to Ya

Have you ever tried a bamboo massage? I’d always envisioned it as the tinikling Filipino bamboo dance, but set to whalesong. So upon learning that it’s the signature treatment at the Angsana Spa (yep, part of the Banyan Tree group) at Hotel Icon, I had to give it a go. The spa itself isn’t huge, with just four treatment rooms, but the smiling Thai staff are super warm and definitely know their stuff. The bamboo massage is best if you have some serious knots to work out—the therapist combines regular massage with kneading from a palm-length stick of bamboo, which is oiled up and pressed into trigger points. It’s pretty intense and can be painful if you’re bony, but I ached pleasantly afterwards, knowing that I’d had pent-up tension eased out of my back and legs. The treatment is advertised at $1,200 120 minutes but actually lasts 90 (with the remaining half-hour dedicated to “relaxation time”) so the Angsana spa isn’t as good value as it seems on the surface. But for a taste of Thailand in the middle of TST, I’m giving it a hearty thumbs-up.
9/F, Hotel Icon, 17 Science Museum Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East, 3400-1052.

Shake It

I’d always assumed that old-school weight-loss programs were for frumpy mums, but the Hong Kong arm of Cambridge Weight Plan has reached out to a new demographic: Busy women with no time to make proper meals. Sound familiar? Noticing that their meal replacement shakes were gaining popularity among a younger crowd (notably the twentysomething career girls doing their PR, I believe), they’ve recently launched the “Girl on the Go” starter set, which for $399 includes 10 sachets of shake powder, a drink shaker and a gift voucher for a manicure at Feel Good Factor. No wonder those grannies have been keeping it under their hats for so long—this stuff is awesome! So far I’ve tried the chocolate shakes, and they do not taste like diet food in the slightest, despite being just 158 calories each. They’re totally satisfying, taste authentically chocolatey (they’d go well with a slug of Bailey’s) and if you have one for breakfast, you can work through to lunchtime without even thinking about snacks. They’re no-sugar, high in protein and packed with vitamins and minerals including calcium, zinc and iron. You will need to do a consultation before starting the program though, just FYI.
Order your pack by emailing [email protected]. It comes with free delivery, or you can pick it up at their SoHo office: 2/F, 52 Graham St., Central, 2525-7165. Find more info at www.cambridgeweightplan.hk.

Great Deals Corner

There’re some amazing deals to be had with Laura Mercier’s Christmas Collection, which is offering fantastic deals on their seasonal palettes. With their Luxe Colour Portfolio (pictured), you get six eye shades ranging from dusky nudes to plummier, sparkly evening colors, three eyeliner powders, two blush shades and three brushes. The original price was $2,152, but you can now buy it for $880. If you’re all about the smoky eye look, then pick up the Luxe Eye Portfolio, which has 12 eye colors and three brushes for $1,180 (original price $1,930). The Luxe Travel Brush Set, which comes with five professional travel-sized brushes in a cool snakeskin pouch now goes for $980 (original price $2,025).
Available at Lane Crawford IFC, 3/F, IFC Mall, 8 Finance St., Central, 2115-0687.

Celebrity Yoga Class!

Big news for all you yogis out there! From November 25-26, The Oriental Spa at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental is hosting a celeb yoga instructor, the very aptly named Leo Zen, who’ll be teaching ZenCiel Yoga to the limber masses (he’s taught Demi and Ashton, y’know). The hour-long classes will be held on November 25 at 10:30am and 1:45pm, and on Sunday the 26th at 4pm, with a 75-minute advanced class at 6:30pm. Classes are $300 per head, and if you haven’t booked already, you’d better get in your downward dog and start begging for a spot. To book, call the spa at the number below.
The Oriental Spa at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental,15 Queen’s Rd. Central, 2132-0011.

Email me at [email protected].