Good for the soul -- and wallet
Though dropping a few Benjamins on weekly spa treatments is de rigueur for Hollywood celebrities and power players, the website www.chilloutla.com brings pampering to the plebeians of Southern California -- that is, those of us working for scale.
Erin Mahoney, 27, founder and editor of the site, developed the concept from a personal desire to live a healthy lifestyle, “relieve work- and traffic-related stress, and also pamper myself with massages and facials from time to time -- all without going broke.”
So when not working her day job as an editor for online shopping site gifts.com and as a freelance writer (a recently finished guidebook to walking in Los Angeles will be published by Wilderness Press this year), Mahoney visits and reviews spas, massage centers and yoga studios -- sometimes covertly, but other times in exchange for swag or perks (i.e., treatments) from businesses -- all in the name of research.
Together with graphic designer Piper Lemons, the Hollywood resident launched the website last March. It now logs 10,000 to 14,000 visitors a month. As a companion piece, Mahoney issues a free e-mail newsletter about yoga and spa deals to 2,000 subscribers each Thursday. Although featured businesses do not pay to be included in the site, some merchants give specials to Chill Out LA visitors.
For example, Le Petite Retreat Day Spa in Larchmont Village offers, through the end of the month, a peppermint ginger hydrotherapy bath treatment to readers who buy a facial or massage treatment.
In another review of Energy Zone, a “hidden gem” off Melrose in Hollywood, Mahoney writes: “The quality of our massage treatment was easily up to the standards of fancy day spas that charge more than twice the price.” (She later notes that all Energy Zone massage sessions are $45 for an hour and $65 for 90 minutes.)
The website also offers a monthly listing of discounted community yoga classes in Los Angeles that Mahoney culls over the Internet, as well as a “Relaxing Getaways” section, in which she turns her vacation destinations -- whether it’s Maui or the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in West Stockbridge, Mass. -- into budget deals for her readers.
In other words, by hunting down the best ways to destress, Mahoney is looking to help Chill Out LA readers support their holistic habits with Hamiltons in lieu of the Benjamins.
Habit forming
DailyCandy is an ambrosial and highly addictive treat for Angelenos who are, or who want to be, in the know. The website, www.dailycandy.com, and free e-mail newsletter combine the handy information of a Zagat entry with the hip musings of the Lonely Planet guides, albeit with a bit more panache.
Launched in December 2001, the Los Angeles edition -- much like its sister publications in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston -- covers all the basic topics for survival in the big city: fashion, food and drink, beauty, arts and culture, fun, services and travel.
Pithy articles abound on some of the town’s up-and-comers and better-kept secrets: A recent blurb with the beguiling title “Meet the Forkers” chronicles the opening of TableArt, a shop dedicated to designer stemware, flatware and dishware from around the globe.
The site has also sung the praises of “Granny chic” blouses from local label Magpie Rita, and Morrie’s, which Deputy Editor Eve Epstein describes as “a little bargain boutique down in the fashion district where you can find amazing deals.”
It seems that DailyCandy readers love a good bargain.
According to Epstein, new restaurant openings and reviews are popular items in every edition, but sale notices (like the recent Bijules private sale or Barney’s warehouse sale) are even more well-received.
Angelenos, however, do favor their spa, service or beauty treatments more than others -- especially when they don’t have to leave the comfort of home.
“We were the first to write about Intuition, Jaye Hirsch’s boutique,” Epstein says. “But our angle was about how she would actually bring the merchandise to you and allow you to shop from home.”
While other sites cover Hollywood’s elite with the diligence of an IRS audit, Epstein takes pride in saying that the L.A. edition avoids kowtowing to celebrities. “We like to keep abreast of what celebrities are doing, but we rarely report directly on them or promote products just because they’re favored by A-listers,” she says in an e-mail.
But when they do report on the celeb scene, it’s usually done with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
A recent article detailed Monday nights at the Vine Street Lounge, where some of L.A.’s best studio musicians play with secret celebrity guest performers. DailyCandy observed: “The biggest draw? With all the overblown egos in the room, your own self-involvement won’t even make it through the door.”
Ouch. DailyCandy delivers both the sugar and spice of life in L.A. -- but without the calories.