A spa for everyone

New luxe spa in downtown Dallas pampers cancer patients with special TLC

Photo courtesy of Hopemore Spa

The first spa in Dallas to offer services for clients experiencing injury or illness — along with everyday esthetics — has opened in the sixth-floor salon area of Neiman Marcus’ downtown flagship store.

At The Hopemore, oncology-trained estheticians have designed a menu of services for clients at every stage of cancer treatment. According to a release, these include signature oncology facials ($60), scalp treatments ($30), pre-treatment face and body preps ($50), post-treatment pigmentation regimens ($60), hand treatments, and wig services (prices vary). Corrective make-up services are also available for post-operative periods or persons who have experienced injury or illness to conceal scarring, bruising or any tell-tale signs of trauma, they say.

For those without compromised skin conditions, The Hopemore also offers traditional spa treatments, such as luxury facials, dermaplaning, LED light therapy, and full make-up applications. There's a men's facial and a beard facial, too. Services start about $125. The spa's current seasonal special is called "S'more Indulgence Treatment" ($175) and includes "a complex blend of hydrating peptides and botanicals resulting in overall health and hydration."

“Just because someone requires different treatment doesn’t mean they want to be treated differently,” says The Hopemore founder Jeanna Doyle in the release. “We are a specialty spa that is emphasizing the care in skincare.”

Doyle, a licensed cosmetologist and medical aesthetic provider, has spent 25 years in the fields of corrective make-up and oncology esthetics. She says she wanted to create a spa that would offer people "more hope in any season of life."

She and her business partner, Gina Betts, created The Hopemore, they say, as specialty spa that provides custom services by oncology-trained estheticians to meet specific needs for every skincare type.

The Hopemore's tagline is: "A Luxe Spa for Everyone."

Doyle knows what she is doing. Her pioneering work in corrective make-up has been the subject of two scientific studies at University of Texas Southwestern; one in plastic surgery and one in oncology esthetics. She is also the author of Wig ED, the first beauty book on hair loss and wig selection.

Kris Astroff, a licensed esthetician trained in oncology esthetics, serves as the skincare director of The Hopemore.

The Hopemore is open now on the sixth floor of Neiman Marcus Downtown, adjacent to the Michael Flores Salon, at 1603 Commerce Street.

Spa hours are 10 am-6 pm Tuesday through Friday, 10 am-3 pm, and by appointment on Sunday and Monday.

COUNTRY CACHET

Cirque du Soleil in Dallas boasts Western costumes by Beyonce stylist

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Songblazers will be in Houston through August 11.

Entertainment circus tour Cirque du Soleil has mounted a new US tour, one that represents its first foray into an unlikely milieu: country music. CalledSongblazers, it comes to Dallas during the State Fair of Texas with a celebrity behind the scenes: famed stylist Zerina Rosette Akers who created the costumes for the show.

This marks Akers' Cirque du Soleil debut, but she has years of experience in the fashion world. She was Beyonce's personal stylist for nearly a decade and has styled other big names in the entertainment industry, including Houston native Megan Thee Stallion, Chloe and Halle Bailey, and more.

Western influences have taken over mainstream fashion over the past few seasons. Icons in the fashion industry, including Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Dior, and Chloé, have created entire collections around Western style. With Songblazers, Akers had the opportunity to do the same.

"I was inspired by country fashion and country music past and present. I really dug into a ton of different musicians and artists, but also runway style and fashion and how it's incorporated to have the best of both worlds of fashion and music meet," Akers says.

Cirque de Soleil Akers added to Songblazers by telling the story of country songs and music through her designs. Sketch courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Cirque costumes are famously flexible and versatile, allowing the performers to move freely during their performances. According to Akers, she worked with the commonly known aspects of country fashion, adding a Cirque du Soleil essence paired with modern Western-influenced fashion. And, of course, spandex. "Everything has to be spandex 'cause we gotta move," she says.

One of Akers' favorite creations for the show was the famed nudie suit. For those unfamiliar with nostalgic country fashion, a nudie suit is a highly embellished stage costume that became a status symbol of country music performers dating back to the 1950s.

Cirque de Soleil Western Akers designed her version of the famous country music nudie suit. Sketch courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

For many, it became a symbol of the American Dream. Akers created her own version for Songblazers.

"My favorite style piece of the country aesthetic is the nudie suit. It's so glam and rooted in culture and performance; it's just gorgeous," she says.

To complement the costumes, Vanessa Ashley, makeup specialist for Cirque du Soleil, says the color palette for the show is vibrant and happy. She pulled from the colors of the costumes to create a palette of blues, oranges, pinks, and purples. The makeup team teaches the artists how to do their makeup and hair by giving them lessons so they can complete their looks on their own weeks prior to the show.

Songblazers runs September 25-October 11 at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Tickets to the show include admission to the State Fair of Texas for the day of the show only, parking not included (does not include September 25-26).

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Songblazers will be in Houston through August 11.

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