Momicure Spa contest winner luxuriates in day of relaxation, beauty

Even on the day she was supposed to have no distractions, Karmen Rodriguez, winner of a Herald News contest, had to answer the phone.

"My son called to see where I was -- he forgot," she said.

Rodriguez, of Braidwood, got a day of pampering recently after her daughter described her deserving mother in her entry to The Herald News' Stressed Out Moms spa contest.

"She's a great mom and she's so stressed out, so I think she really, really deserves it," Samantha, 13, said about her mother.

Rodriguez works the midnight shift as a full-time 911 dispatcher at Will County Sheriff's department.

After luxuriating in her nearly $400 of pampering from Body Energetics of Shorewood, Rodriguez said she was not going to be able to take her new look out on the town.

"I promised my daughter I would dye her hair when I get home," she said.
Day of care
And she was probably one of the most relaxed, perfectly put together, dyeing-a-daughter's-hair moms in all of Will County.

Rodriguez packed all of her goodies -- facial, massage, make-up application, manicure and pedicure -- into one day. The only thing that did not fit into her day was the pass to a Pilates class.

Body Energetics licensed aesthetician Leslie Clapp predicted that Rodriguez's favorite part of the day would be the facial.

"It's very relaxing," she said. "I always incorporate a scalp massage into my facials."

When Rodriguez was done with the facial and massage and was having her makeup applied, she talked about her favorite part.

"I actually think the facial was my favorite part," she said. "The smell of the massage and the facial was nice."
Smell of relaxation
Body Energetics incorporates aroma therapy into its massages, which "can be used for many different things," said Barb Kagay, massage therapist.

The spa uses both their own and premade blends of aromas. For Rodriguez, they chose a relaxation blend that had notes of sweet orange, tangerine, lemon, bergmot, lavender, chamomile and sandlewood.

"If someone is coming in here for sinus work, I will use eucalyptus," Kagay said. "We will personalize the aroma-therapy oils."

Makeup application was both fun and educational for Rodriquez. Makeup artist Kathy Pilarcik gave Rodriguez some information on the looks that are in now.

"This is what's called the nude lip. It's very in right now," she told her.

Despite being tired and having to still be the mom, Rodriguez said her day at the spa gave her exactly what she had hoped for.

"I was able to relax, very much, during the massage and the facial."