Serene & Sexy: Sophistication Salon in Barrie raises the bar

   

    

    Tucked away in the Commerce Park area of Barrie, Sophistication Salon is a refreshingly open-concept and open-minded, one-stop-shop for your high-end hair and beauty services. 

    Whether you are looking for a fast and fabulous blow out, or a full-on makeover, Sophistication Salon will help you achieve a luxurious, modern look.     

    Not too long after it's opening last September, PIE was tipped off on this special salon located in the southern most  part of Barrie. Since inception, Sophistication has come to attract a large local clientele, not to mention the select group that even travel from Toronto to receive services from the talented team at Sophistication. 

  Upon entering and meeting the very stylish staff, one is greeted with a sense of friendliness, ease and luxury. This glow seems to come from the gorgeous, SoHo loft-like interior layout, consistent colour story and design and of course, the people behind the chairs.   

    

    The salon itself is located in a small plaza on Commerce Park Drive, just behind the hustle and bustle that is Mapleview Drive. Painted in the soft shades of lilac and mauve, with accents of sage and dark purple, Sophistication is instantly relaxing and draws it's clients in. 

    A paired down decor helps to keep this environment streamlined and chic. Full length mirrors sit in front of each chair, allowing the already open-space to seem even larger and fabulously huge lantern-like chandeliers hung from the ceiling add an elegant touch and emphasize the lofty feeling. Located on the main floor of the salon are the cutting area, sinks, front line and aesthetics zone. There is also bags, jewellery and other accessories available for purchase, solidifying itself even more as a "one-stop-shop". In the loft area of Sophisitcation is where you will find the fully-stocked, top of the line L'ANZA colour bar. Utilizing this area really gives this salon it's individual edge. 

    One of the interesting things about the salon are the owners themselves. Born out of a long hairstylist-client relationship, super-cool Sophie (the hairstylist) and Montreal-er Isabelle (the client), decided that starting a salon together, was the next natural step personally and professionally. Now, Isabelle works as the business side of the Sophistication Salon brain, and Sophie handles what she loves best, the hair.

    Extending their lifestyle philosophies into their business, Sophie and Isabelle and very excited about being able to share the L'ANZA Healing Hair system with clients at Sophistication. One of only two salons nationally offering this product line and system, the salon boasts this as one of their biggest draws. The L'ANZA hair care system is a superior program focused on healing damaged hair with natural and botanical elements - shying away from the harsh chemical compounds commonly found in hair products. Of all the wonderful services offered here, this impressive line is definitely something to check out, and the experts at Sophistication can help you along the way. From head - to toe.

For a full list of services and prices, please visit www.sophisticationsalon.ca.

Book an appointment today!

All photography (except Contessa image) courtesy of: Stan Schurman, PIE MEDIA GROUP.

Body by Vi: the transformational, result-based, vitamin and supplement program

    Before the holiday season has even begun, I'm finding myself worrying about how to tackle all that excess "padding" that seems to appear the two-weeks before each New Year. The seemingly endless flow of h'ors douvres, dinners and of course, cocktails that we are met with during the month of December, it's no wonder that we'd like to have some type of healthy light at the end of the dark tunnel.

    Aside from it being that special time of the year, ongoing good health and vitality is something important to pretty much every single one of us. From counting calories to logging our daily weight, educating ourselves on how our bodies work and what is best for them has almost become a full time job in itself!
    On our hunt for some solutions to these all to familiar problems, our journey led us to the discovery of Body by Vi. This amazing weight-loss and supplement program that is easy to use, completely approachable and designed to integrate flawlessly with your life.

    I had the opportunity to meet with Terri, a local sales rep for Body by Vi, and how the program changed her life and inspired her to share this with our community.
    Terri's personal story on how she became involved with Body by Vi is one not to unfamiliar from the struggles we all have when dealing with good health and feeling great. Between chronic tiredness, not being able to shake off those last few pounds, and just generally not getting the nutrition she needed in her diet, Terri made the decision to get involved with the program, which launched across Canada in September 2011. The changes were almost immediate and the extended benefits Terri noticed included improved digestive health, glowing skin and a lot more energy.

    The Body by Vi program is a combination of weight-loss, vitamin and supplement elements that consist of the Vi-shape Nutritional Shake, four daily vitamin and anti-oxidant capsules, the ViSalus NUERO energy drinks, and delicious Nutra-Cookies. The centerpiece and foundation of the program is no doubt the shake. Made to taste like cake batter (amazing, I know), this milk-based mix - Terri recommends using almond milk for added benefit - is packed full with an unbelievable amount of nutrition. To get the equivalent found in one serving of the Vi-Shape shake you would need to eat over $100 in groceries and 8,600 calories!

    Beyond the super shake, the benefits of the rest of the system are really what balances the program out and really packs the punch to get your body back in check. The cellular rejuvenation system, aka daily capsules, is the most complete health system on the market featuring patented anti-aging formulas designed to support your health at a cellular level.

    For 2012, Terri is planning on offering an awesome incentive for people who want to join the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge in the new year, by having a Body Makeover Competition. Leading up to a big before and after reveal fashion show event in downtown Barrie, entrants will find this a fabulous way to get healthy and start the new year off right!

    For more information on the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge, the program and elements that make it up, or to get involved yourself, check out the site here: askmewhy.bodybyvi.com!

by Joshua Shier

Style Notes: VERSACE Watches for HER

Does anyone still wear a watch? 

iPhone's, Blackberry's and cellphones have recently become our go-to personal time-keeping devices, but why are we denying ourselves the classic proclamation of personal style, that wearing a watch represents. Not only will it be your most useful accessory, but the right watch, can say just as much about you as your favourite handbag or pair of earrings.


We had three of our PIE Media Group girls, Lindsey, Jenni and Amanda, try some of the newest styles from the Fall/Winter 2011 VERSACE watch collection. Can you say candid camera?

Lindsey couldn't slip this watch on fast enough. Refined and streamlined are her favourite words to describe this style. She loved the white Mother of Pearl dial with the signature Medusa head and four beautiful diamonds on the face. The strap caught her eye for it's subtle quality. Two stainless steel concentric circles create the target-look on this watch. The inner ring is embellished with crystals and outer ring actually rotates on an axel, adding a fun touch for the wearer.

Always on the hunt for the perfect statement piece, Jenni found a friend in this ostentatious watch style. One of her favourite aspects was the consistent rose gold features - from the hands, to the solid Medusa in the face and the linked bracelet-style strap - that give this watch a more masculine feel. The icing on the cake for her though, was the uniquely divided face. The lower-half where the posh roman numerals are placed, is made completely of white enamel and guilloche finishing in the upper-half. Stylish and reliable, this watch boasts traditional swiss quartz movement.                                                  

For a more timeless and feminine look, Amanda went for this classy timepiece to compliment her personal style. The elegant colour combo that comes from the stainless steel face - embossed with the VERSACE logo - and black enamel insert that houses the clock itself, will lend itself to any wardrobe. Keeping true to minimal style, the bracelet and casing made of silver is the perfect finishing touch on this glamorous accessory.




by Joshua Shier


*"Style Notes" is the first of an ongoing series of fashion features on the new LIFE+PIE blog.