Spa parties treat preteens like queens

I recently had the pleasure of spending the evening with four very well-behaved princesses-in-training who graciously allowed me to drop in on their private spa party at High Maintenance Skincare Studio. The group of 10- to 12-year-olds was perfectly at home indulging in a special evening of pampering and spa treatments. Lounging around in cozy robes, the girls chatted about teachers, school and activities and sipped sparkling raspberry cider while listening to Ashlee Simpson sing "Pieces of Me."

"This is a nice way to start the girls out and get them accustomed to the lifestyle they deserve," joked spa owner Naomi Lewis. The mother of a 12-year-old, Lewis actually started giving spa parties in her studio as an alternative get-together for birthdays and other celebrations. The girls obviously enjoyed sitting in the lap of luxury — they nibbled brownies, gummy worms, jelly beans and strawberries — and giggled and thumbed through beauty magazines while awaiting spa treatments.

Lewis offers private parties for all ages, but she has two special packages for girls 10-18. The Little Princess includes a manicure, facial, makeup application, sparkling cider and treats for $95 per client. The Queen Bee package includes a moisturizing mango manicure and pedicure with paraffin dip, facial, makeup application, tiara, goody bag filled with bath and beauty products, and special treats including cupcakes from Cupcake Royale, for $175 per client. Lewis will also tailor the party to the age group. For example, older girls receive longer facials and "model-like" makeup. Lewis can accommodate a minimum of three girls and a maximum of 10 in her stylish beauty lounge.

Hannah Harrison, Kylee Brown, Willow Lewis (Naomi's daughter) and Bailey Onstad were there for the Little Princess package. For their manicures they tended toward pretty pink polishes with names like "Aphrodite's Pink Nighty" and "Japanese Rose Garden." Manicurist Kristie Stoffel hand-painted sweet little daisies onto their dainty nails and aesthetician Mireille Willard put a touch of blush and lip color to faces rosy from facials. The facial was clearly the most popular treatment. Hannah Harrison breezily summed up the experience: "I liked the steaming, exfoliating and strawberry smell — it was all cool."

WHAT'S NEW: BETTY BLUE

Love labels but not the price tags? With a background in retail and designer clothing and a taste for fabulous fashion, Betty Lin opened her new boutique, Betty Blue, last month in Pioneer Square. It's hard to say "discount," "couture," and "designer" in the same sentence, but that's exactly what Lin's brought to Seattle. With her retail connections in New York, Chicago, Dallas and other cities, her shop serves as a sort of clearing house for all the best boutiques nationwide.

Lin's shop is filled with past-season runway labels such as Valentino, Guy LaRoche, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney and many others for 60-75 percent off retail prices. She's enthusiastically adamant that these clothes be given a second chance. "I think at the designer level, clothing is made to last and has intrinsic value. People buy these pieces as investments and they last longer than one season."

So, what does "discount" mean in the designer world? I saw a really cute wine-colored Emanuel Ungaro herringbone jacket with leather elbows patches and rabbit fur collar dyed to match the jacket, for $695. The original price was $1,735. Hmmm, should I get a jacket or a round-trip ticket to Prague?

Lin carries predominantly women's clothing, but stocks men's as well. Racks are filled with T-shirts, cocktail dresses and everything in between in her urban-hip Soho-style boutique. Need shoes or a handbag to go with that Yohji Yamamoto dress? She carries Sondra Roberts handbags at regular prices ($75-$350) and expects to have a shipment of handmade Eileen Shields shoes in from Italy ($400-$650) any day.

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