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Luxist visited the recently renovated Surrey Hotel and its beautiful new day spa, Spa at the Surrey, on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

We sat down with Cheryl Jacobs, its Spa Director, who is a nationally acclaimed spa consultant, and discussed how people can create a spa-like sanctuary in their own home.

Jacobs told us how to create a relaxing and therapeutic bath. "The first thing people should buy are Epsom salts, which offer a variety of health benefits," she says. Epsom salts (also known as magnesium sulfate) can help to relieve aching muscles and flush toxins out of the body.

Another item worth investing in are therapeutic level essential oils, which can be used in conjunction with Epsom salts. The best oils are those that are purest in form and have not had fragrances or other chemicals added.

"The trick about doing a bath at home is that the Epsom salts should be placed under the water as it is running," says Jacobs. "But wait until the tub is filled and the water is no longer running before adding the therapeutic oils. The oils should then be smoothed out to get the real essence."

Every movie has its own tie-ins but its not often that Wedgwood China gets in the mix. But the English dishware company sees the release of the new Alice in Wonderland movie as a great excuse to encourage people to host a whimsical Mad Hatter tea party. Wedgwood China home entertaining expert, Jorge Perez, offers tips for hosting your own tea party. He suggests creating a relaxed atmosphere with comfortable chairs, a central table, brightly colored fresh flowers and an invitation that sets the tone. Traditional tea time is 4 p.m. but a tea party can be held anytime between 3-6 p.m. He recommends tight, floral arrangements in low vases to make conversation across the table easy and says you can use a teapot as a floral vase.

Basic tea party essentials include a teapot, teacups and saucers, luncheon size plates , a small milk jug, a sugar bowl (preferably with sugar cubes), and a plate for lemon slices. The flatware should be set with forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right with knife blade pointed toward the plate. Place settings don't need to match and good selections of loose teas are essential (no teabags please). Begin the brewing process with cold, filtered or bottled water. Tea party snacks should be both savory and sweet. On the savory side, small sandwiches with smoked salmon, egg salad or cucumbers and cream cheese fit the bill. Sweets ideas include scones and biscuits with plenty of jams and clotted cream and shortbread or simple cakes or, if you are feeling more elaborate fanciful cupcakes with Alice in Wonderland designs might be in order (check out these amazing teacup cupcakes). The Harlequin Polka Dot tea set shown above is available on the Wedgwood site.

At the newly renovated Plaza Hotel, which recently underwent a $450 million renovation, Luxist visited the famous Oak Room Bar where Head Bartender Orlando Rivera shared with us some of his secrets, including how to make one of the most classic cocktails---the Manhattan.

Orlando Rivera, who has worked at the Plaza Hotel for 21 years, presides over The Oak Bar. During his time there, he has served classic cocktails to the great and near-great, including princes, presidents, powerbrokers, politicians, Hollywood stars, musicians and professional athletes.

The Manhattan is believed to have been invented at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1870's. The cocktail has not diminished in its popularity over the ensuing 140 years and is referred to as the "king of cocktails." We couldn't think of a better place to learn (or a better person to learn from) how to make this classic cocktail than at this landmark location. Built in 1907 as a bar for men only, the Oak Room Bar is now an iconic meeting spot for New Yorkers and visitors to the city alike.

Fragrances will last a long time--if they are properly stored, says Harry Slatkin, fragrance expert.

"Fragrances will last a long time if they are protected," says Slatkin, founder of Slatkin & Co., the premier home fragrance brand that is now a division of Bath & Body Works (see video below).

Keep your fragrances, including perfume, eau de parfum, cologne and eau de toilette away from heat. Most importantly, protect them from direct light, especially sunlight. "Light affects the chemical makeup of a fragrance and will change its color which affects the dynamics of how it combines," he adds.

Likewise, Slatkin says fragrances should not be stored in a refrigerator, as the humidity can also change the chemical makeup for the worse. It is best to keep the fragrances in their original containers, if possible, and with the tops tightly closed to avoid exposure to air. If given a choice, opt for bottles with spray dispensers as opposed to ones with open tops or roller balls. Spray dispensers better protect the fragrance from exposure to dirt, dust and air, and have a longer shelf life, too.

Don't be too quick to throw away bottles of perfume that you think may be too old to use, as long as they have been stored properly over the years. "I have smelled scents that are 15 years old, some in bottles that hadn't ever been open," says Slatkin, who is a member of the Luxist Awards' Panel of Experts. "They hold pretty well, and don't change character too much."

Perfume is more concentrated, more complex and less fragile than fragrances (such as eau de toilette, cologne and eau de parfum) that contain less oils and are more diluted. As a result, perfumes tend to last much longer.

Few things are better than enjoying good food, good friends, and good weather, and entertaining outdoors is a wonderful way to enjoy all three at once. Here are some tips to make sure your backyard get-together goes off without a hitch.

• Skip tablecloths, or if you must have them invest in enough tablecloth weights to keep the wind from carrying everything away.
• Set out at least one more cart or table than you think you'll need, because there's never too many places for guests to mingle, for drinks and glasses to accumulate, or for whatever else.
• Control bugs and define a perimeter with incense or citronella tiki lamps.

Coffee is something most of us enjoy making and drinking on a regular basis, daily even, but do you know how to keep it at optimal freshness between buying and brewing? One of the most common habits, sticking beans in the freezer, is actually among the worst things you can do. When optimal flavor is the aim it must be realized that coffee and coffee beans are really very fragile -- the delicate oils and flavors begin to break down almost immediately after roasting and are sensitive to light, oxygen, moisture, and temperature extremes.

Why keeping coffee beans in the freezer is bad
Although freezing whole beans can be okay in some cases (like if you have more beans than you can use up in a week or two) it only works if you seal them up and freeze them once -- not to be opened or removed from the freezer until you're ready to thaw the whole batch.

Whether you're pulling off the sexy smoky eye look or just want your eye makeup to last longer, the secret is all in your technique. You don't need to spend a lot of money to replicate a celebrity-inspired look, but you do need to apply powder to eyelids using certain color combinations and blend colors in just the right areas.

Get that runway-inspired look you crave with these essential tips for applying eye shadow from the country's top makeup artists:

1. Apply eye shadow wet. Dab a layer of alcohol-free toner onto your lids before sweeping on your favorite shadow to increase the shadow's staying power. The "trick is to mist the eye shadow, not drench it", says celebrity makeup artist Elke Von Freudenberg.

2. Use shimmer powder to enhance the smoky eye look. Combine your dark brown or pewter shadow with gold or silver shimmer for the ultimate celebrity-inspired look. Celebrity makeup artist www.christopherdrummond.com/Christopher Drummond points out that the key to achieving beautiful and sexy, smoky eyes is to "keep the darker shades toward the outer crease and the shimmer highlights toward the inner crease of the eye".

When it comes to grilling a steak, many home cooks often think that they can quickly run to the grocery store, pick any cut or steak they see, and just slap it on a hot grill and - voila! - a good dinner. However, many of us who have tried this have inevitably run afoul of the Great Beef Gods, with cinder-dry steaks or tough hunks of gray meat. Here is a very simple list of great cuts of beef for grilling, and the best ways to prepare them.

Steaks for One or Two

Filet Mignon: Butter soft, boneless and best served rare to medium-rare, this tenderloin steak is considered a delicacy. From the short loin, these exceptionally tender steaks are ideal for the high-heat sear of the grill because they are best served between rare and medium in doneness for best flavor. While filet mignon is famous for its tenderness, it lacks the deep meaty flavor and richness of the rib eye and strip steak. Consider topping the steak with a dab of butter after grilling.

New York Strip: Another meaty, big-flavored grilling classic, the New York Strip is cut from the tender short loin of the cow. Less marbled than a rib eye, but with a thick band of fat around the edge, the strip steak sears beautifully using direct heat over hot coals.

Porterhouse: The Porterhouse, like its little brother, the T-Bone, is a highly prized, and highly priced, cut. One half of this steak is the New York Strip, while the small meaty bit on the other side is a filet, cut from the tenderloin. These steaks come from the extra-tender "short loin" of the cow, which is located on the steer's middle-back. The meat is highly marbled and usually quite tender. They are excellent for grilling or quickly seared over hot coals and finished slowly over indirect heat. Marinating and seasoning can vary, but just sprinkling salt and pepper on it prior to putting it on the grill can also suffice.

Rib Eye: Arguably the champion of the grill, the rib eye steak is tender, flavorful and marbled with fat. The rib eye - named as such because it is the center cut of the rib section of the cow - are extremely flavorful but benefit from a good marinade. These can come bone-in or bone-out, or with a giant bone sticking out also called a "Tomahawk." Choose the bone-in rib eye to ensure a juicy, complex flavor. Most steak lovers prefer their meat served rare to medium-rare; this cut can even stand up to extra cooking time and still be richly flavored.

Red roses are popular year round but take on special importance at Valentine's Day. Suddenly they are everywhere. Bouquets of roses are sold by the side of the road and by salespeople hovering around restaurants. This, combined with the overflowing buckets at the grocery store, saturate a market that is deserving of a richness equivalent to its history. Favored mostly for its beauty and durability, combined with fragrance, the rose's popularity has caused an outbreak of ecologically harmful and trade-wide problems.

Many roses are raised in Ecuador and Colombia, and there is an ongoing concern of heavy pesticide use, unfair wage and labor conditions and the possibility that the rose tips themselves may have been treated with anti-fungal chemicals that are harmful to human beings.

Flower arranger and horticulture expert Betty Miles explains the importance of careful-sourcing and following care that will result in a longer life and a clear conscience. She notes that, due to favorable climate conditions as well as cheaper labor, most long stem roses (the most popular in America) are grown in greenhouses around the world, and generally in Colombia, Ecuador and parts of Africa. There can be a big difference between the white-bucketed variety amongst conventional locations and the fresher and perhaps more local available at a credible florist. Betty goes on to say:

When sourcing flowers in person, check underneath the bud to see if petals will have been removed. This will prove the flower to be old or not as fresh, diminishing their cut-life. 'Hardening-off' is a common flower arrangement term- taking a cut flower from a garden or, later, florist, and diagonally cutting an inch off the tip of the stem then immediately placing it in water (or cutting while the stem is submerged in water). Doing these steps, along with removing the lower leaves and stems will avoid rotting and water-contamination thus, shortening the life. If not removed, the most distal part of the stem will get dried, killing the cells within the stem, rendering it inactive, and killing the flower. This can and should be repeated by the distributor, the florist and finally, the customer. Though the packet of "flower-extender" that comes with your flowers appears artificial, it is an inert and biodegradable substance (typically a formula including dextrose and bacteria-inhibitors) that will extend the life of your cut flowers.

Tips. Gratuities. Service Charges. It's the cost of getting great service, but how much do you tip the waiter, butler and housekeeping personnel each day of your cruise vacation?

When it comes to tipping on a cruise ship, the recommendations and requirements vary only slightly by cruise line. Norwegian cruise lines points out that guests are "not obliged to offer a gratuity for good service", but they do recommend tipping a service provider that's gone above and beyond the call of duty to meet your needs. Celebrity Cruise Lines takes a different approach to the cruise tipping process, automatically adding gratuities to all restaurant and stateroom services and encourages guests to add extra if they feel they received exceptional service.

Most cruise lines encourage passengers to tip for services per person, per day, but tips can be rolled into the service charge or fee you pay as part of your cruise package.

If you need a general idea of how much to tip each individual who serves you, here's a breakdown based on recommendations per person, per day from Celebrity Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International:

Suite Attendant: keeps your room clean and orderly, orders supplies and amenities, provides you with towels and fresh linens as needed, works with housekeeping staff and handles laundry and room service deliveries
Recommended tip: $5.75

Whether its just friends getting together for drinks or a big soiree full of people you want to impress, the trick to throwing a truly perfect party is to plan out the details in advance so you can relax and have fun at the event. The mood of the host or hostess sets the tone for the whole party, so being stressed and uncomfortable around the guests is not an option. In order to create the perfect atmosphere here a few good rules of thumb appropriate for any party.

• Don't sweat the small stuff. Plan and prepare the little details till your heart's content (they can really make a party) but if something goes wrong or doesn't turn out just right don't panic. If you stay relaxed and happy your guests will be that much more comfortable (and a few imperfections can be endearing).
• Know your guests If you're serving food find out ahead of time if there are any special guest requirements (vegetarian diet, allergies, etc). Also make sure the music is appropriate for everyone, and plan ahead for special guest groups like the elderly (plenty of seating) and children (places to play). You don't want to be scrambling for extra chairs as the guests arrive.

A good set of makeup brushes can be a girl's best friend, but neglect to care for them properly and they'll soon become your worst enemy. Dirty makeup brushes apply makeup unevenly, cost you time as you struggle to get the look you want, and can contribute to unsightly breakouts and inflammation when bacteria growing in the bristles gets deposited on your skin along with the makeup.

Aside from storing them upright and away from humidity (in the bathroom is not a good idea) the single most important thing you can do with your makeup brushes is wash them regularly. Once a week is ideal but twice a month is the bare minimum, depending on how often you use them and for what. When washing any set of brushes first follow any special instructions that came with them. If you have no instructions then the following methods all work well for both natural bristle brushes and synthetics.

Although there's no hard and fast science that says everyone will react in a certain way to a certain color, there is something very real about the psychology of color and no doubt that certain colors tend to elicit certain emotions, moods, and even physical feelings. Because of this impact choosing the right colors for your interior design scheme is about so much more than just which swatches and samples you think look pretty together.

Warm vs Cool
Colors are divided into two groups: warm and cool. Reds, yellows, and shades of orange are warm colors and are known to stimulate and excite, while blues, greens, and purples are cool colors because they have a relaxing and calming affect. In general warm colors work well in places where there should be activity and interaction, like the kitchen and living room, and cool colors are most appreciated in rooms where the aim is relaxation and calmness, like the bedroom and bathroom.

That's not to say you can't mix things up and put a relaxing color somewhere busy -- my mom has green in her living room and it's still the lively hub of the house, although I do find the walls relaxing to look at. Here are some basics about each of the major color groups:

Heading off for a snowy adventure on the slopes might sound like nothing but fun but like it or not there are some dangers and inconveniences to be aware of.

There are more and more snow boarders out there, and it's good for business. Skiers and snowboarders don't always mix but there's little that can be done about it when skiers' numbers are dwindling and the snowboarding population is on the rise. Some resorts have separate slopes but many don't have the money or space to divide people up -- you'll have to get along.

Reported snow conditions may or may not be accurate. The truth is there's very little consistency or regulation in how ski resorts report fresh snowfalls and exaggeration is common. Studies have shown that resorts regularly report more new snow on weekends than during the week, apparently in hopes of encouraging impulsive last-minute weekend trips.

Planning a trip to the spa might lead you to dream of pampering and relaxation, but what about what the shiny brochures don't tell you? Here are a few things that most spas won't mention unless you flat out ask.

Reserving a room doesn't guarantee you a spot in line for services. Some spas are better at managing crowds than others and you'd hate to spend all that money on travel and accommodations only to find you can't get an appointment for that massage you were drooling over in the brochure. Avoid frustration by talking to someone who's been there and by looking at important ratios like the spa's staff to client ratio (the best will be about 1:1) and the guest room to treatment room ratio