The Big O

Who better to design a spa and salon than a former beauty queen? At least that's the way Treasure Island saw it. It's probably no coincidence that the beauty queen happens to be a vice president at the hotel-casino and married to its owner, Phil Ruffin.

Oleksandra Ruffin, Miss Ukraine-Universe 2001, knew if there was one thing she could help her husband with at Treasure Island it was its spa and salon, formerly WET and now aptly titled Oleksandra Spa & Salon (O Spa & Salon for short). As a woman who has spa'd across the globe and earned a crown for her physical appearance, Oleksandra spent years refining her beauty palate. The 28-year-old knows the ins and outs of spas, treatments and the little details that can make or break a pampering experience.

For instance, slippers. One of her personal pet peeves is when a spa attendant hands her a pair of flip-flops that hundreds of guests before her have worn. At her spa, guests enjoy a prepackaged pair they can take home and wear as house shoes. The slippers were just a minor detail compared to the real goal Oleksandra set out to accomplish.

"It's really important for a spa to be relaxing," she says, "but number one is results."

In the nine months of planning for the spa and salon, her thinking was simple. Play all the flute music you want. Incorporate all the delicious-smelling creams you want. If it doesn't deliver results, what's the point of spending what spas on the Strip charge for treatments?

So she brought in products, treatments and people that would make guests' trips to her spa worth while and, hopefully, keep them coming back.

Oleksandra focused on brands more popular in Europe that you can't find at every salon in town. Many of them are sold at the front desk and fused into treatments, like Lucrece. The line touts its ability to treat all skin types with peptides and other skin care technology and is used for anti-aging, acne control and rosacea treatments. YonKa, which uses aromatherapy, phyto therapy, marine therapy and fruit acid therapy, is used for facials at O. Intraceuticals Oxygen Infusions, a blend of oxygen technology and restorative relaxation, promises "visible, age-defying results."

For women with cellulite concerns, the Pressotherapy massage enhancement (a special suit worn to encourage lymphatic drainage) and Cello Gel Anti-Cellulite treatments are offered to smooth out skin and improve the appearance of varicose veins.

Aside from skin care, another product Oleksandra is proud to sell is Bronzed, the self-tanner she swore by while on the pageant circuit. It doesn't streak, leaves a natural-looking color and is free of that pungent odor for which self-tanners are notorious.

Le Metier de Beaute, an exclusive beauty line, is used for makeup applications and sold at the salon, along with Davines hair products. The salon also performs Brazilian waxes and offers Everlasting Color Gel manicures and pedicures, said to last up to two weeks, with OPI polish.

In addition to highly sought after products, O Spa & Salon boasts one other feature you can't find anywhere in Las Vegas: a Russian Banya. It's based on sweat bathing and is similar to a dry sauna, but with hydrated heat, produced when a spa attendant pours water and essential oils over hot rocks.

After all the planning came together and Oleksandra had officially given WET a makeover, the only thing left was the name. Her husband suggested his wife bestow her project with her own name. After realizing many of the names they wanted had already been taken, she agreed. "The only reason I didn't want it (at first) was the responsibility. When you put your name on something, if anything bad happens, it looks bad on you," says Oleksandra. "But I look at the spa like a client and I'm not an easy client."

To schedule an appointment at O Spa & Salon, call 894-7474. Locals enjoy 20 percent off with availability.