INSIDE THE SPA AT MAR-A-LAGO

By Sharon Geltner

The Mar-a-Lago Club, known as The Jewel of Palm Beach, has some precious gems of its own, especially at the spa. Two notable women who catered to the Mar-a-Lago clientele early in their careers are getting attention from the entertainment industry and celebrity accolades.

La Costa Organic Jewelry, the exclusive jeweler to the club, will begin selling private label lines to Hard Rock hotels worldwide. Meanwhile, Tammy Fender Holistic Skin Care, started by a former club aesthetician, is now endorsed by Naomi Watts, Julianne Moore, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Great company to keep. And both businesses became successful when they set about to enhance the beauty of their Mar-a-Lago customers.

La Costa Organic Jewelry founder Soraya Thornton’s designs are geared toward Palm Beach women and their specific tastes. “My best-selling line at Mar-a-Lago represents Palm Beach style,” Thornton explains. “It’s sophisticated, colorful, happy, and bright.”

Very affordable, La Costa pieces range in cost from $200 to $800. “The perfect price point has a lot to do with my line’s success,” she adds. “This isn’t fad costume jewelry, and it’s not expensive diamond jewelry. Our jewelry pairs semiprecious gemstones with illuminating crystals and precious metals with a sterling silver solid core that match a price point reasonable to the discerning customer looking for unmatched quality, uniqueness, and brilliance that say, ‘Hello, world, this is me!’

“Often, customers will buy more than one piece, feel great about how they look and feel, and get hooked. Mar-a-Lago customers are very fashionable and quality- and value-conscious.”

Popular items include white quartz, Persian turquoise, and emeralds. Thornton notes that many of her pieces, all of which she sketches herself, have a design that is modern, functional, and easy to wear during the day and in the evening, making them the perfect travel jewelry.

While Thornton’s jewelry is sold at many luxury resorts throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii) and the Caribbean, the Hard Rock international hotel chain just commissioned her to create a private label collection to be sold in many of its 40 locations globally.

Previously, Thornton, who was born in Colombia, was constantly on the road marketing computer systems — leveraging her George Washington University degree in computer science. After seizing an additional opportunity to be closer to her children by teaching algebra and computer classes at Jupiter Christian School, Thornton followed her ever-present passion for design.

That’s when she began creating “organic” jewelry — with gemstones untreated by coloring, chemicals, or heat — and La Costa Organic Jewelry was born. Thornton started her company 10 years ago and was introduced on the craft show circuit. Positively impacting customers and giving back to community charities are cornerstones of Thornton’s mission.

Top Left: Versatile & Reversible Flower Loops & Lariat

Top Right: Glamorous Raw Emerald Set with Exotic Python Cuff

Bottom Left: Chic Leaf Loops & Necklace in Persian Turquoise

Bottom Right: Tiara Set in Crystals & 24K Gold over Sterling

Tammy Fender makes purity and organic ingredients her lodestar. When she couldn’t find the luxurious botanicals she wanted for skin treatments for her Mar-aLago customers, she started mixing custom-blended formulas in her kitchen.

“When I began in 1988, my focus on the healing power of plants and insistence that lifestyle directly affects the skin were considered ‘alternative medicine,’” Fender says.

Today, she is feted as a pioneer in holistic wellness. American Spa magazine honored her as a Brand Founder Award winner in 2020. “Using the most exquisite and pure natural remedies — from herbs and plant butters to refined marine clays and precious floral essences — her uniquely active, proprietary blends have had a remarkable effect,” the magazine announced when it selected her.

Fender sees this recognition as a vindication of her beliefs. “Because I worked with such exquisite ingredients, the results I obtained confirmed my beliefs of the healing and beneficial power of plants.”

She relies on word of mouth to promote her concept of “slow beauty.” That means glowing skin comes not from just applying cream but from “reconnecting to life’s natural rhythm.”

Fender notes that while her Mar-a-Lago Spa clients may not worry about money, they still deal with stress, which can dull complexions.

“Stress is still stress,” Fender says. “There is a difference in the financial realm, but women in Palm Beach likely have huge demands on their time. They are out and about a lot. They tend not to sleep enough. Especially the jet set — they are in a constant state of movement and moving in many directions. That stress is bad for the skin.”

“A lot of clients say, ‘I want glowing skin.’ But they are overwhelmed with stress and having too many balls in the air. They do not have time for themselves. It is not sustainable,” Fender says.

She follows a “slow beauty” skin care regimen instead of making rash claims that her products can immediately transform someone’s appearance.

“Our skin care reflects what is going on inside. Holistic means looking at the person as a whole — psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally. It’s not only about what you put on your skin. It’s about rest, food, and lifestyle choice. If those are imbalanced, it reflects on skin.

“We stay true. We’re not a brand that jumps on trends. Cosmetic companies constantly pump out new products. No. I’ll create a new one when I see a void.

“Clients who have stayed the course with me have major changes. I feel they look younger than when they first came to see me years ago, with amazing results,” Fender says.

Fender’s obsession with purity and integrity can be seen in her clothing. She only wears white. As for her products and packaging: no plastic. Ever. Her creams are sold in recyclable glass jars with no exterior packaging.

Fender’s “exquisite” ingredients include Bulgarian rose, Moroccan rosemary, manuka honey, lavender, lotus, frankincense, and spearmint from Asia. One of her newest products is a bath milk, which isn’t a scrub but a soak, leading to silky skin, she says.

“We source ingredients meticulously and produce small batches. We are not part of a manufacturing chain.

“Our focus is on purity and integrity. We don’t cut corners. That’s why we’ve built a very, very strong, devoted clientele based on the quality of product and level of service.”

Fender lives what she preaches. Her “restore yourself in nature” business philosophy is also her personal way of life. She and her family live on 2 acres in south Palm Beach County with 150,000plus bees in three hives. She also has 35 fruit trees and specialty gardens with vegetables, butterflies, and medicinal herbs.

Academy Award-winning actress Paltrow, who created Goop, a $250 million wellness empire, knows beauty gurus. And she has declared that Fender is “legendary.”

Perfect company for the Spa at Mar-a-Lago.