The beauty of facials

I go back and forth on the whole getting a facial thing. I love the idea of them and have had many, but for the money; I always expect to come out looking like a million bucks (or at least $125. plus tip) worth and never do. Mainly because my skin is baby soft when I leave, it's true, but I feel like a total grease ball and they insist on doing a head massage so not only is my face greasy but so is my hair and it is now sticking up to boot. I always go take a shower (again, because, of course, I took one in the morning.) which I'm sure negate the benefits. Sigh. What's a girl to do?


Have you ever had a facial? Let me describe the experience.


I only get them at hotel spas. Some of the hotels have famous spas attached to them like Canyon Ranch, so they know what they are doing. (Having said that, my first facial was a gift certificate to Saks in New York from some girlfriends. But I digress.) Generally you are invited to stash your clothes in a locker and don a robe and slippers (leave your underwear on but pull down your bra straps). Often you can sit in the sauna while you wait or sip herbal tea while seated on comfy couches and try to make awkward chit-chat with other women who will not meet your eye. Once in the treatment room, you take off your robe and slip under the covers on the table. Then the technician dims the lights, puts on the new agey soothing spa music and asks questions about your skin regime and in my case ususally gasps and asks where I live. When I confess that I live in the clutches of the wintery grasp. She starts to massage in various unguents, apply gritty scrubs, steaming mist, and cooling masks. The treatment usually lasts for an hour or so and they always try to sell you some of the products.

I did end up springing for the collagen mask and buying a lovely orange-scented scrub but did not go for the full body scrub. ew.

So, gonna try it?