I’m not going to pretend life is hard as an editor forced to review to facials and airbrush tans for the job, but I’ve been through my fair share of mediocre treatments and tan jobs ala Oompa-Loompa. But I love risking my body for the price of potential orange streaks so that I can tell you, dear readers, which treatments to try and which treatments aren’t worth the dough. Three services you must enjoy: Natura Bissé Aroma Awakening facial at The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton and the airbrush tan and Da Vinci one-hour teeth whitening at Facelogic.
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Natura Bissé Aroma Awakening Facial at The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton
Three new facials have been added to the Ritz-Carlton’s lineup thanks to the launch of Natura Bissé in the spa: the Aroma Awakening for 50 minutes, La Alternativa wrinkle-relaxer for 80 minutes, and the Diamond Multisensorial Lifting for 90 minutes. I can vouch for the power of the Aroma Awakening facial. It’s not so much a skin treatment as a 50-minute slice of peace. Combining facial reflexology and Ayurvedic aromatherapy, it’s truly blissful, which is really what I want most out of a spa trip. The facial massage dulled my stress (and left me nicer, quite frankly), and the floral facial bath and cleansing left me with a beautiful glow I didn’t even cover up with makeup. Book by calling the Ritz-Carlton.
60 minute Da Vinci teeth whitening session and airbrush tan at Facelogic
Sure Facelogic staffers are experts on all things face, but they’re quite good at sunless tanning and teeth whitening, too, as it turns out. The two services are perfect for vacation preparation in a snap. (Forget the detox dieting–a tan and a teeth bleach is easier.) The airbrushing, performed expertly by spa coordinator Nicole Barton is a paraben-free formula from South Seas Skincare. Although the typical aftermath includes that sunless tan smell and temporary sticky skin, I was pleasantly surprised by the near-perfect even application and natural looking color. Although there’s nothing natural about getting a Caribbean tan overnight, the ladies at D headquarters swear they’d never know I’m a fraud. (Even they hadn’t seen me glowing in the dark the day before.)
The Da Vinci teeth whitening is even more impressive. Just 60 minutes took my teeth up a few bright notches. (My teeth are fairly white to begin with, but the technician told me moving five shades brighter is a fairly common result for stained teeth.) The hook for me is Da Vinci’s claim not to break down enamel (instead, helping to rebuild it) and organic ingredients. I won’t lie to you, 60 minutes of having teeth under a laser light show (and the preparation between each 20-minute round) can be boring, but I snoozed (okay, snored) through each session. My teeth are noticeably whiter, and even though I felt a little sensitivity for a day, I’m thrilled. Book by calling Facelogic.
