It’s spring — allegedly — and soon, skin that has been hiding under big puffy coats and wool hats all winter will be seeing the light of day. To get ready for warm weather, we tried out the latest trend in skin care: super-express facials. Spas have been making their treatments shorter (at a fraction of the cost of a full session) to lure in busy customers. I was skeptical that anything less than 20 minutes could make a difference to my complexion, so I tested the city’s quickest treatments.
KEY
★ – We’d rather do it ourselves
★★ – No mistaking it for a full spa treatment
★★★ – A speedy treat worth trying
★★★★ – Like squeezing a spa day into your lunch break
Renait, Midtown
383 Fifth Ave.; 212-481-8388, renaitsalon.com
20 minutes, $125 ($6.25 per minute)
★
At 6.25 per minute, I was expecting miracles. (Renait’s full facial is 45 minutes and costs $150.) I was pulled into a facial room where some Enya was turned on, but it couldn’t block out the thumping bass from the Chris Brown tunes in the hair salon. My facialist, Janet, explained that she would perform a cleansing facial. As she asked me about allergies, she scratched my neck to test for skin sensitivity. That was a new one to me. She cleansed twice, applied a toner and then a face mask. While the mask set, she gave me a scalp massage and ran her fingers through my hair for a few minutes. And that was about it. My face felt clean, but, after all that hair playing, I didn’t look boardroom-ready. I looked like Phil Spector ready to go to his murder trial. Overall, not worth the money.
Facials by Obina
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
306 Franklin Ave.; 347-585-5471
20 minutes, $30 ($1.50 per minute)
★★★★
Even after testing facials for a month, Obina’s felt like a treat. She led me through the tiny hair salon, LaBelle Boutique, to a private room.
She analyzed my skin, told me I had a little congestion on my nose, then asked me to inhale lime scent to “start this experience fresh.” She turned on the steamer, then painted on a pumpkin enzyme mask that smelled good enough to eat. While it set, she gave me an arm and neck massage with a blueberry body butter. Then, she applied a green apple toner, while explaining that all of her products are organic and homemade. She finished by scrubbing on an orange-peel cleanser that tingled on my skin. Afterward my skin glowed, the price was right and I left smelling like a fruit basket (in a good way).
Dermalogica, SoHo
110 Grand St.; 212-219-9800, dermalogicainsoho.com
20 minutes, $35 ($1.75 per minute)
★★★
Just walking into the pristine Dermalogica store and spa made me feel more relaxed. The express facials happen in the back of the store, just a few feet from customers shopping for skin products, which is a little distracting.
The process starts with a face mapping. That’s when my facialist, Nikki, put on her magnifying goggles and analyzed my skin. She told me I had dark under-eye circles. For the 20-minute facials, they focus on one problem, and I was in dire need of the eye-relief treatment. It started with a steam machine, a deep cleanse, hydration boosters and two types of eye creams. She then gave me what I can only describe as an eye-socket massage, and it felt glorious. To finish up, she applied a layer of tinted moisturizer and tinted eye cream, so when I left the store, I looked newly rested.
The experience felt much more like a full spa experience, complete with fancy machinery and a knowledgeable specialist. I felt glowing for the rest of the day and even the next morning. The only thing missing was some privacy.
RepÊchage at Lovella, Upper West Side
111 West 72nd St.; 212-570-4441, lovellanyc.com
15 minutes, $45 ($3 per minute)
★★
When I arrived at Lovella, I expected to be led to a private facial room; instead, I was plopped down in the front of the salon, like a girl getting her ears pierced on display at the mall.
The treatment was more relaxing than I expected, and the whir of the hair dryers nearly put me to sleep. I got a deep cleanse to remove dead winter skin, an enzymatic micro peel and a sugar eye treatment, which was my favorite part. My tired eyes felt more awake after the eye patches were removed, and my skin felt super-moisturized.
Sitting at my desk post-treatment, though, my skin began to feel sticky — fine after a Saturday at the spa, but for a Wednesday afternoon packed with meetings, it was awkward. I would make my next appointment for after work.