Courtesy of The Four Seasons Palm Beach
This week, Style Director Andrea Lavinthal falls asleep wearing goggles and a pair of heated foot booties and wakes up with healthier-looking skin. And no, she wouldn’t let us post a photo.
When it comes to first world problems, deciding between a massage and a facial is up there with ‘bangs or no bangs’ for most people. Not me. I always opt for the facial since, when done correctly, they’re just as (if not more) relaxing as a massage, plus your skin looks all glow-y and gorgeous for days.
While on vacation with my mom at the Four Seasons Palm Beach (one of the nicest hotels either of us has ever stepped foot in), I made us facial appointments at the spa (that’s a pic of the fancy-schmancy lobby above). She tried to get me to switch hers to a massage, but I urged her to pamper her skin instead. And by “urged” I mean I lied and said it was too late to change the appointment.
Unlike my mom, I’m fluent in the language of cucumber cleansers, enzyme exfoliation and mud masks, so I went for the most intense facial on the menu: the Kate Somerville Signature. Kate is a top facialist in L.A. with her own product line and a client list that includes half of Hollywood.
I spent a few minutes chatting with my aesthetician, Patrick, about my skin issues (dullness, breakouts, fine lines) and he had a lot of interesting things to say about all that, but I didn’t listen because I was too mesmerized by his own radiant complexion. The man was luminous, people.
A lot of things happened during the next 90 minutes including a hydrating oxygen treatment, a heavenly foot massage and extractions so painless, I actually dozed off while Patrick was poking at my face. But the coolest part was when he told me to put on a pair of goggles and shined a special ultra-bright LED light on my face for 20 minutes to increase collagen production, help even out pigmentation and flatten fine lines.
Patrick is such a believer in light therapy that he has his own device at home and uses it every week (hence, his aforementioned beaming skin). I’m actually considering getting one too (and if I do, you’ll read all about it here).
Oh, and my mom loved her Amala “Fountain of Youth” treatment so much that she’s now a member of Team Facial.
