Open Sky Day Spa in Grandview Heights is a lovely little spa that offers massages, facials, waxing and tinting. I was recently asked to review Open Sky's services for my blog. I was given the option of choosing a massage or facial. I always enjoy the mini facials I receive as part of my haircut at the Aveda Institute, so I chose the Custom Signature Facial.
I've driven by Open Sky many times but I've never had a full facial or a massage. They've always sounded wonderful though, I just never made the time to schedule one. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go to Open Sky - it was a wonderful experience!
When I first arrived at the spa, I had one sheet of paperwork to fill out. Some of the questions were medical, like what medications I am currently on and if I have any allergies. All of the questions were very straight forward and easy to answer so it didn't take me very long to fill the sheet out.
My esthetician, Holly, met me in the lobby area and took me to the room where my facial would be. The walls of the rooms I saw are painted with calm and relaxing colors: a pastel blue and golden yellow. Holly asked me to remove my top and lay down on the bed, under the covers and she'd come back to begin my facial (part of the massage would focus on my shoulders so my top would have been in the way). I was pleasantly surprised to find the bed was heated! There was also a small bolster/sturdy pillow that went under my knees to keep my back comfortable.
Holly began my facial by cleansing my face and removing my makeup. She talked to me about my skin and asked me if there was anything I wanted to work on. She then studied my skin under a bright magnifying lamp. This allowed her to decide what products to use for my facial. She also made a recommendation that I switch to a more mild facial cleanser and wear a sunscreen or moisturizer with at least SPF 30 everyday. I appreciated the reminder. I know that with my fair skin (and a family history of skin cancer) that I should be careful, but I don't always think about using sunscreen everyday.
Holly applied a warming enzyme peel to my face; it was warm and a little bit tingly! She told me the peel helps break down some of the dead skin cells, making it easier to exfoliate my skin. While the peel did its thing, Holly applied a lavender balm to my hands and placed them in a plastic cover, then in a heated glove. She said they've added this hand treatment to facials for the dry winter months. My hands get dry year round so I really appreciated it!
After each product was applied to my face, Holly would gently remove it with a warm, damp towel. She always placed it on my left shoulder, then right shoulder before cupping my chin and draping the towel over my face. This repetition was so soothing. Placing the towel on my left shoulder first helped me to know what was coming.
The enzyme peel was followed with an exfoliating scrub, which smelled like cherries. After the scrub was removed Holly asked if I was ok with her performing some extractions on a few blackheads I had. I was really curious about the extraction process so I told her to go for it! It was a little uncomfortable, but so worth it when I saw how much clearer my skin looked after the facial (I wish I could have watched so I'd know how to do it myself!).
The best part of the facial was the massage! Holly applied massage oil to my skin and massaged my face. At the beginning of the facial, I was very alert. Holly told me I could ask questions but she also wanted me to be able to relax so she said she wouldn't talk too much. I asked questions about the products Holly used and tried to remember details of the experience for this post. Once the facial massage started, I ran out of questions! I was so relaxed - I wasn't too concerned with what products were being used. I felt wonderful - I was so relaxed I could have taken a nap!
Next Holly applied a mask to my face using a brush - I loved that texture of the brush 'painting' my face. While the mask worked it's magic, Holly massaged my arms, shoulders, neck and head. I think a moisturizer of some sort was applied to my face as the last step, but I was so zoned out in blissful relaxation that I don't recall for sure!
The entire process reminded me very much of the final resting pose in yoga: savasana. The music Holly played even sounded like the music my yoga teacher in Athens used to play! I was so relaxed after the facial, I almost forgot the mint-white tea facial cleanser I bought (per Holly's recommendation - I've been using it for a few days and love it!). They call this blissed feeling and resulting forgetfulness 'massage brain' or 'facial brain.' I definitely had 'facial brain' for a few hours after the massage. I also felt rejuvenated!
My skin looks and feels great, even days after my facial my skin is still much smoother and brighter. I had a wonderful experience at Open Sky Day Spa and hope to return soon!
Author's Note: I was asked to review Open Sky's services for my blog. I was given a free facial so I could experience Open Sky, but otherwise was not compensated for this review. My opinions are my own. If you would like a review of your company's products or services to appear on Cbus52, please click here for more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment