This month has been a face full of facials. All the spas have been calling which either means my skin needs some serious work, I seriously need to relax, or they love the blog and want to give back (hopefully the later). Regardless, I got to check out some new-to-me spas this month and try a whole gamut of facials! If you’re looking for an excuse to treat yourself or find a holiday present, look no further.

LED Light Facial

• Where: Beauty & Wellness LED Light Therapy Spa Bar, River Oaks
• The highLIGHTS: This facial is pretty non-invasive. Basically you wear a thin mask (similar to those spontaneous sheets you buy in the Sephora checkout) and some eye covers. Then a hockey-mask like contraption is placed over your head for 30 minutes or so. The mask then shines an LED light onto your skin. The color of the light depends on what benefits you want to receive (amber builds new collagen and elastin, red reduces inflammation and promotes circulation, blue destroys acne-causing bacteria, infrared accelerates skin recovery, and so on. ). While I didn’t fall asleep, it’s fairly relaxing. My session was also paired with foot reflexology and a massage–perfect for my aching half-marathon-training bones. Christina the aesthetician is super sweet and rents the one room studio from Phenix Salons, so no corporate overhead either! I’m not sure I necessarily saw the benefits from the facial, but the excuse to relax was definitely a well deserved perk. Also, inspired to restart her business after Hurricane Harvey, Christina is giving away free massages (no joke!). Tell her you read the blog when you make your appointment and show her this screen when you arrive to loosen up and relax!

Eminence Facial

• Where: Bare Necessities, Montrose
• The lowdown: Known for their Brazilian waxes, Bare Necessities is an adorable spa nestled into a refurbished Montrose bungalow. The facial I received was your pretty standard experience–steam, scrubs, toners, and samples to take home afterwards. Christina, my aesthetician made a point to personalized it based on my skin type and what type of results I wanted to see (which tbd, if a facial doesn’t include some form of customization its not worth your time). Bare Necessities also uses a unique line of skincare called Eminence, an organic, Hungarian product,  that I hadn’t head of until I arrived. Most scrubs were fruit scented, as they’re made with all natural ingredients like real pulps and seeds. My aesthetician said “its like a fruit salad on your face”. She couldn’t be more right! I also had a treatment that made my face tingle the way your mouth heats up when you eat a jalapeno. It sounds weird, but when you experience it you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. At the end of the facial, I got some Eminence branded chocolate which was a nice touch as well.

Hydro Facial

• Where: Spa by Hotel Alessandra, Downtown
• The deets: If you’re looking for an excuse to go visit the newest, most glamorous boutique hotel in town, look no further than the Spa by Hotel Alessandra. Perfect excuse to schedule a girls day or treat your mom (holiday’s gift anyone?) with brunch, spa day, and pool time–the views are phenom. The spa offers a facial + lunch package that’s targeted at busy people working downtown. While I didn’t get the lunch, I did swing by after work for the 30 minute Hydro Facial. I’ve gotten a Hydro Facial just once before at Milk + Honey and from what I recall it’s pretty similar (but quicker for those on a time crunch). Basically, the aesthetician uses this little pen-like tool to suction, exfoliate, clean, and hydrate your face with serums. It’s refreshing and your face is guaranteed to glow the next day!