Mischo Beauty Review: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental

I started the "Because You're Worth It" posts about 3 years ago shortly after starting this blog because I felt, well quite simply, that readers needed to be encouraged to go out and pamper themselves. And, it was then that I first mentioned The Spa at Mandarin Oriental (Washington, DC).

Well earlier this week I headed over to The Spa for a tour of the facilities and most importantly - an afternoon of pampering! As soon as I arrived, I was greeted with slippers, a warm towel for my hands and a cup of calming tea. At that point I knew this was going to be an experience like no other. I'm so glad that I arrived early because I was able to take full advantage of the "Heat and Water Oasis" (which you can use before or after a treatment), which included use of the Amethyst Steam Room, the Experience Shower, Ice Fountain and Vitality Pool. It was THE perfect way to unwind and relax before my treatment.

My Time Reversal facial treatment started with a thorough consultation to ensure there were no contraindications (this is a MUST--- always! remember this post?), followed by a thorough cleansing, toning and skin analysis. After the skin analysis, the treatment was customized to meet my individual needs and included an exfoliation, a cold stone massage, hand massage, collagen mask and foot massage. The treatment ended with the application of a serum, eye cream and moisturizer with an SPF.

Now being the beauty professional that I am (you all know that I'm a licensed esthetician) I'm somewhat picky when it comes to spa treatments. I opted out of extractions because those are for the hands of my regular esthetician. I wish I would have enjoyed my foot massage - but I do realize that "touch" is personal. So, what feels good to one, may not necessarily work for another. And I must say that I always look forward to mask treatments, with a preference for those that work for the face, neck (shows first signs of aging) and decollete (the second face!). The collagen mask used during the treatment was for the face only.

At the completion of my treatment, my therapist Lisan recommended that I consider purchasing Somme Institute's Step 3 Serum, which is a highly concentrated vitamin C gel that works to improve skin tone, elasticity and build collagen. I thought her recommendation was excellent after having discussed the results of my skin analysis with her earlier and knowing she'd used both a magnifying lamp and woods lamp during her analysis. It's always my goal to protect an investment such as a facial, and maintain the esthetician's hard work with a consistent at-home facial regimen. So, great product recommendations are always welcome!

The afternoon I spent as the The Spa was outstanding - my facial was amazing (yes, my skin is still glowing!) and I was treated like a queen! I'm looking forward to returning soon for much, much more! Why? Because I'm worth it!

Have you visited The Spa at Mandarin Oriental yet?

Disclosure: Products in this post were provided for consideration by the company. For more information, please see my disclosure.