Happy Hour at the Facial Bar | Alive Magazine Blog

If you think treating yourself to a facial and massage is an all-day affair, think again. The new FaceLuXe in Central West End has boiled down all the essentials of a spa experience into a session you can easily squeeze into your lunch hour—or, in the case of Wine Down Wednesdays, happy hour! Swing by after work (4:30-7pm) any Wednesday through May, and pamper yourself with a visit to the facial bar, offering 30-minute treatments ($29) specially targeted to your skin type. Call ahead to reserve your spot at the bar, but do yourself a favor and show up a little early to take advantage of complimentary Barefoot wine tastings.

I visited the other day and chose the “Glow on the Go” treatment, a cleansing and refreshing seaweed mask using FaceLuxe’s special line of Repêchage skin products. My fabulous esthetician, Whittney, started with Opti-Cleanse, to wash away all the dirt and oil of my work day, then a cream cleanser to hydrate my skin and get rid of any lingering makeup. Next, she spritzed my tingly-clean face with Algo Mist, a hydrating seaweed spray—very light and cool. I was very close to napping by the end of my facial massage, which used C-Serum, a concentrated seaweed extract rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids to help prevent dehydration. Before starting in on the main-attraction mask, Whittney covered my eyelids with Eye Rescue pads, soaked in a special tea blend to reduce puffiness and dark circles—essential for this editor, who spends all day staring at a computer screen! The seaweed mask, mixed from a powder, was delightfully cool as it was smoothed onto my face, and thickened/gelled as the heat of my skin warmed it up. As I sat there covered in what felt like a cozy comforter for my face, I easily forgot that the bustling street of the Central West End was just a few feet away. When it was all over, the mask peeled right off, Whittney took care of any remaining traces, then gave me another mist of the Algo spray. She took care all along the way to not get anything into my hair or on my clothes, so I really felt as though I could go straight back to work afterward or out to grab a drink with friends.

I still had some time left in my hour, though, so before taking off, I decided to take advantage of the complimentary chair massages they were offering as part of the Wine Down Wednesday. A free eyebrow wax is also part of the deal, but I passed on it this time.

For more info about FaceLuXe and its Repêchage products, visit FaceLuXe.com. Reserve your Facial Bar spot for the next Wine Down Wednesday by calling 314.361.5893.

— Gwen Ragno, ALIVE Associate Editor