Skinny jeans and sunburns, fish and chocolate ice cream, and your crush’s DMs and liquid courage– there are just some things in life that don’t go well together, and being cheap and obsessing over skincare is yet another one of them.
Ever since my freshman year of college, I’ve formed a rather intense fixation with building an effective skincare routine. But when half my allowance goes to food and the other goes to the latest sales, my skincare products often sit at the bottom of my priorities. By the time I’ve gotten around to purchasing them, I’ve usually maxed out all my cash and ended up having to settle for more affordable alternatives.
While this can sometimes end successfully, this still usually means I can never splurge on high-quality and effective procedures that truly do produce visible effects. Put simply, I may be able to snag a decent drugstore toner, but highly-acclaimed facials are always out of the question.
Until recently.
Last month, I had the privilege to partner with Elite Skin Perfection for my pre-birthday pamper session. Elite Skin Perfection is a high-end skincare and wellness clinic that provides facial and body services using internationally acclaimed brands Aqua Minerals and Botanifique. Aqua Minerals’ claim to fame revolves around its unique ingredients from the Dead Sea, ensuring pure and organic benefits. Botanifique uses long-standing traditions to formulate their products with 100% natural elements sans the harmful additives.
For my appointment, I visited their stunning EDSA Shangri-la branch, where the black, white, and blue marble interiors really brought out the luxurious atmosphere of the clinic.
As soon as I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the very warm behavior exhibited by their staff. When one thinks of the sophistication attached to the store, they usually expect very reserved and cookie-cutters employees who only interact with you to offer their assistance. But I was astounded by just how friendly the aestheticians were while still maintaining an appropriate air of professionalism.
Once ushered into my private room, my aesthetician effortlessly eased me into a light conversation that allowed me to mentally relax myself as I prepared for the session. All throughout the pampering, we engaged in comfortable chitchat talk that helped me socially unwind from having to keep up appearances all day.
It also helped that my room perfectly stimulated calmness and serenity with its neat interiors and plush furnishings.
As for the facial itself, I thoroughly enjoyed how my aesthetician clearly explained each step to me so I could understand the products going on my face and what they were doing. I decided to go for an anti-acne facial featuring their Aqua Minerals products, so I highly appreciated how hands-on her explanations made me feel during the process even if I couldn’t see it happening for myself.
I don’t want to spoil the procedure for you guys, but just to give you an idea, this facial focused more on extracting dirt from my pores and flattening inflamed zits. They don’t do any form of pricking, so that was a huge relief to me and my sensitive skin. The overall process spanned from cleansing, exfoliation, to hydration, making it a very well-rounded session.
In total, the whole experience lasted at least an hour and a half. Right after I finished, I was pleased to find out that the facial yielded immediate results especially with my actives pimples. My face felt cleaner and more moisturized overall! In truth, all though it didn’t make miraculous or major changes, it did provide me with a well-nourished base.
If this wasn’t a perfect start to my 19th birthday weekend, then I don’t know what is!