EXPERIENCE | Hubby and I Spend the Day at NIC Spa on Granville!

I adore getting facials every month as a way of relaxing and giving my skin the boost I can't on my own. I LOVE getting extractions done and that is something I DEFINITELY don't want to be doing myself at home! Scarring? No, thank you. Facials, massages, pedicures and manicures, while good for the soul, aren't great for the wallet with my most expensive facial being $200 for one hour. Now, what if I told you that tucked away on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver is the NIC Spa where ALL of the services are just $20? Unbelievable right? Well, last week my husband and I decided to find out what this place was all about!

NIC Spa is the newest addition to the New Image College downtown campus, a post-secondary institute specializing in esthetics, film and makeup artistry. The NIC Spa menu (here) ranges from basic manis and pedis to facials with AHA peels so you really can get a full body treatment for under $100! The services are all performed by advanced level students who I felt were no different than other estheticians I had experienced. If nothing was mentioned to me, I wouldn't have known because the women we had knew exactly what they were doing!

I booked my husband and I a 30 minute massage and a 90 minute Anti-Aging Facial which included a Hydradermie treatment. The latter is actually $40 because we combined the services, but still an AMAZING price considering the treatment we received.

My husband's esthetician was Tracy while mine was Helgameh. Both were very professional, personable and gave these amazing arm massages which I would go back for ALONE! My poor husband didn't really know what he was in for and took offense to the fact that I had requested an anti-aging facial for him!

Since we went in on a Sunday, there was only one class in session that day which meant there weren't a lot of people there. It was fairly quiet save for the live music from the restaurant patio downstairs, but there was a Saje diffuser happily filling our room with something relaxing. After a brief consult, we climbed into our separate beds and though I kept looking over to make sure my husband was ok, I quickly settled into Helgameh's glorious back, arm and neck massage and tried my best to stay awake so that I could write all of this down!

For the facial, we received a combination of the NIC and Hydradermie Facial with the latter using positive and negative ions to increase and enhance absorption of serums, masks and moisturizers. The idea is that this type of stimulation opens up the "water channels" of the cells which also allows for an intense boost of hydration to the face. I have had this done once before and your face looks plump and feels bouncy for days!

The Hydradermie Facial uses metal ball "rollers" rolled methodically across your face and though there is a small electric charge coming out of them, I did not feel a thing. Honestly, having the metal balls massaging your face is the most relaxing thing because there is a roller for each side of your face so it is done symmetrically and rhythmically. I fell asleep a few times because it was just so soothing. After this was done came a moisturizing mask followed by serum, eye cream and moisturizer from the skincare company Guinot along with tons of facial massage in between. I did not receive any intensive exfoliation as I had had an AHA peel just four days prior.

Both my husband and I opted for a head massage at the end of the facial (you can choose an arm massage as well) which of course felt amazing, but left me with the biggest hair I have ever had! With my hair being so dry from going blue, it is quite coarse and tends to tangle easily so let's just say that all I could do was throw my hair up in a bun! My skin was glowing and intensely moisturized at the end of our session while the husband's skin was a bit red from extractions. His skin looked glowy and very plump though so I reassured him that he would be fine to go to work the next day. Funnily enough, he ran into an old friend and his friend actually commented on how his skin was looking "kinda glowy"!

I would hands down go back to NIC Spa to get the Hydradermie Facial again and try something else on their menu like one of their body treatments. I also cannot get over their prices because I'm pretty sure I would have paid at least $150 for the Hydradermie Facial alone had I gotten it done elsewhere! My husband and I were very pleased with the service and the only thing I would have probably changed is maybe a shorter facial because 90 minutes lying down is a long time! The NIC Spa is certainly not the typical spa environment where everyone speaks in hushed tones and the lights are dim. It is a school and bustling with activity most days, but honestly after going to the more frou frou spas for years where exits aren't clearly labeled because they never want you to leave and relax FOREVER, I can get onboard with a more relaxed environment!

Book your appointment at the NIC Spa today!

Complimentary treatments provided.