Showing posts with label spa. Show all posts

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. 

EXPERIENCE | Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie The Cocoon Body Wrap

Cocoon body wrap was complimentary in exchange for my honest review.

I never would have thought to find myself back in Toronto after my last visit in August of last year because it really is quite a journey from Vancouver though we all talk about the trek like it's just a trip to the grocery store. Many of you know that I was in #The6ix for GenBeauty and lemme tell ya, I booked that flight so fast and spontaneously that I felt like a crazy person. I DON'T like to fly, but the thought of meeting so many of my favourite Toronto bloggers and PR peeps was enough for me to haul my Vancouver ass out there!


Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie

EXPERIENCE | Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie Hammam, Gommage and Grand Caudalie Facial

As many of you know, I was recently in Montreal and Toronto for a much needed vacation and while I was on the train to Toronto, I remembered that I was headed to the land where the Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie resided. After reviewing and LOVING the original hammam in Vancouver (here), I was given the opportunity to visit its much bigger sister at the Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Toronto. I was actually flying back to Vancouver at 6pm and being an extremely nervous flyer, I booked a hammam, gommage* (30min/$135 CDN) and Grand Caudalie Facial* (60 min/$170 CDN) in the hopes that I would be a bowl of unanxious jelly by the time I was boarding the plane.

Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie FacialPhoto credit: MacIntyre Communications
2015-04-26
I can’t even type how I felt after the treatment so I will convey it was this photo of Hugo. I was just MELTY! Read on to find out about my experience because there are a few notable differences between the two locations.

EXPERIENCE | Lumiere Skin Health & Wellness Centre SilkPeel & Luminix LED Light Therapy Facial Review

I should begin by saying that my first experience at Lumiere Skin Health & Wellness Centre is not for the novice facial goer as I ended up changing my treatment during the consultation to something more “adventurous”. Located in the historic Rogers Building on Granville Street, I have passed this building numerous times to get to Trees coffee shop and never took note of the merchants in this building!

Lumiere is fairly new to the neighbourhood and offers some very unique treatments in the form of European style facials using German brand BABOR products and facial techniques. I had never heard of BABOR before, but it is quite well-known in Europe and was founded by German biochemist Dr. Michael Babor (history). The products felt very “sciencey” with plenty of active ingredients and awards featured, but I should mention that I did not have access to a full ingredients list nor was there one on the website. The price range of BABOR products is fairly reasonable with Skinovage moisturizers ranging from $72-$80.


Lumiere offers everything from specialized facials to the more “advanced” SilkPeel and LED light therapy treatments as well as massage and wax services. You can pretty much come in here a total mess and leave feeling and looking like a million bucks since makeup touch ups are complimentary. If you’re the kind of person who loves having a SilkPeel or “lunchtime facial”, definitely look into the Lumiere membership program starting at $59/month. There are varying membership levels based on the types of services you’d like to get, but the entry level guarantees you a 30 minute facial and aromatherapy back massage every month which sounds like a pretty good deal to me!  

Lumiere Skin Health & Wellness Centre Review  Lumiere Skin Health & Wellness Centre Review
If you are a new client, a consultation will be done to address your current skin needs and what you would like to achieve in terms of results. I found my consultation with Marvice to be very personalized and even came with an aromatherapy recommendation. It felt like two gals just sitting down with some tea talkin’ all about skin!

EXPERIENCE | Miraj Hammam Spa–Hammam, Gommage, Seaweed Detox Treatment

It’s a new year, so time to experience something new. Situated on the corner of West 6th and Granville Street in Vancouver is the unassuming Miraj Hammam Spa. Residing in this location for 15 years, I have gone past it numerous times on the drive to UBC, but of course never thought to go in. Thinking back, as a student the stress level is so high that a spa day would have been the best medicine! I was first invited to experience the hammam and gommage and loved it so much that I went back the next week for a January special called the “Fresh Start Seaweed Detox” which included the hammam and gommage plus a full body seaweed clay mask and massage.

Miraj Hammam Spa Vancouver Review