I scheduled my first facial with Bella on November 2nd and I can confidently say that my skin looks so beautiful/even toned/fresh and has not felt this soft in years. Let me tell you a little bit about what you can expect from your first visit based on my experience.
Bella kindly greeted me at the door and led me into the building. (Parking is free in the garage across the street and she had sent me details about location prior so I didn't have to find a spot) Once we were upstairs and in her suite the stress/sounds of the outside world completely faded. We sat comfortably, like old friends, in the dark green, plant filled, gently lit room discussing what I had in mind for my skin goals. Bella was thoughtful and thorough, navigating her way through my wishes and wants checklist then confidently sharing wisdom and suggesting a treatment that fit me perfectly.
Bella stepped out and I had the room to myself to change into a soft wrap towel that secured at the top of my chest with Velcro. Hooks on the wall as well as baskets were provided for my personal belongings. There was light music, she also asked if I would prefer it louder or more quiet. There were a couple candles lit that made it feel so cozy, one of which had a wooden wick so there was that toasty popping ever so quietly in the background.
My facial started with a simple wash to be sure my skin was clean and ready to receive the plan of action we had laid out. After the wash and gentle massage Bella applied a mask and then the light was placed and I deeply relaxed. The mask smelled and felt so rich on my skin, it was almost like a jelly at first but it solidified as time went on and by the end of the treatment she slowly rolled it away from my skin. I can't say peeled because there was no pulling at all, it was a gentle roll. Totally new to me, I use Aztec clay mask at home sometimes so I'm used to having to scrub off my mask - this is not that!
OKAY FRIENDS - I want to let you all in on something about my experience with this type of jelly-ish mask that has nothing to do with Bella but as a first time user I'd like to share.
I had the option to have the mask over my eyelids and lips as well and I said yes BUT if you never meditate, have a nervous system that gets dis regulated by stillness or restriction or if in the past you have experienced any type of physical or sexual trauma consider skipping one or both of those options OR working your way up. I have dabbled in some mindfulness meditation but am by no means a practiced meditation artist (not sure that's a title but let's go with it) but I also had a history of violence in childhood. I've done years of Therapy and have "opened my window of tolerance" drastically but I was surprises that after all these years and although I felt safe with Bella and safe in her jungle green room I did have some creeping panic messages from my body. All was fine within a few minutes of reminding myself of safety and deep breathing BUT it was unexpected and I did want to share in case someone found it helpful. I'm going to continue to have the mask applied over my lips and eyes for my future appointments but I will be mindful and maybe skip one or both if I recognize that I'm feeling overly tired or have been having a lot of other stress just to support my body. I also think it's important to note that I believe had I needed it to be removed immediately Bella would have made it happen and not made me feel badly about it.
I know this is turning into more of a novel and less of a review BUT there was one more thing she did that was new for me. She has these frozen things that she glided over my face at the end that were so fun and stimulating. In the past I've been known to shy away from things that are "too cold" but she was swift and skilled, never leaving it in one place longer than a millisecond or so and it never became too cold.
I feel like I could go on and on but you really should book with her and see for yourself. Shes' got all the regular things you get with a facial like the steam to start and face massage but she's also got something very special about her. Maybe it's her passion to make us feel good in our skin with the goals we set ourselves?
Maybe it's just her personality?
Maybe it's the way she applies all the product...I can't quite put my finger on it but I can guarantee you that she's kind, shes's smart, she's skilled, she's sensory sensitive considerate, she's very competitively priced in the spa world right now and she's just got the goods.
I'm grateful to have found her here in Eugene and I'm looking forward to budgeting monthly visits. read more