111 East
BEAUTY
If you’ve been fortunate enough to visit The Carlyle in New York, Hotel Christopher St. Barth, or similarly exclusive hotels from London to Geneva in recent years, you might have noticed the addition of Sisley Spas. Sisley-Paris, the luxury skin care brand from France, has expanded from the manufacture of high-quality botanical products into dedicated, immersive spas and boutiques.
Each location offers phyto-aromatic treatments, including signature facials promising hydration, brightening, anti-aging, re-plumping (the name alone gives me pause), and, of course, treatments “for men” (which I suspect address hydration, brightening … you get the idea). Prices for treatments, which exclusively use Sisley-Paris products, begin steep and go up ($200 to $425 each).
In the likely event you haven’t happened upon a Sisley Spa yourself, I have good news: The experience is available right here in the desert, at our local Saks Fifth Avenue, during special events throughout the year. I was surprised to learn that Saks’ second floor has a dedicated beauty treatment room, where Sisley’s regional esthetician, Darese Snider, offers customizable treatments to the brand’s customers. The space is tranquil, dimly lit, pleasantly fragrant, and invites you to leave your cares behind … at least for an hour or so.
My treatment began with aromatherapy; I breathed in lavender oil for relaxation. We moved to a deep cleanse, exfoliation, hot towel, mask, and moisturizer, as expected at any facial. And yet, every step was exceptional. The best part was that the treatment was tailored to my needs versus some preset process. Snider chose to target congestion around my T-zone with the Radiant Glow Express Mask with red clay ($128) and to blur my pores with Instant Perfect Pore Refiner ($72) — after this, I would have sworn there wasn’t a single pore on my face. When I told her about my affinity for Sisley’s Black Rose Mask ($162), she immediately reached for Black Rose Precious Face Oil ($235) to tempt me into loving another product from the line (it worked).
Snider was game to answer questions. Products I hadn’t previously understood — like White Ginger Contouring Oil for Legs ($190) — were explained so thoroughly that even my inherent cynicism was defeated … for a time. (My takeaway is that this product feels better when someone else applies it to you.) I’ve also been suspicious since its introduction last year of the Ridoki-inspired massage tool sold with Sisleÿa L’Integral Anti-Age Eye and Lip Contour Cream ($210), but I can now confirm that it does some lymphatic drainage magic. And All Day All Year ($410), touted as a daytime anti-aging product that protects against environmental stressors, was better explained to me as a dual UVA-UVB filtration that lasts up to eight hours. I picked one up at the counter and, after several weeks of use, can attest that it’s a perfect daytime moisturizer; the tiniest amount is sufficient for the face and neck.
The next Sisley Spa event at Saks is March 21–24. Treatments are free for Sisley customers, but space is limited; contact the Sisley-Paris counter for an appointment. Your skin and well-being will thank you.