“It’s glamorous,” said Ildiko, the aesthetician conducting my “Hollywood Facial” at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara.
I had asked her how the recently launched facial got its name, and she said that the modalities used in the treatment are the same as those that celebrities use to get their “glow” before a red-carpet event.
I have another theory: The 80-minute facial — offered for $425 — is a dazzling, unique production and a blockbuster of a spa treatment. It combines three on-trend technologies that are usually the stars of their own facial: HydraFacial, NuFace Microcurrent and Intraceuticals.
The HydraFacial machine — which feels like a wet version of microdermabrasion — starts the exfoliation portion of the session and layers on glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids. Then there’s the NuFace, a handheld toning device that features two balls that are rolled over the face in order to stimulate muscles. Ildiko performed a soothing scalp massage before putting me in a trance via LED light therapy (the red and blue lights are anti-aging and anti-acne, respectively, but also very relaxing). Finally, she used Intraceuticals to blast my face with cold oxygen enriched with hyaluronic-acid serum — what Ildiko called the “magic” part of the facial.
Indeed, the results were hard to believe: The facial reduced fine lines, and an iridescence replaced dullness and dead skin. In the words of two storied movie critics: Two thumbs up!
The Details
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
www.ritzcarlton.com
