Kathy Z.
Yelp
I read the reviews before I came for my facial, yet I STILL walked away feeling like I wasn't properly advised of the pricing and what to expect. So let me break it down. The facial is ~$145 a pop. For first-timers, there is a ~$31 discount. Each of the enhancements are an additional $80 apiece - no discount on those.
However, when you book your appointment as a first-timer, the appointment system quotes you a discount of $70 and enhancements are half-off at $40 each. Then, when it's time to check out, you learn that's only the price if you sign up for their membership/subscription service of ~$115 per month. I believe there's a minimum commitment of 2 months or else 3 months. Obviously, this ends up being quite a lot more than anticipated.
I ended up paying ~$120, which isn't crazy but is much more than the advertised price on Instagram. You can tap to pay or swipe. There is a $25 fee for last-minute cancelations.
As far as the ambience and environment, this is an open space separated by partitions and curtains. Expect to hear a lot of the same upselling during your 55-minute facial. There's quite a lot of patrons on the weekends. No change of clothing, and not a place with complimentary snacks and drinks. Small parking lot in front with an outdoor seating area included.
As far as the actual facial goes, it was a good-enough experience. I'd rate it a 3 out of 5 stars for the facial and overall. The creams felt nice and I do like how my skin feels afterward. No red spots, no irritation showed up until the next day, and the purging process can be annoying. At one point, though, I remember that I received a "head massage" which consisted of the specialist getting her fingers lost in my hair (and I had a hell of a time fixing the frizz in the restroom afterward). That was quite uncomfortable. Instead of a steam machine, they use a hot towel several times throughout the hour. At other places, the LED light or wand products are part of the facial - here, it's $80 extra and considered an "enhancement."
In short, this place is intended for people who don't really know about skincare, don't have much of a routine, and/or have the money to spend on hyped-up products. They will educate you on a lot and make facials more feasible on a monthly or quarterly basis, kind of like how The Joint compares to a chiropractor or how Drybar compares to a full-service hair salon - it's more of a bite-sized version of the real thing. If you get facials often, this won't be the best experience for you and there is definitely no spa environment here. Instead of a blanket, they wrap the ends of the bed cover up around you. My specialist talked about products and enhancements for most of my appointment, at least until I made it clear that I wasn't interested. After that, she was just going through the motions and that was fine.
My advice: ask about pricing early and often to avoid the bait and switch trick that others have complained about. I made sure to double-check the charge list when they rang me up, too, in case a membership was tacked on somehow. Oh, and expect 4-5 follow-up spam/sales emails after your appointment until you opt out two times. There are a TON of wellness spas and medical centers that offer this and more for a comparable experience in a much more relaxing setting.