GET GORGEOUS! Glowing Skin Top Spa Tips

By Delaina Dixon | August 17, 2011 | Lifestyle

There’s nothing quite like getting your face pampered. So the DivaGals jumped at the chance to spend a relaxing afternoon at Ink Spa, a little oasis nestled inside of Ink48, the trendy boutique hotel nestled on midtown Manhattan’s West Side.

I arrived at the cozy second floor space and its inviting palette of wood, neutrals and candles. My aesthetician, spa manager Holly Byerly, guided me to the dressing room where I slipped into a zebra-print bathrobe to head into my facial. “We never have a front desk person here. We always act as your personal assistant for your entire treatment,” Holly explained. “You come in and we take you from the beginning of service to get you ready, to the end where we check you out. ”

Once on the table Holly wasted no time noticing my skin’s issues. “It’s a little dry,” she declared before settling into a routine that would include a good cleansing, exfoliation and yes, extractions (it only hurt a little!). She then lathered my face in a tingly black goop, which helped hydrate and nourish my skin, and gave me a soothing massage to boot. In the end, my skin was clear and radiant, a look I definitely want to maintain. So here are Holly’s expert tips for spa-quality skin at home.

Exfoliate. “You want to make sure to do that two to three times a week,” Holly advises, adding that the Kerstin Florian (the brand used by the spa) Clarifying Exfoliating Scrub “removes deep impurities and give skin a over-all glow. It’s a little boost when you want you makeup to look really good.”

Hydrate. “It’s absolutely key,” Holly stresses. “We have the Correcting Hyaluronic Acid serum, and you can use it with whatever moisturizers you use already. It doesn’t cause breakouts, and whatever you use throughout the day, it will help hold that in your skin even more.”

Tone. “It’s good to have a moisturizing spritz ΓÇô we use Rehydrating Neroli Water ΓÇô which you can keep in your purse and can be used throughout the day,” Holly suggests. “New York has really bad weather and it doesn’t treat the skin nice. Anything we can do to maintain balance for the skin throughout the day really helps.”

Ink Spa also offers full-body massage. My boyfriend, a busy New Yorker on the go, slowed down to get the rubdown from aesthetician Elena, and declared he felt, “new like a baby,” once she was done.

Ink Spa, located at 653 11th Avenue, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can call (646) 572-7440 for an appointment, or make reservations online. The spa offers a referral program that can save you up to 25 percent on services. Stock up on Kerstin Florian products here.

photo credit: Kimpton Hotels