A Fresh and Lush-urious Facial in NYC: My Lush Spa Experience

A Spa Story

I’m the friend who knows the best places to get a stress-free facial, the most relaxing Turkish bath, and five-star spa experiences for a deal. My history for wellness stems from my teenage years of browsing through Lush stores. I was a fan from the first sniff of their signature sweet scent that all their stores have. I obsessed over Dark Angles during my goth phase, showered in Prince Charming when I saved up my babysitting money, and still use Sleepy Body lotion when I’m feeling particularly stressed out. I’ve tested their coveted Christmas box, gifted Easter goodies to my nieces, and celebrated the Lunar New Year with their Dragon Collection. So when I heard of their in-person spa in NYC I simply had to pay a visit.

Arrival

Hopping on the 6 train I made my way uptown to the Lush on Lexington Avenue. The brightly colored products all called for me to sniff them but I was on a mission. A spa mission. I walked over to the front and checked in with the front desk for my appointment. Today I selected the Validation Facial, a curated 60-minute facial by a licensed esthetician using all Lush products (of course).

The Validation Treatment and Product Selection

I was paired with Melissa, a NYC native (a fellow Harlem girlie) who’s all about skincare and helping women feel beautiful!

Melissa walked step by step with me to handpick products for my facial. I recently got a slight sunburn so this facial I was going for exfoliation and soothing benefits. We collaborated together to select products from oil cleansers, serums, fresh face masks, and moisturizers. What I loved was Melissa added the products to a palette for use during my treatment. It gave a work-of-art vibe to the facial. Once we selected our products she led me to the room where the magic truly happens.

Once we were in the room, she explained I could get undressed to my comfort and get into the massage table under the sheets. She left me to disrobe and then I ran a bell to let her know I was ready.

An Hour of Bliss:The Facial Experience

Then Melissa came in and started the soothing nature music with waves washing to shore and angelic hymns. She began the treatment with a hot towel to my feet and began to massage. Her warm touch was blissful as the knots in my feet melted away.

She transitioned into the facial after a few minutes. This was a ten-product facial so I won’t go into alllll the details but here are the highlights:

First, she cleaned my face with Ultraplant, an oil cleanser and Turmeric Roll, a traditional cleanser. Her pressure was immaculate. I don’t know how she did it but Melissa had a motion where her hands followed on my face in a seamless rhythm. She later explained how Lush created this facial to mimic a dance and would choreograph it to the sounds of the music playing during the treatment.
Next, she applied a hot towel to my face to wipe away the cleansers. This was easily my favorite part of the treatment. I felt myself start to fully relax as sleep drifted over me.
Melissa applied the Seaweed BB Fresh Face Mask. Since my skin was a bit burnt from the sun she picked this mask to soothe my red skin. To top off the mask she added Cucumber Eye Pads to de-puff my eyes.
While the mask was doing its thing, Melissa started massaging my arms and hands with Helping Hands Hand Cream. Her soft touch felt heavenly as she worked out some kinks from my shoulders.
Next up, she wiped off the mask and applied hot stones to relax my face and shoulders and cold stones immediately after to refresh.
Once I was cleansed she applied Argan, an oil-based serum to my skin. It smelt incredible like sweet florals with a touch of orange.
Lastly, for moisturizer Melissa dabbed on Gorgeous Face Cream and Enchanted Eye Cream to my face.

When the facial was complete Melissa gave me a taste of the Tangle Hair Spa Treatment. As a curly girl, I was curious about head massages but always feared for my ‘fro. Her talented hands massaged through my curls, reaching my scalp, and sent tingles down my spine. I’ll have to book a Tangle treatment ASAP.

Afterwards + My Final Thoughts

To close out my treatment I was surprised by a delicious drink. A combination of limes, blueberries, lemons, and orange with a touch of mint. This fruity drink had a smoke-infused bubble on top which popped when I took a sip.

Melissa made up samples of the products from the treatment for me to use at home, including the serum bar, cucumber gel pads, and the fresh face mask. This was such a sweet gesture that it was the cherry on top of the evening.

This Validation Facial Spa Treatment has changed my perspective on Lush. They create a beautiful environment at the spa paired with ethical products and top-tier services. I highly recommend stopping by for a treatment on your next trip to the Big Apple. After all, it wouldn’t be complete without a spa day at Lush!