The Price Of The Perfect Facial

How much would you be prepared to pay for the best facial of your life? $100? $150? More? What if I told you I knew where you could get it at effectively no financial cost?
Aesop at Myer Melbourne city store is currently offering 30 minute facials for $75 which is fully redeemable upon purchase of products from their antioxidant range. So essentially, it’s free. The facial includes cleansing, exfoliation, masque(s), a facial massage, hot towel treatment, a hand and arm massage and Aesop antioxidant tea along with the usual stuff.

All this is delivered by a superbly trained facialist (honestly, the girl I had was easily the most amazing beautician / facialist I’ve ever had a treatment from).

If you smell a rat and you’re thinking this sounds way too good to be true… you’d be right. Whilst there’s really no financial cost, there’s a much higher one. Your dignity.

The entire facial experience is conducted in a small room in an extremely comfy chair located to one side of the Aesop counter. The problem lies in the fact that one wall of this room is glass, and the view from this ‘window’ is the central corridor of the cosmetics floor. So, you can easily be observed by all passers by. During my facial I had the displeasure of enduring an older man coming and standing with his face just inches from the glass and watching me. Not what you call a great time.

Despite the actual facial itself being the most wonderful I’ve ever had, I’ll not be returning for a repeat any time soon. I’ve been pondering this a full week now, and I’ve decided that my dignity is far too high a price to pay for such an experience. A real shame, everything considered.

I think the facialist felt bad when I commented on the lack of privacy (which she indicated she objected to, but it was a decision from head
office) as she gave me a full twelve samples (of which I’ll purchase the full size of some). Unfortunately for Aesop, all the samples in the world and the most magnificent facial aren’t enough to buy me as a marketing tool.

BB