Disclaimer: Before we begin, let's just be clear about one thing: I'm not as bougie as the headline of this story implies. I mean, I wish I were (and so you do, considering you clicked through to get this far), but the honest truth is that I'm far from fancy and instead very, very lucky to have experienced a facial at one of the most luxurious hotel spas in Paris. OK, so now that that's out of the way, let's begin.
Three days before boarding a plane to head to Paris with my boyfriend (spoiler alert: No, he didn't propose, but thanks for asking!), I received an ~exclusive invite to experience a facial at the recently opened Tata Harper Treatment Room at the Le Bristol Paris Hotel's spa. Without knowing anything about the spa, but having been a longtime fan of the natural, green-packaged skin-care brand, I quickly zipped back a "Yes!!" and confirmed my treatment. Little did I know that in less than a week, I'd arrive at the swanky-as-hell spa completely soaked, with tears streaming down my face, and hair so wet and stringy I resembled a just-bathed Border Terrier. But more on that in a minute.
The Tata Harper Treatment Room, a chic, green-and-gold room adorned with dreamy floral accents (including the wallpaper) opened in the fall of 2017 in the basement spa of the Le Bristol Paris Hotel, located in the eighth arrondissement of Paris. According the skin-care brand's founder, the idea to open an atelier in Paris (rather than a major U.S. city) was as easy as her decision to keep certain "ickie" ingredients out of her products.
"In 2011, I moved to a farm in Vermont and embarked on the journey to create Tata Harper Skincare because I believed the future of luxury was 100-percent natural and non-toxic," Harper tells Allure. "Le Bristol Paris has been an arbiter of luxury for decades, and I couldn't think of a better partner to collaborate with and to bring our collective vision of next-generation non-toxic beauty to the City of Light."
Knowing how much thought and effort Harper put into her Parisian Treatment Room made me feel even more excited to get a facial there. That's why, on the night before my treatment, I Google Map-ed my route, set my alarm, and went to bed eager for my first French facial.
Cue, seven hours later: All of that excitement turned to anxiety, as I found myself pacing (and crying, to be honest) around my hotel's lobby (located in the second arrondissement), impatiently waiting for an Uber to pick me up during early-morning, weekday rush hour. What should have been a five-minute wait for a car turned into 30, and my 9 a.m. appointment was rapidly approaching. Oh, and to add to the drama, it was raining. Cool.
With only 15 minutes to make it to my appointment, my boyfriend (who so graciously dealt with the frazzled state I was in during all of this) and I said to hell with the car and ran (more like sprinted) to the nearest subway station. Of course, because I'm perpetually public transit cursed — no matter which city I'm in — I missed the train by literal seconds. Luckily, the Métro is way more reliable than the good 'ol MTA, so in less than two minutes, I was already on the next train heading seven stops away to the Le Bristol Paris.
Fast forward to me hopping off the train and then running through the streets of Paris in the rain (simultaneously losing my boyfriend along the way): I had finally reached the hotel. With mascara tears streaming down my face and hair stringy and soaked from the rain, I walked to the reception desk — 15, maybe 20 minutes late — for my facial. Luckily, the spa receptionist graciously understood my dilemma (at least, this is what I told myself), and ushered me to the locker room to change out of my wet clothes and into a warm, lush robe.
When I finally did make it to the Tata Harper Treatment Room, I carefully climbed into the heated bed, still shivering from the cold rain, and patiently waited for my aesthetician. (Forgive me, reader, but in all of this madness, I forgot my facialist's name. I swear, I'm not awful — just awfully bad at remembering names.)
For the next 45 minutes (my treatment was cut short because of my tardiness), I would be experiencing the Jet-Lag Recovery Facial, she quickly informed me, which "balances the mind and the skin through chakra crystal therapy, combined with healing and energizing masks and massage techniques." Apparently, the treatment was inspired by Harper's own get-glowing skin techniques she utilizes when traveling. (The Treatment Room offers three treatments: the Jet-Lag Recovery Facial, Glow and Go, and Age Redefinition.)
Jet-Leg began with a double-cleansing session using the Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser, made with antioxidant-packed sachi inchi oil, and the Purifying Cleanser, a gel-like facial wash formulated with fennel and broccoli extract to draw out dirt, oil, and makeup from skin. Once cleansed, the aesthetician took a closer look at my skin under the bright, let-me-look-straight-into-your-soul light. She told me what I've been hearing for the last couple of years: I have oily, sensitized skin with some broken capillaries. Fun.
To soothe my stressed-out, just-flew-seven-hours-then-ran-through-the-streets-of-Paris skin, my facialist continued with the Purifying Mask, a treatment made with white clay, brown algae, and prickly pear seed oil, to further detoxify the built-up gunk in my pores. During this time, she lightly kneaded neck and hands — pure bliss.
Speaking of bliss, following the mask was a quick facial massage moment with the Beautifying Facial Oil. Her light tapping, done to help stimulate lymphatic drainage and reduce puffiness, almost put me to sleep. Actually, maybe it did. I can't remember. After a few minutes, she then applied the Rejuvenating Serum. This is probably one of my favorite Tata Harper products. It's super nourishing, as it contains antioxidant-packed rosehip oil and hydrating aloe leaf juice, and my skin just drinks it right up.
With a few spritzes of the Hydrating Floral Essence, a couple of taps of the arnica-infused Restorative Eye Cream, and a heaping dollop of the Illuminating Moisturizer, my treatment (sadly) had come an end. Oh, wait, actually, there was lip balm involved.
When the aesthetician informed me our time together had to come to an end, I was sad — until I looked in the mirror. (Vain, I know.) Despite the splotchiness you may see in the photo above (I blame poor lighting and my phone's shitty camera), my skin was very glow-y and felt (and, honestly, looked) much cleaner than it had in weeks. It's almost of if the nightmare of a morning I had leading up to this point was, dare I say, worth it? I'll just leave you with this: Paris (facials) is always a good idea.
The Jet-Lag Recovery Facial at the Tata Harper Spa in the Le Bristol Paris Hotel is 200 euros (just over $230) for 55 minutes or 260 euros (just over $300) for 85 minutes.
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