When I was on a permanent contract in Paris, I was so stressed and tired at the weekends that I had to have a massage or a pampering session every week to relax a bit. In spite of myself, I was able to test a lot of spas, beauty salons, and the gifts I was offered, knowing my habits.
I will give you my non-exhaustive list of spas that I liked a lot.
Delphine Langlois
Delphine was spa manager at George V before opening her own practice (with two addresses: one in Paris 8ème – near the Madeleine metro station and the other in Garenne Colombes). Trained by the master of Kobido (Japanese massage technique) and by a Russian osteopath, she is a “facialist”, and specializes in anti-aging. She is able to restore the oval to a sagging face, just with her fairy hands.
I went to see her for a 60 minute Kobido session to detoxify my skin, boost my blood & lymphatic circulation. Attention, the name “Kobido” is regulated, you should only go to certified beauticians. The effect was immediate. My skin, well detoxified, gently got rid of the toughest pigmentation spots in the weeks following the treatment. This treatment is comparable to the facial I’ve got at Omorovicza in Budapest.
To make an appointment click here. Be aware, she is very successful, she is quoted in many magazines. The waiting time to have an appointment is quite long so hurry up!
Rates: between 130€ and 155€ for 1 hour of treatment
Véronique Messonnier
I opted for the tailor-made facial at Véronique Messonier. A physiotherapist masseuse at the base, she is a member of the Club de Facialistes françaises with Delphine Langlois.
Her one-hour custom facial is divine! She uses all the techniques (Kobido, Face Scupting, Gua-Sha) adapted to the problems of your face. She was trained by the master of Kobido (you can see her diploma proudly displayed in her office). You can check her rates (between 90€ and 110€) and make an appointment here.
For those who have more wrinkles, facelifting (Russian osteo technique) will be even more radical but less pleasant. The must of this massage: a massage inside my cheeks yes, made with gloves of course, (Meghan Markle apparently loves this type of facials), stimulating all the muscles of the face and make them work a little.
The treatment room is small, there is no waiting room, but it’s bearable compared to the results afterwards. Over 1 hour of massage, there is perhaps 5 minutes of cleaning and cream applying, the rest is 100% massage. After the treatment, my skin is super luminous, and the spots fade away much faster. As for wrinkles (from the naso-labial fold, an area she insisted on because these are the only wrinkles I have), they are almost invisible during two weeks.
Ioma Paris
Another address not to be missed! It is a brand providing customized products, but they also have a spa, and a skin analysis machine. I now make a habit of going there every time I come back to Paris to check the skin conditions. Since they keep pictures of previous consultations, I can compare before and after and I will know if my current routine is right for me… or not
For the skin diagnosis, the machine takes 5 pictures of my face under different lights to see the state of the pores, oil secretion etc. 1 is the best score, and 15 is the worst.
I find the results (2019) to be rather correct/credible. For someone who has just spent 24 hours at the airport and on the plane, and 3 days in Beijing, I do expect to have a lot of dead skin (my score for desquamation is 14 out of 15). Then, don’t be alarmed, perfect skin doesn’t exist, the purpose is to come back and compare before/after results to know if the current routine is suitable or not. One should not be afraid to have a bacterial activity noted 15/15, it seems that this kind of machines find bacteria everywhere anyway, on our skin, we have good and bad bacteria, it is inevitable.
The treatment I take: Constellation Visage Signature, includes 30 minutes of skin analysis + a 60-minute treatment. The treatment is made with products adapted to my skin, the massage (neck and neckline included) is divine, so relaxing. Right after the treatment, my skin is super radiant. You can also buy the mini-packs of 3 treatments and pay less. There is only one treatment room so you can’t bring friends 🙂 The spa is located near the Odeon metro station (line 4). The marketing speech is a bit heavy at the end, but I leave with several samples.
You can book the treatment, like me, via the Treatwell website which gives 30% off on treatments at Ioma
Note (March 2020): I came back for the 3rd time by opting for a facial with skin analysis and I am delighted with the results of the skin analysis. That the new products I incorporated according to their recommendations really worked. My skin barrier has been rebuilt in one year and I have fewer fine lines and spots.
Baan Siam Institute
The Thai massage here is divine! It’s the good address generously shared by my Korean friend M.
80€ for 1h30. Opt for the mixed massage: half Thai/reflexology, half Californian, with oil. I feel like I’m floating on a cloud when I leave here. I go there every time I come back to Paris. To get 50% off your 1st massage, book on Groupon
Suisen
I have the impression of being in Japan, in a ryoken as I pass through the doors of this spa. Here, you must opt for a facial massage that uses ancestral Japanese techniques. The building materials come from Japan and everything is done to make you feel in Japan while you are, in fact, in the Marais in Paris. The Youthful Facial Care (115€ for 1 hour) is a pure marvel. It’s different from standard facials where you spend more time waiting for a mask – which you could have done at home – than being massaged. Here, apart from a conscientious facial cleansing, the rest is just massage: of the face but also of the neck, shoulders, arms and hands to relieve any tension and allow good lymphatic circulation. The setting is very luxurious but remains traditional – the appointment is only made by phone. The person never answers the phone, you have to leave a message and be called back. Appointments are still recorded in an old-fashioned way on paper. The teas and macaroons served are organic and very good
Asia Zen – 81 rue Truffaut 75017
This is where I spent every Sunday. It is one of the few to be open on Sunday. It’s also one of the few to accept last minute appointments on Sunday ^_^
The quality depends on the masseuse, and they often change beauticians. But when you manage to find the masseuse that suits you, it’s great! It’s a bit noisy because the nail salon is right next to the massage rooms, but let’s forget this detail because the rate is very cheap: 45€ for 1 hour of massage.
Spa Nuxe Montorgeuil
The Spa Nuxe rue Montorgueil, I went there twice. Thanks to gifts from my colleagues. Thanks! The experience is luxurious, the treatment room is luxurious. If I remember correctly, the bed is also self-heating.
Each time, my former colleagues offered me a body + facial and after 2 hours of treatment, I find myself between dreaming and waking – a sign that I am 100% relaxed.
What I like about this spa is that they don’t push me to buy, on the contrary, they shower me with samples. The prices are too high for products sold at the drugstore, I recommend this spa only if you are looking for a gift idea for someone.
Spa Caudalie – rue des abbesses
I only went there once, for a radiance treatment and my skin was really glowing at the end of the treatment (I was too surprised). The service is pleasant, the cabin luxurious, no sales talk at the end. I’m embarrassed, however, to pay a lot to use exactly the same products I can buy at the pharmacy, but I think it’s the best value for money of all the treatments mentioned in this article.
You can get -10% by booking on Treatwell here
Maison du Dr. Hauschka
I find it efficient and pleasant (holistic approach, facial care starts with a hot bath…). of the feet)
I think it’s a good care to offer for fans of natural products (because it will please everyone and the setting is luxurious). But the quality/price ratio will be better in other practices. If you absolutely want a Hauschka treatment, you can go to one of the many institutes trained in Hauschka products, the price will be cheaper than at Dr. Hauschka’s House.
Spa Le cercle – 12 rue du faubourg Saint Honoré 75008
I love machines, new technologies, whether at work or to take care of myself. So, when I saw on a private sale site the Must Imperium care at Le Cercle, allowing me to discover 3 innovative technologies, I bought without hesitation.
It is a 45-minute treatment that restores radiance to the skin, smoothes out wrinkles and fine lines, and refines the skin’s texture.
Basically, there are 3 steps: epidermabrasion, sonophoresis and radiofrequency; performed using a machine with 3 different tips.
- The first two steps are done with a kind of ultrasonic spatula. This is a bit unpleasant (especially because of the noise and the impression that someone is grating our skin). It is a technique widely used in Korean spas (instead of doing a normal scrub). With the same machine, but with the spatula upside down, the serum is applied to the skin and she drinks it all.
- The last step is super, super nice: the beautician runs warm round tips over the skin to get the moisturizer in. In short, everything is done with the help of machines, there is no manual massage
The marketing speech is a bit heavy at the end but they stop quickly as soon as you say no. The experience, overall, isn’t in relaxation mode (no massage), but it’s super effective. You leave the cabin with a luminous and smooth skin. Sensitive skin abstain. Reserved for skin suffering from hyper-pigmentation, but who do not like dermabrasion or peeling. Edit 2020 : not sure if this spa still exists 🙁
Institutes that I have not tested
… of which I have heard a lot of good. Feel free to give your opinion in the comments if you have been there.
- Menard: the Japanese luxury brand also has a spa. For those interested in their concept of “millefeuille” or “layering”. Check their rates here
- Un Regard VIP: a salon recommended for slightly more invasive treatments such as micro-needling, plasmalift, jetpeel… or things related to the eyes: eyelash enhancement, eyelash extensions… Check their rates here
- Studio Beauté Romina Paris: Known for their microdermabrasion which consists in performing a peel using diamond microcrystals on the surface of the skin, apparently we see the blackheads removed on a cotton pad (the gory but satisfying moment). Rates, services & promotions here
- clarins spas: apparently they have lymphatic massage techniques specific to the brand. Clarins even has a spa at Printemps Paris!
- Auntie Harper at the Bristol: one day I’ll be so rich that I’m going there. In the meantime, I dream about it ahahah 🙂 apparently it’s not only for the quality of the (natural) products, but especially for the divine massage (for the moment I only tested their cupping treatment in Montreal and I loved it so much)
- the spa of the George V hotel: I don’t know when I will be able to afford just to walk through the door of this hotel, I hope that day will come… but who will need the George V when you can be pampered at Delphine’s, ex-George V? 😀
