First Class Facials

Sought
after
by
celebrities
and
industry
insiders,
today’s
skin
experts
can
transform
your
face
in
a
matter
of
minutes.
These
top
facialists
use
a
mix
of
high-tech
machinery,
unique
massage
techniques,
and
elegant
spaces
to
go
far
beyond
“just
a
facial”
and
elevate
the
entire
experience.
Here
are
some
new
facialists
on
our
radar,
and
their
favorite
skincare
products.

The
Fascia
Facial

When
the
Paris-based

Sophie
Carbonari
looks
at
skin,
she
gleefully
sees
bubble
wrap
waiting
to
be
popped.
You
can
expect
to
hear
cracks
from
the
fascia
(our
body’s
connective
tissue)
releasing
tension
in
what
she
calls
“deep
tissue
mobilization.”
After
a
facial
with
Carbonari,
she
aims
to
leave
you
(and
your
fascia)
feeling
relaxed.
Her
distinct,
and
surprisingly
pain-free,
technique
has
garnered
many
loyal
clients,
the
likes
of
which
include
Naomi
Campbell
and
Lenny
Kravitz.
Of
course,
there’s
also
her
incomparable
studio,
which
sits
atop
Théorème
Éditions,
a
contemporary
art
furniture
gallery
nestled
in
the
Jardin
du
Palais
Royal
in
Paris.
Carbonari’s
treatment
room
is
kind
of
like
a
rotating
gallery
itself—Studio
KO,
an
online
furniture
gallery,
filters
in
new
couches
and
art
pieces
to
complement
the
airy,
window-filled
space,
which
was
formerly
the
Joyce
Gallery.

Learn
more
about
Carbonari’s
services

here.

The
“Beauty
Sandwich”

For

Iván
Pol,
a
bit
of
age,
just
like
patina,
can
only
serve
to
highlight
beauty.
“It’s
okay
to
age
a
little
bit.
It’s
okay
to
have
some
wrinkles.
I’m
more
about
the
architecture,”
the
former
makeup
artist
says.
Over
the
years,
he’s
developed
a
multifaceted
approach
to
radio
frequency
(the
“beauty
sandwich”),
which
includes
a
“V-shape”
for
the
face.
Interior
designer
Katherine
Waronker
and
Kamp
Studios
designed
the
mid-century
French
feel
to
his
L.A
salon
and
clients
like
Ashley
Olsen
informally
advised
Pol
on
the
artfully
aged
pieces—
like
Pierre
Chapo’s
T21
table.
Pol
himself
also
gives
new
life
to
vintage
pieces—for
example,
a
piece
of
siding
from
Jean
Prouvé’s
Maison
Tropicale
house
is
now
a
clever
shelf.

Learn
more
about
Pol’s
services

here.

The
Allover
Facial

London-based

Fatma
Shaheen
treats
every
inch
of
skin
on
the
chest,
neck,
and
face,
even
the
lips.
Her
“Glow
Pen”
treatment
combines
microneedling
with
microcurrent
to
rejuvenate
skin.
She
also
uses
radio
frequency
to
stimulate
collagen,
ultra
high
frequency
to
tighten,
cupping
to
increase
circulation,
and
cryotherapy
to
de-puff.
First-timers
are
often
surprised
by
the
intensity
of
the
facial,
in
which
Shaheen
digs
deep
to
get
into
every
aspect
of
the
muscles,
but
once
they
get
used
to
it,
they
“fall
asleep,”
she
reassures.
Shaheen,
whose
work
uniform
tends
to
be
silk
slip
dresses
paired
with
a
power
blazer
from
Prada,
likens
the
power
of
her
machine
combo
to
“a
Ferrari.”

Learn
more
about
Shaheen’s
services

here.

The
Bespoke
Facial

There’s
a
long
waiting
list
to
see

Cynthia
Rivas,
who
adapts
her
protocol
to
each
client
rather
than
following
a
set
treatment
menu.
Some
love
her
massage,
some
love
her
result-driven
approach
to
hyperpigmentation,
and
for
others,
it’s
the
delicacy
and
meticulousness
in
which
she
treats
acne-prone
skin.
Her
newest
project:
a
members-only
“skin
care
club,”
whose
privileges
include
monthly
treatments
like
Rivas-approved
facials,
scalp
treatments,
IVs
and
more,
debuting
this
spring
at
WSA,
a
new
downtown
New
York
cultural
hub
with
a
curated
beauty
floor
from
Palm
Heights
founder

Gabriella
Khalil.

Learn
more
about
Rivas’
services

here.

The
High
Tech
Facial

The
walls
of

Shani
Darden’s
Beverly
Hills
studio
hold
a
secret:
They’re
laden
with
crystals.
While
building
the
space,
Darden
had
a
crystal
healer
come
in
to
place
different
crystals
like
amethyst
and
rose
quartz
directly
into
the
walls.
After
seeing
Darden’s
minimal,
palatial
studio,
even
crystal
cynics
would
agree
on
the
studio’s
serenity.
Darden
worked
with
Jake
Arnold,
a
British
interior
designer
based
in
Los
Angeles
and
responsible
for
many
A-list
homes.
Darden
says
that
the
minimal,
chic,
and
calming
qualities
of
the
studio
represent
her,
and
anyone
who’s
gotten
a
facial
at
her
hands
might
agree.
Her
less
is
more
approach
and
love
of
extractions
and
tech
makes
her
second-to-none
for
good
skin
in
LA.
A
client-favorite
treatment
involves
silver-laced
microcurrent
gloves,
which
allow
Darden
to
hand-sculpt
cheekbones
before
big
events.

Learn
more
about
Darden’s
services

here.

The
Red
Carpet
Facial

New
York
editors
love

Edyta
Jarosz,
the
Shafer
Clinic
Fifth
Avenue’s
star
facialist.
Her
passion
for
facial
massage
(which
she
refers
to
as
the
“artful
application
of
pressure
and
precision”)
comes
through
in
her
gifted
hands.
Her
specialty
is
the
Red
Carpet
Facial,
blending
massage,
machines,
and
cryotherapy
for
the
most
“snatched”
result.
These
facials
incorporate
manual
massage
to
sculpt,
an
Oxylight
machine
that
can
do
everything
from
microdermabrasion
to
high
pressure
oxygen
infusion,
a
Diamond
Glow
machine
to
exfoliate
and
infuse
serums,
and
occasionally
cryotherapy
to
sculpt
the
skin
even
more.
She
always
finishes
with
LED
to
reduce
inflammation
and
stimulate
collagen
production.

Learn
more
about
Jarosz’s
services

here.

The
Pain
Relief
Facial

Joseph
Carrillo
knows
you’re
hunching
over
your
phone.
That’s
why
he
begins
every
facial
massage
by
asking
clients
to
look
deeply
to
the
left,
to
the
right,
and
finally,
having
them
attempt
to
kiss
the
sky,
so
that
he
can
see
the
range
of
motion
of
the
platysma
(the
sizable
muscle
that
connects
the
lower
half
of
your
face
to
your
neck).
He’s
well-versed
in
buccal
massage—he
snaps
on
black
gloves
and
sticks
his
hands
inside
the
mouth
to
soothe
soreness
and
provide
TMJ
relief.
He
started
honing
in
on
his
method,
which
he
calls
a
“non-invasive
face
lift,”
during
his
time
working
exclusively
as
a
makeup
artist.
Now,
dressed
all
in
black
(a
carryover
from
his
MAC
makeup
artist
days),
Carrillo
is
the
go-to
facial
masseuse
for
celebrities
and
VIPs,
including
longtime
clients
Paris
and
Nicky
Hilton.
Carrillo
is
invite-only
and
works
in
a
private
space.

Learn
more
about
Carrillo’s
services

here.

The
Goldilocks
Facial

Skincare
fanatics
may
know

Danuta
Mieloch
as
being
one
of
the
main
reasons
that
Biologique
Recherche
P50
gained
popularity
stateside.
Rescue
Spa,
the
award-winning
New
York
City
spa
that
Mieloch
founded,
has
been
selling
the
cult-favorite
product
on
shelves
and
incorporating
it
into
facials
for
years.
Mieloch
has
been
doing
facials
for
30
years,
and
in
her
eyes,
repetition
is
key.
Through
practice,
Mieloch
has
been
able
to
create
the
Goldilocks
of
facials—it’s “just
right.”
Her
massage
is
firm
without
being
painful,
and
her
extractions
and
microdermabrasion
techniques
are
efficient
without
leaving
skin
inflamed.
“That’s
my
language,”
Mieloch
says.
“Your
language
would
be
with
words,
my
language
is
with
my
hands.”

Learn
more
about
Mieloch’s
services

here.

The
Fashion
Facial

Raquel
Medina-Cleghorn’s
eponymous
studio
in
Tribeca,
New
York
City,
is
reminiscent
of
the
cool-kid
gallery
spaces
nearby.
It’s
airy,
minimalist,
and
infused
with
tons
of
personality.
“The
inspiration
was
really
seventies
Italian
postmodern
design,”
says
Medina-Cleghorn.
Rather
than
the
usual
nondescript
piano
played
during
a
facial,
Medina-Cleghorn
opts
for
alternative
rock—picture
Superstar
by
Sonic
Youth
playing
while
she
gives
you
a
relaxing
facial
massage.
During
one
of
her
facials,
you
can
expect
microcurrent,
LED,
and
maybe
even
lymphatic
drainage
using
the
Vodder
method.
Medina-Cleghorn
was
a
stylist
before
becoming
a
facialist,
and
it
shows—her
daily
uniform
ranges
from
the
occasional
“frilly,
frothy
Simone
Rocha
and
Molly
Goddard
dresses”
to
band
sweaters
from
Hades
knitwear.
She’s
also
often
wearing
Tabi
ballet
flats—the
mark
of
a
true
fashion
person.

Learn
more
about
Medina-Cleghorn’s
services

here.

The
Relaxer

On
a
quiet
stretch
of
Centre
Street
at
the
intersection
of
Soho
and
Chinatown
in
New
York
City,

Taylor
Worden’s
tech-forward
facial
studio
offers
an
oasis
for
the
in-the-know
downtown
set.
After
finding
a
mentor
in
famed
facialist

Georgia
Louise
(and
working
on
skin
in
Louise’s
basement),
Worden
set
out
to
find
a
studio
of
her
own.
Worden
likes
to
say
that
every
service
at
her
studio
is
“Taylormade.”
By
design,
no
two
facials
at
Taylor
Worden
Skin
are
the
same—Worden
will
make
sure
she
does
only
what
your
skin
needs.
For
the
full
experience,
the
Taylormade
LTMD
(Lift,
Tone,
Massage,
Dermaplane)
facial
is
as
effective
as
it
is
relaxing.
Even
as
Worden
deploys
her
favorite
machines,
like
her
bio-rhythmic
drainer
to
help
de-puff
or
her
Vibroacoustic
machine
to
curb
inflammation,
it’s
still
easy
to
feel
lulled
to
sleep.

Learn
more
about
Worden’s
services

here.

---

A
version
of
this
story
appears
in
the
April
2024
issue
of
ELLE.