My first experience at The Annex Spa is a successful one that leaves me relaxed and looking rested.When I get an email notification for my 60 minute customized facial, I say to my husband, “what can she possibly do to my face for an entire hour?”

I have been invited by one of The Annex Spa’s aesthetician’s Heidi for a facial and I am pretty excited. Who doesn’t love a spa treatment?

After work I make my way down Princess street turn left on Wellington and park in the parking lot across from the Duke. I’ve already been told not to make the mistake of looking for the entrance on Princess street, it’s in the back of the building.

I enter The Annex and the first thing that catches my eye is the beautiful painting which I soon find out is done by a local artist.

I eavesdrop as a woman purchases a gift certificate for her daughter. “Maybe I’ll to just get her the face cream she likes? But she really loves the facials as well. She loves this place!” Comforting.

Before I know it, a tall blonde with glowing, dewy skin named Heidi approaches with a warm hello and leads me to the back where my treatment will take place. She encourages me to take off whatever I’m comfortable with and get under the blanket when I’m ready.

When I get under the blanket it is toasty warm. It’s more than toasty warm. In fact, there’s a heat pack on top of the blanket so it feels incredibly cozy. Great way to start.

The facial is so relaxing that I can’t even remember the exact order in which Heidi applies each product. Thankfully, she gives me a list afterwards.

The wonderful thing about this process at is that I don’t have to choose which products I want. Heidi customizes my treatment to suit my skin’s needs.

She transitions from exfoliating cleanser to a blackhead extraction to a tonic to a steamed towel to lemon cleanser to a strawberry rhubarb dermafoliant to a steamed towel to a red currant mask and the cycle goes on. I lose count of how many wet hot towels circle my face and neck.

After many steamed towels, she uses a wild plum cream and massages my face, neck, shoulders, arms, upper back and repeats over and over – sending me into a complete daze.

She finishes by exfoliating my lips and applying a shea butter lip balm and leaves me to get ready in my own time. It takes everything in me to peel myself out from under the heated sheet.

All of the products used at The Annex are natural and the products she’s used on my face are made by a Hungarian company named Éminence Organics. Their products are only used in spas that apply to carry them. There are no artificial ingredients or fragrances and they smell amazing.

After I am done with my facial I pick up my mom and she says, unprompted, “Your face looks brighter!”

Here is a list of products used during my facial for relatively dry skin:

Monoi Age Corrective Cleanser
Lemon Cleanser
Lime Refresh Tonic
Strawberry Rhubabrb Dermofoliant
Red Currant Rapid Infusion Mask
Calm Skin Arnica-Booster Serum
Facial Recovery Oil
Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer
Wild Plum Eye Cream
Citrus Enzyme Lip Exfoliator
Citrus Lip Balm

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