FACIAL AT EUROPEAN SKIN AND MASSAGE STUDIO
I don’t usually tell you guys about my beauty maintenance, but I had such a lovely facial recently, that I wanted to share the details, (not the gory ones, if there even were any,) with you.
Margaret Tomaszewicz. Photo by Karen Salkin.
I had met Margaret Tomaszewicz at a couple of recent events in Los Angeles, and she told me about what she does. She had such a lovely presence about her that I decided to go to her for my next facial. I really needed one after a month in the house, suffering from pneumonia. I had to make it a priority because I usually don’t even have time for a facial. (I won a series of eight of them at another facial place, two years ago!!! And I haven’t had any time to use even one of them!) But, after a month of suffering from dramatic pneumonia, I felt that my very first time leaving the house after that siege should be for something beneficial to my being.
So, I headed down to Santa Monica to European Skin and Massage Studio, which is located in a very interesting place. Salon Republic occupies one floor of an office building, and on that one floor are all different beauty services, each in their own room or office. This way, there’s no wasted space, (as there is in so many other salons,) and each proprietor is master of his or her own universe.
Photo by Karen Salkin.
Margaret’s space is so peaceful and warm, and right outside it, she set-up a chair and table with magazines, in case she’s finishing-up with her previous client. And, if that’s the case, (as it was with me, because I was early,) she hangs a sign on her door, “Relaxation in Progress,” so that we don’t have to wonder what’s going on. How thoughtful of her.
Once you’re on her heated, cozy table, you can choose your desired facial from her menu of services, (such as the basic European or the Anti-Aging,) or, do as I did, let Margaret see what’s what with your skin and then decide what’s best for you. I just went with the flow.
After I lay down and got cozy under the blanket, Margaret examined my skin, and determined that it was good, but a bit dry from being sick and in bed for so long. Along the way, she applied a couple of masks, and performed not just one, but two wonderful face, neck, head, and shoulder massages. I was in heaven!
Photo by Karen Salkin.
I appreciated that she let me dictate if we should chat during the facial, or not. She made me conformable enough to just relax and drift off a bit, but when I had questions about the products she was using, she was happy to educate me, without pushing me to purchase products from her line. (I actually already owned a couple of them, and I can promise you that my skin does look somewhat brighter when I use her Woda brand Magic Bamboo & Charcoal Mask. I actually just included it in my Mother’s Day/Beauty Products That Work column.)
This was funny. When I was looking in the mirror that morning, before I left the house, I noticed that, after a month in bed, my brows were in great need of grooming. I didn’t have time to attend to them before the facial, but I figured it didn’t matter anyway—a facial would disturb them anyway. But after doing my first face massage that day, Margaret laughingly said something to the effect that my brows were a mess. I so respect her for being brave enough to tease me about them! She said that I was not quite Andy Rooney yet, but getting there! (Bite our tongues.) I told her what happened that morning, and that I had noticed the errant brows (when I was actually checking to see if that sick siege had produced any little mustache hairs,) and she laughed and said that she could fix it all for me; no problem. So, bing, bang, boom—she trimmed and shaped my brows with no fuss whatsoever, and even tweezed a couple of stray hairs above my upper lip. What a pleasure that was—she’s a one-stop beauty shop!
Photo by Karen Salkin.
At the end, I told her of my current beauty regimen, and asked if I should adjust it in any way. I feel that most aestheticians would have tried to sell me their products at that point, or, at the very least, told me I was doing something wrong, to show their knowledge, or tell me that I should come to her for a facial more often. But Margaret told me that I was doing everything right, and to just continue along that path. How honest of her. I really appreciate it all.
So, I plan to return to her European Skin and Massage Studio when I can make some more time for myself. And I recommend that those of you in Los Angeles do the same. Just tell her “Karen sent me!”
