Mila Moursi Skin Care

The colonnaded entryway of the Beverly Wilshire sits at the bottom—or the top, depending how you look at it—of Los Angeles’s most storied street, Rodeo Drive. It’s fair to say that this imposing, old-Hollywood hotel is the grande dame of Beverly Hills, and deservedly so. Informality is not the vibe here. The glamorous BLVD Lounge with its impeccable service and martini-sipping crowd has a way of making you sit a little straighter. After a sound night’s sleep on the cloud-soft beds that we’ve come to expect at Four Seasons properties and maybe a few laps in the Tuscan-inspired pool, we head to the spa. The menu is the length of a book and, because this is LA, packed with esoteric treatments, like cryotherapy and targeted postsurgery massages. The room service is excellent, and again because we’re in LA, there are plenty of healthy options that cater to every diet (we’re partial to a celery juice and the savory tofu porridge). Downstairs, Wolfgang Puck’s CUT is the steakhouse to end all steakhouses. For those venturing to Los Angeles for the first time—especially with kids in tow—the concierge at the Wilshire knows the city inside and out, and no request is asking too much.

Plush Spanish colonial décor blends well with high-tech features and five-star splendor to make this a slick but overwhelmingly comfortable stay. The elegant Terrace space (perfect for an afternoon tipple and currently open), Cigar Bar, and Maybourne Bar add a pop of London pizzazz to Beverly Hills. For this much luxury, expect a luxury room rate—and it’s worth every cent.

It feels like every time we loop through Culver City, the cityscape has changed. Literally. New towers and rooftops and parking lots are quickly swallowing up desirable chunks of real estate surrounding Platform. We craned our necks, parked the car, and rushed into the lobby when we saw that one of these new structures was a Palihotel. Tucked behind the ArcLight, the Art Deco forty-nine-roomer is a stunner. Guest rooms are dressed up in cozy tartans, warm woods, and clean white subway tiles with the kind of contemporary art and photography you wish were shoppable. Restaurant Simonette echoes a swish French brasserie, and the bar and lounge areas are retro and so cool. The mid-century modern sofas demand a faceplant, or at least some postwork wine with a colleague, and the inner courtyard—shaded by a lone, towering tree—is one of the most serene in the city.

From the branded BMWs to the impeccably attentive service, the Peninsula's Beverly Hills outpost is every bit as grand and luxurious as you'd expect. You'll find marble bathrooms; soft, cozy beds; and patios in each room. Only a few blocks from Rodeo Drive and easy walking distance from Century City, it's within striking distance of all the major agencies and many of the big studios, making it an easy pick for a business hotel. If you're in town for leisure, plan to spend some time dining poolside on the rooftop (which, since this is LA, is open year-round).

Occupying an entire block on South Doheny, this expansive hotel makes for a plush refuge just minutes from Rodeo Drive. The lobby is, in a word, swanky: all marble floors, high-pile oriental rugs, mirrored accents, and towering floral displays. Off of it, you’ll find the Lounge (this is your spot for cocktails and light bites—all excellent, but they do a really killer martini). Beyond that is Culina, the on-site Italian restaurant: Sit outside and order the tuna crudo and the Neapolitan-style pizza (specifically, the cacio e pepe with truffle paste and honey).

Let Destroyer’s aggressive name be the first indication that this tiny spot, located in Culver City’s design district, Hayden Tract, takes breakfast and lunch fare pretty seriously. White walls and factory windows lend the bright, sixteen-seat space a familiar minimalist feel, but the menu is full of inventive Scandinavian-style fare from chef Jordan Kahn. The surprisingly affordable (and frequently updated) menu has included everything from Icelandic rye bread with cultured butter and preserves to a waffle-cone-shaped beef tartare wrapped in a crispy parsnip. They also serve pretty great coffee and tea.

Chef Evan Funke became a household name in LA for his saucy, cheesy tonnarelli and salt-flaked sfincione at Felix. At his eponymous restaurant Funke, you’ll find some of his greatest hits from Felix (and from Mother Wolf), plus dishes inspired by the chef’s travels through Bologna: ultra-thin tagliatelle, chewy orecchiette, and a beloved plate of pork-stuffed agnolotti. The dining room is a little kitsch, sure, but that’s part of the magic: If you’re lucky, you’ll land a spot near Evan Funke’s glassed-in “laboratory” and watch the master pull pasta by hand.

At Hatchet Hall has been helmed over the years by chefs Brian Dunsmoor and Michelin-star-winning chef Wes Whitsell. There's an outdoor patio in the front that leads into the restaurant, which begins as airy and light, and becomes darker (in a handsome, cozy way) as you continue deeper into its rooms. The menu rotates but you can expect dishes like yellowtail tartare with lemon aioli, grilled flat breads, roasted game hen, brilliant grilled veggie sides, and of course oysters. Also worth noting: Hatchet Hall serves Sunday brunch. The back of the restaurant houses Old Man Bar—it looks as brooding as you'd expect, but it's also beautiful, and it serves up noteworthy serious cocktails from 6pm to 1am.

The "No Cell Phone" sign at the door sets the tone for a meal focused on melt-in-your-mouth sushi made by one serious chef. While he presents seasonal highlights and rare cuts (among other delights, we sampled a buttery escolar with a light garlic glaze, and kinka-saba, a thinly sliced, sweet Mackerel from northern Japan) his warm and welcoming wife Miyo gives the low-down on each dish. She's happy to add that she doesn't actually like sushi unless it's made by her husband—apparently his is the only technique to trust. The unusual cuts of fresh fish and the subtle twists to the traditional format, like using warm rice to contrast with the cold fish and adding sesame seeds to the typical tuna sashimi starter's ponzu sauce for crunch, make all the difference.

Inspired by the aromatic wood of Tokyo, the walls of this beautiful, organic-looking restaurant (named after a favorite scent by Comme des Garçons) are lined with fragrant cedar and one of the most popular dishes, the black cod, is infused tableside with hinoki smoke. The Asian-inspired menu by chef Brandon Kida (who came to Hinoki from Clement at the Peninsula in New York) incorporates the fresh, healthy Californian fare, including a raved about lobster roll and kale salad.

Affectionately known as “Il Trem,” this is a great place to grab a sandwich on your way to check out all the commissioned architecture in the Rodeo Drive area: It’s surrounded by Beverly Hill’s most notable architectural gems, which include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Anderton Court Shops from the ‘50s (one of his only forays into retail), and Rem Koolhaus and Ole Scheeren’s 2004 Prada store on Rodeo Drive.

At glam and dimly-lit La Dolce Vita, you’re looking at a menu of Italian-American classics: dry martinis, strip steaks, and spaghetti bathed in red sauce and parmesan-dusted meatballs. It’s all impressively good without reinventing the wheel, and the service is excellent.

A classic Beverly Hills lunch spot, this place has the best chopped salad, which they do Italian-style and allow you to modify it to your liking from a long list of fresh items. They also have a large selection of antipasti, soups, panini, fresh, homemade pastas and more. It's been around forever and probably always will be. There's another, less-buzzy (read: quieter) outpost in Brentwood.

At his celebrated Beverly Hills restaurant Maude (which is currently one of the hardest reservations to snag in Los Angeles), Curtis Stone and his team create an elaborate tasting menu centered around one seasonal ingredient every month. So if you come in during, say, Radish Month, the veggie will be incorporated in some way into each of the nine courses. The restaurant is named after Stone’s grandmother, and is lovingly decked out with antique linens and dishes as a homage to her kitchen.

Nate 'n Al's in Beverly Hills the place to go for authentic Jewish deli food. You'll feel like you're stepping back into the '60s when you walk through the door. Bagels, turkey sandwiches on rye, matzo ball soup, are all givens—quality cold cuts and fresh bread make the sandwiches truly delicious.

It's hard to score a ticket to reservation-only n/naka, which books up to three months in advance. But it's popularity (and price tag) is justified by the truly first-rate food experience you get there—this is a special occasion kind of place. Run by renowned chef Niki Nakayama, who was profiled in Netflix's docu-series Chef's Table, n/naka offers two different thirteen-course omakase dinners—one of which is vegetarian friendly. (You choose between the two tastings a couple weeks before your reservation.) The restaurant focuses on using local, organic, and seasonal ingredients—they actually have their own organic farm with urban farming venture, Farmscape Gardens. You won't be able to predict your exact tasting, but don't expect traditional sashimi. Each course is a modern take on Japanese dishes, with plenty of unexpected ingredients (like pasta) that Nakayama makes work (really well).

When the legendary Nozawa closed its doors, it sent shockwaves through the LA sushi scene. (On its last day, fans lined up down the block for a final Tokyo-style meal from legendary Chef Nozawa—known as the original "Sushi Nazi.") Luckily, it's now reincarnated in the form of Nozawa Bar. Though no longer in a strip mall, it remains true to the same no-frills attitude. Walk through Sugarfish (the chef's hyper-efficient chain) on North Cañon Drive and into the bar, headed up by Chef Fujita, Nozawa's charming and friendly sushi prodigy. The set menu changes daily according to Fujita and Nozawa's market finds, and consists of purist nigiri, sushi, and hand-rolls. Sadly, this is not a spot for the spontaneous: You must make a reservation (many weeks in advance).

In NYC, Roberta’s pizza is the OG. In LA, it’s the new kid who became the prom queen. Roberta’s, and its roster of signature pastas and pizzas, originally came west as a pop-up at Platform. But like so many East Coast transplants dipping their toes in the Pacific, Roberta’s decided to stay. A good thing, considering locals have developed a mean Bee Sting habit. (A Bee Sting is when you make soppressata and mozzarella into a pizza and top it with chili and honey.) The cacio e pepe here nails the cacio to pepe ratio, and the kid’s pastas are so good, adults know to order a second for themselves.

The givens: Unadorned sushi, attentive service, a busy and buzzy atmosphere. What sets it apart from the other west side options is very simple. It's the rice. Perfectly moist and served slightly warm, it's the ideal vehicle for the fish, which is, for the most part, presented sans sauce (why mar perfection?). They offer a $35 lunch special that condenses the omakase menu but still packs the same punch. There's also a location in Brentwood.

Since 1982, Spago has managed to hold its spot as one of the busiest and most celebrated LA restaurants. Sure, there's a ton of air-kissing and people-watching, but the seasonally-focused food succeeds thanks to fresh produce, meat, and fish that's done simply and well (the beet layer salad is always a highlight). It's the kind of place that's justified by a special occasion, and there are plenty of private room options for large parties.

Sushi Yamamoto, which opened in the old Urasawa space on Rodeo Drive, is one of the best omakase bars in the LA sushi scene. Put your trust in rising-star chef Yusuke Yamamoto, who’s worked behind the counter at the Beverly Hills classic Matsuhisa and at Nobu Tokyo: He sources some of the world’s best seafood, like uni from Hokkaido, Oma tuna from Aomori, and Astrea caviar.

The only American outpost of Koichi Endo—who owns a handful of restaurants in Kyoto—Tempura Endo serves tempura omakase-style using high quality oils and a unique batter blend that creates the crispest, lightest, most sublime tempura ever. If you sit at the 8-person bar, you get the added benefit of watching the chefs prepare the food, not entirely unlike watching a brilliant sushi chef. There is also a small, even more private, dining room for intimate groups. The price tag matches the exquisite meal in this case, but it's worth it for special occasions.

The vibe at Bar Bohemien is very low-key—good for not-so-wild nights where you’re catching up with a friend or meeting a date. They have a very limited food menu, but you’re welcome to bring food up from the stalls downstairs in Citizen Public Market.

Sit at the bar or on the patio, and order one of an encyclopedia’s worth of craft beers. (Skip the cocktails.) Order the Office Burger, complete with bacon, caramelized onions, gruyere, and blue cheese (no substitutions allowed), with just about any sides—everything’s good. There's another Father's Office location in Santa Monica; the menus are the same but the vibes are completely different.

The back of the Hatchet Hall houses a second, separate bar deemed Old Man Bar—it looks as brooding as you'd expect, but it's also beautiful, and it serves up noteworthy serious cocktails.

Stanley’s is half wine shop, half bar. It’s a chill spot to grab an afternoon glass of pinot, and the scene gets lively as the evening rolls on—mostly small groups gathered around tables, never too crowded. If you taste something you like, take a bottle home. And if you’re just stopping into the shop for a hostess gift, the staff is a huge help for picking out something great.

You asked for healthy takeout; we delivered. Our take on takeout is a menu of hearty bowls, vibrant salads, delicious handhelds, pizza, pasta, rotisserie, and more—all gluten-free and often finished with goop Certified Clean sauces, dressings, and marinades.

There's hardly a place to stand in this tiny gem, let alone sit, but the juices here are simply amazing. Cold-pressed daily and kept in the store's walk-in fridge, the juices are served in glass pint bottles, so you don't have to wait for each one to be made. Shots of wheatgrass and E3Live (blue-green algae) are also available. It's not cheap, but it's a healthy indulgence. Cash only.

This Indian grocery has an excellent hot foods counter, and it’s our go-to for takeout when we’re in the area.

Housed on a residential street in Culver City, Jackson Market has a grocery section (lots of gourmet candy, drinks, and snacks) in addition to a lengthy lunch menu. While the Jamaican Jerk sandwich had a nice kick to it and the Rueben has the perfect brisket-to-sauerkraut ratio (best enjoyed right away as the dressing makes the bread soggy), the classic Italian sub is a definite fan favorite, particularly when you take the build-your-own option and opt for a turkey-and-pesto sandwich.

These guys make the best bread in Culver City, and you should definitely grab a loaf to take home. The toasts and pizzas are also worth the trip. You can take bread-baking classes here, too.

Loqui—which started as a pop up in San Francisco’s Tartine—has opened it's first brick-and-mortar location in Culver City's retail center, Platform. The space is small but very sleek—all polished granite with an open kitchen. What makes the tacos so great is their signature, fluffy flour tortillas, which they make fresh on site (though there are still corn tortillas available for purists). Try the mushroom molcajete (like a deconstructed burrito bowl but so fresh-tasting), with zesty guac and pickled red onions. If you’re planning on lunch, get there early, the line is out the door by noon.

Super Domestic makes great coffee and breakfast. The space doubles as a bike shop.

Tucked away in the back of the Helms Bakery building, Arcana is easy to miss: In fact, they seem to play it intentionally low-pro. They have an incredible selection of rare and hard-to-find art books, many of which are behind glass.

For 20 odd years, Big Daddy has been filling a corner on La Brea with pieces sourced from around the world—and by pieces, we don't mean straightforward couches and case goods. This is the sort of place where you go for something significant and statement making, whether it's a vintage dental case, an antique birdcage, or a seasoned Louis Vuitton trunk. You can also find them at the Rosebowl Flea, or at their warehouse in San Francisco.

Open by appointment only.

The best businesses are born out of need. The Chain Press is one such example. Masterminded by Naoise McGee, an Irish émigré who missed handwritten letters, the company celebrates old-fashioned craft and encourages the simple gesture of sending a note or invitation on proper stationery. McGee works with clients to create designs and monograms that reflect their personalities and passions. Aside from bespoke personal stationery, the Chain Press also designs custom wedding invitations, announcement cards, even accent pieces for the home, all handmade by McGee—a one-woman show—on a midcentury Vandercook cylinder press in her new Los Angeles atelier.

Occupying the former Helms Bakery building, this department store-like store sits in a complex that plays host to Room & Board, and a handful of rug and lighting boutiques. It's divided into shop-in-shops for various vendors, which means that you'll find vintage collectibles arranged next to furniture and bedding companies. They have another LA location downtown, as well as one in SF and one in Orange County. This summer Australian furniture line Coco Republic launched its outdoor collection at HD Buttercup—sleek chairs, tables, and patio accessories made with a mix of concrete, rope, teak, and other materials.

Since 1995, Jill Roberts's mini-chainlet of boutiques have been holding strong, offering that specifically LA-buy: Plenty of denim and t-shirts, plus a few stand-out pieces from designers like Ulla Johnson, Agua by Agua Bendita, and Nili Lotan. There are two other LA locations: Santa Monica and Studio City.

If you're looking for an incredibly long farm table, or a bed from an period home, look here. Everything here is insanely cool and patina'd, from the perfectly restored furniture to the truly one-of-a-kind finds. They've elevated store design and arrangement to an art, too, making this a fun place to browse.

With the long-awaited completion of the Expo Line, a train that connects Culver City to both Downtown and Santa Monica, the area is in the midst of a period of immense growth. Platform, an indoor/outdoor space devoted to shopping and eating, is right next to the train stop. But calling it a straight-up mall feels off. In place of the usual shop suspects, there’s a Monocle pop-up and a Janessa Leone boutique. And while you won’t see a food court, what you will find are a dozen or so restaurants—both casual (Loqui tacos, Van Leeuwen ice cream, Boba Guys) and not (Margot). The pièce de résistance is Roberta’s, Brooklyn’s finest, where they know how to sling a pizza.

Surfas offers a wonderful selection of any and every tool and supply you could ever need for your kitchen whether you're a home cook or a professional. They stock everything from the highest quality pots and pans to industrial-sized mixers not typically sold to the general public. They also stock a range of common and hard-to-find ingredients, including a whole aisle dedicated to chocolate.

Village Well has a strong book assortment and good coffee. It’s also a great place to hang out or get some work done—there’s wifi and well-placed electrical outlets, if you need them.

When you're thinking of scenic hikes and spots in LA, Culver City doesn't usually to come to mind. But you can get a surprisingly amazing view of LA from this small state park in the Baldwin Hills area of Culver City. On a clear day, you'll get a panoramic view of downtown LA, the Hollywood sign, and the majestic San Gabriel Mountains to the east; and to the west, you can see all the way to the Pacific Ocean, with Malibu to the north and Palos Verdes to the south. Street parking is not impossible, but you can also try the lot at the top of hill, which costs $6. The trail to the overlook spot begins at Jefferson Boulevard and Hetzler Road—and you should be ready to climb: It's 280+ stairs to the top of the overlook—and they aren't baby steps. In this case the cliché is true, though, because the view really is worth it. And there is an alternative route, a switchback trail, which we recommend taking on the way down to save your knees.

If you're an artist in LA, one of your goals is probably to get a show at Blum & Poe, one of, if not the, best LA galleries for contemporary art. It's a wonderfully big and airy space, and there's always something interesting showing.

A social club for kids is a cute idea—but a social club for kids growing up bilingual (and their families) is brilliant—and much-needed in Los Angeles. Founder Lizet Alvarez wanted to create a community to support Spanish learning and a dual-language lifestyle for her own chiquitos.

First, pick a ceramic item to paint: It’s not just cups and plates here; there are also have figurines of dinosaurs, mermaids, and pets. The helpful and socially distant staff is on hand to supply paints, stencils, and sponges to make the plain white ceramics your own, no matter your painting skill. When you’re done, they take your work, glaze it, and fire it for you to collect a few days later. But these days we prefer the at-home option. For a special occasion, the team will set up at your home (ideally in the yard) for some messy, artsy fun. Otherwise, there’s an incredible Zoom option, where an experienced teacher will lead your child (or gang of kids) through a ceramic painting how-to. All instructions and a list of materials needed are emailed ahead of time.

Any artist shown at this particular Gagosian has to compete with the clean, sleek architecture of this four-room space. Its opening parties are particularly wonderful.

There’s always something excellent on display at this UCLA museum—it’s also nicely manageable, making it the perfect way to spend a few idle hours. The adjacent museum store is one of the best in the city: The bookstore is gigantic, and they have some great gifts from L.A.-based designers, but they win the biggest points for their kids room in the back, where you’ll find art and design-specific tomes for little ones, along with a handful of well-conceived toys.

Honor Fraser Gallery is one of LA's premier galleries for contemporary art.

Sculptural works from the likes of Alexander Calder, Barbara Hepworth, Henri Mattisse, Isamu Noguchi, and others, sprawl across five acres of UCLA’s campus. You can wander around yourself, or arrange a tour though they book up far in advance.

Ava Shamban, M.D. (or, as her patients call her, Dr. Ava) is one of the most well-regarded dermatologists in the entertainment world. She's a regular on The Doctors, and the trusted skin guru for Extreme Makeover. Her practice is staffed with a team of accomplished dermatologists and Physician Assistants, who are all skilled in facials, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels. There are also super hardcore options like cosmetic lasers, botox injections, and extensive acne treatment programs—this spot is not a spa, it's the sort of place where they really clean out your pores. There's also a location in Santa Monica.

We love Nail Design for their thorough, well-done, and well-priced mani pedis. The salon is clean, chic, and casual enough to walk in without an appointment, and the ladies are friendly and welcoming.

Chris McMillan and his staff of stylists and colorists have a die-hard following—which can make it tough to get an appointment (with Chris in particular). But it's worth the wait. The space is relaxing and mellow, and, relative to the quality and the area, the prices here are reasonable. They also do a fantastic blow-out.

This is actually more dermatologist's office than spa, but the microdermabrasion treatment and hydrafacial (a gentle resurfacing treatment that boasts pretty extreme results), make it a regular upkeep go-to. Dr. Lancer is one of those doctors where less is more: The less is just powerful and effective. (It's arguably best expressed by his excellent and to-the-point product line.)

Heated Room’s signature class is high-intensity hot Pilates, and it’s challenging for even serious athletes. What keeps you in it: an encouraging instructor, bumping music, and a studio so sleek you feel cooler by association. They also have a (non-heated) reformer room, where you can book privates or a class for you and a couple friends.

Founded by two hair legends—colorist Tracey Cunningham and stylist Neil Weisberg—this salon is named for the French word for “lock of hair.” The cozy, earthy space has more than 20 stylists and colorists at work, along with Cunningham and Weisberg, who are on the floor every day. The full-service salon not only does some of the best hair (and hair color) in LA, the makeup, nails, and Chinese-foot-massage services are all amazing, too.

This is our place for non-waxing waxing in LA: They use organic honey to do the job, which we find much less painful. We also love that it's all-natural and doesn't leave a sticky wax residue. P.S. They also do great spray tans.

Shani is a name you hear whispered around Los Angeles—usually by those friends who have particular glowy skin. The aesthetician opened a beautiful, neutral-toned studio in Beverly Hills to perform those dewifying facials as well as microcurrent and LED treatments.

Kids are tiny balls of energy. Yoga burns energy. Put the two together and you have Shorty Yoga. We love this cute but not cutesy space, with its La Colombe cappuccinos, free Wi-Fi, and stellar range of classes for littles of every age.

It can take years of trial and error to find a go-to spot for cuts, facials, brows, and makeup, so finding a salon that offers all four is kind of like hitting the beauty jackpot. Striiike in Beverly Hills is owned by a trio of sisters—Kristie, Ashley, and Jenn Streicher. Each has a specific beauty talent: Kristie (aka The Eyebrow Whisperer) has a cult following thanks to her famous feathered-brow technique, Ashley is a hairstyling genius, and Jenn is an incredible makeup artist. Striiike is also one of the best under-the-radar spots for facials, thanks to resident aesthetician Melanie Simon. Her two-hour Physics Facial tones and repairs skin with low-frequency electric current and sleight of hand that leaves you unfathomably radiant for days afterward. In a rush? The fifteen-minute Lightning Striiike brings all three sisters together for a quickie mini makeover.

Sugaring calls on an organic sugar, lemon, and water paste to pull hair out in the natural direction of its growth. The treatment can be safely applied to virtually any part of the body and somehow manages to thin out the hair over time.

Tomoko in Beverly Hills is a transformative experience from the moment you walk through the door, where it’s likely Tomoko herself who will hand you a pair of slippers before leading you into the traditionally minimalist, Japanese-style pretreatment relaxation area for tea, the first of many pots they’ll brew for you. There’s no communal changing area or locker rooms, as each of the four treatment rooms is set up with all the amenities of a luxury hotel room (shower, closet, bath, vanity, etc.). A single treatment can take up to four hours with all the trimmings—starting with a foot soak and reflexology massage and ending with post-massage herbal tea and mochi ice cream. Photo credits: Tessa Neustadt; @beverlyhoodrich, @kylewaldrop

There's a pretty cheeky design aesthetic here, that takes a deep bow to the Queen: Union Jack covered chairs, portraits of Her Majesty, and floral, chintz wallpaper that looks like it was lifted from the walls of a country estate set the vibe. The concept is in line with the idea that everyone should be treated like royalty, which explains the extras (like long and late opening hours). Go for “The Full Monty” as they use wax from Italy, which is applied warm (not hot) to protect the skin. Jodi Shays is the owner, and the person to see if possible.

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare have made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA. The treatments range from customized facials and microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy and vitamin infusions, and are all fantastic.

You can see acupuncturist Mona Dan for a single acupuncture session or buy a pack of five or ten sessions. Clients also come to Vie Healing for bodywork—massage, cupping, Reiki—and the rejuvenating variations of peels and facials.

The space is an eco-haven, designed with renewable, sustainable flourishes (the walls are made of cork, seagrass, and recycled wood)—and the facials are healing, pampering, and just: beyond. The Custom Superfood Facial floods skin with nutrients from tamarind, acai, turmeric, and manuka honey, while the Light “Isun” facial features a miracle trifecta of microcurrent, LED light, and nurturing essential oil blend that thoroughly revives skin. The infrared saunas are each tucked into a cozy private room with a shower—and they aren’t hooked up to Bluetooth, which means the promise of a genuine digital detox, too.

Wagner, who also moonlights as a painter, is chill and wonderful, meaning that an hour spent with her skilled hands is kind of like hanging with a friend. A recovering tanning junkie herself, Wagner is nothing short of a magician when it comes to banishing sun spots and UV damage. Product-wise, the focus here is on holistic and organic ingredients–she uses her own skincare line made with a white turmeric and tiger grass stem cell complex.

This serene French-inspired oasis is tucked away in Beverly Hills. Caglia herself has over twenty years of experience and a touch that’s both soothing and assertive, and she customizes her facial to suit any concern. Microphoto treatment tightens pores, radiofrequency lifts, peels help tone and soften discoloration, and a massage with a rose quartz roller helps drive in Caglia’s beautiful botanical infusions. You amble out completely rejuvenated.

Legendary naturopathic doctor Nigma Talib approaches the skin through the gut, the mind, and some superstar clean skin essentials (we’re obsessed, more on those later). She’s starred on an episode of The goop Lab, and appeared in person at In goop Health. A session with her can start with face mapping, where she takes a long look at your skin to discover what’s happening within (dairy-, wine-, and sugar-face are all common diagnoses), along with blood tests, stool samples, and a deep but gentle line of questioning to get at underlying issues before she works her magic. What follows is customized to your skin and body: radiofrequency, bespoke peels, LED, oxygen-infused antioxidants, vitamin or peptide infusions, and more. You’ll walk out of the treatment room looking fresh and renewed, but note that these are no ordinary facials or one-off treatments. Talib gives each of her patients “homework”—lifestyle and dietary changes to make and maintain for long-term healthy, beautiful skin. (If you can't see her in person, you can also follow her tips on Instagram.)

Even one trip to skin guru Kát Rudu’s sleek Venice studio can change your skin. (The gorgeous Rudu, with her impossibly poreless complexion, is her own best advertisement.) Combining the purest healing botanical ingredients—soothing chamomile extracts, brightening papaya enzymes, hydrating aloe—with corrective modalities like CO2 lasers, microneedling, and radiofrequency, the facials here are deep and utterly transformative.

Perhaps the most luxurious part of the exquisite, Kelly-Wearstler-designed Proper Hotel is the adjacent, also-Wearstler-design Surya Spa. The cleansing Panchakarma detox wellness programs that last anywhere from 3 to 28 days are the biggest draw: For up to four hours a day, you go for custom restorative treatments, detox, and healing experiences like private yoga, sound baths, Qigong, breathwork, energetic healing, and more. The Nasya treatment isn’t like any facial you’ve had before: You sit as your face, neck, and shoulders are cleansed and nourished with herbalized oils, vigorous massage, aromatic steam (to help clear nasal passages), and the wood and bone tools of traditional Ayurveda. The treatment can help relieve brain fog, stagnant energy, tension, headaches, and congestion. The spa shop is worth a few moments on the way out: The collagen cream is hands down the richest cream we’ve ever tried, the bath soaks are the ultimate luxury (the whole box equals one fantastic bath), and the almond-flour-based spa breads are the among the most delicious things you’ll ever eat.

The signature treatment here, the Tina•K facial, uses dermaplaning and a diamond-encrusted pad developed by spa owner Tina K. O’Brien to remove the topmost layers of your skin for a truly deep cleanse. Next, layers of oils, serums, and masks are massaged into skin, cocooning it in a deep layer of moisture and nutrients. You’ll walk out undeniably fresh-faced—skin looks even-toned and glowy.

Her laid-back personality and healing approach to skincare has made Vanessa Hernandez one of the most in-demand aestheticians in LA—so much so that she’s added five other expert aestheticians to her studio. The treatments range from microdermabrasion to oxygen therapy to vitamin infusions to customized facials.

Perched on a hill above an endless, undulating view of beautiful vineyards, Auberge du Soleil has set the standard in Napa luxury for thirty years. The property’s incredible spa is replete with light-filled treatment rooms overlooking an olive-tree-flanked courtyard. The Best of Auberge Facial spoils you for life, fortifying skin with nourishing, collagen-infused serums, hydrating masks, balancing botanical enzymes, a powerful dose of antioxidants via the deservedly obsessed-over Vintner’s Daughter, and pure olive extracts sourced from the property’s groves right outside.

We love this sleek, supremely restful spa. The facials are superb; the In Fiore Facial starts with a deep cleanse, followed by their coveted Slap, Tap, and Roll facial massage and a brightening peel.. And we’re equally obsessed with Bright Eyes, a powerful collagen-supporting therapy for the undereye area that soothes and tightens. The lounge has a cozy fireplace, as well as organic teas and delightful chocolates to nosh on while relaxing. The outside deck, with its lounge chairs and incredible view of the bay, is a blissful way to ease back into reality post-treatment.

Walk into this crisp white studio adorned with lush flowers, exquisite trinkets, and Monastery’s line of gorgeously scented, super-effective skincare, and instantly, you feel restored. A facial with founder and formulator Athena Hewett takes you to a new level, however: She customizes each step to your skin, deftly combining the traditional exfoliation, cleansing, and extractions with high tech treatments and ancient techniques. Athena’s personally trained every one of the expert estheticians on staff; you saunter out sculpted, glowing, and completely rejuvenated.

As a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and therapeutic massage practitioner for the past twenty years, Gia DiMatteo is impressively intuitive when it comes to skin, and so is the rest of her team. Their holistic approach even includes sound therapy: Aestheticians begin and end treatments with tuning forks, and the vibrations reverberate through your body, easing you into relaxation mode. They vet all the products they use and sell for synthetic fragrance and potentially endocrine-disrupting ingredients. The treatments, too, are serious business: There’s facial cupping, an ancient massage technique believed to support circulation and nutrient supply; facial acupuncture, in which ultrafine needles are inserted into the face at synergistic points to help support collagen production and wake up skin; and sessions involving extractions, calming LED light therapy, and potent masks for breaking up congestion.

A giant indoor lap pool set about with cushy chaises is where you wait for your treatments at this sleek, chic, Bergdorf- and Central-Park adjacent hotel and spa. They offer just about everything: Morpheus8 radiofrequency microneedling, total health resets with functional doctors, sessions with visiting wellness leaders, special “Banya Houses” where couples or groups can spend the day getting treatments together, access to plastic surgery services, vitamin and NAD infusions, cryo-therapy, and much, much more. The Advanced Aman Facial, which uses all Aman products specially made in Japan, combines ultrasonic exfoliation, electric muscle stimulation, face and scalp massage, cryo bulbs, a marine mineral mask, and Aman x 111Skin Nourishing Gold Algae hydrogel face and eye masks for the glow of your life.

Tucked inside the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, the Bamford Haybarn Spa is a 5,000-square-foot oasis marked by hand-carved doors and branch shelving. Here, in the nine treatment rooms, Lady Carole Bamford applies her "global wellness" approach to the menu of treatments which range from massages to facials—all of which are guided by Ayurvedic principles and use the brand's in-house line of skin care.

This impossibly lovely, holistic spa-grocery-apothecary is serious about skin—and offers some of the most exquisite complexion-perfecting treatments: The Integrative Therapy for Biome Rehabilitation balances the skin’s ecosystem with a bespoke pre- and probiotic mask, herbal compression, blue-light therapy, and more, while the Integrative Therapy for Reducing Redness and Reactivity incorporates infrared phototherapy, lymphatic drainage, and herbal treatments to soothe inflamed skin. If you’re not too blissfully relaxed post treatment, peruse the store, which stocks everything beautiful, organic, and small-batch you could ever want—local honey, health-supporting herbal teas (their chrysanthemum-infused Rest & Digest blend is next-level), the crispiest apples, and the brand’s own skincare line that’s hand-crafted right here. There's a second location in Carroll Gardens.

Christine Chin is a celebrity in the realm of skin care, and with good reason. Her sessions are intense in the best way: She will target every pore on your face, delivering the sort of thorough cleanse that has some clients digging their fingers into their palms. Steaming, rigorously energizing facial massage, extractions, a variety of detoxifying masks, glycolic peels, and collagen treatments are her specialties.

Get a facial with aesthetician Crystal Greene at her serene Madison Avenue studio and walk out looking—and feeling—fantastic. Her treatments are a beautifully pampering haze of face massage, firming laser (she uses the obsessed-over LYMA), gentle exfoliation, powerful masks, and a custom blended serum infusion she concocts on the spot for clients’ specific skin concerns. She’s intuitive, radiates calming energy, and her hands—not to mention the results you see—are pure magic.

Louise’s skincare philosophy is straightforward—energize skin cells, tone muscles, and stimulate the lymphatic system—and translates to treatments that include stem cell application via micro-needling, firming galvanic current, lifting microcurrent, and sculpting facials. Every session, whether it's a cryo facial or a radiofrequency session, starts with an in-depth consultation. There's a lengthy waitlist to get in with Louise herself, but a session with a member of her team is an exquisite, skin-perfecting experience.

Legendary Hungarian skin guru Ildi Pekar draws on the healing botanical remedies her grandmother used to concoct with the herbs from her garden, along with high-tech therapies and treatments from all manner of traditions. Microneedling infuses skin with botanical stem cells and supports collagen, the acupuncture facial is as dramatically tightening as it is anxiety-easing, and Pekar’s magnetic cupping stimulates blood circulation.

The fact that sought-after NYC aesthetician Jessica Bowers never wears makeup is proof of her skill. Her hidden West Village skin studio (she refers to it as her “skin-care speakeasy”) opened in October 2020 and has been booked solid ever since. Bowers offers customized facials (we love the classic illuminating facial), as well as treatments like microcurrent, scalp massages, and lash tints, which can be booked alone or as an add-on to any facial. What’s surprising is not that she’s busy, but that her super-simple skin routine yields such incredibly glowy results.

Scoring a facial with the actual Joanna Czech is like hitting the skincare lottery—though one with any of her personally-trained aestheticians at her new, soaring downtown studio is, too. Famous for her signature, manual sculpting massage which includes intense massaging and “slapping” (which is more invigorating than painful), Czech’s seemingly-simple methods keep her extremely well-known clients’ skin glowing and healthy. Every facial focuses on skin support at every turn, starting by treating the lipid (top) layer of skin, and moving on to microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as needed. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in Dallas (and a residency at Blackberry Mountain in Tennessee).

Joanna Vargas first moved to NYC in hopes of pursuing photography, only to discover that she actually cared a lot more about skin. Perpetually on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest in skin-enhancing treatments, Vargas is brilliant at collagen mask therapies, resurfacing via nutrient-rich liquid exfoliation, cryotherapy, and glowifying oxygen modalities. The microcurrent-, microdermabrasion-, oxygen therapy-centric Triple Crown Facial, one of her hero treatments, smooths lines, brightens, lifts, and some clients say, accentuates cheekbones without ever having to go under the knife.

Every facial from Madalaina Conti really delivers. The esthetician specializes in inflammatory skin conditions and integrated wellness, so her treatments incorporate modalities ranging from gua sha to radiofrequency, microcurrent, buccal massage, and more. She’s best known for the Synergistic Signature Qi Facial, a treatment that uses 24K gold-plated micro magnets to create an electromagnetic matrix that helps sculpt, depuff, and repair. It’s brilliant for all skin types, but especially fantastic if you’ve got sensitive or blemish-prone skin.

Larissa Thomson was a fashion editor in her previous life, so her take on clean beauty is one of the more gorgeous we’ve ever seen. Everything from Vintner’s Daughter and Tammy Fender to True Botanicals and...goop skin care is beautifully laid out and easy to shop for. The treatment rooms are stunning—we want the wallpaper, the mirrors, everything. And the treatments themselves are next-level and nourish, detoxify, and tighten pores with transformative therapies like microcurrent, intense facial massage, and radiofrequency.

You walk out of this sleek acupuncture-massage-wellness studio feeling reinvigorated. There’s acupuncture for fertility support, pain and stress relief, gut health, and more. The 75 minute acupuncture facial starts with a health assessment and facial mapping, so the aesthetician can customize the facial, which always includes some combination of acupuncture, gua sha, microcurrent, lymphatic massage, and an adaptogenic tonic. In the red-light body treatment, you’re splayed out in your treatment room, bathed in red light as you’re guided through a tranquil meditation—and you might feel the calming, centering benefits for days.

Hidden on the top floor of a charming building in Tribeca (the elevator opens directly into an airy, high-ceilinged, all-white oasis), this sleek studio is where Raquel Medina-Cleghorn’s roster of famous clients go for sculpting, high-tech, skin-reviving facials and body treatments. Medina-Cleghorn employs ultrasound, intra oral massage, microchanneling, LED photobiomodulation, and more to bring skin to life. She herself is a calming presence, and when you walk out of a session, the difference in your skin is noticeable.

The duplex spa is enormous and luxurious, with high ceilings, plush couches, and a posh aesthetic that manages to be both modern and comfortable. There’s a hair salon, nail studio, and fourteen treatment rooms where you can get a variety of skin-perfecting therapies like the Fix-It-All facial, an over-the-top combination of micro-current, microdermabrasion, LED therapy, and more to lift, tighten, and smooth. A facial with founder/skin-whisperer Danuta Mieloch is transformative—her touch is exquisite, and you emerge looking beyond glowy.

The Skin Lab evokes a ramped up version of what you feel slathering on The Rich Cream (or any other totally amazing Augustinus Bader product)—luxurious, refined, completely innovative, and located at the intersection of indulgence and science. The studio is complete with the classic Augustinus Bader–blue, copper detailing, and the most high tech facials. You start off with a skin consultation with an expert and choose your preferred treatment. We love the Ultimate Facial, which combines customized skincare picks, exfoliation, micro current, oxygen therapy, ultrasound, and LED—all completely tailored to your skin’s needs. Even better, they have a three-treatment approach to help you find the best route for your glowiest skin ever.

Sofie Pavitt, a New York licensed esthetician and certified acne specialist, is famous for her no-nonsense approach, inspired by frequent trips to Seoul. So don’t expect sound baths or whispering receptionists: Pavitt personalizes every treatment with high-tech devices, light peels, LED, and many questions about your lifestyle and routine to get you to your glowiest skin ever. Her namesake product line offers the perfect balance between good-for-you ingredients and potency (the Clean Clean Cleanser is a fan favorite).

A boutique facial studio on the border of SoHo, Ställe Studios is one of the most sought out facials in NYC. Founder and head esthetician Elizabeth Grace Hand (she worked previously at L’Oreal and Dr. Barbara Sturm) knows how to transform skin into the glowiest, freshest-looking version of itself. Each treatment starts with an in-depth skin analysis to create a treatment exquisitely tailored to your skin. Whether it’s the buccal massage, sculptural facial, glass skin peel, or signature facial, each treatment is out-of-this-world incredible.

This stunning wellness studio is 13,000 square feet of soothing neutrals and light toned woods. We love the airy wellness cafe, and the seemingly unlimited menu treatments. The facials are some of the best in the city; their signature one, a totally custom, 90-minute experience, incorporates the LYMA laser and a series of Biologique Recherche products to cleanse, soothe, and hydrate. Plus, you bring home a personalized routine recommended by one of their master estheticians.

Many of the treatments here call on the power of Chinese medicine to heal, energize, and enhance skin. Founder, acupuncturist, and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu uses gua sha—an ancient Chinese medical massage technique that incorporates a jade skin-care tool to relieve tension, support circulation, and flush out toxins for a brighter, smoother complexion—in many of her treatments. The Acne Rehab is one of her most impressive: The aesthetician uses botanicals, gua sha, and facial cupping to break up stagnation in the underlying tissues and restore balance. (Chiu emphasizes that fantastic skin happens from the inside out—but that it’s also important to pamper the skin’s surface.) And we keep coming back for the cozy cups of licorice root tea, prized in Chinese medicine for its calming effects.

It’s hard to pull yourself out of your canopied, curtained, supremely cosseting bed at this chic, Celerie-Kemble-restored hotel to walk through the gardens to the Connecticut outpost of The Well spa, but do it. The spa’s airy, enormous and as luxurious as it gets. A gorgeously-tiled, soaring-ceilinged greenhouse surrounds a giant soaking tub; the treatments are next level (try the Reiki under a down comforter, atop a heated bed, in a grove of spruce trees by an ancient pond, for example); and it’s worth coming back just for the bone broth. The Triple Lift facial is epic, layering endless active serums with something called a Remodeling Machine and another called the Micropuncture Lab to help stimulate collagen production for pretty stunning, immediately visible results.

Enormous, airy, and right off Route 27 for easy access, this multi-level spa is famous for its massive blue apothecary cabinets stocked with organic herbs, health-supporting teas, exquisite skincare, and giant glass tincture dispensers. We love the soft linens, textured walls, and the impressive lineup of treatments, especially the facials.

The farm-to-face facials at this 9,000-square-foot, 3-level spa on Lake Massawippi at the exquisite Manoir Hovey in the countryside near Quebec sources ingredients directly from the land nearby. The Honey Bliss facial is our favorite, combining a delicate honey exfoliant (from beehives on site), crystal-infused moon water, snow and reishi mushroom, and botanical peptides for glowy, ultra-moisturized and super-nourished skin. Don’t miss the Nordic thermal experiences, either.

The 30,000-square-foot Seawater Spa at Gurney's Montauk has just been reimagined with help from the team behind AIRE Ancient Baths. This summer, they’re hosting a La Prairie pop-up from June 15 through September 11, with ocean-view facials and body treatments, plus they’re offering new VOYA thalassotherapy journeys built around the restorative power of the sea. The spa also runs a summer workout series with Pilates sculpt, bootcamp, restorative yoga, strength training, and sound baths.

The Eau Naturale treatment is completely restorative, reviving skin with layer upon layer of beta glucans (commonly taken in supplement form for glowy-skin support), fatty acids, ellagic acid (linked to skin elasticity), and antioxidants via beautiful, organic, botanical formulas.

The Faena Hotel's Tierra Santa is a burst of color: A rainbow-striped rug runs through the spa’s lobby, which is outfitted with bright Juan Gatti artwork and floral-printed poufs. Inspired by an array of South American (and some South Asian) healing traditions, Tierra Santa has a gorgeous Turkish-style hammam and offers a full wet spa experience (waterfall shower, herbal steam room, wet scrub, sauna, and ice parlor); many of the treatments include ritualistic wellness aspects. The Hammam Rose Ritual is one highlight: During the treatment, as you lie on top of a warm marble slab, a therapist will scrub your entire body for what is likely to be the most thorough exfoliation of your life. Following this, you’ll be covered in ridiculously soft foam and then a soothing clay and later treated to a massage. The Tree of Life Vibrations treatment takes place on a heated sand bed and incorporates handmade Himalayan singing bowls into another supremely relaxing massage. Other massage options are more conventional, as are the facials—the Triple Lift Advanced Facial concludes with the Remodeling Face Machine from French brand Biologique Recherche. The Hyper-Customized Facial uses Naturopathica, one our favorite clean, nontoxic brands, and begins with facial steaming and gentle extractions, followed by lymphatic drainage, a congestion-soothing calendula mask, and a glycolic peel. The glow you leave with is...unreal. Led by two doctors, Tierra Santa also has a holistic, preventive medicine program that includes digestion-focused health therapies.

Surrounded by the vintage stores and oyster bars of Magazine Street, Elisabeth Isbell’s cozy spa and salon is great for glossy manicures and pedicures, as well as blowouts—but the facials are especially fantastic. We love the Classic European facial and the super soothing Revitalizing Eye Treatment, which can be added on to any facial, and includes an undereye mask and a pressure-point massage.

Cocooning robes, a eucalyptus steam room (we recommend sweating it out there pretreatment), and Swarovski crystals lining the ceiling of the reception area set the decidedly plush tone that encourages you to (happily) disconnect. The popular Classic Court Facial is a mashup of rousing face massage, gentle exfoliation, plumping masks, plus add-on therapies like LED lights, microdermabrasion, and oxygen treatments.

This super authentic Ayurvedic spa and retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains is both rustic and luxe. Everything here, from the cooking classes to the yoga sessions, aligns with Ayurvedic principles. The beyond amazing, recently renovated spa has tons of different treatments, but we like the Signature Facial. All of the nourishing products are made on the premises and work to bring harmony to your doshas. Bonus: You can add on a warm-oil scalp massage to any treatment.

Set in the historic countryside of Franklin, just minutes from Nashville, Southall combines ancient therapies, the newest in tech, and a warm, personalized approach. They use only clean products, like Naturopathica and Seed to Skin, and they incorporate ingredients grown on their farm (just outside) into the treatments. A team of expert estheticians analyzes your skin to create a custom experience, no matter what your skin issue. And steam and sauna sessions—and/or dips in the mineral pool overlooking Lake Mishkin and the farm’s medicinal garden—are included with any service.

High up in the Great Smoky Mountains on 5,200 acres, Blackberry Mountain (the equally luxurious and rustic sister property to the Blackberry Farm resort) has incredible hiking, next-level fitness, relaxing sound baths, cozy fireside meditation, forest yoga, and more, but leave at least a day on your itinerary just for the gorgeous Nest spa. It’s the first ever Joanna Czech-certified spa in the U.S.—you can get Czech’s famous 80-minute Method facial which includes an incredible sculpting and lifting facial massage, exfoliation, extractions, and Czech’s serums, creams, and masks plus modalities like microcurrent, cryotherapy, radio frequency, and/or microneedling. Each facial finishes with rejuvenating LED light therapy and each esthetician is hands-on trained by Czech herself (Czech also does residencies)—amazing.

Owner Cleise Gomes moved to Chicago from Brazil in 2000, and has been working to bring traditional Brazilian beauty techniques to the U.S. ever since. Gomes is famous for her waxing techniques, but it's her facials that are actually one of the city's best kept secrets. There are glycolic peels, oxygen and LED light therapy, and a face massage-focused session that includes a rousing, heavenly scalp treatment.

Dr. John Q. Cook has 20 years of experience in skincare and has two beautiful Whole Beauty Institutes (one in Winnetka and another in Gold Coast) to show for it. What takes the clinical facials (they also perform fantastic medical-grade chemical peels) to the next level is the meticulously developed Whole Beauty product line; his team of aestheticians will send you home with a set of products specifically picked out to extend the effects of your time in the office. There's also a location in Gold Coast.

Mireille Hamon counts Oprah among her many makeup and skincare clients. The skin guru grew up and received her training in France, which explains her brilliant less-is-more approach. She’s a wizard at clearing blemishes via gentle steams, soothing masks, and careful extractions. Her LED light therapy and microdermabrasion sessions are stellar. And the woman is also an eyebrow genius.

The Few Institute is primarily a plastic surgery center, and a very well-respected one at that (he recently worked with us on our bestselling Youth-Boost Peptide Serum). The Skin Clinic inside is run by a badass team of aestheticians who specialize in seriously effective, medical-grade peels (which they'll customize to your specific skin type), and deeply restorative treatments like the Oxygenating Trio Facial in which skin is flooded with antioxidants to treat and prevent free-radical damage, as well as the 90 Minute Luxury Facial, a combination of steaming, deep exfoliation, microdermabrasion, and heavenly scalp massage. Afore, Few’s skincare line is brilliant; we love the absolutely next-level retinol.

There are only two facials on the menu, but each treatment is tailored entirely to you. Your session starts at their Ritual Bar where you meet with a holistic esthetician for a consult; after that, they mix up a totally custom mask and face oil to be used during the session. You can add on treatments like gua sha or jade rolling, but whatever you choose, you leave feeling (and looking) incredibly refreshed.

The only 5-star spa in Wisconsin and inspired by the rejuvenating properties of the mineral rich waters of the city’s neighbor, Lake Michigan, this spa is filled with deeply restorative amenities such as cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms, and transformative facials. The signature is 80-minutes of intense hydration, firming, and toning. The treatment includes cleansing, toning, exfoliation, extractions, and facial massage as well as back, arm, and hand exfoliation. All their expert aestheticians are hydrotherapy and oncology trained.

The same way the spiritual vortex of Sedona draws seekers, it draws healers—and you can work with the best of them at Mii Amo. For 3, 4, 7, or 10 days—no more, no less—visitors follow personalized programs designed by a guide. Depending on a guest’s needs, a journey might include traditional spa offerings, like enzyme wraps and lymphatic facials, as well as specialty services, like shirodhara and Reiki healing. Spiritual treatments—meditation, hypnosis, past-life regression, and more—can be emotionally intense and incredibly cathartic. During downtime, you might explore intuitive watercolor, hikes in the canyon, dry sauna, or private pickleball lessons.

Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval Arizona is a one-stop shop for all things wellness. This 400-acre desert retreat is the kind of place you can go on a friends’ getaway or a solo journey—and return home feeling totally reset. The rugged, cacti-dotted terrain is the backdrop for a huge variety of activities like horseback riding, the Miraval’s famous Equine Experience with Wyatt Webb, hiking, and botany-focused tours. The spa, with its army of healers, wellness practitioners, and massage therapists, is just as fantastic. The most popular treatment is the amazing Cara Vida facial, which starts with a gentle cleansing, exfoliation using chia seed husks, and two masks: one made of comfrey, green tea, citrus, and rose; the other of honey and cold-pressed chia seeds. All programs are fully customizable: Guests can begin their morning with reiki, try an aerial yoga session in the afternoon, and wind down with a hot stone massage in a temperature-controlled outdoor tent.

Forty minutes from downtown on a particularly spectacular bend in the river, Lake Austin is as amazing a day spa as it is an overnight retreat. Either way, you can use all the spa facilities, the restaurant (many ingredients come from an on-site organic garden) and participate in daily fitness activities from water yoga in the stunning, barn-enclosed warm pool, paddle boarding, and hikes to river-based workouts). There are more than 100 services on the extensive mind- and body-nourishing spa menu—everything from standard Swedish to Chinese-medical cupping treatments—with specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. The facials are particularly incredible: herbal enzyme peels, fractionated laser treatments, and luminizing vitamin C therapies, plus specific options for mothers-to-be, couples, and groups. Post-treatment, you can lounge by the series of swimming pools in the large hillside garden.

If you’re in need of a wax, a quickie facial, a mani/pedi, or just about any self-care treatment you can think of, milk + honey is the spot. It’s ideal if you need to be in and out, but it’s also a solid option if you want to spend an afternoon with friends thanks to the serene lounge area, where you can hang out between treatments. If you’re after a one-and-done style pampering, go for the “Spa Partisan” that packs in a body polishing treatment followed by a steam under a canopy, and a 60-minute body butter massage. (It’s as good as it sounds.) Facials—which are anywhere from 60- to 120-minutes long—are completely bespoke. The estheticians take the time to talk to you about your goals, then create a treatment with decongesting ultrasonic therapies, gentle extractions, fruit acid peels, and powerful peptide treatments. End your experience by wandering through the smartly curated shop, which includes milk + honey’s own line of products. They have several other locations throughout the country, but the 2nd Street District location is the flagship.

The chic, intimate Verbena spa is one of our favorite things about the Austin Proper. Get the Proper Facial—a skin-soothing 60 minutes of cleansing, exfoliating, masking, toning, and moisturizing with Monastery Made’s incredible products like the super rich, hydrating Attar balm, hyaluronic-acid-infused Flora Botanical Cream Serum, plus a custom detoxifying clay and hydrating masks (made specifically for the spa). You can also customize your facial with fantastic add-ons like Saint Jane’s featherweight CBD serum and body cream (the latter is for an epic hand-arm massage) or TheraFace PRO’s percussive massage, heat, and cryotherapy treatments.

There are excavated river rocks embedded in the floor of the lounge area, a tribute to the stunning mountains surrounding you. Treatments here incorporate everything your skin needs to thrive—antioxidants, vitamin C, kaolin clay, peptides, enzymes—and aim to support collagen, mitigate free radical damage, target hyperpigmentation, and illuminate.

This sprawling spa complex operates out of the Hotel Crescent Court, so a full day is well spent here: They offer private yoga and Pilates classes, a health-centric café, and treatments that range from the basic (manis and pedis) to the intense (hardcore lymphatic-draining treatments). We love that the spa is open to kids, too, with a full menu of kid-friendly treatments (and snacks in the café).

Dallas friends swear they’ve experienced the best facials of their lives at the hands of Joanna Czech, who incorporates LED therapy into her treatments. After studying biology in Poland, she made a name for herself in NYC before adding her studio here in Dallas in 2012. Instead of selecting a treatment from a menu, your aesthetician analyzes your skin, discusses goals with you (which could be anything from treating sun damage to glowier skin for an event that evening), and then gets to work. Every facial focuses on treating and supporting the lipid (top) layer of skin, and you can add on microcurrent, hyaluronic acid patches, oxygen infusion, microneedling, and more as you need. Czech’s eponymous skin care line is clean and absolutely fantastic. There is a second location in New York City.

The treatment rooms, as well as all of the massages and facials, are inspired by the sacred kiva rooms used by Pueblos for religious rituals. Start your experience with smudging, chakra balancing, or a mindful meditation while you look out over the serene desert. If your skin is having trouble adapting to the desert climate, try the Moisture Drench Facial which gives skin a bouncy, youthful glow.

Set in the foothills of Santa Fe, this Japanese bathhouse/spa/restaurant/guesthouse is one of the most beautiful, relaxing places on earth. The outdoor baths—an enormous communal one and many private individual tubs—are surrounded by pinyon pines and overlook stunning sunsets and moonrises. All of the facials incorporate a firm Japanese face massage aimed at encouraging circulation and contouring the face muscles. The Japanese Organic Massage facial uses fast, light strokes to remove impurities and encourage lymphatic drainage.

Every treatment at this stunning spa in the middle of the Colorado Plateau starts with a smudging ceremony—a nod to the Navajo, who have lived here for centuries. The swirling smoke clears your head, helping to set the intention for the rest of the experience. Next you get a custom-blended aromatherapy shower, and only after that does the facial begin. The Amangiri Signature is a classic cleansing facial, while the Zone Facial uses targeted pressure-point massage for toxin elimination, and the Hot & Cold Stone Facial, which includes a neck and shoulder massage, is supremely relaxing. Each treatment ends with an incredible crystal sound bath.

This spa’s signature facial isn’t your standard cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize. Instead, it’s a four-step treatment that uses vitamins, minerals, electrotherapy, and some Hannibal Lecter–esque equipment to cleanse, brighten, and tighten skin. The sixty- and ninety-minute treatments start with cleansing and exfoliation. Next, a cotton fabric saturated with yucca-root solution is placed over the face. Over that hovers an infrared dome to encourage detoxification, after which the aesthetician does extractions with a small vacuum. Finally, your face and neck are wrapped in cotton soaked in an anti-blemish, anti-aging solution, and a galvanic current is run through the skin. The entire process feels a bit ticklish—and yields bright, bouncy skin.

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with beautiful hardwood floors and minimalist wooden lounge chairs set around the communal space. The facials, though, are decidedly unminimalist: There are nourishing masks; steamy, aromatic compresses to calm skin; layer upon layer of oils, creams, and hydrosols; detoxifying facial steams; and more. There’s a second location in Northeast Portland.

Set on a protected cove with gorgeous reefs and warm pristine water, this resort is luxe and deeply restorative—and so is their spa. There is only one facial on the menu, and that’s because the master aestheticians personalize everything to your skin’s needs. After a consultation, there’s cleansing, exfoliating, masks, and serums to get your skin silky-smooth and seriously radiant. The best part is the lymphatic-drainage massage that leaves you firm, sculpted, and walking out in a trance.

Surrounded by white-sand beaches and tropical rainforest, this resort is drop-dead amazing on all counts, but the spa—which uses much-obsessed-over Tata Harper products for all of its facials—is next level. The Remodelage Facial is 90-minutes of remodelage (a sculpting massage technique) and facial cupping that boosts skin detoxification, long-lasting hydration, and some pretty major contoured effects.

Perched on a raw, wild cliff overlooking the Pacific, Mukul Resort brings a dose of open-air luxury to a quiet stretch of Nicaragua’s coastline. The spa’s six gorgeous suites each incorporate a different ancient healing tradition, along with powerfully healing Nicaraguan ingredients. Treatments here are over-the-top 120-minute mashups of herbal steaming, honey-cucumber tonics, lymphatic drainage, craniosacral therapy, and soothing masks made with regional flower essences, volcanic clay, and potent herbs.

Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains are home to two-toed sloths, vibrant pink hummingbirds, and hill after hill of coffee farms—and Auberge resort Hacienda AltaGracia. You could, if you wanted to, come here just to hang in the spacious casitas and enjoy the resort’s leafy, vivid-green surroundings. But we’d argue the real magic happens at the destination-worthy spa, The Well.

World-famous dermatologist Barbara Sturm’s work is incredibly high-tech—her endogenic blood therapy, for example, takes dermal fillers like hyaluronic acid and enriches them with regenerative elements taken from a patient’s own blood. At the same time, she’s passionately clean and nontoxic in her approach—a rarity among dermatologists. After researching both techniques and skin-care ingredients at her clinic, she’s come out with a line that manages to be super effective, luxuriously textured, and chic as hell all at once. Treatments at her clinic run the gamut from low-tech to super advanced, from lymphatic drainage and microdermabrasion to hyaluronic-based mesotherapy, nonsurgical face-lifts, and microneedling.

Right on the Bosphorus, the Peninsula Hotel overlooks Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace along with the wide river. There’s a buzzy rooftop restaurant, but our favorite is the elegant, airy, sublevel spa made with floor-to-ceiling marble, saunas, a luxurious indoor pool, lavish traditional Turkish baths, and calming relaxation rooms. The Holistic facial—60 minutes of brightening, smoothing, plumping magic with botanicals and antioxidants—is a must.

Right on the ocean near Palermo, Verdura Resort is serene, relaxing, and all out luxurious. The stunning Irene Forte Spa, surrounded by olive trees and orange groves, is a playground of thalassotherapy pools, Finnish saunas, steam rooms, and more, but the facials are next-level. Each one uses Forte’s luxe, clean skin care line—made with botanicals sourced on Verdura’s own organic farm. We love the Etna Age-Defying Facial—90 minutes of cleansing, toning, and exfoliation, face massage, lymphatic drainage (they use cold volcanic stones sourced from Etna mountain), and a moisture-bomb hyaluronic acid treatment to seal it all in. You’ll walk out totally relaxed, refreshed, with a luminous glow.

People have traveled to Fiuggi for centuries just for the natural spring water, which, legend has it, is healing. At Palazzo Fiuggi, you’ll drink it, soak in it, and shower in it. But the real force behind this destination spa is the medical team, who will tailor your experience according to your goals and the health evaluation you take upon arrival. Your results inform the rest of your stay: Will you spend long mornings trekking through the countryside and afternoons in the thermal baths? Or will you spend the week detoxing, following your doctor visits with lymphatic massage and cleansing rituals in the hammam?

This is the woman responsible for helping in-the-know Londoners achieve that glow-from-within radiance. Amanda Lacey's legendary facials are gentle and pleasantly old school—no lasers or needles in sight. Instead, she relies on time-honored facial massage, quality, natural products, and educating clients about preventing future damage. Clients swear by her eponymous product range for at-home maintenance.

Unlike many aestheticians who rely solely on traditional lotions and potions to treat skin maladies, Anastasia Achilleos targets the facial structures, including the lymph nodes, fascia, and muscles. She offers a huge range of therapies, including deep cleansing, steam, extraction, and bespoke massages to lift, depuff, soften dark circles and hyperpigmentation, and reduce congestion in sinuses. Her sessions are relaxing, and she makes sure to teach her clients how to best manage their skin at home.

OG skin whisperer Linda Meredith has worked on everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kate Middleton, and she's one of the facialists local goop friends swear by. An appointment at her Knightsbridge salon is definitely worth the splurge. Her team identifies, treats, and eliminates skin conditions with restorative algae-oxygen therapy, plumping collagen treatments, and more.

Andrea Pfeffer’s passion for glowing, balanced skin led her to create this beautiful, intimate studio with a menu of novel, high-tech facials. The salon started a bit of a craze for collagen-supporting copper microneedling, but what really sets it apart is that no matter how cutting-edge the treatment or how hard-core the extractions, needling, or vitamin infusion, there's an exquisitely relaxing facial massage built in to your session.

Coined “The Bradden Method,” Sarah Bradden’s signature cosmetic acupuncture facial is both a spiritual reset and a sculpting face treatment. Each treatment is tailored to your needs (and every visit is different) and includes a mix of acupuncture (for face, neck, ears, or body), Reiki, reflexology, massage, LED light therapy, and activated oxygen therapy. You’ll leave with a goddess-like glow and a restored sense of balance and relaxation.

London-based Fatma Shaheen’s treatments at the flagship Matchesfashion’s townhouse in Mayfair are booked months in advance (fans include Naomi Campbell, Naomi Watts, Candice Swanepoel, and Irina Shayk). Her most-popular facial, the SDL Facelift, is pricey, but worth it, with ultrasound, vitamin peels, radiofrequency, and something called a Glow Pen—which combines microneedling with electroporation, a form of microcurrent designed to deliver active ingredients into skin. The results—lifted, glowy, sculpted skin—are unmatched. Skin Design London also offers services at John Bell & Croyden and 180 Health Club in London. And in January, they will also be offering an exclusive treatment, called The Freeze Glowlift during a 3-month residency at Selfridges.

Using a mix of acupuncture, LED light, and even tuning forks (the vibrations have soothing, stress-easing effects), the facials here leave clients with a serious glow, balanced skin, and an even deeper sense of calm. We’re especially in love with the Chi Rejuvenation Facial, fifty minutes of acupressure, gua sha, and jade rolling, all of which energize skin by supposedly stimulating the flow of chi.

In 2002, pharmacist Margo Marrone and her husband, Francesco, created a beautiful, wildly successful chain of wellness dispensaries in London devoted to their ever-expanding, luxurious, certified-organic line of homeopathic remedies, skin, hair, and body care. Their flagship store also has a gorgeous spa where all of the products are used. The facials are amazing: We especially love the vitamin C and papaya enzyme peel, the express thirty-minute facial with microcurrent, and the amazing Rose Diamond Facial, which combines a diamond exfoliation with an oxygen-infused mask and lifting massage for super glowy skin.

This studio was founded by superfacialist Vaishaly Patel, and the skin-care treatments are incredible. The signature facial combines Patel’s famous techniques (deep cleansing, extraction, microdermabrasion, and high-frequency treatment) to create a custom plan to improve your skin on the day of your appointment. All facials include a craniosacral massage to treat tense areas at the scalp, brows, and jaw—heaven.

Much like his culty product range, Hervé Herau's dermatology practice is not widely publicized—in fact it's almost exclusively a word-of-mouth operation. We first heard about his restorative treatments (each one is 100% personalized, which explains why there's no treatment menu on his site) from a friend who swears that a session with him is like hitting the beauty jackpot.

Clients swear that Joëlle Ciocco’s blend of buccal massage (to stretch and tone facial muscles) and product (her eponymous line of cleansers and serums) will absolutely change your skin. What's truly remarkable is that she's actually a biochemist by trade, so there's real science behind her technique. An appointment with Joëlle is not cheap, but the results are priceless. That said, booking with a member of her team is the next best thing and much easier on the wallet.

This is one of those spots that doesn't feel like it could possibly be in a bustling city: Faced with a flowering courtyard, stone walls, and a glass ceiling, La Maison Dr. Hauschka is oh-so-quiet. Fitting really, because the facials and massages are relaxing enough to knock anyone out. Their signature facial, developed by Dr. Hauschka co-founder Elisabeth Sigmund, is two hours of pure bliss—deep cleansing, layers of masks, compresses, and incredibly effective skin care.

Surprisingly, Le Bristol is the only Parisian hotel allowed to perform facial treatments using La Prairie products. Much like the product line itself, the driving force behind the treatment menu is rejuvenation—as evidenced by treatments like the Caviar Lift Facial and the ultrasoothing Platinum Rare Haute Rejuvenation facial. The best part? You can drop off the littles at the Kids Club for the duration of your treatment.

While there are many reasons we love Douro Valley, the fantastic treatments at the spa are at the top of the list. Many use Seed to Skin products; others use scrubs and salves that are made on-site in the Alchemy Bar from botanicals grown on the property (you can book a session to make your own, too). The signature Warming Schist Vinotherapy, a full-body scrub (with a concoction of grape seeds, oils, and port) followed by a mini facial and a full-body hot stone massage using local schist, is pretty incredible. But don’t miss the Golden Aura Facial—both plumping and glowifying, it leaves your skin sculpted, refreshed, and radiant. (You can also upgrade several of the spa services with a Theragun add-on.)

This enormous spa in the middle of the Alps, high above Lake Lucerne has everything from an infinity pool and private spa suites to 3 different kinds of saunas and a series of Kneipp baths. It also has two facials that are hard to decide between: The Dr Burgener Repairing Gold and Green Caviar Facial, which uses ultrasound, green caviar, pulverized pearls, and gold trace elements to revitalize skin, and the 111Skin Signature Harley Street Facial, which calms and coddles skin to the nth degree. Originally designed to accelerate the post-surgery healing, it works to strengthen the epidermal barrier, tamp down irritation and redness, and super-moisturize skin (unsurprisingly, it’s extremely popular among skiers).

The famed wellness escape tucked in the rainforest of Bali, Shambhala Estate is as luxurious as it is supremely relaxing—especially in the fantastic, open-air spa. Acupuncture, Indonesian massage, and all manner of treatments are all on the menu but we’re especially obsessed with the facials, all which use the clean Ayurvedic brand Sundãri. Opt for the Intensive Healing Facial if you’re sensitive (the star ingredient is soothing neen oil) or if you’re looking for glow, choose the Essential Supplifying facial with nourishing oils and exfoliating—either way, you can’t go wrong.

This spa’s minimalist, plant-filled waiting room is an antidote to the hyperactive Bangkok streets, and the hospitable staff gives you lemongrass tea while you wait for your treatment. And the treatments are efficient: After less than an hour, we left with brighter, glowier skin than we arrived with. It’s a medical spa, so you can choose from basic treatments, like a sensitive skin facial, or more clinically advanced ones that incorporate medical-grade injectables, microdermabrasion, and lasers. You can meet with a staff dermatologist for a skin consultation and help navigating the menu. But the goldmine here is the classic rejuvenation facial—a fifty-minute lymphatic massage/marine collagen mask/radio frequency/oxygen mist hybrid—which leaves you with the kind of soft, springy skin that you can’t stop touching.

Kamalaya, on the lush Thai island Koh Samui, combines Eastern and Western medical treatments for as full a reset as you want. When you’re not busy with past-life regression therapy, Reiki, sound baths, herbal soaks, and massages for everything (head, hands, feet, you name it), spend some time floating around the verdant grounds: You’ll find coastal yoga pavilions, cold-water plunge pools, otherworldly steam rooms, and a contemplation cave once used by Buddhist monks.

Relaxing at a spa set on top of the world’s largest salt lick—the place is absolutely alive with wildlife—it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything besides watch the animals and take in the incredible view, but the hour long “Afrique Arising” facial revives sun-baked, wind-whipped, safari-dry skin like nothing else. Ultra-moisturizing—it incorporates the organic, omega-rich, Africa-sourced Terres d’Afrique line—and peppered with fantastic massage techniques, the facial works to restore elasticity, hydration, smoothness, and glow.

The white marble spa in the exquisite boutique hotel Riad Farnatchi in the center of the medina is just incredible, and the facials are especially great. The Ananda Face Therapy involves an aloe vera and pomegranate cleanse, honey exfoliation, and detoxifying green clay mask, then you’re smoothed down in nourishing sandalwood and rose otto oils during a luminizing marma face massage. Other therapies couple traditional healing treatments with corrective technologies, incorporating essential oils like rare Ethiopian-sourced frankincense and sonic wave therapy.

Just off one of the busiest streets in Marrakech and hidden behind an ornate wooden door is one of the city’s most gorgeous hotels and hammams. The spa is bursting with bright, saturated colors, not to mention all sorts of fantastic treatments. The facials, all of which incorporate locally produced argan oil, are amazing. We love the Purity and Glow facial which deeply cleanses skin using gentle ingredients.

After spending the day driving around in the dry, dusty African bush, treat your skin to this full-on, rehydrating, ultra-moisturizing facial. Overlooking a lagoon of hippos, The Bush Spa offers relaxing facials and body treatments, combining both Eastern and Western techniques to revitalize skin, using products made with local extracts and botanicals. We love the Fresh Up facial to deeply cleanse and moisturize, or the Illuminating facial to wrap skin in a soothing, brightening pink clay.

Set on a private island in the Caribbean (it’s two miles off mainland Antigua and reachable only by boat) and enclosed in lush tropical foliage, Jumby Bay has 4.5 miles of powdery shoreline that are completely surrounded by crystal-blue coral-reef-sprinkled water. Every suite has a private plunge pool, and beautiful winding bike paths (the whole resort is brilliantly carless) take you right to the spa for sunrise yoga or breathwork or a treatment in a room with views of the ocean (you can actually hear the waves and breathe in the salt air). Get the facial (Tata Harper–designed, of course) with face-mapping therapy, exfoliation, massage, skin-reviving botanicals, and deep moisture.

There are just two facials on the menu at this quaint cottage-spa that’s perched on a serene lagoon (you can paddleboard right up to the entrance), and both are fantastic. Inspired by traditional Jamaican recipes and made with healing herbs and roots cultivated at the property’s own farm, the facials incorporate tension-relieving acupressure, cleansing muds, smoothing algae masks, and glowifying wild-harvested seaweed treatments.

The view alone will send you into raptures—the spa overlooks the Blue Mountains of Jamaica—not to mention the heavenly foot soak you get upon arrival. As you soak, an aesthetician determines the best treatment for your skin. They’re experts at tension-relieving face massage, deep pore detoxification, and revitalizing tired skin with island plant essences and unique lymphatic drainage acupressure techniques.

Every corner of this resort and spa on Paradise Island (yes, exactly) is beautiful. The eight private spa suites, all of which have both a lounge and a treatment room, are designed with Balinese accents like ornate wooden carvings and huge double doors that open so you can hear the ocean during your treatment. Facials fuse Asian beauty practices with Caribbean ingredients like algae, red coral, and lupin to nourish and fight sun damage.

We cannot get enough of this gorgeous hotel, especially the mostly-outdoor spa, where you’re surrounded by lush vegetation, palm trees, lava rock, and warm island air (there’s even an open air sauna). The treatments are all amazing, but the exclusive goop Glow facial is the ultimate: Layers of exfoliation, hydrators, and clinically-proven actives combine for a skin-boosting treatment that leaves anyone with the softest, smoothest, glowiest skin ever.

Joali Being, on its own private island in the Maldives, has a guiding philosophy of weightlessness. Here, that means letting go of your regular habits for a more intuitive way of life. It’s easier to sacrifice your attachments here, digital or otherwise, and it’s no mystery why: The island, covered in immaculate palm groves and dotted with modern Maldivian architecture, is so beautiful that you wouldn’t want to miss a moment. There’s an antigravity yoga pavilion, immersive wellness experiences, therapeutic and alternative healing therapies, an herbology center, a hydrotherapy hall that includes a sensory-deprivation room, sound therapy hall, and more.

A thirty-minute consultation determines the oil blends, herbs, food, and treatments most effective for your skin—and your Ayurvedic dosha. You arrive at the spa via a dhoni, a traditional Maldivian wooden boat that slices through turquoise waters. The facials combine high-tech medical therapies with ancient holistic practices; some treatments are even tethered to the cycles of the moon. The Ananda is particularly complexion-perfecting: Sixty minutes of marma massage (a traditional Ayurvedic technique) followed by light massage strokes that leaves you refreshed and drop-dead radiant.

It’s unlikely that you’d fly to New Zealand for the Healing Manuka-Honey Facial at The Spa at Kauri Cliff, but if you make it there, go for the 90-minute version, which is a fantasia of local Manuka honey, Rotorua thermal mud, and crushed paua shells from nearby Pink Beach, not to mention an incredible back massage. The spa itself, set amid fern glens and bubbling streams at the edge of the Totara forest, is pure Middle Earth. If you can, have your treatments done outside with birds singing all around you—heaven.