Going Out

Photo Credit: Peter Su

By Alexandra Hall

The charms of a stroll through Bloomingdale’s have always been many: Fragrance freaks love the vortex of perfumed air; label stalkers adore the deep racks of Posen and Michael Kors; bauble collectors covet the epic strands of Temple St. Clair. Now add spa lovers to that list. They’re coming in for Clarins—both the company’s products counter and a freestanding day spa composed of soundproof cubes smack in the middle of the store.

The Chestnut Hill Mall spa is the first of its kind from Clarins in the U.S. It’s already booking to capacity, thanks to professional-strength Clarins products (which aren’t available at retail counters). And the treatments—many of which took decades of development before the techniques were just right—don’t hurt, either. They include Triactive Facials that leave skin detoxed and glowing and Melting Honey massages that use heated slate and marble stones. Not to mention a honey-based gel that transforms into an oil when applied, then settles into the skin with the feel of a lotion.

The most notable part, though, isn’t the sci-fi products or the bliss-inducing techniques. It’s the switch that gets flipped after you’ve spent an hour in the pin-drop quiet treatment room and then step out into onto the brightly lit, bustling floor of the store. The first sensation nearly lulls you to sleep, the second jolts you awake. Together, they deliver a one-two punch of serious luxury.            

D Clarins Spa
Bloomingdale’s, Chestnut Hill
225 Boylston St., Newton | 617-630-6776| bloomingdales.com