Body
AnneCecile Curot, spa director at Marc Harris (125 Broad Street, Boston, 617.443.8633), is one of those striking women whose skin is so glowing and flawless that I can't guess her age -- which reassures me that I'm in trustworthy hands when I head into the spa for a Pumpkin Ritual ($75). "Women need to invest more into our skin -- face and body -- because it's the last thing that people see. And unfortunately, when you die you don't take your Manolo Blahnik shoes with you, or your Yves Saint Laurent bag," Curot says. "Someone else from your family will get those. That's reality!" She's certainly got a point. After explaining to Curot that I have a wedding to attend just a few days after this treatment, she assures me that my skin shouldn't peel or flake, so not to worry about the strapless dress I'll be wearing. About 45 minutes later, I saunter out of the salon feeling fabulous after Curot works over my upper arms and décolleté (also known as the area where my cleavage is supposed to be) with a sweetly scented cleanser, smoothes on a pasty pumpkin enzyme containing lactic acid, cinnamon, and clove, and finishes things off with a pumpkin cream essence that's a whipped antioxidant moisturizer -- think of it as a crème fraîche for the body. The treatment is a success both as a recipe and a skinrenewing treatment: the skin on the back of my upper arms is smooth with a slight shine, and the bit of discoloration left over from a minor sunburn on my chest is gone. As much as I hate to see the summer go, this treatment reminds me that there are some very delicious things to love about fall.
It turns out that many sunbathers (including me) have a common problem: skin so dry you could sand your floors with it. So when I arrive for a Back Facial ($85) at the Carriage House Salon and Spa (33 Church Street, Cambridge, 617.868.7800), esthetician Anne Roche takes a look at my skin and decides hydration is the answer. An hour and a half later -- after being cleansed, lightly exfoliated, steamed, moisturized, and massaged -- my back is ready to kick some straplessdress ass. It feels cleaner, clearer, and a lot smoother than when I started. As for how it looks? You'll have to ask the wedding guest in the pew behind me.
