La Prairie's $410 Platinum Facial

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed)
Jul 18th 2010 at 4:01PM

You can get a facial at almost any spa, and even in some nail and hair salons. But will it be platinum?

If you visit the spa at the Ritz-Carlton in NYC, it can be. Since the spring, the spa has been offering The Platinum Rare Facial, a 90-minute treatment that is priced at $410, typically including product samples. Add a 20% tip and you're at $500.

According to the "Vain Glorious" department in The New York Times's T Magazine, "This ultra-pampering facial is more like a spa manicure and pedicure, massage and facial in one. It's performed by both a nail technician and an aesthetician -- the former soaks, scrubs and swathes the extremities in the brand's lavish products while the latter massages the neck and shoulders in between steps of the main event: a customized facial using La Prairie's Platinum Collection (including Cellular Cream Platinum Rare, which retails for $650 per ounce)."

Before the treatment, guests are invited to relax in the upscale locker room and lounge, outfitted with cool and soothing marble, a steam room with a tub of ice and cucumbers waiting outside, and a corner with chairs, fresh fruit, and dried snacks. Then guests select the music they wish to be played during the treatment. The signature seems to be the application of Cellular Cream Platinum Rare at the end of what the the Ritz calls "an experience that transcends the ordinary in every way with age-defying benefits."

Tags: facial, La Prairie, New York, platinum, Ritz-Carlton, skin care