All posts tagged: spa

Pamper: Urban Retreat Bangkok

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When you’re tired and weary from all that eating and shopping in Bangkok, a good body massage is what you need to perfect that holiday. But if cheap, S$10 hourly Thai massages in cramped quarters are not your thing, consider the Urban Retreat spa located right next to the Asok train station. Urban Retreat’s suite of services are pricier than your average quickie Thai massage spots; but they are still three to four times cheaper than what you would pay in Singapore. The prices for the services at Urban Retreat start at 400 TB for an eyebrow wax, to 3,200 TB for the “Bliss Package” (2 hr 50 min sugar and honey body scrub, mud mask and macadamia oil massage). Plus, the experience is worth it at this decade-old establishment. There are more than 20 clean, private and spacious rooms available, including those for couples with adjoining shower cubicles. This means you could show up without a prior booking (say, just before dinner time) and have a good chance of getting a slot (although planning …

Facial Treatments at Aesop, Nakameguro, Tokyo

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“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.” – Janis Joplin As I tucked myself between the sheets on the toasty spa bed at Aesop’s beautiful Nakameguro store in Tokyo, I found myself staring at this quote on the ceiling. I’m doing the right thing then, I thought, pampering myself with the new Tranquil Order Facial Treatment for “combination, sensitive and reactive skin”. First launched in Melbourne in 2005, the facial is now available at Aesop’s Nakameguro store, the only one in Japan which currently offers the indulgent session. The therapist decided on the Tranquil Order treatment (from 18,000 yen for 60 minutes, before tax) for me after a consultation, which involved a questionaire on my beauty routine and skincare habits. The treatment begins with a deep cleansing ritual where she mixed the Tea Tree Leaf Facial Exfoliant mixed with the Purifying Cream Cleanser, along with some facial cabin-only professional products. This was followed by the Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser, all applied with firm and comforting strokes. What happened next was all a blur as …