Tomboy’s Antonym – a young professional sets out to review Ottawa’s spas!
One of my favourite lines from When Harry Met Sally stems from Harry’s character (Billy Crystal). He believes that there are two types of women: high maintenance, and low maintenance. But that’s not all. Harry explains to Sally that apart from these two distinctions, there is an even worse breed of woman: the woman who thinks she is low maintenance, but is ACTUALLY high maintenance.His theory has always made me wonder about what kind of woman I am. And I’ve come to believe that I actually AM low maintenance! Seriously.
When I was invited to blog for wayspa.com I was excited to be a truly low maintenance female blogging about spas around
Ottawa and the Outaouais. With an open mind (and a sense of irony), no expectations or experience in the world of spa-going, I was going to be the voice of discerning taste for all low maintenance women out there!
Last Friday I headed over to The Loft. This downtown Ottawa spa is in the perfect location for anyone who works downtown, andeven better for those who live in centretown, the golden triangle, Sandy Hill, or the Glebe. The Loft is located on Elgin right in the heart of restaurants, bars, and a short walk from the canal. I was happy to stroll there from my downtown office in about five minutes!
I had never been to the The Loft before but I have several friends who get their hair styled there. I had heard rumours that it had gone through some major renovations – and they were right. The spa now branches out across a massive square footage, boasting polished concrete floors, floor to ceiling windows, and comfortable décor with white, red, and dark wood accents.
I arrived for my dermalogica facial (80$) and pedicure (60$) and was escorted to a sitting area by the windows where I was offered water, coffee, or a glass of wine. Shortly, Chantalle, my aesthetician took me to a private room with low lights and soothing music. Now, I want to present my case here for choosing to get a facial. First, I had just returned from a hiking and backpacking trip around Nepal and India. Second, during the summer the temperatures there were upwards of mid-40’s Celsius. I had wandered the cities of India and came back feeling a little worse for the wear on my face.
After wrapping myself in a plush towel on top, I lay down on the bed. Chantalle used a bright light and large microscope gadget (think dentist without any fear or tension) to get a good look at my pores. She said I had some dry spots so she would use extra moisturizing techniques and asked if there was anything special I was looking to take care of. I simply replied: please make my face feel as clean as you can!
First she used a cleansing gel to get any guck out of my pores, then a multi-active toner to firm my skin. She exfoliated my face with a skin prep scrub and used an active moisturizer with SPF to protect my face. Finally, an intensive moisture masque was put on my face over a gauze layer, which she left to harden for about 10 minutes while I dozed to quiet music.
The best part of this whole process was the face, head, shoulder, and neck massage which was incorporated into the facial. Between all these procedures Chantalle used lotions to massage my temples and other pressure points, as well as kneed the knots out of my shoulders and the back of my neck. Needless to say, after an hour, I left the room feeling relaxed and with my face looking ten times fresher, and feeling firm and smooth (like a baby’s bottom, my boyfriend added).
Chantalle escorted me to a large room lined with a plush cushioned bench and pillows. Lucky for me, my friend was waiting for
us to begin our side-by-side pedicures. I sat down on the cushions and placed my feet into the warm water. Then, my friend and I proceeded to gossip our way through our joint pedicures. I did take notice that instead of the usual razor technique to smooth out my heals, the Loft has a special polishing machine they run over your callused spots to make them soft. I chose my colour: Red My Fortune, and was given the entire bottle at the end of the pedicure to keep. An excellent perk!
All in all, The Loft provided something different from the average spa. The décor and atmosphere is high end modern with noneof the usual frills and potpourri I associate with aged spas. My aesthetician made it her priority to ensure that my treatments were effective and relaxing. The spa’s attention to detail did not go unnoticed. The location is a five-minute walk from my centretown apartment and from my downtown office. I will definitely be back to The Loft. But not right away. I’m low maintenance, after all.
The Loft Hair Salon • 613- 232-0202 • 380 Elgin St. Unit 8 • Ottawa, Ontario
