Bliss Spa became famous because Marcia Kilgore, who started the first Bliss Spa in Soho in 1996, gave a great facial and knew how to work the beauty editors and build a celebrity clientele. Her signature facial was the oxygen facial.
Now Bliss is an international spa brand that has been through a few corporate owners -- luxury goods giants LVMH (think Louis Vuitton), Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and now Steiner Leisure, an international spa specialist that owns schools, manages cruise ship spas, and whose other branded spas include Elemis and Remede Spas at St. Regis.
Bliss The Brand
Bliss has 21 spas worldwide, including three Bliss spas in New York, two in Atlanta, and other locations in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Hong Kong. It sells everything from skin-care to shape-wear. So with all the "branding," has Bliss been able to keep the magic?
I visited Bliss57 Spa to find out. It's easy to spot in this bustling part of Midtown Manhattan. Just look for the turquoise Bliss banner hanging high outside the building façade and you’re a quick elevator ride away to the third floor.
Bliss Spa has an economically sized lobby with displays of Bliss products as well as others, including La Mer, Elemis and 3Lab. The locker room can accommodate 20 guests, although when a locker is out of commission, Bliss’ trademark sassy humor is displayed with a notice: “This locker is momentarily indisposed” or “Out of order. (Contrary to popular opinion, not everything can be fixed by our estheticians and technicians).” There are a total of 11 treatment rooms, one of which is a wet room.
Two large sinks are decorated with real orchids, and sauna and steam rooms share space next to the showers. The ladies lounge is conveniently accessed through the locker room, so I didn't have to schlep down a public hallway to get there. Nice.
The Triple Oxygen Facial
Green banquet sofas and a Bliss-colored (brown, blue and green) rug decorate the area and plenty of timely periodicals were there for my perusal. Come hungry because the snacks are delicious, including olives, cheese, cucumber slices, sesame crackers and chocolate and vanilla brownie bites. Tea and cucumber and lemon water were also there, with glassware...no paper cups to be seen.
Fortunately, I didn’t have time to over-eat, since my therapist would soon be coming for my Triple Oxygen Facial. It sounded a little mystifying, but was utterly exhilarating. After I filled out the personal info, which included my birthday (I put my year as “Never Mind”) Chloe picked me up and we headed to the room, which was comfortably warm but had unfortunate piped-in music.
When I asked for the music to be changed, Chloe told me it wasn’t possible, so she turned it completely off. This meant it was piped in from a central location. That's fairly common at day spas, but most luxury spas can give you an option.
Regardless, I was given the 4-1-1 on the facial which starts with a lovely warm towel to the face. Then my skin was cleansed, evaluated and I was asked about my home regimen. Next came exfoliation and glycolic peel, which is well-suited for dry skin, of which I have plenty.
Following that was a special cream for this oxygen treatment, which does not include a typical facial steaming. Chloe said the steamers can run the risk of bacteria build-up, considering the moisture that is involved. The special oxygen cream is more sanitary and disinfects the skin at the same time, she said.
Here Comes The Oxygen...
Then came the part we all love to hate — extractions. This was what you’d expect, not pleasant, but it was followed by a facial massage. “This is like a reward for the extractions,” Chloe explained as she massaged my head. Following that was a calming balm that reduces inflammation or redness that might result after extractions.
After the wonderful massage of the arms, hands, feet and neck, Chloe showed me the jar of energizing cream that had the words “Triple Oxygen” on it. Next she applied an instant energizing mask and oxygen spray via a nebulizer.
It felt very misty and not warm, so I didn’t think of potential bacteria looming large. She then applied a potion of vitamins A, C and E sprayed over my face which was covered by a soft towel. Whether or not it was oxygenated, it sure felt good.
Bliss57 Spa At A Glance
Type of Spa: day spa
Location:12 W. 57th St., 3rd floor, New York, New York, 10019.
Phone: Tel. 877-862-5477
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary treatments for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
