City Pulse

Retreat From Fashion Week:
A Facial to Write Home About from Andrea DeSimone

By Gillian Weeks

There are two phrases that should never be joined in a single sentence: “stagnant fluids” and “your face.” Andrea DeSimone of Suite Retreat uttered that unholy coupling while I was lying face-up on her massage table, her fingers goopy with some complexion-saving salve. I imagined a network of sludge deposits just beneath the surface of my skin and tried my best not to run for the nearest chemical peel. DeSimone, a former protégé of Jo Malone, explained that these stagnant fluids are to blame for my less-than-perfect skin, but that a little lymphatic drainage massage could get those liquids flowing like the Hudson – though hopefully minus the industrial pollutants.

DeSimone developed this technique after years of experimenting with her own skin. As a teenager, she struggled with cystic acne, and later developed eczema and allergies. The solution was not dermatologists and pharmaceuticals, but facials and lifestyle changes. Acne-free and even-toned, she now preaches her gospel to anyone looking for a facial upgrade, or at least a soothing touch.

Like any critical spa-goer, I’m a skeptical customer. I don’t buy into any floral-scented balm that crosses my path, nor any witch doctor wielding a mud masque. DeSimone, however, is the real thing. A week after my lymphatic massage, I’ve seen a remarkable improvement in my skin. Call it coincidence, call it placebo; all I know is that that I’ve laid off the concealer and claimed a little radiance. Stop by Suite Retreat to break the ice on your own stagnant fluids.

Andrea DeSimone at Suite Retreat
201-315-1327
124 East 40th Street, Suite 803
Between Lexington and Park
www.andreadesimonefacials.com

Originally published February 2007

If Your Feet Hurt during Fashion Week, trot to the Night Hotel