Best Facial in NYC: Mamie's Skin Care

When you have problematic and sensitive skin like I do, it's always a task to find a good facialist who can give your face a thorough cleansing and not make you break out while you're at it. And since NYC has some of the best spas in the world, I always try to get a good facial while I'm there. I was a huge fan of the Triple Oxygen Facial at the Bliss Spa in New York.. in fact, I was a huge fan of the spa in general and all their treatments. Last year when I visited though, I noticed that the spa desperately needed a facelift and that had gone too commercial and mainstream. The facial as well left my skin looking red and blotchy and I decided to do some research about finding a new and better place the next time I visited. Turns out I didn't have to, as my best friend Payal found Mamie for me!

Sorry about the random title showing up.. it's the only larger picture of her I could find!

Payal has sensitive skin just like I do, and found Mamie after doing a bit of research and went to her for a facial, not really expecting too much. Turns out, she was blown away by not only the treatment, but the attention and advice she received, and I don't know if I mentioned it in my birthday post from Paris but Payal wanted for a facial with Mamie to be part of my birthday present too- that's how much she loved her new discovery! I did some independent research on my own and was quite impressed with what I read about her. She obviously had gathered a lot of press because of all the celebrities she frequently treated, but I also appreciated that random people had posted reviews about her and how incredible and thorough she was on their skin and how warm and inviting she was in person, which made me really look forward to checking her out.
I finally made my way to her a few weeks before I was to leave NYC as I wanted to have nice glowing skin before I headed back to Dubai. Her center is tucked away in a building a few blocks away from where I was, and I was quite surprised to see how homely the atmosphere was. The place is tiny and the waiting area is lined with pictures of her clients... not celebrity mugshots and signed autographs,  but wedding pictures and random photographs of people of whom some you recognize and some you don't. Mamie herself couldn't have been more lovely and while I expected to be sleeping through my facial, I was so happy to have her chatty, giving me skin care tips and advice, dispelling skin myths as well as a bit of Hollywood gossip thrown in. The facial lasted much longer than I expected, and she poked and prodded and squeezed and pampered every bit of my face, and then to cool the redness down, actually wheeled in a tank of oxygen herself to use it at the end to calm my skin down. Not only did I walk out of there with glowing, dewy skin, but I had a face with no redness in it AT ALL... which for a person with rosacea is very rare even on a good day!
While I knew I was in love while I walked out of her clinic that day, what I really loved is her passion and sincerity for her work. She does not push her products on you at all, and will recommend stuff only if you ask her to. A lot of the skincare she also recommended she didn't even sell, and for example, she told me to treat the dry skin on my body using pharmacy bought Eurcerin. I needed to pick up a serum that they didn't have in stock the day I went in for my facial, and a few days before I left New York, I went back in to pick it up. I had a few questions about whether it would clog my skin, etc, and since Mamie was free at that time, she came out to personally answer my queries. She noticed a few breakouts on my chin and asked if I had time and took me in to have a look, after which she gave me a mini facial clearing out all the clogged pores. Almost 45 minutes later I emerged with my skin glowing and I was super happy and headed over to the receptionist to pay for the treatment. The lady looked at me confused and said it was for free.. it was only when I refused to leave without paying something did she go in and talk to Mamie and charged me a nominal fee. And no, she didn't know I was a blogger or would be doing any sort of review on her.. she just wanted to help some random girl from Dubai who was visiting New York whom she probably assumes she'll never see again.
If you are in New York or ever going to visit and want to get a great facial while you're there, I literally cannot recommend Mamie enough. I think she truly is one of the best in the world, and it really is no wonder that celebs like Sophie Dahl have in many an interview sworn by Mamie and credit her with their porcelain complexions!

Pictures and press of Mamie with some of her celebrity clients. Taken from Mamie's website found here

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