I was very excited about this place based on the reviews, but from the beginning it was a disaster…read more First, all online maps have an old address for this business, so I show up to a sign on the for with the new address. I call and Cate tells me she'll wait for me.. I arrive, walk in, and the building is extremely hot and humid. There is a person at the desk on the phone who doesn't acknowledge my existence. Eventually Cate comes to greet me, asks if I need to use the restroom and then shows me to the room. I ask about the AC to which she tells me that it "goes out sometimes" and says she has a fan to compensate...ok. She starts discussing my goals and I specifically tell her that I'm concerned about the dirt and oil in my pores from wearing a mask, and also the millia in my eyebrows and under my eyes. She says only the owner can do the add on service to address that and she's not there today. Cool, ok. She says she's going to do a deep pore service that will get rid of the dirt and oil in my pores and also a lymphatic drainage massage. So the service starts and I have to strip down to my undershirt because I am dying. The fan is then directly on my face but I don't want to ask her to move it because I don't want her ti not get the benefit of the breeze. The service was fine...nothing to write home about. Then I realize she hasn't brought out the tools to do the extractions and it's near the end of the service. I ask her and she says it's an add on and I say that's perfectly fine. Then she finishes the service and tells me "the facial is done." And I'm like, what about the extractions, she looks at my face and said "oh yeah I can see all those blackheads." But, then proceeds to tell me that the service is over, so I would have to book another appointment to do that. She also tells me another client is waiting (Just so you know, there was not anyone in the waiting room when I left, or when I was sitting in my car looking in while I was getting myself together to leave). I explain to her that I have never had a facial in which my goal was to reduce the oil in my pores and the extractions were not done. And that was one of the two reasons I had booked the facial and now neither of those things have been addressed. I had told her at the beginning of the service that I wanted to purchase products, and get in a routine of coming to get a facial every so often to keep up with my skin. At this point I told her I just wanted to pay and leave. I asked her how to get in touch with the owner, and she gave me a business card. I did call the number on the business card and left a voicemail, and I'll update if I hear back from the owner. Additionally, the "lymphatic drainage massage" did not happen. I am not an expert in skin, but I am also a licensed cosmetologist (in addition to a registered nurse), and we are trained in facial massage techniques- I can tell you for a fact nothing massage-like happened at all.
I don't think I have ever been so disappointed in a spa service. Not only was the building not air conditioned, in spring, in the state of Florida, but none of the things that I wanted to have done were addressed. If I had known that I couldn't get my concerns addressed I would have said you know what thank you very much I think I need to reschedule for when Evelyn is here, or I would very much like a refund and you can take whatever percentage you want back, but this is not going to be right for me. I honestly feel like it was a bit of a bait and switch. And I am extremely disappointed. The only reason this business is getting two stars is that Cate seems like a nice person, and had the building had air conditioning, it would have been a very nice office/location. I will also add that I booked my appointment with Evelyn, and no notice was given that it would not be her performing the service, so that was unexpected and jarring.
Hopefully I hear back from the owner, and I'll update this review accordingly. Sometimes recovering from a major faux pas can completely turn around a terrible experience, we'll see....
*Update* the owner reached out to me to schedule a "re-do" at no charge
