NYC Spas – Faina European Spa

July 2, 2010, 8:54 am
Filed under: Uncategorized

Faina European Spa is named after a Russian woman named Faina. It’s her spa. Go figure. Well-versed in the art of pampering, this lady has put together quite the impressive sprawl on 57th street. Tucked away on the 4th floor of a predictably glossy building just beneath Central Park’s west side entrance, Faina spa offers hedonists all the fixin’s—especially for those hedonists arm in arm with a lover. Perhaps best known for couples treatments, Faina does romance right. We’re talking champagne scrubs, flower petals, and some post-spa getting lucky time. (Note:  The “getting lucky time” will have to happen on your own time and, yes, as lovely as their spa is, on your own turf).

I stopped at the spa a few weeks ago for a revitalizing lavender sea salt full body scrub, and then a nice and hot steam in the adjacent shower. I followed that up with a massage that put me to sleep like a just-fed baby. And I mean that in the best way possible. Who doesn’t want to wake up with soft muscles in a room that smells like an orchard and is backlit by flickering candles?

Expect a 100% professional spa so clean you could eat off the floor with body scrubs and oils so delicious sounding that you just might do that.

I mean, umm, that’s gross. And you might die. So don’t do that. But go get your back rubbed.

By: Elizabeth Seward

Fantastical

Usually, champagne is served in cups for drinking, but at Faina European Day Spa, you dunk your feet in it. Faina’s Grape Peel Pedicure begins with a warm foot soak in effervescent champagne soap suds. Next, your feet are exfoliated with a champagne rose scrub, then covered in a champagne rose mask. Before the sweet-smelling mask is removed, your feet are wrapped in plastic and placed in two funny-shaped silver slippers that make them feel quite toasty. After about five minutes, the slippers are removed, the mask is rinsed away, and your feet are moisturized with champagne rose lotion. A lengthy, luxurious foot massage follows, succeeded by the application of toenail polish. The whole process takes longer than your average pedicure, but it is also more pleasurable. The Grape Peel Pedicure is not available for a reduced price during Spa Week, but Faina’s classic European Pedicure is. Although the classic is sans champagne, Barno, the Faina technician who did an exquisite job on my toes, assured me that it’s très fantastique.

"Romance for Two"

Faina European Day Spa

This Valentine's special will put you and your loved one in the mood for romance while keeping you warm and cozy all day. The package includes a steam shower, an aromatherapy body polish, a one-hour European body massage, and champagne-and-chocolate tret to top it off. Visit the relaxing getaway on West 57th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues in order to purchase a package, or check out other special offers on the spa's Web site at www. fainaeuropeanspa.com' - Maia Blume

"Faina European Day Spa is one of TONY's favorite escapes. For something a little out of the ordinary, opt for the European Purifying Facial with Papaya and Pineapple Enzyme Treatment or the seaweed Mud Paraffin Facial. or stick with the tried and the true European Body Massage"

"Any excuse that might have been keeping you from pampering yourself is completly shot down here: the brief treat is not expensive, not lengthy and not inconvenient -  and there no getting naked necessary. The office-size suite may be modest, but its linens are crisp and staff serenly professional. A quarter hour of temple rubbing, hair tugging and swirly head kneading feels a lot longer, and it's mind-clearing for even the most ticklish among us. Expect a quick detour to the shoulders or forearms if you are game, but nothing's more invasive here than what you'd experience in an awkwardly crammed L train"

"Faina European Day Spa is one of the city's top spots offering top notch skin care ..."

"Faina Day Spa alleviated the frustration of my freakishly long 10am meeting. The 15-minute scalp massage--a seemingly endless series of rubs, strokes, and even strangely enjoyable hair tugs--was a godsend. The treatment even purports to stave off hair loss, a bonus for those tearing their locks out over a looming presentation or their own personal Dwight Schrutes."

"In her native Russia, she held a medical dgree, which explains her knowledge of and interest in workings of the body's most vital organ-the skin. Today, Faina is the proprietor of a luxe Midtwon spa offering unparalleled personalized service. Add to that her years of experience studying ways to perfect the complexion, a unique dash of old-world charm, and a no-nonsense approach to beauty, and you have a day spa experience you'll never forget"

"Faina's facials are known city-wide; she will unclog your pores, get rid of surface dirt and dead cells, and restore a healthy, youthful glow to your complexion"

"Restore youthful radiance and vitality at this private retreat nestled in the heart of Manhattan. Russian born and trained, Faina has a deep understanding of the skin"

"Faina provides enough pampering to calm both skin irritation and send you snoozing"