I Tried An $850 Facial On Rodeo Drive In Beverly Hills – These Are My Thoughts

Luxury Meets Legacy

It all starts with the name. I was first introduced to luxury Swiss skincare brand Valmont two years ago when they celebrated the launch of their DetO2x line at one of their spa partners, Hotel Bel-Air (one of my all-time favorite spots in L.A.). This was about a year after they launched their first U.S. flagship on the ground floor of the esteemed Carlyle hotel in New York City. While the brand has been building awareness in the states over these last few years, it’s actually been around for four decades. In that time, it’s developed a strong reputation for efficacious formulas focused on cellular cosmetics. With products going all the way up to $1,110 (the brand’s L’Elixir Des Glaciers line is its ultra luxe subdivision), it only makes sense their boutiques are equally exquisite.

“Rodeo Drive is an affluent neighborhood in tune with Didier and Sophie’s vision of bringing very high-end luxury, science-based skincare to L.A.,” the boutique’s director and lead aesthetician Juliana Hussin told me when we sat down for a chat inside the colorful yet refined, art-adorned establishment. “The space they were looking for was definitely exclusive, the right address—a place where they can showcase their art at the same time.”

Going with the theme of luxury, their facials, too, are designed to be relaxing and pampering, allowing a client to doze off, versus digging in with extractions and heavy acid peels. 

“The reason why I believe the red carpet facial got its name is because you can walk straight out of your facial onto, you know, getting your makeup done and walking a red carpet,” Hussin explained. “It doesn't leave you red. It gives you an instantly lifted look. All of our facials exclude extractions, but you can add them on for extra. We feel like by using our products, you don't really need a lot of extractions. You know, the ingredients are so high quality and concentrated. They're not like sitting in your pores. They're actually absorbed into the skin and doing what they’re supposed to do. We're more about the experience and the luxury.”

Ok, so once we got the topic of luxury out of the way, what, exactly does a luxury facial even entail?

“There’s a lot of lymphatic drainage,” Hussin said of the experience, which is exclusive to this location only. “There’s a very high technology of microdermabrasion, diamond dermabrasion, microcurrent, biosonic, LED and oxygen with negative ions. Negative ions mimic the mist from a meadow or from a waterfall, so it's also very grounding. Also, our collagen mask is 92% bovine collagen, which is as close to human collagen as possible. It’s extremely reparative. It's a medical grade collagen mask. So that's why when we're doing all the stimulation and getting the blood flow, the skin gets pink and then that collagen mask just brings it all back down to balance. So not only are we working on the physiology of the skin, we're also working on wellness and wellbeing and grounding the client during the facial.”

My Personal Experience

After my chat with Hussin, she led me into a dim-lit room, where I was welcomed with slippers and a robe. It was a hot Los Angeles day and I’d been running around, so to have this moment to slip under the covers and unwind was a dream (literally, because I did fall asleep). Typically with facials, if I doze off, I’m awakened because there are usually heads-ups offered by the aesthetician. But in this case, because there was nothing invasive or triggering, I was able to let Hussin’s hands, tools and masks do their thing while I drifted off to dreamland. 

Based on what I learned about the facial (and its cost), it’s definitely for a middle-aged to older demographic. “You're just going to feel your skin super hydrated and tight for days,” Hussin explained. “So I would say it’s for people who are really serious about anti-aging and truly nourishing and feeding the skin. You know, the skin is a living organ, so you’ve really got to apply quality ingredients. It's like, you know, someone who shops at Sprouts and Erewhon. They're not going to pick up the same ingredients and quality of fruits, vegetables and meats as they’d get at Ralph's.”

When I completed the hour-and-a-half experience and stared at my glowy skin, my first thought was excitement that I could immediately apply makeup. Following any facial I’ve received prior, I’ve been warned to avoid makeup application for 24 hours. Have I ever listened? No. Was it a relief to not hear the warning regardless? Yes. My makeup went on effortlessly that evening, and I didn’t experience any pain or sensitivity. Unfortunately I didn’t have a red carpet to strut that night, but I was glowing with glee regardless!