Experiencing The Luxury of ESPA Skin Care Products At The Peninsula Spa

Remember when I visited The Peninsula Spa in Chicago for their new, heavenly Bamboo Harmonizer Massage? I walked out that day thinking, “Wow, this place is dreamy. I hope I get to come back sometime soon!”

As it turned out, “sometime soon” came sooner than I imagined it could when I was invited to an intimate breakfast at the Peninsula Hotel with Sue Harmsworth, Founder and CEO of ESPA (a luxury line of beauty products), followed by a facial.

I mean, is this real life???

I made my way to the city and, upon meeting Sue was immediately both charmed and impressed. This woman, who is in her late 60s even though you’d never believe it by just looking at her, is a ROCKSTAR. What struck me first was how gorgeous she is (couldn’t help it: it’s the first thing I noticed!), and next, how friendly, approachable, and super-smart she is. That was only the beginning.

Over a lovely breakfast, Sue told me (and the other guests) about the ESPA line of luxury beauty products, including the new Optimal Skin ProSerum, a face treatment oil that includes powerful essential oils (and smells fantastic and light) to help strengthen the skin at the cellular level. This product absorbs quickly and can be used both in the morning and at night. The ProSerum is ONLY available in the United States at The Peninsula Chicago right now (until December).

She also told us about the ESPA Lifestage age-enhancing skincare range of products. From the press release:

Formulated to address the skins biological age and ideal for those (typically) aged 45+, the LIFESTAGE range comprises of three hero products – each using Natural Encapsulation Technology together with a unique blend of 10 pure and concentrated actives – which are stage released into the epidermis for up to 8 hours to achieve their ultimate performance potential.

Sue told us about the science behind these products and it was fascinating to me. Her philosophy:

We see ourselves as guardians of our customers’ skin. Modern life demands instant everything – and instant everything is rarely good for you in the long term. Our philosophy is less is more: so don’t use too much too soon, try to use things that are relevant, be observant about your own skin.

The health of the skin comes from inner, there’s only so much you can do topically. So I’m very conscious when we’re formulating products that, while you can see immediate results, underlying it are ingredients that are working on the structure and health of the skin for the long-term.

The Peninsula Spa will have lots of different ESPA gift sets available for purchase during the holiday season.

After the breakfast I headed up to The Peninsula Spa to enjoy a Custom Facial using ESPA products, including the Optimal Skin ProSerum and the Lifestage range. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it: it was pure heaven. After analyzing my skin and customizing the 90-minute treatment specifically for me, the esthetician explained everything she was doing and why she was using each product.

She made my day by telling me that my skin is in great shape; it’s well-hydrated and I have fantastic elasticity. Hurray for me!

I highly recommend putting a Custom Facial at The Peninsula Spa on your holiday wish list.

I’ll end with one more thought: “Wow, that place is dreamy. I hope I get to go back sometime soon!” (I’ll let you know how that works out for me.)