Blossom Skin Boutique in Austin separates itself from other spas in one big, glaring, glorious way: it’s organic. Au naturale. Every ounce of every thing that comes in contact with your skin is free of complicated and harmful chemicals. Spa owner, Samantha Brooks, has a philosophy I like: “If you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin”.
The last time I had a facial that really left me glowing was at Graceful Services in NYC. While the bone-shaking extractions performed during this… procedure… didn’t feel good in any sense of the word, the result was something I’ve been hoping to have emulated by the spas I’ve visited since. But I wasn’t as happy with a facial until recently, until Blossom Skin Boutique.
I walked into Blossom on a Friday afternoon, late, thanks to heavy Guadalupe traffic. Ben Britz came along, for the ride, the photo-taking, and a massage. The first thing I notice about a spa is whether or not it’s peaceful. With warm cream colors matched with tranquil sea blues and dim lights, I liked the personality of Blossom immediately. The space is relatively small but well-used, consisting mostly of a waiting area, bathroom, and two treatment rooms. Light shines in through draped fabric from above. A wall of organic products – makeup, body products, even candles – stands to the right. Samantha and her masseuse-on-hand, Elizabeth, greeted us with genuinely friendly faces and led us back to our separate rooms, but not without first engaging in time-frittering conversation.
From that conversation, I learned a few things.
1. This spa is only about a year and a half old.
2. Samantha is young, enthusiastic, and sincerely enamored with the idea of helping people by way of spa treatments.
3. Blossom’s products are strictly organic.
I followed Samantha to my room and prepared for the treatment, unsure of what to expect. When she entered the room, she helped guide me through the shelf of Eminence products she keeps beside the table. With helpful explanations of each one that piqued my curiosity, we finally decided, together, on the best products for my skin type. (Tip: there’s a jalapeno face product in her mix. Try it. It’s invigorating in a way I enjoyed). She rinsed and washed and exfoliated and masked and extracted and electrified and moisturized my skin–in that order.
My post-treatment glow lasted for days and she sent me home with plenty of Eminence Organics samples–something she often does for customers.
And, according to reports from Ben Britz, the head, hands, and feet massage is superb–especially for those, like him, who suffer from carpal tunnel and tendonitis. The massage was focused and tailored to his needs.
I never quite emphasized organic skin products the way I should have before visiting Blossom, but Samantha has helped me to see things in a new light: the more natural your skin product is, the more natural your skin looks. Makes sense to me.
By: Elizabeth Seward
Photos by: Ben Britz
