Where I Learn Not to Judge a Book by Its Cover

All the way back in May my delightfully thoughtful hubby gave me a voucher for a "Rescue Me" package at a local beauty place for Mothers Day. He thought I was looking a little bit "run down." Thanks babe. I feel great now.

Anyhoo, I'm not usually one for facials and pedi's and mani's. I have had (count em) ONE facial in my life before, ONE Manicure, and ONE Pedicure. All with vouchers from the hubby. It's just not something I think of doing for myself.

So here it is nearly October and the voucher is about to expire. It's school holidays and I have a blessed free day (wahoo) with the big kids having a day on a holiday programme and the little guy at his preschool. So I thought, heck I better go and use that voucher while I can or hubby is going to be a bit, er, ticked.

Now please keep in mind that I am not a pro at facials. The first (and only) one I had caught me totally by surprise when the therapist asked me to strip down to my undies and lie on the couch. I thought a facial was a FACIAL. Like, just your face. That one included a foot massage. And a back massage. I was hugely embarrassed because it was Winter and I had, er, not really been, um, you know... been de-foresting regularly.

So this time I made sure I was prepared. Nice bra, and undies. No forests growing anywhere. We are ready.

I pulled up outside the shop/beauty parlour and I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest. It was small. Like, tiny. Tucked in between a real estate agents and a cash machine. Not exactly impressive. I entered nervously and was greeted by a 20-something Kiwi lass called Ashleigh. My other facial was in a gorgeous Mt Eden Villa. My beauty therapist was French. Gee, this was not quite the deal I was hoping for.

Never mind. It's still a kid-free hour doing something for me. So into the therapy room I went. This was better. Dim light, candles, soothing soft music.

Ashleigh instructed me to get changed, leave my bra on but roll the straps down, leave pants on; she would leave me to it. She left the room and what did I do? Grabbed my stashed camera of course! Ashleigh doesn't know I'm an Undercover Blogger! I snapped a pic and did as instructed.

Ashleigh knocked gently on the door and asked if I was ready. Yes, I called. She looked a little surprised to see me standing there in my bra. Shame! I was meant to get under the covers on the bed! Facing up or down? I asked. Ashleigh didn't miss a beat. Up, she said, without so much as a smirk (duh of course! It's a FACIAL!) Ashleigh is nice. She doesn't care that I am a beauty therapy novice.

When she returned I was lying properly in the bed, under the blanket with no bra on show, ready for the joy to start.

So began an hour of bliss. Oh the soft hands and soothing lotions. Oh the head massage while the peel took hold. Oh the neck and shoulder massage while the soothing mask soothed my skin. I lay there in heaven wondering to myself, why haven't I done this before???? My hubby regularly treats himself. Me, not so much. I determined that I was now going to be a Facial Girl.

All too quickly, Ashleigh told me I was done. It was over.
"So soon???" I asked. I'd been there an hour. Now I'm getting greedy!

Before I left, floating down the street in a cloud of bliss, I booked another mini-facial for a month's time. Oh yes, I'll be back. Face & Body may not be the most impressive looking place, Ashleigh may not be French, but she knows what she's doing. So I'll be back. Oh yes, I will.

PS Read more of my stories like this on The Undercover Bloggers, my new communal review blog.

When was the last time YOU did something nice for YOU??