Like the first rain after a hard endured drought, a spa day amidst the stress and turbulence of returning to school is a treasure, to say the least. There is no better place around to rest your work-ridden hands than in the trusty palms of a masseuse or manicurist at the Corbu Salon, conveniently located right in the Charles Hotel. The generous and attentive staff at Corbu provided us with a much appreciated spa day and we could not be more thankful… or more relaxed! We know we’ll be taking them up on their amazing student discount. Students receive 20% off until October 20th with presentation of your student idea so take them up on their amazing offer, you don’t want to miss this! And tell them Her Campus sent you ;)
Sunday, 8:30am
At eight in the morning, we walked into Corbu, makeup-less and only mildly caffeinated, in matching black leggings and slouchy sweaters (the only attire for a spa day, let’s be real). First, we were whisked away to a beautiful locker room, where we changed into our cozy robes and slippers and trotted out into a serene waiting room — think dim lighting, soft music, and chairs so comfortable we very nearly fell right back asleep — and were offered tea, fresh fruit, and other tasty treats while we waited for our day of relaxation to begin.
9:00am
Amanda: My first treatment was a seasonal body scrub, a soothing combination of raspberry smells and an exfoliating massage that left my skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated. The one and only almost-massage I had ever received was more of an oil pat-down and I was really curious to see what they meant by a “seasonal body scrub.” My masseuse was so kind (wearing the coolest blue eyeshadow I had ever seen) and walked me through the process. I lay on my stomach on a warm bed of pure relaxing fluff as she worked the knots out of my muscles while applying a warm, refreshing scrub on my arms, legs, and back. I was torn between allowing myself to fall asleep and wanting to stay awake just to feel the rest of the procedure – it was that relaxing. If I could spend every sunday there, I would without a doubt. After she would massage a layer of the exfoliating scrub into my skin, she would expertly alleviate it from the surface by brushing a hot towel over my skin in a rub-on, rub-off motion (the karate kid could learn a thing or two). Needless to say, I was impressed and it took almost all I could manage to stop myself from giving her a giant hug at the end out of thanksgiving for her time and beatiful relaxation techniques.
Michelle: I had no idea what to expect from my first-ever facial, but I was a little bit terrified since I had my senior yearbook photos scheduled for the following morning and didn’t want to be forever memorialized with red, blotchy skin. I blurted out all these fears to Jessica, my facialist, as led me into the little candle-lit den of pure relaxation where I was to have my treatment, and she immediately put them all to rest. After talking over options with me and learning more about my skin type, Jessica reassured me that the New England Seasonal Facial would be just fine and I had nothing to worry about. Relieved, I got all snuggled in the heated spa bed and tuned out the world. Jessica explained every step of the process as she cleansed and moisturized my face, and even took the time to “read” my skin for me and tell me what I should be doing to improve its condition (apparently I need more sleep and water and less caffeine, something that’s probably not going to come as a shock to anyone who knows me well). Also, who knew facials involve a partial shoulder and back massage? (Okay, well maybe anyone who’s actually had a facial before, but whatever.) Anyway, I was in a complete state of zen for the next hour, surrounded by soft music and soothing scents, and left with my skin feeling soothed and refreshed. And when we headed out for the day, Jessica had left a lovely note at the front desk recommending some products to add to my skincare regimen and what facials would be most beneficial for me going forward.
10:00am
Next, we were taken to the manicurists’ chairs for our much anticipated spa mani/pedis. Pedicures came first, and as we received first-class treatment we left the Harvard bubble far, far behind and were just two girls on a spa day, talking about boys, friends, the future, and how relaxed we were. (Oh, how we wish we could do that more often!) It was glorious.
10:30am
After our pedis we headed straight over for manis, equally soothing and done with great care to detail and neatness. Both the manicures and the pedicures we received at Corbu were far above average and left our nails unchipped and glistening for two whole weeks (the happiest of surprises, considering at least a few nails are usually chipped by three or four days into a manicure!).
11:00am
While we let our beautifully colored nails dry, the friendly staff at Corbu brought us tea and showed us where to sit while we waited for our hair treatments. They were kind, considerate, and patient with us and always allowed us to sit next to one another (which was crucial for boy talk). Bravo to the excellent service and salon staff.
11:30am
Onto the final step of our spa day, and one of the most important . . . our hair. As the wise Elle Woods always tells us, “the rules of hair care are simple and finite” — and the Corbu staff certainly has them mastered. Both of our blowouts left us with soft, manageable locks falling into gentle waves. I felt like a Pantene commercial. After the second hour of flipping my hair in the breeze and running my fingers through it seductively, my roommates gently told me that it was getting a little old. I felt GREAT about my hair that day and the day after!
We left feeling rejuvenated and ready to get started on our homework (#loljk), and as the two new biggest fans of Corbu! We give the salon 5 stars for atmosphere, service, and treatments, of which they have a wide variety and considerably skilled staff. You can check out their full treatment offerings here http://corbuspa.com/ — with the 20% student discount, we recommend this as your go-to spot for those times when you just need a day off and have a few extra bucks to spring for some much-needed relaxation therapy. (Which is always a necessity during midterm season . . . and let’s be real, midterm season goes from September through November here.) So cut back on a few pumpkin spice lattes and put the money aside to treat yourself at Corbu this fall — you deserve it!