Some days in Seattle my life seems like its only about picking up all the laundry, cleaning up last nights’ dinner dishes and researching how to get the ugly carpet out of my basement. Then some days magically end up Cinderella wonderful and I get to try fancy things. I love when the universe lines up and these amazing days happen just when they are most needed and the day I got to try out a fancy Coolift Cryo-facial treament at Penelope and the Beauty Bar the hubby was headed out of town, the boys were at the peak of baseball season and I just needed some me time.
Penelope and the Beauty Bar at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Now Penelope and the Beauty Bar is located in one of the swankiest and most historical hotels in Seattle, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. We went to our friends’ wedding here ages ago and this place, this almost-palace, radiates the type of timeless grandness that you want to find in a hotel in a big city. I love the Teddy Bear Suite here at Christmas every year. And the new little Fairmont coffee shop, the 4th avenue cafe has beautiful pastries and delicious chia parfaits that I’m totally addicted to-I think there is passionfruit in the parfait and that is a flavor I absolutely love.
What to expect at Penelope and the Beauty Bar Spa
You can valet park in the hotel for $12 for two hours with spa validation and that’s what I did when I visited because sometimes downtown is a little hectic for parking. If I was going for a shorter service, I might park at the Target nearby because they have two hours free with a $20 purchase and I always stop at Target if I’m in the area anyways. I guess I could have taken an Uber or Lyft too. But I wanted to be able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the spa so I wanted to make my day as stress-free as possible. And it totally was. The minute I walked through the big wooden doors I knew I was in a spa that understands what people who come to spas want and need. I checked in at the desk and was guided to a change room where I could put on my robe and get ready for my treatments and time instantly froze in this sanctuary for pampering, luxury and rejuvenation.
Penelope Signature Facial and Coolift Add on
I met with my therapist and I told her I was a little worried about trying the Coolift Cryo-Facial Treatment because it sounded a little scary with its science-y sounding name. She showed me the small hand-held machine she would use to perform the treatment and told me that the only thing that might be scary is the loud noise it makes but otherwise it would be a short 4 minutes at the end of my facial and I would love the results. And then she started working on my face performing the Penelope Signature Facial which was so relaxing and perfect. I’m not always the greatest at taking care of my skin but I’m starting to worry about looking like I’m getting older. I know I should be thankful for being able to get older, but the vanity in me is starting to mourn how far back my twenties are now and many of my friends are starting to get Botox and other anti-aging treatments. Putting something like Botulism in my face does not appeal to me and I’m terrified of needles so there’s that. The Coolift Cryo-facial treatment sounded cool because it was pretty fast and there isn’t needles, or downtime after treatments and I couldn’t find any literature on why I shouldn’t try it. It was supposed to have immediate and buildable results too. So after my facial, my therapist told me she would start the Coolift Cryo-facial treatment and she told me we could stop if I got scared. I had a second of fear when the machine turned on and was a bit noisy but I think this is the anticipation we all feel moments before something unknown starts, like going on a roller coaster or when the lights dim right before a theatre production begins. The 4 minutes felt like they were pretty quick, the procedure felt a little like my face was being poked gently and rapidly by something small and cold with a mild jackhammer sound but this is what we do for needle-less beauty and it seems pretty mild in comparison. When I looked critically at my face later, I actually think I saw less fine lines and my face seemed to glow a little brighter. I am not posting close-ups because I’m not one to take public scrutiny of my elevens and my fine lines, but after trying it, I felt like this might be a procedure I would try again. Especially if the results can actually build up.
So how much does a Coolift Cryo-facial treatment cost?
Now this is where I feel a little bit more like Cinderella pre-ball. A four pack of 30 minute Coolift Cryo Express power facials are $595. A one time 75 minute treatment is $249 and a 15 minute add on to any spa treament like I had is $169. Because I liked how I felt after the treatment and I’m curious what the buildable results might feel like, I think I’m going to save up for the four pack for a present to myself for my next birthday. This way I can feel like I’m gifting myself a time-machine experience I can look forward to with something that feels like it might help me anti-age without going too crazy with needles and such. Because I’ve already tried it before, I’m not going to be scared of the noise or the treatment and I really loved the atmosphere of the spa area so I’d really like to revisit. I’m not sure all the details about what this procedure actually does or how it does it so I recommend if you want to try it that you read a little more before you go.But for me, I liked it, I think it helped my face and I think I would love to go again.
Have you ever been to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Seattle. Do you love historical hotels? And are you worried about looking older like I am and is there anything that you’ve tried that is helping you deal with this? How do you take care of your face to help with anti-aging?
(PS. I received complimentary spa treatments for the purpose of review and as always the thoughts and views in this post are mine.)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)