elma healing +esthetics — Local services in Lake View Township

I had a lovely facial experience with Mandy at Elma Esthetics today!

I have never gotten a facial before, and this spa came highly recommended by a friend.

Elma makes it very easy to book and prep for your appointment. They sent 2 reminder text messages reminding me of my appointment time, and about 15 minutes before my appointment, they sent a text message telling me how to park and find the spa in the building! That small detail really helped reduce my stress, especially on the first visit.

The spa is beautiful, relaxing, and clean! The lights are dim so you immediately get a little sleepy and relaxed. Mandy was my esthetician and she was very kind in greeting me, and explained everything very thoroughly.

She reviewed my skincare write up (something you provide when you make your appointment) in great detail. You can tell she's very knowledgeable because she wanted to know the exact products I was using, the frequency, and possible skin issues to give me the best facial possible. She really cares about making it a unique experience - she even said "I'll let your skin tell me what it needs" - I thought that was pretty cool, she just knows what it needs by looking at it!

The facial itself was phenomenal. I am very sensitive to touch and immediately she made me feel a lot better about it. Over time my touch sensitivity started to go away as my body built trust with her. I also asked her to explain her process to me, and she did so in a very calming voice. I enjoyed the light interaction and it helped calm me down. (If you want a silent facial, she does that too, I just found that I was really curious what was going on around me when my eyes were closed).

During the facial she played calming music, led me through some short deep breathing exercises, and used products with various amazing smells. It was a full sensory experience (except taste, duh).

Afterwards, she recommended some products that would specifically help with my skin issues, but in no way did it feel like an upsell. I did end up purchasing a few of the products she recommended but if I had said no thank you I would have felt empowered in that choice too. You can tell she recommends it because she wants your skin to look its best, not to make more money.

This is something I never added to my skincare routine but will be making it a regular occurrence because I enjoyed it so much. I left feeling relaxed and...

After researching online and asking around, I decided to work with Marta to get my brows done and the whole experience has been excellent. We had a consult first, and she answered all of my questions about the process, including what to expect afterwards, what type of brow tattoo would be best for my skin type, and the pricing. She also uses all cruelty-free products which is important to me, as a vegan.

After my first appointment (we decided on hybrid brows) she was very thorough in reviewing the aftercare and provided me with a guide of what to expect as they healed, which was really helpful to see while experiencing the process for the first time! I was also given a healing balm to use. We scheduled a touch-up appointment for ~8 weeks later. My brows are healed pretty well after the 1st visit and now they are looking amazing after my touch-up appointment!! She gave me exactly the look I was going for.

Overall I have only positive things to say: Marta very kind, attentive to details, and a highly skilled artist and esthetician. I would strongly recommend her services for anyone interested in microblading. I definitely plan to visit her in the future for facials and other...

I can't recommend Marta enough! She did my powder brows and an hour after my appointment, I went to grab coffee, and the barista said, "Your brows look amazing. The shape is perfect!"

From our initial discussion, to mapping, and all the way through the procedure, Marta was great to work with. She explained what she was doing each step of the way and made sure I was comfortable. I was confident in her work and excited for the result, and yet I was still blown away by the reveal! She evened out the shape of my brows and gave me beautiful shading - exactly what I asked for. I am thrilled with my new brows!

I've gone to Marta for waxing and other services, and the experience is always top notch. She's clearly a gem in the industry - extremely talented, professional, yet kind, empathetic, and funny. There's a reason her brand is called healing + esthetics - with the healing mentioned first. Spending time with her is TLC for your body as well as your heart.

PS - Love that she uses cruelty free and...