Is a relaxing facial the best Valentine’s gift for her? Read this to find out!
Your wife, girlfriend, or partner is the most important person in the world to you!
You intentionally choose them as your partner in this one life, and if you’re married, you’ve even vowed it! You likely spend more time with them than anyone else, and they probably know you better than you know yourself. You share intimate secrets and dreams with them. They inspire you, care for you, and you deeply want them to feel fulfilled and happy in their life. Because that’s what love is, isn’t it?
But so often people are grabbing some drugstore chocolates and flowers as an afterthought on their way home from work on the 14th.
Meanwhile what our partners really want is to actually feel the care and love that you do feel for them.
So you’ve come up with the idea to gift them a pampering, relaxing facial at a local salon to show them how much you care for them. Sounds perfect and romantic, right? How do you know it really is the perfect gift you thought it was?
Today we’ll walk through how you can be confident in whether a relaxing and personalized facial is perfect for your Valentine.
Is a relaxing facial the best Valentine’s gift for your Valentine?
What does your Valentine Enjoy?
Now, of course we’re saying that we believe a facial is the best Valentine’s gift. And for some, it definitely is! But it also might not be for your Valentine.
How do you know?
Well besides just point-blank asking her, “would you like a facial for a Valentine’s gift this year?” and completely spoiling any surprise, there are some more discrete ways to flush this out.
Do they already enjoy facials?
Easiest way to find out if your Valentine would love a facial this year? Do they already enjoy facials? Have they gotten facials in the past, but it’s just something they don’t have time or budget for anymore? Or did they have a facial once on vacation and absolutely loved it, but haven't gotten around to finding a good skincare salon near home yet?
If they have had facials before, it would be a good idea to casually bring up their previous facial(s) and ask how they enjoyed the experience. You wouldn't want to accidentally gift them something they’ve done before but disliked! And the more time before actual Valentine’s Day, the better as to not arouse suspicion. 🤫
Well what if your partner has never had a facial before? Then let’s break down what the gift of a facial entails, and think critically if those elements are things she would enjoy.
Would they like some alone time?
Firstly, facials are often solo services. There are some salons that offer couple's massages, but couple’s facials are less common. If a salon does provide parallel facials, they tend to be done in separate rooms, so you’re still alone for the service.
Logically, for many people, a Valentine’s gift is meant to represent and honor your relationship, and should include time together, rather than apart. Would your partner be turned off to a gift that didn’t include time with you?
However, if you, say, have a romantic evening together, at the end of which you present the gift of a relaxing facial to be used at a later date, you can manage both a solo-themed gift, while also spending time together. Win/win!
Are they looking for peace and relaxation?
Peace and quiet. Taking time to do something, enjoy something, just for you. 60 minutes without email notifications, phone calls, or pestering kids or colleagues. These are often the top reasons why our clients love facials.
Does your partner have a particularly chaotic daily schedule? Are they constantly rushing from place to place, task to task? Is the majority of their time spent taking care of those around them? Whether that be employees, children, other family members, or even colleagues and friends?
If this sounds like your partner, then the solo time that comes with a relaxing facial might be exactly what they’re looking for.
But be careful - some people have lives that don’t stop because that’s exactly what they enjoy. Some people hate the idea of an hour with nothing but their busy bee thoughts.
Which one is your partner? Not sure? Try to investigate with questions like:
“Have you had some time to yourself today?”
“Would you like me to take some things off your plate?”
(And if they say “yes” to taking things off their plate, be sure to actually follow through!)“Do you feel like you get enough down time?”
Not only will these help you better assess if your Valentine would enjoy some quiet alone time, but will likely make your partner feel loved just for asking! We all love to be noticed and thought of, after all.
Would they be uncomfortable?
Secondly, a facial is a personal service. It involves an esthetician using their hands to apply product to and massage the face for anywhere from 30-90 minutes. And the esthetician performing the facial will likely be someone you haven’t met before. And while the esthetician is a professional and typically makes themselves relatively easy to ignore so the client can focus on relaxing, some people may find this uncomfortable.
So think about how well you know your partner. Do they feel uncomfortable having their face touched? Even in an atmosphere made to feel relaxing?
A skincare service is the perfect gift for…
In short, it’s important to actually test the waters to see what your partner enjoys. This of course goes for any gift-giving occasion. Please remember that people are not a (word for homogenous) group! And yes, this goes for women, too.
So who is this the perfect gift for?
A relaxing and personalized facial is the perfect Valentine’s gift for:
someone interested in time alone, maybe in addition to an activity together,
someone who isn’t bothered by someone touching their face,
someone who may have enjoyed getting facials in the past
What about products?
While there is something to be said about unwrapping a physical item, gifting skincare products can be tricky. Which ones go well with their skin? What skincare goals does your partner have? Are they allergic to any topical ingredients?
You could take an observant moment and make note of what they already have in the medicine cabinet. But isn’t the spirit of gift-giving, gifting something one wouldn’t get for themselves?
And of course there’s the classic hang-up of handing them a bottle of “get rid of those wrinkles, baby!” on the most romantic day of the year. That might send the wrong message…
When you gift a service like a personalized facial, you avoid the possibly boring routine of products they already use day to day. It gives them an opportunity to explore new additions to their routine with advice from a professional in the skincare industry.
Just be sure to stray away from the “so you can look better” or “younger” types of messaging when actually doing the gift giving. You don’t want to imply there’s anything wrong with the way they look to you now. Instead, lean into messaging like “pampering” or “relaxation” or “you-time”.
But it is true that unwrapping an envelope isn’t nearly as fun as the mysteries of what lay inside a gift box. So here are a few ideas to make giving a gift certificate or digital gift card more exciting!
Turn it into a scavenger hunt with hidden clues throughout their office or home
Put the envelope in a box with loads of packing peanuts or shredded paper
Place it in a small box, wrap it, then place it in a larger box, wrap it, then in an even larger box! — just make sure your Valentine will see this as more amusing than irritating 😉
Choose a quality salon
Now that you know if a relaxing and personalized facial is the best gift for your Valentine, be sure to shop at a local skincare salon with a good track record and reputation. Teresa at Professional Image Enhancement has been providing high quality skincare services and electrolysis for over 30 years, so you know they’ll be in good hands! Whether your Valentine has never had a facial before or is a facial connoisseur, they’ll be sure to leave feeling refreshed, relaxed, and better informed on how to take care of their unique skin.
Want to go above and beyond?
So you’ve decided to order a gift certificate or gift card for a skincare service, like a facial, for your Valentine? With just one additional step, you could really go over the top!
No one likes a gift that turns into a chore. So how about not just purchasing the ability to enjoy a facial some time, but actually book the appointment for them!
Do you share a digital calendar? Have access to their appointment book? Do they have a secretary that manages their agenda? Take advantage and seal the deal when you set aside a specific day and time for them to enjoy their gift. Then it doesn’t become an item on their to-do list.
Frequently Asked Facial Questions
We’re sure you’ve still got some questions! Here are some common ones we get about gifting personalized facials. If you still have questions of your own, reach out to our salon in Cedar Rapids by calling (319) 373-9596 or by requesting an appointment online.
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What kind of facial should I gift?
The safest bet here is a personalized facial. With a personalized facial, the esthetician will take a little bit of time at the start of the treatment assessing the client’s skin, and discussing their skincare routine. From this assessment, the esthetician will build a facial specifically tailored to the clients skin and skincare goals. You can’t go wrong with that! Order your gift here.
How much does a facial cost?
This all depends on the type of facial, the salon providing it, and the duration of the facial and can cost anywhere from $60-$120. Facial treatments typically can come in 30, 60, and 90 minutes, and the price of course goes up with the longer durations. Cost can also increase if you want to include an additional service like a chemical peel or microdermabrasion to your facial. Adding an additional service can increase the price above $120, especially if you’re looking to book a 90 minute treatment. It’s best to contact the salon you’re interested in directly to get a quote on a specific facial they offer.
In our salon, if you’re looking to gift a personalized facial for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion, we recommend getting an eGift card with at least $95 that includes the price of a basic facial with a little wiggle room for some possible additional service, or credit toward a product.
If I order a digital gift card now, how do I deliver it on actual Valentine’s Day?
The eGift cards we offer include the option to deliver the gift now or on a future specified date! So you don’t need to worry about accidentally sending it too soon, or forgetting to order it on that day. You can order one of our convenient eGift cards here and have your V-day shopping done in a few clicks. Again, we recommend at least $95 for personalized facials.
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Meet your Cedar Rapids Skincare & Electrolysis Specialist:
Teresa Dove
Teresa is the proud owner and operator of Professional Image Enhancement. She is a Licensed Cosmetologist (L.C.) and Licensed Electrologist (L.E.) based in Cedar Rapids and has been providing professional skin care and permanent hair removal to her clients from all over Eastern Iowa for over 25 years. She regularly attends the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference for continuing education and to stay on top of the industry.
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