In 2025, I found it difficult to find time for self-care. In the sea of day-to-day work, work travels, planning bachelorette trips, attending weddings, and intense grief after losing a loved one unexpectedly, I looked up and the year was almost at a close. With it, I realized my nervous system and skin (especially my eczema…but more on this later!) were truly wrecked after neglecting myself in the ways that I had.
That said, I’m claiming 2026 as the year of putting myself first. A habit I hope will stick beyond just this year. And that, of course, doesn’t mean losing sight of my priorities like work and showing up for loved ones. But it also means maintaining my routines so that I can show up as my best self during the important moments—and for everything else in between. That looks like: meditating upon waking up instead of reaching for my phone, getting back to my movement practices like pole dancing and yoga, and treating myself to some me time—be it a spa day or facial—when I can.
And speaking of facials, one that I had at the new Dior Spa in NYC, in particular, at the end of last year, really inspired me to get it together in the wellness department. So, if you’re looking to treat yourself this year, I highly recommend booking an appointment.
Read on to discover more about the spa and facial experience that I received, and how to maintain a facial-like glow even from home.
The Spa Experience
The spa, which is the first of its kind in NYC, came onto the scene last year in August. You can expect fully custom and tailored treatments to your needs, which is refreshing. The vibe exudes all things princess treatment, quiet luxury, and pampering. Upon entering, I received a tray of tea and a super cute Dior cookie—to sip and snack on as I filled out the paper work. Like Dior Skincare’s Ambassador & Master Esthetician Sarah Akram says, “the Dior NYC Spa experience is truly couture skincare—every moment is intentional, curated, and designed to transform your skin and your senses.” Once the esthetician was ready to see me, I stepped into a private changing room to slip into a plush Dior robe and slippers. After changing, I made my way into the treatment room for my facial.
The Facial Itself
While many may opt for The Haute Couture Facial, due to its classically Dior and luxe appeal, I opted for the Kobi Dior Facial. It’s meant to target all the things: lifting, plumping, sculpting, wrinkle reduction, contouring, firming, and even draining. As you can imagine, given where I was at mentally and physically at the end of last year, I was ready to indulge in and benefit from this high performance facial.
And, it’s not like any other facial out there thanks to it opening with a “grounding ritual.” In other words, a moment of breathwork, compression, acupressure, and gentle stretching. All of this is done to help you center yourself and relax.
After this, the esthetician goes in with the first product, Dior Prestige Le Baume Démaquillante, to remove any makeup. Then, my face was massaged with their special technique for lymphatic drainage benefits. To cleanse the skin, Prestige La Mousse Micellaire was used before a floral peeling lotion to exfoliate. To improve microcirculation, a dry brushing technique was used on my skin—doubling down on lymphatic drainage benefits again along with contouring the face. Safe to say, I had no complaints thus far.
And if you think that’s it when it comes to the sculpting elements of this facial, think again. The esthetician continued to massage my face, but this time with a technique inspired by the ancestral Japanese Kobido technique, working to target and tone the muscular structure of the face. It also reduces puffiness—which I tend to deal with a lot of.
As for my favorite part? The Dior cooling petal tools which were so soothing and also aimed to de-puff and lift. A firming and hydrating mask was then applied, followed by cryo acupressure to seal the deal. Rounding out the facial was a warm oshibori towel that helped me de-stress and release tension in areas like my scalp and neck, before topping everything off with a light rose mist.
How To Maintain Your Post-Facial Glow
To get your money’s worth, maintaining your post-facial glow is key. Additionally, these are great tips that you can incorporate into your routine at home if a facial isn’t in your regular budget. Either way, maintaining your glow is all about, as Akram says, “nourishment, circulation, and protection. With the right clinical skincare and at-home tools, you can extend your glow for weeks in between professional treatments.”
Akram advises to “keep your skin calm, balanced, and deeply hydrated.” But directly after your treatment? Ensure to do absolutely nothing. “Give your skin routine the night off—less is more,” she adds. The day after, she recommends going in with “a gentle, oxygenating cleanse.” Then, “follow with the most glow-preserving layer you can give your skin,” like the Dior Prestige La Micro-Lotion de Rose because it “calms, tightens pores, and gives that juicy, dewy bounce.” Additionally, she mentions the importance of “feeding the skin with reparative serums” between facials and “sealing everything in with rich nourishment at night.”
And of course, keep the sculpting going, even at home! “Your glow lasts so much longer when your lymphatic flow stays active,” Akram says. Specifically, she recommends her Sarah Akram Cryo Sticks for 2–3 minutes a day. “Upward sweeps along the jawline, cheekbone, and brow area,” she says. “They instantly depuff, tighten, and keep that signature facial sculpt.”
Taking things up a notch, use LED lights at home. “The Omnilux Contour Face keeps collagen activated, boosts brightness, and maintains that smooth, poreless finish we create in treatment,” she mentions. Meanwhile, I personally love Shark Beauty’s LED mask as well as products from CurrentBody.
As Akram says, don’t forget to treat the eye and lip contours, too, with eye creams and lip oils. “These areas age fastest and lose glow quickest—so don’t skip them,” she adds. And possibly the most important step of all, SPF. “My go-to is Tizo lightly tinted SPF, because it protects while adding the most beautiful, luminous sheen to the skin,” Akram says. “The tint also serves as an extra protection layer.”
