I’ve never been much of a facial person. Give me an hour and a $100 to spend at a spa and I’d be hard-pressed not to book a massage over what often feels like a glorified face washing. (I also have less-than-stellar skin, though, so make of that what you will.)
But let me tell you, facial person or not, when you get a chance to have a treatment with facial royalty, you take it. And recently, I did just that.
I first became aware of Shani Darden from Jessica Alba’s Instagram. She pops up frequently in her feed and Stories, hanging out with their daughters (they both have two), spending time with their group of friends or posing post-facial, often referring to her as her "boo" or #bff.
But Shani has become a bit of a celeb in her own right. She is the Hollywood esthetician of the moment, tending to the crystal-clear complexions of Chrissy Teigen, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lea Michele and, yes, Ms. Alba.
Her facials reportedly cost $700 a pop, but even if that price doesn’t make you bat an eye, good luck getting in. Shani only sees her existing stable of carefully curated A-list clients. Friends recommended by one of those clients can see her associate. And if you’re more than one degree of separation from Chrissy Teigen? Well, good thing L.A. is home to many other fine estheticians you’re sure to love.
Of course, you could also get really, really lucky, as I did. Shani, you see, also happens to be the celebrity esthetician for Garnier. And in conjunction with the launch of its new fall products (I can’t share anything about them yet except that they may involve apricot and charcoal—and that you’re totally going to love them), Garnier offered a few editors the opportunity to nab an appointment with Shani. I couldn’t say yes fast enough!
Image via @shanidarden
That morning, I Uber’d over to Shani’s homey studio, which is tucked in a small, unassuming Spanish-style bungalow on a residential street just off Melrose. The living room is the waiting room, what would have been the master bedroom is the treatment room, and the backyard is a leafy oasis perfect for Instagramming—or meditating. (The latter of which Emmy Rossum reportedly did back there just after I left.)
Shani greeted me in the waiting/living room and ushered me back. (Side note: Her skin is just as perfect—and her hair is just as gorgeous and insanely thick—in person as it is on the ‘gram.) There was a big cushy treatment bed in the center of the room surrounded by multiple machines and all of her lotions and potions. I removed my earrings, necklace and maxi dress (I broke the #1 rule of facials: wear two pieces or you’re going to be naked for the treatment! Oops.). I then crawled under the fluffy duvet, closed my eyes and Shani got to work.
After removing my makeup (yes, I am the type of person who wears a little of it to a facial; no way I’m going outside without concealer!) I braced myself as she began inspecting my skin under a bright light. I always cringe for this part because I hate when estheticians berate you basically for not having perfect genes. But I shouldn’t have worried. Shani listened to my complaints (occasional breakouts, fine lines around my eyes, brown spots on my cheeks, acne scarring on my chin) but in the end, she actually made me feel good about my complexion. She even pointed out that what I had thought were breakouts around my nose was really a little dermatitis (i.e. a rash).
Image via @shanidarden
Then we launched into it. With Shani’s facials, you don’t go in for a certain type (i.e. a detoxifying treatment or an anti-aging one) and they certainly aren’t one-size-fits-all. Instead, she tells you what your skin needs and then pulls out the specific creams, masks and machines to help deal with your issues.
My treatment that morning included steaming, extractions (she was definitely thorough with those—even removing some stubborn milia—but also extremely gentle), vibration therapy, a lactic acid peel, a soothing aloe mask, oxygen therapy and microcurrent therapy.
The microcurrent was my favorite because it gives an instant lifted, sculpted effect. Shani ran the device over my cheekbones to create much better cheekbones than I was actually born with and even used it to plump my upper lip. So Hollywood—and totally amazing!
I finished with a long stint under red-and-blue LED lights (Shani is a big believer in the power of light) to calm my dermatitis and also target my fine lines, breakouts and pigmentation. While I chilled under the device, she even painted the backs of my hands with a glycolic peel, so they could get a little smoother as I relaxed. I love a multi-tasker!
Image via Alyssa Hertzig
At the end of the session, she gave me a verbal prescription for Shani-approved products to use at home: IS Clinical Hydra-Cool Serum, $90 and IS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance+, $148, Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel, $150, her own Shani Darden Texture Reform Gentle Resurfacing Serum, $95 (a cult-favorite product that people are ob-sessed with) and Garnier SkinActive Super Purifying Charcoal Facial Mask, $2.49. “It’s a great way to detox the skin,” she told me.
As I got dressed in the adjacent Spanish-tiled bathroom, I briefly stressed when I realized I had forgotten my concealer. (I usually stash one in my purse to cover up that inevitable post-facial redness.) But when I looked in the mirror, I realized I really didn’t need it. I wasn’t red at all, and my skin looked glowy and—dare I say it—good. I actually felt okay without my armor of concealer, so I put on my shades and stepped out into the L.A. sunshine.
My phone buzzed with a text the next morning and when I looked down, I realized it was Shani checking up on my skin. (She does this with all of her clients, apparently. Not trying to claim that I’m going to be showing up sandwiched between Shani and Jessica on Instagram anytime soon!)
I texted back the truth: “It feels so plump and amazing!” And it did. My skin was so plump, in fact, that I wondered if I had previously been walking around in a constant state of dehydration. (Probably.)
So…I think I’m a facial person now? I know, I know—that’s kind of like a person who doesn’t eat sushi trying it at the fanciest, most expensive sushi restaurant in town and then declaring they’re suddenly a sushi person. But whether or not I’m only a facial person after having the Rolls Royce of facials, I feel like I’ve seen the (red and blue LED) light. I’m going to try to maintain my results by getting at least semi-regular treatments from someone closer to home, and I’m going to use my IS Clinical, Dr. Gross and Garnier products religiously. And next time I’m in L.A., I’m going to try to drum up the nerve to see if I can schedule another treatment with Shani.
I’ve got her number now, after all.
Image via Alyssa Hertzig
