Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Annual Press Party at The Charles Hotel. I was actually invited to this same event last year, but I couldn’t make it, so I was especially excited to go this time. The event also featured an exclusive look at the new Corbu Spa & Salon and, of course, I love spas, so I was psyched to see what it was all about.
With the spa as the focus of the event, I decided to invite my friend Jen to the event. She recently got engaged (and asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding!), so I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to catch up and talk wedding details. Plus, Jen is fun.
The event featured appetizer selections from Chef Peter Davis of Henrietta’s Table as well as seasonal cocktails from Noir. (Both restaurants are located in The Charles Hotel.)
I drank a couple of glasses of white wine and pretty much snacked all night long.
Everything was delicious, especially the desserts. Duh.
The event, of course, featured mini spa treatments, including bang trims and hair straightening in the salon as well as hand massages in the spa.
I totally took advantage of the hand massage and it felt soooo good. I didn’t realize how tense my hands were from typing and mouse-ing at a computer all day long. The masseuse also used a seasonal hydrating Orange & Marigold lotion on my hands, which smelled incredible (citrus-y + sweet).
FYI: The seasonal spa treatments at Corbu are inspired by Chef Peter Davis and Chef Jody Adams of Rialto, who are both industry leaders in the farm-to-table movement. Basically, Corbu is bringing this movement from the restaurant world into the spa by using the freshest locally sourced ingredients to create seasonal scrubs and lotions. Neat, right?
Speaking of Jody Adams, I saw her at the event last night. I’m not sure if she recognized me from my behind-the-scenes Food Network video at Rialto, so I awkwardly said hello to her, but didn’t come up with anything else to say. Derp. I wish I wasn’t such a turd in those situations. Oh, well. Next time, right?
Jen and I also had the opportunity to make our own salt scrubs with essentials oils at the spa to take home with us.
The one I picked was called “Sore Muscles,” and it has a fresh, pepperminty smell. I love it!
Then, Jen and I got our skin analyzed. Corbu offers a special skincare system called mySkin, which was developed by two Harvard Business School grads to analyze the skin to determine the prefect products to treat each unique skin type. I was surprised by my results!
Here’s the report that the esthetician emailed to me:
As you can see, my pores are “optimal” (aka clear) and my oiliness is “low,” which are good, but my propensity to aging “needs action.” Gah! That’s not good!
I panicked for a second, but the esthetician assured me that I can get my skin back on track, no problem. Of course, she suggested a few of the treatments and products at Corbu, but she also gave me a few easy things I can do on my own to improve the quality of my skin, including daily exfoliation, drinking lots of water, and using a thick night cream (she suggested Olay) to add some hydration back into my skin. I guess I need to step it up with my skin care routine!
Then, it was Jen’s turn for the skin analysis. It was actually kind of humorous to watch because Jen doesn’t use anything on her skin. No makeup, no moisturizer, no daily sunscreen, no face wash. She told the esthetician she only uses water to clean her skin. That’s it. For real.
Surprisingly, Jen’s mySkin report was similar to mine with regard to pore health and oiliness, but her propensity to aging was quite a bit better. Interesting, right? Even the esthetician was surprised by the results.
Once the event ended, Jen and I took the elevator home! As part of the Annual Press Party, The Charles Hotel treated us to a complimentary overnight stay. So fun! They hooked us up with an adorable room on the 10th floor with beautiful views of the courtyard and Harvard Square. (I took these photos of our room in the morning since the lighting was better then.)
Adorable, right?
There was complimentary Wi-Fi!
Check out the “in mirror” bathroom television! Cooooool!
I love EO Products!
Jen and I ended up chatting for awhile before heading to bed. She had to work this morning, so we decided not to make it a super late night. As always, it was awesome to spend some time with her.
Stay tuned! More to come!
How fun! I’d love to get my skin analyzed, that’s a really cool thing to do! Haha I have no idea what shape mine is in!
Hello,
If you’re in the Harvard Square area, please feel free to stop by for a complimentary mySkin analysis. We’re more than happy to accommodate you.
Thanks!
~Elizabeth Stefan
estefan@charleshotel.com
Huh, I’d love to have my skin analyzed like that! I also feel a bit of guilt over not doing more to prevent aging with eye creams and things like that!
Sounds like a blast!! Looks like you have pretty good skin.
My dermatologist reccomended Cetaphil face wash since I have pretty clear skin and it is a very light cleanser. I love it.
That in-mirror t.v. is so cool! Looks like a fun event 🙂
The skin analysis looks really cool. It’s amazing what technology can do these days. Henrietta’s Table might be my favorite Cambridge restaurant! Their farm-to-table mentality is really great and you can taste the difference in the food.
Thanks for the kind words regarding Henrietta’s Table! We look forward to welcoming you back to the restaurant and hopefully to Corbu as well.
~Elizabeth
What a fun event to attend! I love skin care and learning about new products. I find skin aging to be an interesting topic too, sounds like you learned a lot!
Sounds like a blast. Adorable room. I love hotel rooms that make you feel “at home”. That desk is nicer than my current set up! 🙂
ummm where did you get that shirt! i love it!
@erin g: Thanks! It’s from Kohl’s. It was on the super clearance rack for $2!
That skin analysis is so cool! It’s so great to have a customized skin care regimen to follow.
I agree with the esthetician’s recommendation – Olay night cream is simply amazing. I write professionally for a luxury beauty website, and even with my access to the most high-end skin care brands, I always choose Olay when it comes to night creams. You’ll love the results!
Looks like such a fun event. Thanks for the recap!
I work at a skincare company that focuses on anti-aging products. Many of our products are clinically proven, email me if you want me to send you anything!
@Dori: Do you have anything for 31-year-olds with old lady skin? 😉
@Tina: That’s pretty much all we have! Just emailed you.
What a fun event to attend with a friend! I would be nervous to see what my skin analyzation came out to be. That’s such a neat thing!
What an interesting evening! I’d love to have my skin analysed. And what a treat to get to play with (and create!) all the beauty goodies 🙂
I stayed at The Charles Hotel a year ago when I went to Boston for Christmas! Christmas brunch at Henrietta’s Table was great! Have fun!
wow what a great time! i’d be heaven with all that spa pampering… glad you gals had a good time together. 🙂
What a fun ladies day! I use Olay – it’s great! I got a free sample at OYou (Oprah Conference) and really like it. Have a beautiful weekend, Tina!
Fun event! And sooo interesting about your friend’s skin and how good it was without any products. She either has amazing genes or natural really is the way to go.
Wow, what a fun event! I really like the idea of sourcing the spa ingredients as locally as possible. The hotel looks gorgeous. I wish 0% of my pores were blocked! 😉 Enjoy the rest of your stay!
WHat a cool event! I love things like that–and yes I too would love to have my skin checked out–esp since I started using 100% totally pure essential oils and have changed my skin to an amazing glow and more ‘youth’ looking!
What a cool hotel!
This sounds like so much fun! I would love to get a skin analysis to see what it would say. oh hand massages and free scrubs how awesome!! I love little freebies!
So true about hand massages- u never realise how tense it becomes over time!
Sounds like you both had a really good time! How cool to get your skin analyzed! I had a friend that did nails as a part-time job and used to “force” her to massage my hands. She would also wax my eyebrows for free….Man I miss that!
Am I the one one who noticed how AWESOME your arms are looking Tina?! Must be all that crossfit 😉 super envious
@Sarah W.: Me too! Mega cut!
Ugh, I have a friend whose skin is like Jen! I’m so jealous because I’ve had difficult skin my whole life. Maybe water is the answer to everything lol
Ok, the next hotel I stay at must have one of those tvs in the bathroom!
Those desserts look kinda amazing!
Hand massages are the best! I think I might like them better than feet massages.
Looks like a fun and relaxing night!
Wow! Looks like an awesome spa! I know my skins oiliness would probably fly off the meter. The hand massage sounds amaaaazing.
The room is super cute, too!
That spa sounds amazing! I would definitely like to get my skin analyzed. So cool!
Where’s your top from? Very cute!
@Steph: Thanks! It’s from Kohl’s. It was on the super clearance rack for $2!
What a fun event! I love that the room is unique.
What a fun hotel! That bathroom “in mirror” TV is AWESOME! And the food from the event looks amazing!
I don’t use that much on my skin either…pretty much the same as your friend. Just water and some light cream to lock in moisture 😀
Oh man, choco covered strawberries = love.
Speaking of love…love your shirt 🙂
I LOVE the top you’re wearing, in the pic with Jen, do you remember where you got it?
Thanks so much.
@Teresa: Thanks! It’s from Kohl’s. It was on the super clearance rack for $2!
Thank you to Tina for the kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the party and your stay. We had a fantastic time catching up with everyone and meeting lots of new faces.
We’re also excited to see all of the positive feedback regarding the mySkin technology at Corbu. If you’re in the Harvard Square area, please feel free to call 617.661.5-SPA to book a complimentary analysis.
Thank you!
~Elizabeth Stefan
estefan@charleshotel.com
Thanks so much for sharing your evening . I almost felt like I was with you. Only my skin analasis would probably be very poor. As I age I really have to be more dileagent with my skin routine.
I miss spa and massage. This makes me really tired that I wanted to just run to the spa and treat myself and with this hotel. I am sure I’m gonna love it.