Face it, you need a facial

I have a confession: The seemingly permanent real estate that the blackheads on my nose have claimed makes me fear they’ll never go away and I’ll have to start referring to them as freckles to avoid the shame of being a beauty director with clogged pores. Even with a finely applied layer of foundation I can’t hide them—a midday shine gives me away, uncovering my dirty little secret. So, in utter despair and, I’m not going to lie, 11 months of unwanted abstinence, I booked a facial ($95) with Jennifer Cueto, aesthetician for Concepts Salon & Spa (60 Bloor St. W., 416-922-1558, conceptstoronto.com).

For over an hour, I lay in utter zoned-out bliss (yes, even during the extraction portion of the facial) while Cueto’s magical hands smoothed and soothed with a combination of Dermalogica and YonKa skin care products onto my face, leaving my skin looking younger, feeling softer and blemish-free with nary a wrinkle, nor red mark in sight. Problem solved, right? Wrong. I’m hooked and while I also know that I need to make face time a priority, I travel too much. I don’t have the time.

This is where Montagne Jeunesse’s individually packaged pore cleansing, self-heating and spa-inducing facial masks ($2 each, at Zellers) come in. With quirky names like Fruit Smoothie, Blemish Mud, Fudge Sauna and Cherry Tonic, the masks are perfect for my carry-on business-travel needs, containing natural ingredients like raspberry, mango, willow, aloe vera, clay and cherries to help cleanse my skin, clear my pores and invigorate my complexion. Sure, they’re no Jennifer Cueto with her cocoon-like spa atmosphere and gentle, age-reversing touch, but who is? And until my blackheads pay rent for space on my face, a DIY mask is the only way my skin can go commando. Plus, I have another confession: For two bucks, I get a cheap thrill playing aesthetician with my reflection in hotel mirrors.

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