Celebrating Our Survival

You may have noticed that recently we’ve been getting a bit of publicity. Going into 2022, I set this as a goal for us… not so much to gather new business, but more to celebrate having made it through Covid. The fact that despite it all, we made it through, and here I stand with a thriving team, spirit intact, deserves to be celebrated. My goal is for the pictures and magazines and PR to mark this moment in time and this team, for us to take a good look in the mirror and recognize where all of that hard work and dedication has taken us.

In that spirit, I would be very grateful if you might take a moment of your time to help me celebrate Jessica Witchie!

To know her is to love her, I think it is safe to say. Jessica was the fourth esthetician I hired and trained when she was just 23. There is no one at Bespoke - not even myself - that has put more hands-on faces than Jessica. I can not think of a person who better embodies the philosophy of the office…she has such vast technical knowledge, which is applied with such grace and ease and warmth. She meets each task of learning with quiet determination and nuance. She is the heart of Bespoke.

And I think this is what is most striking about Jessica to me…she offers her FULL attention, care, and love to every single client, in every single session without wavering. If you have had her hands on your face you know the magic she offers (I imagine a golden retriever puppy chasing butterflies in a field of flowers when she massages me). Yet, at the same time, she will transform your skin! To do this all day every day is a massive feat…and yet she does and with humility. She inspires clients, myself, and the rest of the team daily, and I honestly feel blessed to know her. To know her is to love her, and long may it last.

In my opinion, Jessica is the best esthetician in DC, and I know so many people feel the same. Reader’s Choice awards with DC Modern Luxury are closing in two days, so if you would please take a moment to vote for Jessica as Best Esthetician DC I’d appreciate it…please help me to say thank you to her. Even if you haven't had Jessica as your esthetician, her magic touch and attention to detail are representative of the entire team. Know that a vote for her is a vote for all of us, and we will be celebrating together!

You can also vote for us in any other category you see fit, we suggest Best Facial, Best Place to be Pampered, and Best Skincare!

Thank you for your support, it is because of you that we are able to continue to do what we love.♡

Helping Hands for Ukraine

My last name, Shostak, is Ukrainian. My paternal grandparents met in a refugee camp in Germany... my father was born there. My grandmother escaped the Russian regime in Ukraine at 19, having fled in the night. She left her family behind and without warning, never to see them again. She did this to protect them…she wouldn’t even write them letters, for fear that the letters would be discovered and her family sent to Siberia as punishment for her betrayal.

There were many times in early adulthood I thought about using my middle name as my surname, just for the sake of ease. I made a conscious decision to go ahead and struggle through it, as I have always been pretty proud of that heritage. My grandmother (Eva) was a bit of a legend, and growing up it was quite clear to me that to be Ukrainian was something special. I decided to double down on that last name, and am proud my boy has it too. I chose his name (Leo) to compliment it... his middle name (Joseph) is my paternal grandfather’s. My last name is pretty immediately recognizable on the occasion I meet someone who is actually Ukrainian. There is joy in that recognition...it’s as if they know I am aware of a beautiful secret they have. The secret is that Ukrainian people are fierce, strong, noble, and beautiful. I’ve always known this because of my grandmother...and now the rest of the world knows it too.

My grandmother’s journey from Ukraine to the US took ten years. For much of this journey, she was alone. There was a time in my life I imagined writing a screenplay about this journey, having pieced together scraps of the story told to my aunt. I would spend hours imagining the story from beginning to end, trying to envision a seamless movie. As I was an actress then I imagined trying to enact it. I imagined fully being in my grandmother’s shoes, how she felt. The anger, fear, the despair, the hope. I imagined the village that she left, the danger there so great it was unlivable. I read about the famine imposed by Stalin, in which millions died. I looked up pictures from the era and saw skeletal children and people dying in the streets. I heard about Russian soldiers raping villagers and desperate survival measures. Man-made, relentless, imposed terror... for every story shared I know there were a dozen worse ones withheld. Stories such as the ones being revealed now, in Mariupol and Bucha. They sicken me to hear, but I am not surprised.

Sometimes I make dark jokes about generational trauma. There is a sliver of me that has always expected the unimaginable horrors my grandmother witnessed to erupt at any moment, as the people of Ukraine are experiencing now. My grandmother was one for using every last scrap of anything and wasting nothing...I am the same to a degree. She reused the water in her house...from her bath to her laundry to the garden. When she passed there were spotless oatmeal and yogurt canisters full of folded dried paper towels she had saved to reuse. I joke that I too live with a refugee’s sense of scarcity...and I’m only half-joking. And then of course just to be a woman is to have generational trauma...this rape or Ukraine and Putin’s gaslighting used to justify it has been experienced by every woman at one time or another, I think.

I loved my grandmother’s accent and her slanted eyes. I loved her tidy house with its carpet scraps in the basement, making a patchwork floor. I loved the colors and the needlework in her pillows, and her practical patterned house dresses with pockets she would wear when working in the garden. We all loved her pierogi (she would work on them for days but never sit down to eat them, instead just making sure everyone was fed) and her apple pie (the simplest recipe...no sugar, just apples cut into the crust). But most of all I loved her strength and resilience. This more than anything to me symbolized what it was to be Ukrainian.

My grandmother was a dedicated Catholic. I have some artwork from her house representing this...taken from a calendar, and holiday cards. The climax of the story of her journey to the US was that after a long journey by boat over the Atlantic, with my grandfather and two small children (and during which she was violently seasick) she finally arrives in America. She is standing in line attempting to enter the country and discovers that she will be tested to be able to read or else be turned away. She was unable. The story goes that she was handed a newspaper, and panicking she began to pray in her native language. The officer, mistaking her prayer for reading, passed her and her family - my family - through.

God was with her, she had said. And for as long as she was with us that was clear, it shone from her the way it shines from the Ukrainian people now. When I heard that Russia had invaded I thought it would be a matter of days before they fell. And instead, they are standing strong and proud once again, and, in the face of this assault and this abuse, it is clear God is with them. Little old ladies who look just like my grandma are making Molotov cocktails in the streets. When Russia invaded I felt utterly hopeless, and yet they have given me hope in humanity.

It’s hard to know what to do when faced with such overwhelming distress, fear, and anger. It’s understandable to want to look away, give up, or go numb. It’s easy to think in the age of “thoughts and prayers” for one tragedy after another that thoughts and prayers are meaningless. But they do matter, absolutely everything matters. Our job is to just put one foot in front of the other and do what we can... as my Grandmother did.

Ukrainians happen to make incredible estheticians, and fittingly many of them work with DMK both in the US and abroad. It brings me a lot of joy to share with you that DMK has organized a drive with UNICEF in support of their ongoing response to the war, in which they will be matching $250,000 in donations. Please, take this opportunity to help us to meet this goal. Donations may be made through the link below.

And, in addition to this contribution (or in lieu of, for those who can’t) I’m asking anyone interested to join me daily at 8 am and/or 8 pm in saying this prayer for them, provided by Marianne Williamson.

Dear God,

Please send angels to Ukraine tonight.

Awaken the heart,

fortify the strength

and calm the fears of all concerned.

Lift them above the battlefield.

Send Your miracles,

break the back of evil.

In the midst of war,

please bring forth peace.

Bless and protect your precious children.

Thank you, God.

Amen

Glow & Go

Time...it's a luxury most of us lack.  It's so hard to find the time to do all the things we need to do AND take care of ourselves.

This is why we are introducing our new Glow & Go service, which will have you in and out in less than an hour!  The treatment is a gentle exfoliation followed by extractions, and a transdermal infusion of hydrators and quick massage. We have a wide variety of exfoliators to get you glowing, for every kind of condition you can think of.  Hydration, pigmentation, acne, texture issues…let us choose the perfect one for you!

To celebrate this new addition to the menu we will be giving samples from our new line, Skinbetter with your service throughout February!

Here are just a few of our favorite "glowgetters" we can choose from:

1. Quick Peel by DMK is for acne-prone, dull, or vascular (red) skin. The cassia (cinnamon) creates a "pseudo heat" in the skin which jumpstarts the skin's circulation and helps to clear redness. It goes on feeling icy...then it heats up...and gets icy again. We rub it off, which also gently exfoliates your skin. The quick peel is great for every skin type!
   

2. Prozyme is great for dry flakey skin, pigmentation, and fine lines. Unlike traditional acid peels which loosen dead skin cells but might not fully remove them, Prozyme dissolves it right there and then! Painless, and it's only on for up to ten minutes. The result is baby smooth skin!

3. Cherry Enzyme is for pigmented and/or acne-prone skin. It exfoliates and brightens the skin with the antioxidant with Lactic and Mandelic acids and promotes deep hydration while reducing the surface signs of aging. Arbutin and Kojic provide further lightning capabilities! This is the peel for you if you want gentle and brightening.

4. The AlphaRet Professional Peel System by Skinbetter Science uses both Lactic acid and Retinol to improve overall skin tone and texture, increase hydration, and diminish visual signs of aging, sun damage, and blemishes. A stronger peel which will leave you with lasting results!

5. Pro Alpha is absolutely one of our favorites! Though it is largely glycolic acid it has superior capabilities for hydration, and therefore congestion! It pulls water up through the skin giving it a dewey appearance, and in doing so helps to push congestion up and out for easy extractions. It gives a beautiful, hydrated finish to just about every skin type in minutes.

No downtime, all glow and a true "pick me up" to make you feel all shiny and new in these dull winter months. Worth making time for!

What’s New in 2022?

If you’ve worked with me...you know I’m a bit of a mad scientist. I love to tinker and take things apart just to put them back together. I do this not only with skincare but with the business itself and pretty much every aspect of my life with regularity. Let’s call it creative spirit.

How can I make this better? I am always asking myself this. This approach is not for everyone...I get it. There is much to be said for safety and stability, and repetition of a good thing. However, I can’t help but ask myself this in regards to serving clients continually...which results in Bespoke forever being a work in progress. In truth, I foresee it always being this way, until I close its doors. A metaphor, certainly.

So please, bear with me as I outline a few new options and changes coming to the menu in 2022. My hope is they will allow us to continue to serve you better.

First...we are introducing a new line of peels and products by Skinbetter! This will allow us to do a forty-five-minute treatment for you...and you can be in and out in about an hour. Our treatments have tended to be so long, with some DMK treatments clocking in at 2.5 hours. It’s just so hard for many clients to find that time for a visit... and hard for us to find time in the schedule, especially if it’s an evening or a weekend.

Our new Glow & Go, will be a cleanse, chemical peel tailored to type, extractions, and then either an alginate (“jelly”) mask, oxygenating high frequency, or a quick sculpting massage to the face and neck with finishing products. I thought you didn’t like peels (you might be asking)? It’s true, we typically don’t advocate overuse of acid products at home, as they can strip your skin. But in the hands of your trained therapist who can pick you the perfect peel for the perfect amount of time, I think it can be a very useful tool...especially for acne sufferers who need to visit more frequently. Think of it as a boot camp class for your face! These peels can serve a variety of purposes, from treating acne to pigmentation to aiding in hydration...all with no downtime. Treatment will be available from February, pricing will be similar to Micropeel.

Also new, are our products by Skinbetter! Skinbetter is a technology and results-driven line and everyone’s favorite right now throughout the esthetics industry. I thought DMK and Osmosis were your favorites I am being asked?! They are, yes! But I also can’t resist the incredible before and after pictures, and Skinbetter has them. Skincare isn’t a zero-sum game...there can be more than one line that creates results. And having trained in depth now with Skinbetter I can say safely these products deliver! And they are so simple to use, with no intricate multi-step routines. We are so excited to share these new products with you in 2022, and to this end in February when you book a Bespoke Peel we will give you custom-picked Skinbetter sample packs for you to try. We are all using them in the office, and I have no doubt you will come to love them as well.

Another addition to the menu for Spring of 2022 will be greater options for treating yourself at home...more virtual consults and curated boxes of treatments and products you can do yourself. I really do want there to be solutions for everyone at Bespoke, and at every price point...one of the main issues I would like to find solutions for is our having the capability to help clients who can’t make it into the office (and/or it’s not in the budget) to still get results at home with our help.

And finally, a note regarding our pricing for 2022...as we all know, due to supply chain issues there has been inflation across the board in most industries. Ours is no exception. A few months ago, Osmosis increased their prices substantially...and now DMK has introduced a slight increase. Therefore I am afraid we must also accordingly increase the prices for these products and treatments from 2/1/22. Hopefully, there will be no further increases upcoming...and these increases are one of the reasons we are introducing other options for products and treatments, to fit every budget and need.

What changes would you like to see at Bespoke in 2022? I am always all ears, and constructive criticism is very welcome.

Finally, thank you as always for your continued support in 2021. We love seeing you and will look forward to sharing 2022 with you.

Hot Cider, Pumpkin Patches, and Peels. My Fall Favorites.

Peel Season is upon us, Friends! Time to wipe away the sins of the Summer… at least off our faces.

You know when you find your favorite new thing? A song, a sweater, a restaurant? You just can’t stop talking about it or leave it alone? That’s how I feel about our new Micropeel from Elaine Brennan.

It’s a mysterious little product... one little jar, a simple treatment to perform. The mystery lies in how it does what it does, and does it so well. Typically we are not “big peel” fans here... and when I say big peel, I mean the kind of peels that give you a lot of downtime... think Samantha on Sex and the City. The only “big” peel we do here is RP from DMK... and a lot of prep goes into that. Why?

I think most big peels miss the mark in being too damaging with too little recovery. If your skin is compromised (barrier impaired, thin, etc) then it will lack resources to recover from such trauma. And that’s what a big peel is... trauma in an effort to force recovery. So, if we push skin that can’t recover, we can actually create other big issues like pigmentation... which are just as bad, if not worse than the original issue we were trying to treat.

Imagine running a marathon on an empty stomach, or with no sleep. This is like what we ask our skin to do when we peel it without preparing it... you will survive, but at what cost? So to do an RP you need a full homecare routine proceeding, and at least 4 professional Enzyme Therapy treatments as well. So when you do have your week of peeling, your skin can recover from it.

I love our new micropeel because it’s a “small” peel (very little downtime, shedding, or pain) that acts like a big one. This means you should get a visible improvement in texture, active acne, pigment scarring, even melasma. Also, little to no homecare prep or aftercare is needed. How does it do it???

It has to do with the base the acids rest in. Most peels are a liquid you brush it on, leave it for a few minutes... feel the burn, remove it, and your face is fried. Micropeel is a balm and sits for thirty to sixty minutes on your skin. It slowly builds some heat... but that’s as bad as it gets. At its worst, most people rate it a 4 on the pain scale (10 being unbearable). This slows absorption and prevents it from flash frying your epidermis.

Its main acids are:

• Resorcinol: works by breaking down rough, scaly, or hardened skin and is used to treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, photoaging, solar keratoses, epidermal atrophy and improves skin tone and unevenness. 

• Kojik Acid: works on melanocytes interfering with the production of melanin. It has excellent skin-lightening abilities and is classified as an antioxidant.

• Salicylic Acid: is used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne, oily skin, blackheads, and whiteheads. It directly dissolves the keratin plugs to regulate the skin cells acting as an exfoliant. Salicylic Acid improves collagen production and the thickness of the skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties.

But the main thing I love about Micropeel is IT IS GOOD FOR ALL FITZPATRICKS! The Fitzpatrick scale is what we use to rate skin’s pigment... with 1 being the fairest and 6 being the darkest. Skins that are higher on the Fitzpatrick scale pigment very easily, because of their high amounts of melanin. Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) occurs in response to trauma or inflammation... think marks after acne. In lighter skins they are typically red or pink... and can turn brown as melanin fires to protect the underlying wound. But in darker skins, that protective melanin fires even more readily... and why many peels are a no-no. The wounding action of a typical peel can set off that melanin reaction and make PIH worse! It’s like quicksand... the more you wound the skin to get the pigment out, the worse it gets.

But not Mighty Micropeel! The results on higher Fitzpatricks are literally incredible. My satisfaction in using this tool for that tricky immense issue is why I’m obsessed with it. The peels are best done in a course... 3 to 6 about a month apart depending on the issue. And unlike a normal peel where your best results are just after you shed, with the Micropeel the best results are a full month after. This is because you will shed slowly, rather than all at once... which cuts the downtime! Your skin will feel rough and flakey, and some people do peel a bit. But nothing near a typical old school, big peel.

And this is why Micropeel is one of my few Fall favorites. To celebrate its introduction, we will be offering a free mini Betagel to support recovery with your Micropeel through October. Book yours today and find out what Peel season is all about!

Updates to Cancellation Policy

One of my least favorite parts of the business to manage… is the dreaded cancellation policy.

I hate enforcing it and am a bit of a pushover. We are all so busy, and I know things come up last minute! It is especially hard in the days of covid when we are all trying our best to be safe.  

That being said, we are just once again having an overwhelming amount of last-minute cancellations, and the only way I can think of to keep this from happening is to strengthen our policy. To this end, please note our new policy effective immediately will be $90 for your first late cancellation… and the full fee of the appointment thereafter.

So, please… if you think you cannot make your appointment, cancel with 48 hours notice. We have a long waitlist and need this time to rebook from it!

And if you are unable to cancel with 48 hours notice and earn the fee, please understand this is not a punishment but a pre-established business agreement regarding your therapist's time. Your therapist works on commission per treatment… so if you do not show, they do not get paid. Our practitioners limit the number of clients they see each day to ensure a high level of quality in their work with you. We prepare for the session before you enter the door. This is why last-minute cancellations significantly impact our practitioners and our ability to provide support to other clients hoping to work with us.

Finally, the update to our policy is pretty much in line with similar businesses and is the industry standard. My hope would be that in increasing the fee, more thought will be given to appointments made. We take our time with you very seriously and hope this will encourage the same sentiment in return.

Thank you as always for your patronage and support… we will look forward to seeing you this Autumn.

Adrienne

In order to reserve a place in our schedule, we require all clients agree to our cancellation policy as follows:

 1. You must provide at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel or change your appointment. This means if your appointment is for 4pm Friday, you have until 4pm sharp to cancel on Wednesday. We strictly adhere to this boundary.

 2. If notice to change or cancel your session is provided less than 48 hours before your appointment time, you will be charged $90 the first time. The second time and beyond will be the full appointment fee.

 3. Please note our appointment confirmation and reminder emails are a courtesy. Not receiving either of these does not exempt clients from the late cancel/no show fee.

 4. Unexpected events can and do occur in one’s schedule. We understand that things like illness, work, emergencies, and delayed flights are out of your control, but they are also out of our control – so they are not exempt from the last minute cancellation policy.

 5. If you are more than 20 minutes late to your appointment, it will be considered cancelled…which earns the appropriate fee. Or you may arrive and keep the session, but you will be charged the full price for the time and the session will end on time.

 6. In order to schedule, we must have a credit card number kept securely on file. In the event of a last minute cancellation you agree that this card will be charged for the fee. If the card doesn’t work your file is marked with the outstanding balance we will not treat you until this balance is settled.

 7. You may cancel/reschedule your appointment without assistance from us, through the online scheduler linked on adrienneshostak.com. You may also do it from the mind/body app. These methods for rescheduling are preferred, as you may see full availability this way!

 8. If you feel sick, are exhibiting covid symptoms, or have had exposure to a person with covid, we will require negative test results before you are able to schedule to visit us again. We need to keep the office a safe space! So any last minute cancellations due to illness will require a bill of clean health to receive treatment from us. 

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

The Meta-morphosis

The Metamorphosis of Motherhood

I, like most people - was always under the impression that for a caterpillar to transform into a butterfly they simply encase themselves in a cocoon, sprout wings and poof! They are now a butterfly. The reality is much more gruesome…caterpillars completely liquify in that cocoon. Their cells melt, then reassemble…and build a butterfly from scratch. It is a complete physical metamorphosis, though they retain memory of their former caterpillar self.

I can think of no better metaphor for motherhood.

Being pregnant is hard. Physically it feels like carrying a sack of heavy groceries around with you 24/7. Weird things happen to your body…I was vomiting from acid reflux and had extreme carpal tunnel in my hands until the day I delivered. Pregnancy is hard…but in a tangible “I have a big bump bc I am carrying a tiny human who has displaced my organs” kind of way. It’s cute. People smile at you, and you feel special.

And..then baby comes out and you realize the smiles were at the unborn baby, not you. The baby comes out in an explosion…contractions literally are like that. A focusing of pain and energy in the core of your being, that climaxes in your own personal Big Bang. A new world is created, and the pieces of you you have spent your life putting together - your sense of self and identity, your sense of order, how you eat, how you walk, how your day starts and ends - explode. It is both physical and emotional, this explosion. A Mother emerges from the cocoon, alongside the baby.

Your job as a Mother is now to try to pick up the old pieces of yourself and put them back together into your new incarnation…and carry a baby while you do it.

Physically, I thought I knew my body. I delivered Leo at 41. I had never had cellulite. I had awesome abs. I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight. But now my body is completely different. And the most confusing and mysterious part of this puzzle is what happens to my pelvic floor.

For two years I have felt “loose’, and confused as to what has happened to my insides. I have a mummy tummy crunches won’t fix. I have had lower back pain, neck pain…full body pain. I pee myself a bit about ten times a day. I visited various doctors in the beginning of this postpartum journey, and was told I have mild prolapse…this means my pelvic floor and transverse abdominus have been so stretched out that now my guts rest in a pile in my pelvis creating downward pressure. “Do Kegels!” I am told…”Youtube it!” And I do. But no progress…I resign myself to this is the way life is now. I will always feel something is off.

I was finally directed by a yoga teacher friend to ourfitfamilylife.com for a postpartum program. Another great program is by mutumamas.com . In 10 to 20 min a day you can fix prolapse over time…but honestly, just the visual explanations provided by these programs were enough for me to get 50% improvement in my back pain in a week. Just having it clearly explained to me what had happened, and given a few exercises has allowed me to make more progress in fixing my issue in 6 weeks than I had in 2 years. 

Why this information is not printed on a page and handed to you when you leave the hospital with your baby literally boggles my mind. The fact that millions - probably billions - of women are out there with their insides sloshing around needlessly is a tragedy, in that it could be easily fixed with just a bit of support.

And yet…even taking 15 minutes a day for myself now seems impossible. The Mom Guilt owns me…somehow now biologically I am programmed to put myself last. And society supports this idea that motherhood = sacrificing yourself constantly…that it “comes with the territory”. The people who decided that are not mothers, and don’t know what it’s like. So do yourself a favor and ignore those constraints.

So, if I have two bits of advice for Moms and aspiring Moms out there it would be:

1. Invest in a good pelvic floor rehab program or therapist pre and post baby. You can not fix what happens to your body without this so don’t waste your time trying.

2. Make time to take care of yourself and guard it with your life…and do NOT feel guilty about it.

Easier said than done I know. I struggle with Mom Guilt every moment of every day. But just taking fifteen minutes a day to fix my prolapse with pelvic floor exercises has made me feel exponentially better. Looking good matters…feeling good matters. Guard that space with your life. It will take a lot of effort to do so. We all know what the pandemic has done to us. How we have held it together…only a mother could understand. You deserve to make a bit of space and time to fix yourself, don’t let anyone make you think otherwise…especially yourself.

Mothers run the world. It is a new dimension to existence…look to other mothers for support and understanding. Wishing all the moms out there an amazing day, a day to celebrate for ourselves that metamorphosis into Mother. 

Going up…

Like many women, I struggle with my self esteem. What does this look like? Chronic people pleasing, feelings of guilt (mom guilt anyone? More on that in my upcoming Mother’s Day blog) are two common symptoms. It may also look like always putting myself and my own wellness last. Ironic isn’t it? As this is precisely what I aim for us to provide for you from Bespoke…a safe place to turn your trust over to another woman who gets it, and who is here to help you feel and look your best.

Regardless, with the recent addition of medical esthetician Erika Davison (who worked with us on a limited basis in the old office, and has joined us again here in the new one about a month ago) this defect I continually struggle with has been gently brought to my attention repeatedly by her…and now I can’t unsee it! Being as that she is such an experienced esthetician she has encouraged me to look at other local businesses…and having finally space and time to pull my head out of the Covid sand its become clear to me that we are noticeably underpriced. And when you factor in that gratuity is included…well, then we are CONSIDERABLY underpriced.

I’ve done that because 1. I am so grateful to have regular business throughout covid I just didn’t have the heart to raise prices as we occasionally must, owing to inflation of materials etc 2. I want so badly to be able to provide affordable services to those who really need them I didn’t want to exclude anyone who couldn’t afford a slight price increase. I realize that taking care of yourself isn’t cheap, and that many of our clients have been through the ringer trying to solve their issues. They are spent, literally. I want everyone to feel safe to come to us and let us help them.

That being said, upon deeper reflection I’ve realized that for me to be continually setting a precedent for my team that we as women must overwork and underprice is not really serving them to the best of my ability…nor is it serving you the client. It might actually undermine what we offer to you and your ability to trust us. To this end, now that we are beginning to see the end of Covid and I have a stable, lovely staff…it’s time to gently bump prices by 10% across the board, which amounts to about $20 per treatment. $180 treatments are now $200, $200 are now $220 etc.

You will see on this updated menu that in addition to a slew of new services, there is a significant amount of new language/naming of our treatments. The greatest of which is that our beloved Osmosis based Bespoke Facial is being renamed as “Facial Infusion”. And our new “Bespoke Facial” will now be exactly that…a flexible session of modalities such as peels, high frequency, massage, microcurrent, gua sha, and botanical and/or alginate masks. More of a typical facial (but with our signature customized, “feel good” twist!) , that leaves you fresh and glowing after treatment. We will offer that in 60 or 90 minute sessions with your choice of cosmetic modalities. Or, better yet let your therapist choose your modalities! And just lie back and enjoy what we cook up for you.

These changes will take place May 1. Please note the changes to the menu noted here: Most important I think is the change in language, in that Osmosis treatments are now “Infusions” and not “Bespoke Facials”. I’m pretty happy about that change in verbiage, as typically our Osmosis facials are viewed as our “basic facial”…when they are anything but basic! Osmosis facials are skin revision from the deepest level, and I think the term “Infusion” better communicates their value.

Anyway, there you have it…new menu, new prices are live on our menu page. If you have questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to let me know! And as always, thank you for visiting us. Your support means the world to me, and we are thrilled to have you by our side for what is sure to be a beautiful spring and summer, and a new phase of growth here at Bespoke. 

In Bloom

I love this time of year…probably it’s because it’s when my son was born. So when I see the cherry blossoms start to bloom I can’t help but remember that time, and feel the anticipation of a new season beginning. And this year it is especially true…the end of Covid in sight and so many new services on our menu.

In this spirit our newness for April are two lovely peels, to help you to swing into the warmer weather fresh faced.

For Face:

Lunchtime Peel: A little “pick me up” peel, to get you glowing in less than an hour! A gentle exfoliation with our most hydrating acid blend and mask, to brighten and tighten by increasing your skin’s water levels. Forty minutes of treatment, $180

Micropeel: A “little” peel with big results! Micropeel is good for active acne, acne scars, pigmentation, textural issues, as well as fine lines and wrinkles. Minimal downtime…dry flakey skin for the next week is possible as your skin gently sheds. Forty minutes of treatment, $210

For Body Treatments, we’ve added a treatment and reworked our existing menu:

New! Wood therapy uses a number of different wooden massage-like tools to help break down fat and cellulite. The wooden instruments are used to apply direct pressure to “problem areas” and essentially naturally eliminate excess body fat. A deep treatment that is deeply relaxing! Fifty five minutes of treatment, $180

Changes to existing menu:

Brazilian Body Sculpt: Upon discussion with Maria, we have decided to include 20 min infrared sauna with every Sculpt treatment. This will increase price to $220 and time on the treatment to 90 minutes…but we think the result will be worth it! She will wrap your areas of concern after the sculpt and before the infrared…this will keep the areas flushing lymph and greatly enhance results. Ninety minutes hands on, $220

Lymphatic Drainage: We have also decided to simplify the various types of lymphatic drainage massage Maria offers into one category. This treatment is a light drainage, perfect for those seeking Prenatal, Post Operative drainage…or just a lighter touch. Fifty Five minutes hands on, $160 

Bloom with us this spring at Bespoke!

Spring Awakening

As we approach the one year anniversary of the s*** officially hitting the Covid fan, I can’t help but reflect on the last year and marvel. I closed the business March 19 2020, unsure of when it would reopen (it ended up being late June). When we had decided to make the move from the old building to the new, many conversations centered on “it’s a risk, but what’s the worst that could happen?” “Pandemic” wasn’t even a possibility mentioned. And yet here we are a year later, steeped in Pandemic Fatigue.

Have you cried this month, inexplicably? Me too. So much was lost last year…and before you can fully recover another loss another occurs. The climax of my Covid story has to be losing my sweet friend and member of staff Rachel Fazio suddenly October 19…not to Covid, but a shock nonetheless. I definitely considered closing the business. It just seemed believable, so insurmountable. We has already been through so much, and now this. Surely it was a sign? Add to all this parenting my baby Leo…there was nothing to do but shut down and soldier on. And now I find myself crying nearly in relief as the vaccines roll out, finally feeling safe enough to let the losses be acknowledged.

I consider myself lucky…the business is still standing. My family is well. Not only that, but somehow we are entering the spring as a business reborn…sparkly new staff, and somehow a slew of new treatments to offer. The initial vision I had moving into this office at 3233 P St is beginning to crystalize, and I find myself (like you) emerging from a pandemic hibernation, ready to shake the dust off and start putting myself back together…physically, emotionally, spiritually.

So! In that vein please join us at Bespoke 2.0:

What’s new for March?

Meet Lexi! Our wonderful new esthetician will be seeing clients starting March 14, and working Wed, Thu, Fri and Sun.

Radio-Frequency Skin Tightening with Maria, for face and body $180 A nonsurgical method which utilizes energy waves to heat the dermis and stimulate collagen production, firming the skin. Painless, no downtime. Great for crepey, sagging skin..and necks!

Bespoke Body “Flex” $180 A flexible session, choose any two body modalities! Or…let Maria choose for you, creating a truly tailored treatment. She also has 30 and 60 minute add ons, for $60 or $90…which means you could potentially book for up to two full hours of treatment and up to four modalities! Choose from radio-frequency, lymph drainage massage, ultrasound, infrared sauna.

Meet Erika and her new services! Erika has a medical esthetician background, currently working for a local surgical center.

She is with us Sundays only currently and offering: Dermaplaning ($300), Microneedling with Enzyme mask ($500), Lash lifting/tinting and Brow shape/tint ($150), with optional mini facial add on for an additional $50. For more info on these please check the website!

Coming soon in April:

“Get Glowing” Micropeel by Elaine Brennan $250, a “little” peel with big results! Very little downtime to this one (a few days of minor shedding) but great for textural issues, active acne, age management. An all around winner! Jessica will be doing IPL on Thursdays! To celebrate we will offer a free gift (DMK Melanotech drops, $55) off your first photofacial with her in April. More on this and the benefits of photofacials soon!

Coming in May and beyond:

Permanent Makeup service with Robin Pomeroy.

Microblading, combo and hybrid brows, ombre brows. Price will be $800 with touch up and gratuity included…get it in May and pay $600.

Facial Cupping and Gua Sha facials.

Plasma Pen skin tightening and more!

Books are filling so please book now, and join us for our Spring Awakening.