Victoria Beauty & Spa
14 Professor Giovanni Gorini Street
Tel: 843 5077/ 0885924 337

Most girls jump at the chance to have a day of beauty and rest. Victoria Beauty and Spa provides both in a convenient location and tranquil environment. Located at 14 Professor Giovanni Gorini Street, a few steps from Oborishte Street, the spa offers many services, ranging from massages to nail care, hairdressing to make-up application. In almost all respects, it is as similar to an American spa as I have yet come across.

An open Saturday afternoon and long overdue nail care convinced me that a day at the spa was exactly what the doctor ordered. I decided to call and make an appointment ahead of time to ensure that I would be able to get everything done without hassle. The receptionist was especially sweet and enthusiastic, speaking fluent English and letting me know in what order the services would be performed. I was definitely unprepared for the amount of time I was to spend being pampered and preened, as their attention to customer satisfaction far outweighed the price of each service.

A four o'clock appointment for a neck massage is anyone's dream, especially that of a teacher who spends most of her time lugging around heavy textbooks.

I was greeted at the reception desk and then introduced to the masseuse, a kind and gentle woman who I had no problem later being topless in front of. The massage room was quite simple, with two tables and a desk. No ambient music was playing; no candles were lit, no funny smells or typical tricks. I sat on a stool in front of the table, while the masseuse sat on the table behind me. She used natural oil, without any scent, which I found quite nice and refreshing compared to some of my past experiences. The massage was not solely for my neck, but included the entire surrounding area. She attacked all of my sore spots and even got the pressure points in my upper arms that seemed to lead right to the nerves in my aching places. It was fantastic and a great way to start off the spa experience.

I was then led to the nail technician, who seemed a little overworked, but still ready to take on my badly damaged nails. I'm an outdoors kind of girl and keep my nails short. It's not uncommon for me to have cuts, hangnails, or even bruises on my hands. I also chew on my nails when I'm working on the computer, lost in thought, or feeling nervous, a bad habit that must be broken, but she assured me that this was very common for many women, even joking about my astrological sign. The workstation was located right next to the window, so I was able to watch people and dogs walk by as she worked diligently to cut my cuticles and fix my "injuries". She made an effort to keep everything clean and sterile as she worked. A simple silver nail polish to keep me from biting my nails for the next week, and I was passed on to the hairdresser.

I had decided on a hairdo, without cutting or dying, and had talked with the receptionist about what I wanted my hair to look like after it was blow-dried. She found a photo of Victoria Beckham that seemed about right, and I eagerly anticipated a transformation from the curly insanity that is my normal look into movie star hair. In all honesty, I was doubtful this feat could be accomplished. After intensive work by the hairdresser (about an hour's worth of blow-drying and grooming), I had my celebrity hair. Actually, it looked even better than the photo of Victoria Beckham, and everyone in the spa, including myself, was completely impressed.

To my surprise, the hairdresser was also the make-up artist who was to apply "my new face". I am a make-up sceptic. I do wear some and even have my fun days when I go a little crazy with it, but I shy away from things like foundation and lipstick, which I feel are like modern war paint. But just this once, I was willing to give in and allow her the freedom to do with me what she pleased. By this point, I had been at the spa for three hours and felt a little tired of all the poking and preening. However, it was enjoyable to let her use my face as a canvas, and with everyone watching, I felt like a model getting ready for the catwalk or an actress preparing for a role in a film. She did not go overboard, but instead added just a touch of glamour. She was focused and careful not to slip with the pencil or the brush. Compared to my former experience at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon in New York City, one of the most posh salons in America, she did a more impressive job by far.

After four hours of work by the spa's sympathetic and attentive staff, I was ready for a Saturday night out. In total, the bill came out to 49 leva, which I felt was quite moderate for the amount of time and energy they had put into my appearance and comfort. The massages range in price from eight leva for a neck massage to 20 leva for a classic massage. Haircuts are 12 leva, though for men and children it is cheaper. My blow-dry was 12 leva since my hair is so long, but they are normally 10. Dye jobs are 25 leva, and manicures are nine leva, about average for a more up-scale salon like Victoria. The make-up job was 15 leva and is recommended for anyone who has an important event to attend or just wants to feel glamorous for a little while. I was so satisfied with my services and all of their hard work that I left a hefty tip. Though pampering is a rare occasion for me, my experience at Victoria was a valuable one.