Long-haul trips can do a number on your body. Poor blood flow from crowded seats and minimal movement for 18 hours can lead to blood clots. Dry air leaves your body – including your skin – very dehydrated. The increased concentration of people in a small area exposes you to more germs than you might otherwise by around for such a long period. And, even on a short flight, I leave just feeling ugh. Not the way I wanted to start our honeymoon, which required more than 18 hours of flights and 32 total hours en route to get from Dallas to Rwanda (more on that trip coming this week!).
Riviera Spa to the rescue! I was lucky enough to get to indulge in a trio of their services the evening before our honeymoon and it was EXACTLY what I needed. Upon arrival to their gorgeous space off Travis Street (insider tip: there’s a free parking garage right next to the elevator that takes you to the spa – enter down the driveway on the left of the building), I was shown to the locker rooms where I changed into a fluffy robe, washed my makeup off my face, and locked up my bag in their lockers. I was then escorted to the relaxation room where I waited a few minutes for my masseuse to come and greet me.
SIGNATURE WELLNESS MASSAGE
I have an old shoulder injury that often gives me trouble on long flights and keeps me from sleeping, so I opted for a 50 minute Signature Wellness Massage and asked my therapist, Lisa Marie, to focus mainly on my shoulders. I opted for their eucalyptus oils for a calming, yet energizing boost. Lisa Marie immediately found the source of some recent swelling in my left shoulder and focused a lot of the massage on working that area out. I have to say, in the moment, it was pretty painful. I frequently roll out my shoulder with a lacrosse ball and know that the pressure would ultimately be good, and trusted the team at Riviera completely. After the end of 50 minutes, my shoulders felt completely different – loose, mobile, and pain-free (for a person with regular swelling and tension in my shoulders, I was VERY impressed!). The pressure level isn’t for everyone, but I’ll definitely be returning the next time it swells.
After the massage, I moved on to the facial. Riviera’s signature facial uses Eminence Organic products from Hungary, which are specially chosen for your skin type and priorities. My esthetician recommended the arctic berry enzyme exfoliant exfoliating mask and advanced peel, which is designed to brighten dark spots and leave your skin radiant. And that it did! She also recommended drugstore products I use on a nightly basis to continue brightening the sunspots on more forehead from not wearing sunscreen in my early 20’s, which I really appreciated.
ULTIMATE MANICURE AND PEDICURE
The last treatment in my trio was the ultimate manicure and pedicure. It was about 1pm by this point, so I gladly indulged in the glass of champagne they offered. I have to say, I don’t remember a lot about the mani/pedi. Something about the massage, the eucalyptus scent I was still breathing in from the oils in my massage and the steam during the facial, and the super comfy massage chair I was in just lulled me into a bit of a haze (the champagne on an empty stomach may have contributed as well). I can say this – my honeymoon was three weeks long, and the polish on my hands and feet was still flawless and unchipped when I landed back in Dallas. I’ve never experienced that before. It was impressive!
I hopped on our 14.5 hour flight to Doha the next morning refreshed, relaxed, and makeup free (my skin looked AMAZING the next day, thanks to the facial). It was the perfect way to kick off our honeymoon. Now I just need another reason to go back…
Please note: I’ve partnered with Riviera Spa to bring you this post. All opinions remain my own.