A brand Neo you

This Valentine’s Day, give the gift of truly caring.

You have to admit, it’s not easy finding the perfect gift for this particular holiday. While chocolates and flowers usually do the trick, they are quite pedestrian for a day that is underlined by romance, never mind how commercial that romance is. There is the typical dinner a deux to fall back on but the hassle of reserving a table at the must-dine restaurant of the week — and the abominable traffic on the way to dinner after — has great potential to rob the evening of romance. So are the alternative types of celebrating, such as public serenades, couples’ parties or even weekend getaways. Anything that requires logistical planning will tend to fall flat on its face on Valentine’s.

Love or passion need not be unnecessarily difficult, nor micromanaged. So why not leave your V-Day celebration to able hands — literally — to do all the work for you?

Nope, not a planning or events group but something infinitely better: The Neo Day Spa at The Fort is quite the haven tucked somewhere in the middle of the bustling metropolis. While the spa is located along a main road inside Bonifacio City, it’s a whole different story once you set foot inside: The “unfinished” look of the spa interiors, added with the maze-like lay-out of the rooms and the cozy dim lighting, gives a feeling of seclusion to the place. “We want the spa to be a getaway for our clients,” shares Nyssa Feredo, spa manager. “From the façade to the interior design, we want to give people the feeling that this spa is the perfect spot to hide and relax in, even for just a short while.”

For the coming overly clichéd holiday, a relaxing escape to a quiet hideaway is the best way to celebrate. As Feredo explains, “All Neo Day Spa treatments are great alternatives to the usual Valentine’s Day gifts. There is less pressure to buy flowers, to check on their delivery, to reserve in an expensive restaurant and to drive through heavy traffic to go to dinner. Instead of being in the middle of the city craziness on Valentine’s, why not be inside a spa, being pampered?” Why not, indeed?

A special treatment that couples can enjoy together is the Aroma Mosaic Treatment, a 120-minute pampering session that leaves you feeling relaxed, refreshed and as smooth as butter. It begins with a 60-minute total body exfoliation that uses a Decleor body scrub made from a combination of flowers and sea salts. What makes this scrub different from others is the way it partially dissolves into oil upon contact with the skin. “While it removes the dead cells from the body, it’s not abrasive to the skin. In fact, it nourishes it,” Feredo describes. “Plus, it smells so good.”

After the exfoliation session is a massage treatment. Unlike most massages that apply extra pressure, the Aroma Mosaic treatment massage features a different sequence of rubbing that is graceful and completely de-stressing. A hot water bottle placed on top of the stomach or on the small of the back is a special touch that regulates body temperature and keeps clients from becoming too cold.

A great plus to the massage is the Decleor balm that contains the so-called religious oils, myrrh, frankincense and lavender. “They are really meant to relax the mind and the body,” says Feredo. “In fact, they have been said to make a person feel euphoric through their scent.

“The Aroma Mosaic treatment is very popular among the clients,” she continues. “A lot of people find it to be a nice break from the usual Swedish and shiatsu massages.” And it makes for the perfect Valentine’s gift, as it offers better value to everyone: “You get a scrub and a massage, which are complementary to each other, in just one session.” Instead of paying P1,500 for each treatment, availing scrub and massage combination will only cost you P2,500.

Another thing that makes the Aroma Mosaic treatment special are the Decleor range of products that the Neo Day Spa uses. A French aromatherapy brand that uses plants and essential oils because of their healing qualities, Decleor is known for being all-natural and for having products that have particular ingredients to respond to a client’s skin’s needs. Feredo states, “Simply put, they are more luxurious, more enjoyable.” And they leave the skin softer and smoother too, a feat that neither love nor endorphins can really do.

Leave Valentine’s Day antics to those who can afford to be stressed. Turn off your phones, get a room — at the spa, that is — and proceed to enjoy the day as much as possible. There’ll be more of you to love when you come out after.

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Visit the Neo Day Spa at The Fort at G/F Net One Center Bldg., 26th Street cor. Third Avenue, Crescent Park, Bonifacio Global City. For inquiries and reservations, call 815-8233 and 815-6948. You can also visit the KI Day Spa by Neo at #35 Wilson St. cor. Washington St., Greenhills, San Juan. The KI Day Spa by Neo can be reached at 725-6789. For more treatments, log on to www.neo.ph.