After a long winter’s beating, skin can turn grayish, creased, and thirsty—when what you really want is bright, full, and dewy. Just in time, Aviary Organic Beauty Collective in the Old Fourth Ward has introduced hydrating oxygen facials from Australian company Intraceuticals, and we decided to give one a test. After all, it’s how Madonna and Justin Timberlake say they maintain their glows. Aside from a few big-box or medical spas, Aviary is the only place in town to offer the service.
Owner Amy Leavell Bransford might recommend a $20 microdermabrasion first to exfoliate a particularly peeling visage. Next she uses a little wand that works essentially like an airbrush, using pressurized oxygen to infuse skin with a “rejuvenating” serum containing hyaluronic acid, the antiaging and injectable ingredient du jour that occurs naturally in young skin and connective tissue. She hovers longer around “expression lines”—her euphemism for wrinkles. Finally, she applies hydrating gel, eye cream, and moisturizer.
The $150 to $225 process takes about an hour, and the plumped-up results seem to last for days. Bransford recommends a series of six, but we’d go for a one-off treat to prep for a special occasion. 659 Auburn Avenue, 404-577-2460, aviarybeauty.com
This article originally appeared in our February 2014 issue under the headline “Air Time.”
