Standard facials are usually an hour, and as a result, it’s hard to find one that’s not about the same price as a nice dinner (plus drinks and desserts) for two. That’s what makes the express facial at Columbia Heights’ Studio Chique so great: It’s reasonably priced because it’s only 30 minutes long.

Don’t let the express in the name fool you. There may be less of it, but this is still a quality facial. The narrow three-floor studio sits on busy Georgia Avenue; when you walk up the stairs, you’re immediately welcomed by a bustling hair salon and a kind receptionist whose desk is sandwiched in between stylists’ chairs. You walk past chatting customers and stylists, blow dryers dying hair, and running sinks washing hair to a serene, private facial room. The shades are drawn, a fresh robe to protect your clothes is hanging, and calming music plays in the background. The stage for relaxation is set.

If you’ve never had a facial, Studio Chique’s aesthetician explains the process. Your questions are answered before you lie down so that during the facial, there isn’t a lot of chatting — just you relaxing. They fit a lot into a half an hour: a thorough cleanse, an intense exfoliating scrub, a creamy mask. All throughout the process, the aesthetician is generous with the soothing massage-like rubs on the face.

At the end of the appointment, instead of hawking the salon’s products as many employees of other establishments do, the aesthetician shares what they observed about your skin. You’ll walk away with a subtle new glow, inside and out.

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