The Best Facials in NYC, According to Allure Editors

I can’t count the number of facials I’ve had while living in New York City for 11-plus years. But I can count the number of great facials I’ve gotten since moving here, and one of those is the Triple Crown Facial at Joanna Vargas.

The spa, located across from Bryant Park, is eponymously named after the celebrity-loved aesthetician who founded it. (Vargas’s famous clients include Naomi Watts, Greta Gerwig, and Rachel Brosnahan.) It’s an airy, sunlit space with treatments rooms for both facials and LED light treatments. While I’ve had the pleasure of partaking in both, the spa’s signature Triple Crown Facial is what keeps me coming back.

The 60-minute treatment features microdermabrasion for deep-cleaning and exfoliation, a generous amount of time with a microcurrent device to lift and firm, and a cool blast of oxygen at the end to hydrate and give skin a gleamy finish.

The Triple Crown clocks in at a cool $275 per session (plus tip) and does not include extractions. But with the taunt, glowy results, extractions don’t seem that important, especially considering the amount of compliments you’ll receive for the rest of the day. Trust me.

Paige Sables, senior beauty editor

In the heart of Manhattan, high above the city, you will find aesthetician Edyta Jarosz. As you walk back to her cozy treatment room located inside Shafer Clinic on Fifth Avenue, a million-dollar view of the Empire State Building greets you on the left — but that hardly compares to the always-warm welcome from Jarosz. Once nestled under plush blankets, prepare to be pampered for hours with her signature Lift, Sculpt, and Slap technique. Facials start at $400 and each session is entirely customized.

For someone with sensitive skin like me, an appointment often includes Cavitation Peeling (non-invasive exfoliation) or the use of DiamondGlow (a resurfacing device), followed by an IonixLight Oxylight (including oxygen therapy, microcurrent, radio frequency, LED light, and more). After training around the world—in Poland, France, and Japan—she has integrated techniques like Kobido Japanese massage and buccal massage into her treatments to relieve tension and further define your face. Jarosz has a reputation for having “magic hands” and it’s very apparent why: Even when she (gently) slaps your face to help boost circulation, it feels heavenly. I entrusted Jarosz ahead of my wedding—scheduling several appointments before the big day—and my skin has never looked more radiant.

Jennifer Hussein, commerce writer

I sometimes find that the lower half of my face sinks like a Basset Hound, so I knew I could use a pro-level lifting facial. And if anyone holds the strongest cheekbone-sculpting power in their hands, it’s Pietro Simone. I first heard of the facial through fellow beauty editors who raved about their experience and sculpted results, and they definitely weren’t wrong.