At first glance, Eclips seemed like a real spa find. It’s tucked discreetly in a nice shopping area of McLean, near Sutton Place Gourmet. I parked in the ample lot and went inside full of expectation.
I had booked an $85 Specialized Treatment Facial, which I was assured on the phone would be customized for my skin’s needs. The receptionist was busy in this bustling hair salon when I arrived; after a few minutes, we made contact, and I was introduced to the aesthetician and led upstairs to a treatment room.
I was asked what type of skin I had and about any sensitivities before she started. My facial began with steam and a cleansing and was followed by some mildly unpleasant but necessary extractions, a series of creams, and a relaxing face and scalp massage.
It was a pleasant and adequate facial, but I had no idea what was being applied to my skin and how the facial had been tailored for me, as the facialist never explained what she was doing. And compared to other facials I’ve had, the results weren’t impressive either: I came out with red spots where she’d done the extractions. My face wasn’t calm or smoother or radiant.
At the end of the treatment, I asked for a recap of what exactly she had used, but it was brief and lost on me at that point. Maybe it was just a busy day.
At one point, the facialist raved about Eclips’s other location, in Ashburn. Previous Washingtonian reviews of that spa have been very positive—unlike the one in McLean, that one was built as a true day spa, with relaxation in mind.
–Heather Freeman
