Branford, CT Spa and Massage

Soft robin's-egg-blue walls and warm wooden accents welcome beauty seekers to Blue Water's skin and body sanctum. The ultrasonic facial ($95), Blue Water's signature visage vivifier, uses ultrasonic vibrations to loosen and eliminate blackheads, dirt, and expired skin; the treatment includes a face, neck, shoulder, and arm massage. Or opt for an aromatherapy facial ($95), which uses essential oils to hydrate and plump tired cells while encouraging lymphatic drainage and delusions of grandeur. To give your body the radiance and dewy sheen of a well-groomed glowworm, use this Groupon toward an exfoliating lavender body scrub treatment ($110), or delight in the gentle kneads of a classic Swedish massage ($90 for an hour). Blue Water Spa also offers a variety of services for teens ($75 for a teen facial) and men ($95 for an hour-long gentleman's facial).

Madison Salon & Spa's multitalented team of beauty experts coddles façades with 55-minute signature facials performed in private treatment rooms. Raising client concerns on a pedestal, the skin sultans mold sessions to combat individual imperfections, attacking from all angles like a doberman chasing a bouncing dodecahedron. Deep cleansing lures debris to the surface before technicians coax youthful splendor from complexions with hydrating remedies. Throughout the session, candles cast a soft glow across treatment rooms, which branch off from a space drenched in honey-tinted light inspired by bees' in-hive meditation chambers.

Amethyst Rose's one-hour facial uses organic Eminence skincare products to deep clean pores, exfoliate dead cells, smooth fine lines, and water dry patches until they sprout fresh dandelions. An expert aesthetician will focus on your skin's unique issues until any and all problems are smoothed, softened, and glowing with healthy stimulation. While your body's PR department is being perfected, booties will warm your appendages and one of Amethyst Rose's friendly therapists will massage your head, neck, arms, hands, and feet.

Inner Balance's massage rooms use light and music to create a calm atmosphere, while heated massage tables warm stressed soul sacks from crust to core. During your 60-minute Swedish massage, one of Inner Balance's licensed therapists will alternate between moderate and soft kneading pressure to stimulate circulation and melt muscular tension like ice cream in the sun. After your torso is tension free, your countenance will be cleansed and exfoliated by a facial that uses Pevonia Botanica organic skincare products. This facial evens any skin type's tone while healthifying and rejuvifying it. To complete your relaxation vacation, one of Inner Balance's expert aestheticians will lather on an eye collagen mask, which can tighten the skin, improve its elasticity, and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Call ahead to schedule your beautifying beautyventure.

State-licensed massage therapist (license #004958) A. Malaika Sharp cultivates relaxation and targets each client's unique issues with a focused menu of services. She can shoo everyday stress away through basic relaxation massages, but she’s as focused on function as she is on feeling good. An avid martial artist and cyclist, Sharp consults with all clients to understand the ways they use their bodies for work and recreation. That helps her pick out distinct patterns of motion and coax bad habits or stored tension out of muscles, whether she’s targeting chronic aches through deep-tissue techniques or helping athletes recover from strenuous duck-duck-goose training through sports massage. Or, for those suffering from headaches and migraines, she can incorporate trigger-point therapy. Sharp is also a member of the American Massage Therapy Association and is certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork.

A seven-circuit labyrinth sounds like the setting for a Greek myth, but at Branford River Resort & Spa, it is a concrete place patrons visit to practice meditation. Relaxation is not reserved for the labyrinth, though—it pervades the spa and resort as a whole, helping to earn the establishment one of 2012’s Patch Readers’ Choice awards. Visitors can bask in the healing milieu of its infrared sauna, lounge in the onsite gazebo, or unwind during diverse spa treatments. 

The spa’s treatments encompass a vast array of facials, which can combat acne or aging, soothe with warm stones, or draw on the healing power of crystals. Massages range from traditional Swedish effleurage to the Shiradora indian head massage, which incorporates kneading upon the back and herbal oil conditioners, just like a cat clinic held in a soap shop. Body wraps ensconce physiques in materials from Dead Sea mud to mylar foil, and a complementary suite of salon services beautifies visitors with custom haircuts, highlights, and nail services.