Forever Young Beauty Centre

After consulting Groupon seeking lymphatic drainage massages, I opted for Forever Yong Beauty Centre. I won’t go here again.
I paid ahead of time, and did not receive a receipt. When in the room, I was not eased into anything, the technician asked what my trouble spots were (fat) and I pointed to my thighs and bum. She immediately began pressing down on them and scrubbing back and forth with a toothed mechanism that vibrates. Basically, imagine that your hairbrush had thick brustles and vibrated. Imagine that being pressed, hard, onto your thighs and scrubbed around for 15+ minutes. Even wincing and saying «ow» and «that hurts» did nothing to soften her abuse of my thighs. It seriously hurt enough that I was seeing bright colours with my eyes closed.
After finishing each leg, she would massage the leg for 30 seconds. When she finished the backs of my thighs, she had me turn over and began on the front. Same thing — painful, and I have a high pain tolerance.
What was supposed to be a full-​body massage turned into a thorough thigh and butt massage that I’m sure will help my figure out a little bit, but in reality… I wanted a back massage with the addition of a full-​body massage with lymphatic treatment — that’s what the deal was. To make this a «full-​body massage,» she basically lubed me up in oil and half-​assed rubbed it into my arms, stomach and chest. Not once did she touch my back except the two times she touched my shoulders. MY ENTIRE BACK was ignored in a «full-​body massage» — what kind of full-​body massage is it when my back isn’t even touched???
After being oiled up everywhere except my back, I was wrapped in cellophane and a heat blanket and abandoned for 30 minutes. My mouth became super dry as I sweat in my cocoon. I didn’t want to yell «OKAY, I’m done with this, my heart is beating really hard and I feel nauseous!» because I didn’t know if there were other clients in the place. I didn’t want to ruin their experience. After 30 min, she came in and asked «You okay?» and I said «yea, but I’d like to take this off» and she said «five more minutes» and left again. Oooookay, boss lady.
After five min, she came in and unwrapped me, covered me in a towel and pointed to the bathroom and said I could shower. When I stood up, I felt super nauseous and my ears started going sort of ring-​y and my eyes got sort of spotty. I felt like I was going to pass out, so I sat there for a minute. When I stepped into the shower, I felt better.
I left the shower and she put me back in the room, which had a freshly made bed. I almost half expected her to say «ok, lay on your stomach so I can massage your back» but she just shut the door. After a second, I opened the door and asked «are we done or am I supposed to lay down?» and she said it was done. I changed, went to the front of the establishment and said «wow, that was painful, haha» and she said that it is always painful the first time. I would need to come in TEN TIMES to see changes. Do I want to book a package?
Haha, NOPE. I like my massages to have back included, thank you very much.
But hey, if my butt and thighs see a difference… who knows. Maybe I’ll go back and take some serious pain killers.
EDIT: NO I WON’T GO BACK! Here is a video detailing it all and showing you the horrific bruises left on my legs just hours later!

Good, professional, attentive service. If it’s your first time getting a facial, tell them and they will tell you step by step what they’re doing to your face. The extraction was the most painful and uncomfortable part but everything else was very nice. It’s a clean place, there’s relaxing music, comfortable bed, a small table to put your stuff, free parking in the back, and the complimentary tea they offer is very good. She did upsell some things but just say no if you don’t want it. I also did laser hair removal on my lip for the first time here, $ 30, and NOT a lick of pain.

I went there for my first time Brazilian wax, Lisa was such a sweet heart, she walked me through the steps and I made it through! Hallelujah ! It wasn’t as painful as I thought. Surprisingly it only took us 20 mins to finish, my friends told me that the spa that they went to took much more longer! I paid the special price, it was $ 25 ! Awesome experience, definitely going back!

Walked in recently to inquire about eye brow threading/​shaping, for $ 15, that’s a bit rich for me. It is a bit upscale décor-​wise.
Open 7 days a week, nice considering it’s a small place, not in a high-​traffic area.
They do accept AMEX and offer gift certificates.
free parking in the back.

Coming from someone that has worked in this field in an Asian spa downtown. This facial was merely ok. I came to this spa because I was having a rather poor day and decided that a year was too long to go without getting a facial.
Problem is, everywhere I called had no availabilities. I went to this spa due to one review saying it was amazing for extractions.
In reality here are the pros a cons
–very clean
–lovely music
–water feature at front is very calming
–products are fine on sensitive skin.
–mild cleanser smells of apple cider
–vocalized what she was doing
Cons (there will be a few!!)
–The door was locked when I came for my appointment and no one was minding the front desk, giving the appearance of being closed
–I had to wait in the entrance for 10 – 15 min before being seen (meh there’s magazines)
–They did up sell me to a more expensive facial on a discounted rate (65 from 138)
which when I was paying I was charged 69 before taxes ($ 4+ then quoted)
–The esthetician rushed through the first 3 stages and barely wiped off the products she had used and never asked me if I had any allergies before proceeding
–streamer was used for approx. 3 min before extractions took place and so my pores were hardly open– This would account for why many reviews have stated their pain from these extractions (they always mildly painful)
— all movements were very mechanical
–massage concluded of 2 moves (back and forth on the chest and pressure on shoulders)
–me feet were freezing
In the end I allowed myself to come here and spent the extra money for a «better package» to allow them to show their skills in a high end facial
.
Would I return, no. Was it horrible, no… There is a lot of potential here, but the price does not match their services currently.
— From a past estetician

European facial is good. I especially like the mask. The only downside is that they kept on trying to sell you treatments and materials.

I’ve never been to a spa before or had any treatments aside from waxing/​hair/​nails/​toes etc. I had bought a coupon for a body exfoliating and a facial a while back but got super scared after reading the reviews posted here on Unilocal.My appointment was Saturday and I was fully prepared to be «sold». Sure enough half way through my appointment she began up selling me on different facial masks I could use but when I told her I’m new to this experience she said that’s fine, just relax and I’ll just do what your voucher says. After the secession she sat me down with a cup of tea and pitched a package. A simple «that’s out of my price range» was sufficient and she backed right off thanked me for my business and I was on my merry way.

I never thought I *needed* facials, and this place proved it for me. They used this metal ring-​tipped thing to push some things out of my pores, and that made my face break out, though they were fine before.
So maybe that just means facials in general don’t agree with me? What should you expect from a reviewer that wouldn’t know what to look for anyways?
Well, the reason I am rating this specific store so negatively is that I do know something about nail polish. At least that it should harden on your nail. The colour I chose was so old that it didn’t. You know how the nail polish you’ve had since high school just gum up on your nail and get knicked and you have to throw it out? That happening with a paid-​for session is not acceptable for me.
I found out about this salon because they had an advertising company make a pamphlet offering a try out 5 of their services for much less than the actual price (plus regular tip). The advertising guy came to my office selling it. The different services were whole body massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, and ear candling. I decided to go for it, since it was a few months before my wedding, and when else would be the time to try it? I think it was also the time when Cambie was under construction, and I felt pity for the Canada Line merchants.
I bought one for my friend, too, and went. They were really pushy selly, and although we didn’t buy any of their products, we did buy a set of 10 treatments, because they said we could split it and use 5 each. I think that was on the first or second visit, before I started realizing that I’m not really feeling gorgeous and pampered. The rooms are small and have office-​space décor. Dim light and nature/​instrumental music didn’t do enough.
I tried the facial a second time, and decided that it definitely wasn’t for me. Since the nail things were out of the question, I tried to use up my 5 treatments by choosing body massage, which did the least damage. I think I may still have one left, but I’m not planning on bothering to go back.

This place is awesome and their estheticians are very professional. I really enjoy their facials with bonus shoulder and head massage. Previous reviewers paid $ 33 for a two-​hour facial. I bet you can’t find it anywhere else in the city. What they paid is probably just enough to cover wages, never mind the beauty products used. Did they ever think about that? The Georgia Straight coupon is obviously a hook, of course they have to make some money somewhere. Some people are CHEAP!
I’ve been to the Four Seasons, Absolute Spa and Vida for facials and paid three or four times more than what I paid at Forever Young. Yet, I didn’t get the same level of value and service. I highly recommend this place for your beauty needs.

I will never go here again.
They feel that if they tell you how terrible you look, that will make you want to sign up for the «program» of facials. They told me nothing about what they were doing, they constantly tried to sell me product even as I was lying on the bed trying to relax. They left me at one point for 40 minutes which was totally uncomfortable and was made worse by the fact that I could hear them in the next room having a good old chat. When they realized that I was not about to buy «the package», they were rude and basically couldn’t wait to get me out of there. When are they going to realize that professional women are looking for professional treatments where they feel that someone is there to help them — not just criticize how desperately they need their services and to buy «their program»…too bad none of my friends will be going there anytime soon. The «deal» — 2 treatments for $ 59, turned into a $ 77 bill, for reasons again, I am unsure of. Quite frankly, the experience was so unsavory, that I think I will just learn to love my so called horrible wrinkles and bags.

For my first visit here I also used the coupon in the Georgia Straight (because I’m a combination of vain and cheapo). The total came to $ 33 (plus tip!) for a 2 hour facial.
PROS:
–Polite, efficient service (although this was just a passive-​aggressive façade so they could power-​sell the hell out of me later).
–A cozy bed-​thing to lie on.
–Soft «Sounds of Nature» music on the PA, with water bubbling and birds singing and vague Mozart renderings.
— A shoulder and neck rub included.
–The aesthetician did not rush. She extracted the hell out of my pores, murmuring sadly about my nose skin’s sorry state of affairs. That part kind of hurt, but beauty is pain.
CONS:
–If I was an aesthetician, I’d narrate. Or at least explain a few things. For example, I would have liked her to tell me what step was coming up, or what the cream was she was using, or what that strange buzzing was. I would have liked some commentary, and what I could be doing to take better care of my shameful skin.
From the outset, when her two cream-​filled hands descended smartly upon my hapless mug, to the end (when she painted a moisturizing mask onto my face, turned out the lights, giggled «Sleep now!», and vanished out the door for about 30 minutes) I didn’t really know what was going on. I guess this point is moot: a facial was going on, drr! But I guess I prefer being given a time-​line instead of left in an isolation chamber for an indeterminate amount of time with lotion soaking into my squash.
–Me and a girlfriend went in for a facial but we were put in 2 different rooms. Tiny, cramped rooms with no place to hang our stuff. I just piled mine on the floor. And I wanted to gab to my pal during the facial! That’s not unreasonable… is it?
One last pro: my skin looks really clean and healthy.
THE UP-​SELL:
OK, I understand people publish coupons for a reason — to lure you in. So I’m glad I read Marina’s review, as I was then adequately fortified to withstand the Relentless Up-​Sell Attempt that came after the service. It actually was very uncomfortable! I think I had to say «No» about 27 times before she finally got fed up and pretended to do something on the computer. If I hadn’t been waiting for my friend to finish up I would have thrown my money down and backed out the door after 2 or so minutes of variations on «$ 300 for your facial package isn’t in my budget right now.»
END NOTES:
Good facial, I recommend it if you have the cojones to withstand the upsell. Or by all means you are welcome to say yes, I keep forgetting that in the scheme of things it might actually be a pretty good deal for people who do this on a regular basis.
But if I was to pay full-​price ($ 70+) I would have gone someplace with natural ingredients and where I didn’t feel like a dirty dog for declining the package deal.

Best facial in the city hands down! I have been to spas all over the city from Spa Utopia to Absolute Spa and Forever Young beats them all. This place is small and not fancy at all but they now how to give an amazing facial. My face has never felt so clean! If you get a coupon from the Georgia Straight it only costs 30 bucks! Bargoon!!!
Though this place provides amazing facials be warned– they will give you a hardcore sales pitch to buy a package of facials. They were relentless even when I told them I was moving to Australia in a month. Just stand your ground and say thank you. Hope this doesn’t discourage you from getting the best facial of your life!