Face card, activated
Looking for something to help lift your spirits after this cold snap finally comes to an end? A local esthetician has answers.
I have followed Julie Natale from salon to salon — she’s been at downtown’s Breathe Salon & Spa for the last five years — because she not only gives great age-busting facials, she goes deeper, supporting and massaging the exhausted and zapped fascia and underlying muscles hanging on by a thread under my epidermis.
I leave, every time, looking more sculpted, less puffy, my skin fresher and plumper. But I feel, perhaps more to the point, rejuvenated, empowered and ready to take on life’s frenzy with more focus and calm.
KW: Why does a skincare treatment have such an effect on my mood and outlook?
JN: It’s all connected — the stress of life, of work, of supporting a family takes a toll on our skin, but also our entire system. When I welcome a client in, they’re often frazzled. It’s not just you.
KW: Do clients leave that frenetic energy behind? Do I leave you with a pile of my frazzle?
JN: There is an energy transfer. During the pandemic, when we were all at our limits, I learned how to manage that better. I learned how to help people, without taking on the energy myself and being left drained.
KW: What brought you to this line of work?
JN: I was a mother of three children and working full time as a commercial real estate agent. I was one of three women in commercial real estate in the Capital District at the time. I was very good at my job, but it was cutthroat, so stressful.
[I met a great esthetician and started to get facials.] It was really intense. I would just go in and sometimes cry through the facial. She really helped me find some release and actually encouraged me to pursue this line of work, saying I’d be good at it. It was so inspiring to see a woman support and encourage me, and eventually, after selling one of the biggest properties on my list, I decided to go for it.
KW: What would you tell a nervous first-timer?
JN: My job is to give you a space where you can leave that frenetic energy for a time. I never just dive into a facial. I will give them privacy to settle in, and when they’re on the table, I talk to them, softly touch parts of their head, give a releasing massage to the neck. It’s about creating a nurturing atmosphere, because if you feel safe and supported, your nervous system will relax, your blood flow will improve, and your skin will react better to the treatment.”
My personal favorite treatment at Breathe is Julie’s Raw Earth Facial, with a side of dermaplaning. Equal parts zen, massage, exfoliation, and hydration, and super-glow inducing empathy.
To book a holistic facial with Julie Natale, call or text Breathe Salon & Spa at 518-369-6531.
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