Mystery Shopping Assignment - Hydrotherapy

Article compiled by BR Natalie

Being one of our three Superheroes has some perks. The most enviable (other than the cape) has to be the chance to mystery shop a beauty counter, salon or shop.  Oh yes, we give our Superheroes some spending money and send them undercover in the beauty industry.

When it came to choosing a mission for our yummy mummy Superhero Renee we knew we had to make the most of her time out from the kiddies, and give her a little relaxation.  Although, we wasn't going to send her for a boring massage - heck no.  We sent her for a high-tech Hydroptherapy treatment.  

What was the assignment you were given?  

To go to the Skin Therapy Day Spa in Palmerston North for a Hydrotherapy Ultimate Package.

Describe your first impressions of your experience?

My first impressions were of nervousness! I am not a small woman. I have had four children so am covered in stretch marks plus lots of extra 'layers'. Being pretty much naked in front of someone I don't know is really daunting. Luckily, the consultant, Candi, was really nice and made me feel comfortable. Otherwise, I really had no idea what I was in for. The website hadn't really given too much information about the actual treatment and I'd never done anything like this before at all.

What questions did they ask you before commencing your consultation? What information did you give them?

I was given a two page form to fill out. It had a lot of relevant questions like what kind of pressure did I like to be touched with, where did I not want to be touched and even how I was feeling that day. It also asked me things like how much caffiene did I drink and how often I exercise. Candi did warn me before saying that some questions were odd and I suppose they are relevant if you are going regulary? I'm not really sure. Nothing was too personal, so I happily filled out the form and handed it back to her.

Describe what happened during your consultation. Talk about the environment, how you felt during the appointment, your consultant’s attitude:

This spa also has a beauty school part across the hall. When you walk in, you need to go up a flight of stairs and then follow the signs to get to the right door. When I walked in, the bell rung but I was left alone in the waiting area for about 5 minutes. I did show up early though. My appointment was at 11.15 and the website said to show up 10 minutes early to fill out the form. I got there at around 11. It did feel a bit awkward waiting around and it also didn't help make me any less nervous. When Candi had gone over my form, she told me that the hydrotherapy room was across the hall in the student side. She said we had to walk past the students to go through but that it would be nice and quiet in the spa room.

The room was definitely not what I was expecting. It had two large, what I can only describe as alien looking pods in them! They had lights on them and lots of dials and openings, plus a green mat to lay on. She gave me a pair of disposable underwear and told me I could leave my bra on if I wanted but that it would get wet. She left me to get undressed and then I laid down on the green mat. Candi had asked me what scents I liked for the exfoliation and mask, I told her sweeter scents so she suggested the chocolate scented one. It did smell really good, not really like chocolate but very pleasant.

Candi, was very professional but also friendly. She asked me questions about myself and how the day wa going and made me feel really relaxed. She told me that every part of the experience was customizable, like the temp, vibration and water pressure so I could ask at any stage to have things changed if I was uncomfortable and she asked me lots to make sure I wa happy too. She started off by exfoliating and then putting the mask on my body. Then the capsule was shut down over me to start the program. The first stage was a sauna type so that the mask would really infuse into my skin.

Then, the next stage wa a water type massage treatment where jets would shoot up over different areas in my body. This was incredibly relaxing and I really had to force myself to not go to sleep as I really wanted to enjoy it all! Once it was all done, Candi left me with a nice thick towel and some yummy smelling moisturiser to use. I felt really clean, like I smelled really good and my body felt chilled and not tense at all.

What did you like about your experience?

Once I'd gotten settled on the pod, I really felt better about the whole situation. I could really enjoy it while not feeling self concious about myself. The whole treatment so relaxing, especially as the weather was cold and raining outside so it was nice to be comfortable and warm. I liked that the programmes lasted a whole too. I think they were around 20 minutes each? If they were only 10 minutes, I would definitely have wanted more. 

Anything you didn’t like?

There was nothing I hated about this. I would have liked to be greeted straight away when I first walked in but that wasn't a huge deal. It would be good for the website to have more information too. I was able to book my appointment online, which I loved by the way. But, I wish it had said for me to bring spare underwear. I did shave my legs before I went but I'd kind of neglected the bikini area and the disposable underwear was like a mesh material and pretty small too! Of course, being a water appointment, I should have thought of it myself but like I said previously, I really had no idea what this appointment would actually consist of.

Were you happy with the outcome from your experience?

Absolutely, I walked into that place feeling nervous. I walked out feeling fantastic and ready to face that cold, rainy day!

Would you visit this place again, if you were paying for it yourself?

Yes, I felt like $100 was a really good price for the whole treatment. I'd love to do this again one day.

Would you recommend this experience to a friend?

Definitely. Especially to anyone who is a mum and a bit stressed out that doesn't normally do anything like this. This was such a wonderful thing to experience and I would never normally do somthing for myself like this. Much better than just going out shopping.

Is there anything else would you like to add?

I don't think I could ever say thank you enough to Beauty Review for giving me this opportunity. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone but in the best way. I'm turning the big 30 in a week so it was like an extra special birthday present too. I also hope that by me doing this, I can inspire someone else who isn't comfortable with their body but wants to go and get something like this done. Go do it, you'll feel amazing afterwards!