Goodbye blackheads and whiteheads, a new spinning studio XYZ, Bliss Spa and Melo Spa

An Unblemished Record

I’m not usually given to hyperbole, so believe me when I say that I’ve found a miracle cure for persistent clogged pores. For years, I’ve had what highfalutin facialists refer to as “congestion” on my nose and chin. It’s the kind that is pretty easily covered up with a bit of foundation, but still, you know that it’s there. Also, is it just me, or did adults tell you when you were a teenager that spotty skin was a “phase” that you’d be free of once you hit your twenties? Because that shit is a LIE. Anyway, I was sent a bottle of “Off With Those Heads,” a clear, minty-tingly gel formula that you apply morning and night for two weeks. I have seen a dramatic improvement—frankly, more than I expected a non-prescription product could deliver. My chin is smooth, my spots have shrunk to almost nothing and my skin is clearer than it’s been in years. Seriously, if you have a problem with blackheads and whiteheads, you need a bottle of this right now. It’s by a brand called B.liv, a subsidiary of Malaysian cosmeceutical brand Cellnique. A 30ml bottle is $360, or you can get a 45ml bottle for $490 at Sasa stores citywide.

Easy as X, Y, Z

There’s a new spinning studio in town. Located right in the middle of Central, XYZ styles itself as a New York “Soul Cycle”-esque studio with a groovy nightclub vibe and an overwritten website: “We quietly radiate energy into every pore of our Central neighborhood. Every store, restaurant, office, bank, bench and lamppost can feel our presence”—okaaay... Anyway, XYZ is all about sensory stimulation and pushing your boundaries, using kick-ass music, ambient lighting and inspirational instructors to make your workout a fun, immersive, borderline religious experience—a world away from drearily pedaling away in your apartment’s gym complex. A trial class costs $200 (and you can bring two friends for free); thereafter it’s a butt-clenching $350 per 50-minute session, though the more you buy the cheaper it gets.

2/F, New World Tower II, 18 Queen’s Rd. Central, 2865-0999, www.youarexyz.com.

Great Deals Corner

Are you a wealthy unemployed person with time to kill on weekdays? From now until October 31, Bliss Spa at the W is offering a 60-minute signature massage or facial, followed by afternoon tea for two—so you can go for a massage solo and then meet a friend afterwards to tell them all about it, presumably—all for $1,080. The deal is irritatingly restrictive—you can only go between 2 and 6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays—but the spa has free-flow lemonade and a brownie buffet. A BROWNIE BUFFET.

The W Hotel, 1 Austin Rd. West, West Kowloon, 3717-2222, www.w-hongkong.com.

Melo Out

I was living out in the boonies for a few months while having my flat renovated—I now own a medicine cabinet large enough to house my enormous stash of compulsively finagled hotel toiletries—and while I was out there, I took full advantage of my proximity to the Hyatt Regency Sha Tin’s Melo Spa to turn my off-the-island exile into a staycation. Throughout September and October, Melo is offering a two-hour “Melo Sensation Journey” for $1,650. A massage followed by a facial, the treatment uses organic products, tailored on the day to suit your skin type. I’ve said it before, but if you haven’t been to check out this hotel and spa yet, I’d make a point of making a leisurely weekend out of it. Huge, gorgeous spa rooms and top-notch service, for about a third cheaper than the hotels in town. I’d say next time you’re out in Sha Tin visiting Ikea, you should hop in a cab and treat yourself to a spa session.