The old saying “good things come in small packages” is one way to describe Pila Xian, owner of Heaven on Earth Day Spa, located in downtown Aspen above Cache Cache. To say that Xian is petite might convey her delicate frame and ultra-sweet demeanor, but don’t be fooled: beneath the tiny exterior is a powerful woman with an innate ability to nurture and care for her clients in a way that goes beyond her physicality to something much deeper. She’s one of those people seems to know exactly what you need–and therein lies her strength.
Best known for the Intracueticals Oxygen facial made famous by celebrities like Madonna and Eva Longoria who swear by it’s instant results and non-invasive age reversing capabilities, Xian also offers an extensive menu of spa services from Ashiatsu Oriental Bar therapy and custom facial treatments to Chinese Cupping and Cranial Sacral. What separates Heaven On Earth from the bigger hotel-based spas in town is customizable, personalized care as well as total privacy. If you are someone who doesn’t like padding around a locker room in front of other people in a robe and rubber shoes or paying a premium for amenities you might not even use, Heaven on Earth is totally discreet. Here, the focus is on your treatment, and more importantly, on you.
We were lucky enough to try a few of Pila’s signature treatments to give you the lowdown (talk about a tough day at the office). Here’s what we learned:
The Intraceuticals Oxygen Facial
If you’ve ever walked out of a facial looking like you fell asleep under a sun lamp, this treatment will surprise you. Unlike the more invasive facials and peels that require serious downtime (Read: hiding under a wide brim hat or not coming out of your house at all), you’ll be blown away by the instant results you get from this non-invasive and ultimately pleasant facial. This treatment is ideal for our harsh mountain climate as it will hydrate, smooth and nourish the skin. And between you and us, it’s just as good as Botox and/or a great way to prolong the results of your Botox treatments.
What to expect:
The oxygen machine sounds like the one you might hear in a hospital, a pump with air being pushed through it. But when she began to slowly pass the wand across my face with gentle pressure, all I felt was a cool, soothing mist. I could almost hear my pores slurping up the moisture, could almost feel my fine lines softening. She went slowly over my forehead, cheeks, chin and chest.
The Results:
When she was halfway through, she let me look in the mirror to see the profound affects. My skin was glowing, even-toned and dewy. My fine lines had all but disappeared and my eyes looked more lifted. The results really do speak for themselves. This would be an excellent option for a bride or the day before a big event as skin is left dewy, glowing, even-toned and with reduced fine lines with zero downtime. As if that’s not enough, Pila also includes a paraffin wax for your hands and melt-your-troubles away massage for the neck, face and shoulders. This is when Heaven on Earth lives up to it’s name!
60 minutes $175 / 90 minutes $250
Heaven On Earth’s Signature Massage
Talk about having someone walk all over you, the Oriental Bar Therapy Pila features in her Signature Massage is exactly that. Using support bars suspended from the ceiling, Pila will “walk on your back” and apply deep to moderate pressure with combination of Swedish, deep tissue, and Lomi Lomi that uses long, flowing strokes. If the idea of having someone standing on top of you and rubbing you with their feet seems odd, any doubt you have will melt away because this massage feels that good. Using the suspension bars for support, Pila is able to lessen or increase the pressure based on your needs. And if you’re an athlete (read: skier or snowboarder who tends to overdo it on the slopes) there is no better way to get a deep tissue massage that will provide real relief from sore, overtired muscles, aches and pains.
Hint: this is a great service for the guy in your life who might pretend he doesn’t like getting pampered, but we promise you, he’ll love this.
What to expect:
You’ll be lying face down with your face in the cradle, dressed down to your comfort level as you would for a normal massage, covered in scrumptious sheets and comforter. PIla sterilizes her feet before she begins. Other than the initial sound of Pila positioning herself on the support bars and standing on the table, the sensations aren’t any different than a normal massage, except for a much broader variation in pressue. If you like deep tissue work, trust us, you’re going to love this.
The Results:
Massages always feel great, but the lasting effects aren’t always what we hope for, especially if you have a nagging pain. This type of massage is a lot more theraputic in terms of effectively achieving fascial release and blood flow to sore, overused muscles. Not only did I experience relief from chronic pain in my lower backs (from skiing the bumps a little too aggressively, natch) the soreness stayed away over the next several days, almost like it would from a chiropractic adjustment. It’s diffeent for everyone, but the work just felt deeper and more substantial.
60 minutes $155 | 75 minutes $180 | 90 minutes $210
For a full spa menu, hours, location and other information, visit the Heaven on Earth web site.