Boston - July 01, 2005

Go for the Gold

Golden Artemisia

Every philosophy 101 class wants to know: At what point do the ends not justify the means?

Example: the things we go through for a tan. Spray painting ourselves with bronzer. Slathering on smelly self-tanner. Standing in electric beaches. And that old-school favorite: braving sunburns/melanoma on the sand.

None of which qualify as particularly blissful means unto themselves.

So imagine our surprise to happen upon Bella Santé’s new Golden Artemisia. The 80-minute treatment is downright soul-reviving. It kicks off with a gentle head-to-toe scrub and a shower, chased with a golden-hued moisturizing wrap that remineralizes skin. (During which, in case you aren’t already in a happy little coma, you’re indulged with a scalp-and-foot massage.) The kicker? A rubdown of gold-flecked body oil and a light dusting of gold powder.

The result is a subtle shimmer — more healthy sheen than in-your-face J.Lo sparkle. Radiant in a halter top. Even better in a cocktail dress.

And the means? Let’s just say you didn’t exactly have to suffer to get there.

Available at Bella Santé, 38 Newbury Street, between Arlington and Berkeley Streets, Back Bay (617-424-9930 or bellasante.com).