The Holmes Place Health Club, 355 E. Grand Ave., is a far cry from a smelly, dank gym. It's a state-of-the-art workout palace complete with gleaming white fitness machines, Loop views for the stationary cyclists and a vibe that is more "2001: A Space Odyssey" than "Rocky." Members sweat Evian.
And nowhere are the toned any tonier than in the health club's spa/wellness center known as Mondial, where men recently were invited for an evening of skin care. (Keep that sniggering to yourself, reader.)
"Guys are afraid to get facials," confessed Jesse Valenciana, 28, who hosted the event, titled "Facing the Day for the Active Male." "They think it's a woman's thing, that it's about vanity. But it's acceptable for guys to take more care."
Valenciana insisted that Mondial, while still a spa, is not a place where men are treated like princesses. Then he contradicted himself by detailing the itinerary for the evening--hair consultations, chair massages, skin mapping and facials.
"My fiance would be proud," said John Scholl, 25, of Logan Square as skin-care product rep Mindy Roberts examined his face, targeting problem areas on his forehead and around his nose. Contacted a few weeks after his virgin session, Scholl said he planned on continuing a facial program, machismo be damned.
"Men still think it's sissy, but they need to care for their skin," Roberts said. "They need to power-cleanse and exfoliate. They should use oatmeal for sensitive skin or a plankton mask for oily skin."
Got that guys? If your skin is dry you should plop your puss into a steaming bowl of Quaker Oats. Grease monkeys should charter trolling boats and brave the mighty Atlantic Ocean in search of nautical face cream.
Hey, maybe this skin care stuff isn't so sissy after all.