Felicia Watkins' My Home Therapy in the Heights offers the services of an upscale spa - at a fraction of the price.
From her detoxifying and moisturizing body treatments - think French Green Seaweed Clay Wrap - to facials, powerdermabrasion, alpha hydroxy peels, hair removal, massage and lash extensions.
When Ms. Watkins' clients talk about her work, they rave about her skills, and when they talk about her, they use words like "personable," "professional," "thoughtful," "sweet,"
and "a blessing."
Fefe demonstrates the ancient
Chinese art of cupping on her
son, Wallace. Cupping uses
a vacuum to localize healing.
A while back, Janice Stanford of Gastroenterology Associates noticed one of Felicia's specials for massage and decided to give it a try.
"I was very pleased," Ms. Stanford, a Heights' resident, said, adding that she'd been to a number of massage therapists and Felicia ranked "at the very top."
"I've recommended her to a number of people. If you haven't gotten one of her massages, you need to. I am seated all day long at a computer. (Her massage) just really relaxes me and helps work a lot of kinks out.
"She's very personable. She makes sure the client is comfortable and their needs are getting met. I am just real pleased with her. I think she's excellent."
Darry Teeter of Little Rock was in a motorcycle accident in March that left him wheelchair bound, and Felicia goes to his home for his massage therapy.
"She's been a blessing in recovery," Mr. Teeter said. "She went the extra mile to make sure I was safe getting on the massage table.
"She's very thoughtful and thorough. She's a sweet person, a good person."
Darry said he has achieved about 50 percent recovery in his shattered lower leg and now can walk with a walker.
When Felicia, nicknamed "Fefe," was deployed in Iraq during 2006 to 2008, often she gave females in her unit neck and shoulder massages. They were wowed by her talents and advised her to work as a massage therapist when she went home.
Fefe has a quite diverse background, having served in the military for 17 years working in computers, phone technology and satellites. When she returned home to Arkansas, she could have opened a shop employing those technical skills. But she chose massage therapy instead as her second career. "I saw this as an opportunity to meet other people."
Before she was even stateside, she had called Arkansas and enrolled in the Touching America School of Massage Therapy.
Today, she provides a number of different massage therapies at her office at 5018 Club Road, including Swedish, oncology, prenatal, deep tissue, sports, and trigger point. In addition, she does activated isolated stretching, acupressure, aromatherapy and hot stones.
The different types of massage all start at $45 for 45 minutes.
"I offer free hot stones with all my massages," Fefe said.
Also, she offers a target massage, which is 30 minutes of intense massage focusing on your problem areas for $35, but it is $25 for new clients.
Andrea Butler of Little Rock likes Felicia's services so much that she obtained some of her coupons to hand out to friends.
Ms. Butler likes to get her eyebrows and legs waxed there.
"She's really good at her job. She knows what works and how to keep the skin from being red. I used to do the threading at the mall. But threading is painful, and (Fifi's waxing procedure) lasts a lot longer," Andrea said. "I like the privacy. Her room is nice and quiet. Other places, you have people looking at you, but there it's really calming and relaxing.
"And I like the area. After I get finished, I visit the little shops in the area."
In Arkansas, one must be licensed for such procedures as hair removal and the use of acids in facials, so after Fefe trained as a massage therapist, she studied aesthetics at Bee Jay's in Little Rock to earn that needed license.
The hair removal she offers is:
Full Legs - $50 Half Legs - $30
Full Arms - $30 Half Arms - $20
Under Arm - $15 Bikini - $20
Back or Chest - $30 Stomach - $20
Hands or Feet - $10 Lip/Chin/Neck - $10
Eyebrow $10 Cheek - $10
A 20 percent discount is also available if you do more than three areas.
The skin care treatments Fefe offers are extensive.
Her basic facial is $40. All of her facials include steamed hot towel treatments with neck, shoulder, arm and hand massage.
A deep facial is $70 and includes skin consultation, deep cleansing, massaging, facial scrub, extractions, steam treatment and a mask followed by toning and moisturizer.
There's a "tender years facial" for girls ages 16 and younger that includes instruction on skin care and make-up application, a discussion about home products that may be used for a fraction of the cost, and an eyebrow wax (with permission from mom).
Single peel facials are $95, Vitamin C infusion facials are $85, and double peel facials are $120. In addition, she offers an acne clearing facial, a men's facial, and a treatment for in-grown facial hairs.
Fefe does seven different masks that range from $5 to $25.
Now that your face is absolutely beautiful, check out the body treatments.
How would you like to be "scrub'n butter'd"? This treatment stimulates circulation and removes dead skin cells, leaving you with radiant skin. You can be scrubbed and buttered in various scents from chocolate to champagne and roses.
How about a Dead Sea mud masque with clays that will soothe and cleanse you? Or a French red clay mask? "This blend purges toxins, leaving the skin soft and re-mineralized with a noticeable glow. Vitamin E, grape seed, bladderwrack, Irish moss, and sage essential oils are infused into Sedona clay and French red clays, rich in magnesium, Vitamins A, B, B12, E, iron and amino acids," her website states.
The French green clay-seaweed wrap was mentioned at the top of the story. Add to that a garden mint algae wrap and a "sensitive wrap," for women with sensitive skin or who are allergic to shellfish.
If you are so inclined, there are packages that may be bought to acquire additional discounts on multiple services.
Asked how business is going, Fefe said, "Business is AWESOME!"
As a matter of fact, she is planning to offer a number of new services, including teeth whitening, laser hair removal, tattoo removal, photo facials that reverse skin damage and sunless tanning.
Asked about her business philosophy, Fefe said, "My business is built on honesty."
She wants to provide needed services to everyone at reasonable rates and believes that working folks need and deserve her services just as much - or maybe more - than the more pampered in our society.
"Everyone needs to relieve stress and find ways to help them be more beautiful. It's a confidence booster."
Fefe works by appointment only. 541-4070.
This story was written by Bobbi Nesbitt and first appeared in the July 2011 edition of Shoppe Talk.
