Profile

Yvegenya Freylikhman opened her spa in 2004, dubbed Max Spa for the maximum range of procedures she offered. Her penchant for pushing the envelope was not a surprise to those who knew that the Ukrainian chemist-cum-esthetician began her career in product development with Dr. Zizmor. In early 2006, Freylikhman changed the spa’s name to reflect its focus on skincare—she mixes YveGeny, her own chemical-free product line, on the premises—but the breadth of services offered within the 2,500-square-foot space remains vast. Inside the sea creature-emblazoned Blue Lagoon chamber, elasticity-impaired clients undergo embryo-assisted DNA replacement facials. Hot stone massages with polished Hawaiian lava are doled out in the Japanese room (there’s also a Moroccan lair across the hall). Freylikhman, who has worked extensively with burn victims, tattoos mineral makeup onto blemished skin to conceal scars, and administers eyelash extensions with the precision of a surgeon to Chelsea boys and drag queens; peering from behind magnification glasses, she sometime applies human hair, silk, or mink strands for nearly two and a half hours. Clients can opt to multi-task during such painstaking procedures, sticking limbs into basins of warm milk for a cucumber paraffin manicure and pedicure. It’s relaxing to the max. — Rose Reis

Sweeten your day with Freylikhman’s Bridal Day package. It begins with a chocolate-cake body scrub and continues with a chamomile-soufflé facial, a hot-stone massage, and a mani-pedi. A light lunch is included along with the consultation.