It’s prime time for spring-cleaning, and we’re not just talking ridding your apartment of dust bunnies and bleaching everything in sight.  There’s another surface that’s desperate for a good scrubbing – your face.

Now that winter weather is behind us, we’re all due for a good, refreshing facial.  And, since one’s skin is an extremely personal thing, we figured road-testing only one wouldn’t do the trick.  So, we pooled together a few cosmopolitan facial-connoisseurs and asked them to single out their favorites.  Here, a firsthand review of the best facials New York City has to offer:

Priti Beautiful Organic Facial ($120)
The Facts: Priti Organic spa - brainchild of Kim D’Amato, a former model, artist and photographers’ agent – is located on 1^st Street in the East Village.  The Priti Beautiful Organic Facial uses Dr. Alkaitis organic ‘skin food’ products.
The Reaction: I love the Priti facial for their organic masks, cleansers and lotions.  The hole-in-the-wall space in the East Village seems intimate compared to the warehouse-like spas in Midtown, and I find the overall experience extremely relaxing.  This isn’t the place to go for serious extractions and painful scrubs, so don’t feel cheated if they don’t squeeze out impurities for ten minutes.  However, the soothing masks and lotions soften the skin, and the aestheticians provide lessons on what kinds of foods you should eat for your skin type, as well as what formulas will help cure your breakouts.
~Amanda Kludt, Gridskipper.com 

Dr. Mitchell Mandel Medical Facial ($85)
The Facts: While Dr. Mitchell Mandel can help you with a variety of skin ailments, his aesthetician Claudia works particular wonders with pores.  Facial services at this 68^th Street office include the basic Medical Facial, as well as the Microdermabrasion Facial.
The Reaction: The facial is done by this Brazilian lady, Claudia, who works for him.  She used to work in different spas but has been working out of this office for awhile now.  The facial is pure, simple, medical; it’s not about fancy-smelling lotions.  She cleanses, extracts, moisturizes all in like 45 minutes.  It’s well-done without a lot of fancy stuff.  I feel like when I go to fancier places they use whatever products they want on your face even though it might not be the best thing.  He also has his own product line.  I was skeptical at first, but I really like it.
~Vivan Thi Thang, Nickelodeon International
Mitchell Mandel, 116 East 68^th Street, #1C, NY 

Eva Scrivo European Deep Cleansing Facial ($110, 1hr)
The Facts: Eva Scrivo is a renowned hairstylist and colorist who’s been beautifying the locks of celebrities for years.  But, that’s not to say her namesake Meatpacking District salon isn’t beneficial for what lies below the hairline.  In addition to the European Deep Cleansing facial, patrons can also sign up for Hot Stone, anti-aging, and acupuncture facials.
The Reaction (facial done by Ali): She’s very thorough.  She doesn’t push products on you and really accesses your skin.  She’s also got great bedside manner.  The room is tranquil – removed from the city noise.  There are lots of blankets and a heating pad.  And they use Yonka products, which I love.”
~Lindsey Taylor, Editor-At-Large, Martha Stewart 

Mario Badescu European Facial ($65, 1hr)
The Facts: The line of beauty products to which founder Mario Badescu lends his name has been keeping customers (and their skin) satisfied for 40 years now.  Thus, it’s little surprise that Badescu’s eponymous Upper East Side spa attracts the likes of Heidi Klum and still books up fast.  The European Facial is the spa’s sole item on the facials menu, for good reason.
The Reaction: An affordable, no-nonsense facial.  I didn’t find anything about this place relaxing, and the facialists here seem more like overbearing Russian mothers (“Have you been picking?  No more picking!”), than relaxing beauty experts.  The closet-sized rooms offer barely enough space to fit you and your facialist; the masks are very basic; and the whole set-up is geared towards selling Mario Badescu’s product line.  These qualms aside, once the redness of my face subsided, I got compliments on my complexion all week.  Plus, you can’t really complain about the $65 price.

~Amanda Kludt