Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa Is Everything We Love About Small Businesses

Before COVID-19 shut down the streets of New York City, I was lucky enough to receive a luxury facial at Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa and get the scoop from founder Allison Tray on the spa and its exclusive product offerings, talented staff, and more!

I have struggled with acne since puberty. As a kid, I tried every over-the-counter acne treatment I could find in drug stores to no avail. My acne flared up to the extent that I only felt comfortable in my skin when my face was covered in caked-on makeup. When I finally saw a dermatologist at 15, I started using topical medicines, which made my acne more or less manageable. But it never completely went away.

I’m 25 now, and while I feel infinitely more confident in my skin than I did as a teenager, I still break out. I stopped touching my face long before COVID-19 experts advised us to do so, and I am always looking for ways to treat my skin and keep it as healthy and blemish-free as possible.

Patricia Wersinger covered Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa for BeautyNewsNYC ten years ago (!), dubbing it “the gem of Brooklyn.” Well, you can bet that this gem(ma) jumped at the opportunity to visit Brooklyn’s charming Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa a decade later, meet the lovely staff, and receive a Custom Facial.

My love for skincare, and desire to find solutions for my acne-prone skin led me to the doors of one of Brooklyn’s award-winning spas. Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa is an adorable Brooklyn spa that is everything we love about small businesses and a living reminder of why we should support them, now more than ever.

Spa owner Allison Tray shed light on her fascinating life and career:

What is your background, and how did you come to be running the business? 
“I come from a background of performing. I once portrayed a bunch of grapes on ABC TV. I had one stint as the worst dental assistant ever, and also worked in the fashion space.
In 2004, my dad (a Chiropractor at the time) was able to acquire a laser hair removal machine. He asked me if I wanted to start a small business.

We have always had small businesses in my family. As a child in the 8os, I would hide in the racks of puff-sleeved jumpsuits at my grandparents’ clothing store, and began working there as I got older.
So, as hard work, and a little bit of luck would have it, I started my spa career by removing people’s unwanted body hair. Once I grew a following, my clients started to request more services, like facials. They trusted me and that’s how I started to grow my staff. Tres Belle Spa became known for (and has been voted for years consecutively) as the “Best skincare in Brooklyn.”

What’s the deal with Biologique Recherche? 
“Biologique Recherche is like no other company I have worked with in my 16 years. Their products are beloved by celebrities, who have whatever they want in reach, because of their pure formulations that work, and work fast. I continue to be blown away by the skin changes I see after we’ve performed one of Biologique Recherche’s special protocols. The company doesn’t operate like any other, putting an emphasis on continuing education, workshops, seminars and constant connecting. They also keep it petite, like us! They have accepted very few account applications, although everyone wants to carry their products and perform their protocols. When we work together with them, many times during the year, we are like family. We love the exclusivity the brand affords us and the standard of care that goes into every single product. Due to their popularity, Lotion P50 and Mask Vivant are the products highlighted constantly by everyone from doctors to Vogue magazine.”

Please tell me a little bit about Aparna and her experience as an esthetician. 
“Aparna came to Tres Belle very highly recommended by Biologique Recherche. I had worked with the cult-fave skincare company for about a year, and when I had a space for more talent, they connected us. I was excited to meet Aparna, a doctor in India, and an experienced esthetician working in the world’s best spas. Sometimes it just clicks and with us, that’s exactly what happened. Her wealth of knowledge and caring comes from her experiences healing and connecting with people the world over. She is pure love, and that magic comes through her hands when she touches clients. She turns out skin that looks like glass and is just mind blowingly beautiful.”

As soon as I entered Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa, I was thoroughly welcomed by Proprietress, Allison Tray, Front Desk Royalty, Jennellee Smalling, and Senior Medical Esthetician and Wellness Doctor, Dr. Aparna Chaudhari. Allison and I bonded immediately, as lifelong NYers and proud theatre geeks. I studied Classical Voice at a performing arts high school and majored in Theatre in college, and Allison is an alumna of the acclaimed performing arts summer camp, Stagedoor Manor. As we chatted easily, Allison was quick to offer me a pump of a truly delicious-smelling hand sanitizer, along with some hot tea.

Aparna preceded my treatment with a thorough consultation because it’s crucial to hear from the client what areas of their skin they want to improve. My Custom Facial focused on purifying and rebalancing my acne-prone skin. Aparna used a couple of different cleansers to deeply refine my skin while respecting my skin’s lipids, the natural fats that help maintain my skin’s protective barrier. Aparna applied Lotion P50, nicknamed “Jesus in a bottle,” and “facial in a bottle” to exfoliate, hydrate, kill infection, and create balance in my skin. In the final step of the “initialization stage” of my facial, Aparna applied Masque Vivant to further cleanse and regulate my skin, making it ready to treat. Miraculously, at the time of my facial, I did not have any active breakouts, so during my treatment phase, Aparna only needed to perform a light extraction. Extractions are no fun and can be a little painful, but are necessary in order to clear pores.

The staff members at Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa believe more is less. My skin was treated to the purest formulations in the Biologique Recherche skincare range. Aparna used touch communication with her hands, such as vibrational movements, to move pure healing algae into my skin. Special attention was taken to reduce inflammation with aspects of cryo-healing. As with all of the spa’s offered skincare services, Aparna performed the Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa extended facial massage along with the unique Biologique Recherche massage to carry toxins out of my skin.

I left feeling refreshed, and with skin so glowing, I didn’t even want to apply makeup before leaving.

I can see why Patricia Wersinger called Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa a gem all those years ago. The delightful staff, facilities, services, and products complete a package that is unmatched by any other spa in New York City and is one that should be celebrated and protected.

COVID-19 has changed New York City and the world as we know it. It is an unsettling time with a lot of suffering, sickness, death, and fear. And small businesses are being hit particularly hard. On March 21st, Allison was forced to announce the closing of Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa for the unforeseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with her plans to reopen as soon as she is allowed, whenever that may be.

Tres Belle Petite Medi-Spa’s doors may not be open now, but I urge us all to band together to support small businesses like Allison’s, especially during this time.

In Allison’s words, “We will see you on the other side of this. For now, clean your face, drink your water, and keep a positive mindset.”