NEW YORK — Anyone who doubts the clout of “celebrity facialists” hasn’t met Cornelia Zicu. The petite blonde dynamo, all penetrating gazes and measured tones, is about to make her bid for beauty fame in a big way. With a massive Manhattan spa and the first of three skin care ranges debuting next month, Zicu is staking her claim alongside such facialists-turned-powerbrokers as Bliss founder Marcia Kilgore and L.A. superstars Ole Henriksen and Sonya Dakar.
Not bad for someone who arrived here from Eastern Europe with $200 in her pocket.
As she gestures with her diamond-laden hands, it isn’t easy to square Zicu’s past with her present. But here’s the Cliffs Notes version of her story: After fleeing with her young son to an immigrant camp in Belgium to escape political oppression in her native Romania, Zicu made her way to Austria. There, she trained and worked as an aesthetician. In 1992, with the help of an international rescue committee, Zicu and son arrived in New York.
Within three years, Zicu had been named head aesthetician at the spa at the Peninsula Hotel. Throughout her nine-year stint there, Zicu built an A-list clientele and acted as a consultant for two hot brands: Peter Thomas Roth and June Jacobs.
Now, with the backing of a silent partner, Zicu is striking out under the Cornelia name. While it’s a toss-up as to which of her endeavors — the products or the spa — is more ambitious, they each tap into her personal history.
“Both sad and good things happened in Romania,” said Zicu. “Because we lived under a dictator, we didn’t have health products and medication. But we were lucky to have our grandmas, who were the beauticians and the pharmacists of the family. They brought with them the recipes and remedies of the generations, using the best of nature.”
Dubbed Cornelia Signature, Zicu’s debut assortment is built around what she considers basics — all containing a heavy dose of grandmother-sanctioned natural ingredients. In total, there are 14 items in the range, including nine personal care products: 350-ml. shampoo, $35; 350-ml. conditioner, $37; 350-ml. shower gel, $35; 250-ml. body scrub, $28; 250-ml. body lotion, $60; 250-ml. hand wash, $35; 250-ml. hand cream, $60; bath salts, $45, and a set of three soaps for $45. The collection also includes six environmental items: room spray, $32; lavender and chamomile pillow mists, $32 each; signature candle, $70, and a set of three votives, $55.
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“Many people asked me why I’m starting with these [bath and body] basics rather than a line just for the face, but for me, skin is skin,” said Zicu. “Whether it’s on the hands or the body or the scalp, I treat it with the same curiosity, the same interest, the same respect.”
Two other product ranges — Essentials and Works — are in development and will be unveiled later this year. While Essentials features targeted items for lifting, whitening, de-aging, etc., Works is geared more toward correcting problem skin. Both lines feature a blend of botanicals and cutting-edge technology. “I believe in nature but I’m very impatient,” she said. “I want to see results.”
While Zicu declined to discuss figures, industry sources forecast a first-year retail volume of $5 million for the three lines.
The spa, christened Cornelia Fifth Avenue, is set atop Ferragamo’s Midtown flagship. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story space is sprawling in scope, and includes a large retail area, a spacious lounging “library” and a rooftop garden for al fresco massages, weather permitting. “It’s a day resort,” said Zicu, “a little beauty island right in the middle of Manhattan.’’
The spa menu, still unfinalized, is underpinned with little touches of decadence. During the $175 Signature Facial, for example, clients will cozy up in 500 thread-count Italian sheets and choose from among 10,000 songs to zone out to while attended by two aestheticians.
Although she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of wholesaling her products, Zicu said it isn’t an immediate priority. For at least a year, Cornelia Signature, Essentials and Works only will be available at the spa. “I’m not in a rush to make a profit,” she said. “This is my baby. And it’s always a big risk to put your child in the babysitter’s hands.”