Posts Tagged ‘facial’

I have had a fair few facials in my time, but in truth, after the initial glowy relaxed feeling, the effects never last very long. But the facial I had yesterday was quite different. I tried the Skinesis High Definition Facial at Cult Beauty expert Sarah Chapman’s South Kensington clinic and it was a revelation. Sarah’s legendary facials are rated by high society, royalty, beauty editors and celebs alike – she counts Naomi Watts, Queen Rania of Jordan and Jemma Kidd among her many satisfied customers.

My therapist, Tarryn, was a font of wisdom on all things skin (and advised me on my shoulder pain too) so I left feeling equipped with the knowledge to look after my skin more diligently as well as feeling that the treatment had made a significant improvement.

My skin has rosacea and some broken veins and the overall redness really bothers me. Tarryn explained that I should be using a broad spectrum sunscreen every day (she didn’t let me leave until I’d been smothered in Factor 50) and taking off my make-up with a gentle creamy or oil-based cleanser. I should avoid AHAs, heat, exfoliating scrubs and drying masks, and I should dose myself up with vitamins, particularly Omegas 3, 6 and 9 which are found in oily fish. They have anti inflammatory properties and will help plump up skin, balance hormones and regulate sugar levels.

And so onto the treatment:

The High Definition facial is ideal if you have a big event coming up (and with London Fashion Week looming, this is me). It’s designed to immediately brighten tired skin and give you the sort of glow that will look amazing even under a harsh photographer’s flash. The treatment combines good old fashioned botanical active ingredients with the high performance whizzery of the Omnilux Revive LED Therapy machine and a mild lactic peel.

After cleansing my grubby face thoroughly, Tarryn embarked upon the first step of the facial – a peel using lactic acid. It’s not really a full-on peel (I had panicky visions of Samantha in Sex and the City and her red blistered face) – it’s a gentle, mini version. It tingled, but was over in minutes. This is designed to brighten, exfoliate and hydrate, as well as encouraging the skin to ‘heal’ itself faster so you get more new skin.

The mini-peel is followed by the application of serums and masks which are packed with hyaluronic acid (which sounds scary, but is incredibly good for feeding the skin), peptides, antioxidants, vitamins and proteoglycans to boost results.

Then comes the science bit: my eyes were covered with pads and the Omnilux Revive machine was placed over my face and switched on. What followed felt a little like staring directly into the sun, but after a few seconds I got used to it and it’s not remotely harmful. The benefits of LED light therapy are widely acknowledged by modern medicine – the light is absorbed through cell receptors to increase cell energy and collagen production.

A final slathering of colostrum and the distinctive fast tapping, pinching and knuckling that is the trademark of a Sarah Chapman facial massage and I was done. Glowy and relaxed, but much more than that – with healthy-looking skin and the know-how to keep it going.

The Skinesis High Definition Facial costs £130 for 1 hour. Skinesis Clinic, 106 Draycott Avenue, London SW3 3AE, United Kingdom 020 7589 9585 www.sarahchapman.netsarah chapman, facial,

phoebe frangoul

“You look tired,” Esther Fieldgrass, owner of Kensington’s EF MediSpa informs me knowingly. Before I can protest she’s reeling off all the things I should be doing to keep my skin looking plump and fresh. Vitamin D and Omega 3, 6 and 9 found in fish oils are vital. Damn, I knew that, why did I stop taking those supplements? Soon I’m lying down ready for my Old Fashioned Facial – an eyelash tint and eyebrow shaping makes this ‘old-fashioned’ – with therapist Mina who’s been instructed to pay particular attention to my tense neck; “Best hands in the business,” Esther tells me.

Cleansing my face with cosmeceutical CosMedix’s Benefit Clean , Mina says my skin has good structure, no sun damage (whoopee!) before tut tutting about blackheads and telling me to make sure I clean properly around my ears – whoops, how old am I? While she deftly massages my face and prepares for the extraction (facial-speak for zit-squeezing) I suddenly become very aware of how seriously Mina takes her job. She gets rid of every last blackhead and despite my wincing I’m really pleased with such a thorough job.

And now for the magic ingredients – eyelash tinting and eyebrow shaping. After delicately applying the black eyelash dye (no stinging, thank God) Mina starts massaging my neck and shoulders, and boy is she good. She gets into my knots in a way many facialists just don’t bother. She also incorporates the massage with Reiki on my head and back of neck – this is truly divine. We decide my eyebrows actually don’t need any attention since years of plucking has given them a super-defined shape.

As well as a replenishing Pure Enzymes exfoliating mask, Mina continues to ply my face with moisture-inducing products – I get particularly attached to the Eye Believe Liquid Crystal Serum and Emulsion Intense Hydrator which makes my skin feel extremely springy and moist. Though these products are pricy Mina swears by them, saying they completely cleared up her acne after years of looking for a fix. The proof is in the pudding I guess – her skin looks amazing. Post-facial I’m glowing and peachy and looking super-pretty with my newly-tinted lashes – hurrah! - julia rebaudo

Old Fashioned Facial – £145 for 90 minutes. Optional extras include hand rejuvenation massage (£25), manicure (£15), pedicure (£18). www.efmedispa.com, 0207 937 5554