After my sheet mask confession last Friday, here’s another one for you – I’ve never had a facial. I know, I know. I spend my life wrapped up in the beauty world, bandy the ‘Skincare Junkie’ tag around and even turned my bathroom into a fishmonger smelling scene the other day all in the aid of trying something new (more on that at the weekend). But a facial? Never been there. That doesn’t mean I haven’t flirted with the idea – oh I’ve browsed many the spa menu. But I’ve never found the right facial fit and felt a little perplexed at the long list of treatments out there. Extraction? Lymphatic drainage massage? The balancing of chakras? Not. A. Clue. So I guess Suti came along at the right time to slip me out of my skincare slump and after sampling the sensory delight that is their Core Facial* I think I’ve found a solution for fellow travellers of the newbie facial boat and developed the lust for a pretty pricey habit…
If you’re a frequent reader of Caroline’s Blog then the chances are you’ve heard ravings of Suti before; an organic skincare collection created by sister-in-laws, alternative medicine guru Suzannah Jenkins and Tina Steadman, the ‘SU’ and ‘TI’ – cute, right? A range heavily weighted with balms, oils and butters, no nasties to be found, just vitamin rich and potent plant and flower extract formulas. To run alongside their line and to play on Suzannah’s many talents, they also offer a ‘Core Facial’ that sits more on the holistic side of treatments, designed to strengthen, heal, revive and tighten the face muscles. Le sigh. I was booked in for the treatment to be carried out by Suzannah herself, so I knew I was in a pretty special pair of hands. When she wandered into the waiting room, greeted me warmly and shared a joke about how I was wearing two coats to keep out the cold, I knew I was in for a good time. The room was cosy, but warm (no need for my two coats) and I was ordered to get into my knick knacks (thank gawd I’d shaved that morning), cover up with some blankets and relax.
What followed next was 90 minutes of utter bliss, in fact the sounds inside my head started to resemble those more likely to be heard in a certain Herbal Essences advert, but without getting too ’50 Shades of Grey’ it was a beaut of a way to spend an hour and a half. Aside from combining the best of the Suti skincare line, the treatment also uses crystals – but hang in with me here. These ladies are serious about their crystals and use different ones throughout the treatment to correspond with what each step is trying to achieve. I was a little sceptical but the cool edges of the stone being traced along the contours of the face to assist lympathic drainage (to encourage the natural drainage of the lymph from the tissues space body – learn something new everyday, eh?) is not something I’d turn my nose up at – it may have even been my favourite bit. Actually that’s a lie but I’ll get onto that. After a deep cleanse and exfoliation, various masks are applied and while waiting for them to do their thang, Suzannah got to work giving my arms, feet, shoulders and scalp a firm but fair massage – the shoulder rub down wins the best in show for me. All of this, thrown in with a hefty facial massage and the layering of various oils equalled an experience that I didn’t really ever want to end.
The results? Well my skin isn’t too horrendous to start off with (touch wood), but was looking a little red and congested – the next day my ruddy cheeks had calmed slightly and two pesky pimples had waved goodbye. Almost a week later and there’s still an extra plumpness to my skin, with a tad more sheen than I’m used to. The most notable different though was in my shoulders, being hunched over a laptop all day really doesn’t do wonders for the ol’ spine and I was in desperate need straightening out. The the day after I felt so loose in my upper body, I’m sure there’s a better way of explaining that – I just felt like body popping my way through the day. I can see myself getting pretty into this whole massage malarkey.
So fellow face mask first timers I’ve found it! Nothing painful, no pummelling, just some good quality masks and massage techniques that you’ll walk out from slightly floaty, floppy and feelin’ goooood. Prices vary depending on where you have the treatment, but you’re looking at around £65 for the full 90 minutes – not bad for a skin sorting sesh and a half body massage thrown in. For a full list of therapists check out Suti’s website and for those unable to make it to an appointment scroll down to the bottom of the page where there’s a DIY roster. Gateway facial completed, I’m hooked. Feel free to feed me up with your Facialist recommendations – I’m ready and waiting to pencil them in to my little beauty black book.
*PR Sample
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