Prepare to be transformed, but be warned: there is no one-size-fits-all solution
Photograph Shaw+ Shaw
I’ve never been great at remembering significant dates. But I do remember 2001, the year of my first facial. It fell on the day I discovered I hadn’t got a job I’d pinned my hopes on.I was bereft – the kind of heartbreak that makes you dissolve into a puddle of self-pity while Adele plays in the background. That same day my beauty director had asked me to attend a facial on her behalf. So off I went, trudging down Oxford Street, weeping like a woman in the middle of a French film. By the time I reached Eve Lom’s clinic, I was dry eyed but still miserable. As she began treating my skin, her quietly confident manner settled me. As she massaged my face and shoulders, she told me I ate too much chocolate – which, apparently, had nothing to do with my skin and everything to do with the curve of my spine. (And she was right. For decades, I kept Cadbury’s in business.) 90 minutes later, those blackheads – the kind of squatters no Section 21 could remove – were gone. I left glowing, unburdened, and, miraculously, quite c’est la vie about the job. It was the day I understood the real power of a facial: a transformation not just of face but of mood, confidence, and spirit.
Facials are, in many ways, a social barometer – a mirror of our anxieties and aspirations. The ritual apparently began in late 19th-century Paris, when women visited “beauty institutes” for massage, steam and “tonics”. But these women weren’t simply grooming, they were asserting control over their image in a world that rarely allowed it.
These days, women are still employing the help of facials, but in a way that is so much more high-tech; lasers, LED, microcurrents, cryotherapy, microneedling, oxygen… Keren Bartov’s space in Notting Hill has up to 50 pieces of tech that can be folded into treatments.
I was told that laser was fine for darker skin. Spoiler: it was not
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But there’s no one-size-fits-all. I’ve been told more than once that a laser treatment was “absolutely fine” for darker skin. Spoiler: it was not. By the time I got home, I looked like Quasimodo’s understudy. Years later, persuaded that technology had “moved on”, I tried laser again. My face tightened faster than a Labour budget then relaxed into the texture of a crumpled bedsheet. It was meant to reduce hyperpigmentation – it made it worse.
Here’s the thing. Lasers detect pigment, which means darker skin tones remain disproportionately at risk of burns and discolouration. The beauty industry loves to applaud itself for producing foundations in shades that now go “beyond the pale,” but I’ve still had facials where the therapist didn’t understand darker skin at all. Thankfully, there are many who are excellent across all skin tones. I live in London, where Kasia at QMS in Liberty is a dream. She offers phenomenal German-engineered precision and collagen-boosting science, but is also so soothing you often fall asleep mid-treatment – until your snoring wakes you up. The team at Sarah Chapman Skinesis will cleanse, sculpt and treat your skin until you resemble a glowy version of yourself you never knew existed.
Jasmina Vico at Vico Skin takes a no-nonsense approach, blend ing s incredible tech with a profound understanding of skin. Tarryn Warren really should be known as the skin whisperer and Violetta at Oblique delivers a massage so magnificent it could broker peace.
As for etiquette: a few tips. Remove your jewellery. Use the loo beforehand: a full bladder is the enemy of relaxation. Bras off; it allows your back, shoulders and décolleté to be properly massaged. Make sure your phone is on silent because, inevitably, the person you haven’t heard from since 2013 will definitely choose that moment to call and say hi.
If your stomach rumbles as you lie there, don’t worry; but if you feel a less polite rumble, for heaven’s sake, squeeze your bum cheeks tight and just pray it passes – the moment, that is, not the wind.
On my radar… Winter winners, from scent to skincare
All eyes on these
I first fell for this K-beauty brand through its SPF. Their latest launch? Wing-shaped eye patches steeped in ginseng water and retinal, designed to smooth, brighten and lift before your coffee even kicks in. Proven to smooth fine lines by 20%, they’re a cheat code for late nights. Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Patches, £17, Boots
Winter warmer
Jo Malone London has an approach to Christmas that will get even the Grinch in the mood for festivities. The new collection is so fun, whimsical and playful. I’m loving this new Orange Bitters fragrance; a mix of orange, amber and sandalwood, that’s warm but not cloying. It’s limited edition, so if you love it, stock up. Jo Malone Orange Bitters Cologne, £128, Jo Malone
Bounce back
If your skin is feeling a little frayed at the edges, look no further. This lush, water-in-oil cream is less moisturiser, more rescue mission. It brings the bounce back – even if you don’t remember the last time you had it. This formula is especially good for dry, dehydrated skin and any that has overdone the acids. Think of it as a winter insurance policy for your face. Alpha H Firming Collagen Repair Cream, £53, SpaceNK
Editor’s note: our recommendations are chosen independently by our journalists. The Observer may earn a small commission if a reader clicks a link and purchases a recommended product. This revenue helps support Observer journalism.
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