The Blurb:
There’s not a beauty editor (or west London celeb) who hasn’t sung the praises of facialist Una Brennan. She’s been reviving people’s faces with glowing results and reviews for years and finally it was my turn to try one of her unique facials, which are a product of over ten years in the trade. It turns out, this facial is like no other.
The Process:
Once inside Una’s front-room salon at her residential Notting Hill address, I kicked back and relaxed in the calming, cream coloured room, with shabby-chic furniture. Una is a pint-sized Irish, who flutters around the room and plays cool tunes by Laura Marling, Fleetfoxes and Nick Cave instead of droll dolphin or sea sounds, typically heard at spas and salons. Instant pleasure points!
The facial itself is split into two stages: purifying/cleansing and replenishing/treating, and while each treatment features slightly different products and procedures (depending on your skin’s needs), the two stages remain the same. This was a far more intricate, involved and interesting facial than any other I’d had. Highlights included: lymphatic drainage massage to relax the muscles before decongestion; a cocooning paraffin mask, which paved the way for some painless extraction; extreme ice application to close off pores and prevent breakouts; a vibrating eye gadget that woke-up muscles and aided product application; and an unforgettable back and shoulder massage, using coconut oil, given while I lay on my back (this, you have to experience to believe!).
The Result:
Una uses mainly Skinceuticals products and can advice on the brand’s high-tech products, as well as general anti-ageing. I quizzed her endlessly and walked away with a ton of new beauty know-how and some hero Skinceuticals products, like the inimitable Hydrating B5 fluid. At the end of the treatment my face felt totally renewed and light as a feather – like I’d lost five years and woken up every dormant muscle. This extravaganza of a facial is without a doubt worth shelling out for.
