THE BEAUTY EXPERIENCE : CLARINS REBALANCING MASSAGE

A new year, a new you, or so the saying goes. Committing to a healthy and holistic lifestyle is one of our most popular New Year’s resolutions, but come January it can be hard to know where to start. Over the next few weeks I’ll be debriefing on the beauty treatments guaranteed to kickstart your good beauty habits, from hair through to skin. After all, there’s no time like the New Year to start afresh, and sometimes all it takes is advice from a professional to inspire a revived commitment to a virtuous beauty routine.

WHERE?

Although situated within one of the city’s biggest and busiest beauty halls, the Clarins Skin Spa in House of Fraser hardly wants for peace and tranquility. An oasis of calm behind soundproof doors, soothing sounds, low-level lighting and aromatic vapours welcome guests, evoking an instant air of serenity.

WHO?

Bringing together science, wellbeing, and specialised massage techniques with products formulated from pure plant extracts and essential oils, Clarins offers an immersive sensory spa experience that restores and re-energizes both body and mind. Clarins believes that the spa experience should address and benefit both mind and body - from rebalanced skin through to mental clarity and a sense of wellbeing that last long after the treatment ends. Using exclusive, high-performance Clarins Pro products - the result of the latest scientific discoveries made in the Clarins Research laboratories - each treatment is performed at the hands of a therapist expertly trained in the exclusive Clarins Touch massage method.

WHAT?

The Clarins Rebalancing Massage*; using rhythmic massage techniques, the full-body treatment releases knots from even the deepest muscle layers, thanks to a sequence of slow movements and pressure point techniques that help to relieve built-up tension. A thorough pre-treatment consultation identifies specific body problems and allows for the treatment to be adapted to best suit them. The treatment then begins with a gentle chest and arm massage using a heated blend of the divinely scented Relax Body Treatment Oil [geranium, petitgrain, chamomile, and basil], which is then applied to the feet and legs. Next, a lengthy back, neck and shoulders massage is performed, with extra attention paid to any area of particular concern. A gradual progression of intensity helps to effectively release tension whilst a succession of gentle lifts and stretches soothe sore muscles.

THE VERDICT :

This treatment has gained a cult following for good reason, and is the closest thing you can get to a full-body reboot - meaning you can start afresh and go back to basics with your beauty and fitness regime. The main benefit is that the effects are far from temporary; aside from inspiring your renewed commitment to regular body maintenance, the treatment completely reboots your body from within. Thanks to the deep and comprehensive massage, my limbs [and in particular by badly knotted shoulders] were left renewed with a relieving sensation of weightlessness. The ultimate destressing treatment; simultaneously evoking an overwhelming sense of calm alongside renewed energy levels. For me, the chance to have an hour and a half of pure relaxation whilst my limbs were indulged with potently scented hot oil treatments was enough to transport me to the kind of instant state of calm and relaxation that one needs in order to start the new year on a positive note.