Facials are expensive. For the price I pay for one session I can buy a very decent product that can last me for a few months. So I am a hard critic of salon facials. I look for product quality, effectiveness, service and cleanliness. Out of all the different ones I have tried in the past 15 years, there were only two I could recommend: The Beauty Room in Mosman (Dermalogica) and Spa Q in the city (Uspa). Neither is close to where I live.
I found a third one last week.
I stumbled across Ella Baché West Lindfield on Facebook. I haven't been to an Ella Baché salon for about 15 years and I forgot what it was like. There were a few bub-free days in my calendar, I did not hesitate to book myself in.
The salon was very easy to find once I turned off Lady Game Drive. One-hour parking was available right in front of the salon.
After filling in a standard form, I was led into one of the treatment rooms by my therapist of that day Julie. The treatment room was spotless. It was not particularly spacious, but was cosy and comfortable.
The signature facial is a one-hour treatment comprise of double cleanse, exfoliation, massage, mask and moisturiser. It was an overall fantastic experience, but a few things really stood out for me that worth mentioning.
1. Cleanse - one of my pet peeves is to still have mascara (smudged or otherwise) on my lashes and face after a facial. It just speaks to me that either the makeup remover / cleanser is not working, or the therapist has done a lousy job. So I was very pleased I did not walk out of this place panda-eyed.
2. Exfoliation - two different types of exfoliants were used - the Tomate Granule Free Micro Exfoliant (which I also happened to have one at home) on my face, and the Refining Exfoliating Gel on my neck and chest. This proves that Julie has really given some thoughts as to which product would suit the different parts of my skin.
3. Massage & mask - the massage was done properly; not just the rubbing-some-serum-onto-your-face type of massage. During the masking, I was given a heavenly hands and arms massage, unlike some other salons where the therapist would walk out of the treatment room and have a cup of tea.
4. Skincare - Julie gave me a choice to try some of the products from SpiruLines, a line designed for intensive anti-aging, rather than just the Ella Baché classic skincare included in the Signature Facial. I felt like a VIP.
All the products used in the Signature Facial were very gentle. Even though I don't have sensitive skin, usually I would experience some tingling sensation when I use new, active products. I did not feel any of that during the whole treatment. My skin just felt comfortable the whole time, and it was soft and radiant after the treatment.
On top of that, Julie has ticked two crucial boxes of mine when it comes to salon treatments:
1. There was a perfect amount of chit-chat. It was just enough to let me know what she thought about my skin and offered her professional advice, but let me relax and enjoy the experience quietly most of the time.
2. There was no pressure to buy any product or to book for the next session. After the treatment, Julie explained the products that she used, answered all my questions, gave me a "prescription" and offered me a sample of the SpiruLines cream that I was interested in. She said "I hope to see you again" and left me alone.
And will I see her again? Of course I will.