Review: Su-Man Chi Flow Contour Facial @ The Away Spa London

A couple of week's ago, I was luckily enough to experience a Su-Man facial, with Su-Man herself.

Now, for those who don't know, Su-Man is a leading celebrity facialist and skincare pioneer with a unique beauty ethos born of a life-long passion for wellness. She is celebrated for her non-invasive high performance facials, so when I heard she had a contouring facial at the W Hotel in London, I had to test it out...

Weekly Worship: Cosmedics Skin Clinics

Rather than talking about my latest beauty must-haves, I thought it was about time I shared some of my favourite beauty destinations, starting with Cosmedics Skin Clinics. This is the place to visit if you need any non-surgical procedures done. Trust me.

Treat Yo Self: Image Signature Lift Facial @ Privet Body

Welcome to the first in a series of features dedicated to beauty treatments and the various ways you can upgrade your looks and pamper your spirit all at the same god damn time.

First up is the Image Signature Lift Facial, available at the amazing Privet Body salon in Notting Hill...

Weekly Worship: MILK

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you are beyond busy. You know, work is mounting up and all your evenings are taken up with dinners and drinks (it's a hard life I know...) but you have a girls night on Saturday and don't have time for that must-needed salon visit. Well I have those weeks all the fucking time...too many to mention. However I recently discovered something that has helped in a big way. It is MILK.

Review: FaceCamp At FaceGym Part Two

You'll probably remember me reviewing (the start of my) FaceCamp programme a few weeks ago. Well my FaceGym experience lasted seven days and, now it's complete, the time has come to give you an update on all the shit that went down...

Weekly Worship: Nails Inc. Overnight Detox Mask

Price: £15.00 / $21.75 14ml

Stockists: nailsinc.com / feelunique.com

Being a beauty bad girl, I have my fair share of bad habits. The worst is that I bite the skin around my nails. I know, I know, it's disgusting... f**king disgusting, and it looks it. I hate it. Anyway, whenever I get nail extensions I'm able to stop biting the skin around my nails. Why this is I don't know but it's a miracle. So I recently got my nails done and decided it was time to repair my damaged skin and finally put my skin biting habit to bed.

Review: FaceCamp At FaceGym Part One

FaceCamp is a boot-camp for your skin; a seven day programme that offers tailored face workouts, high powered treatments and special dietary tips to get your skin and face looking (and feeling) amazing. It is the creation of FaceGym, the UK’s original facial exercise and high performance skincare studio in Selfridges, and I will be trialling it during the next seven days!

Review: Skinbreeze Microdermabrasion Facial

The Promise: "Skin is smoother, fresher and clearer after just one treatment. Lines and wrinkles are reduced. Scars, acne scars, pock marks and stretch marks are eliminated. Instant results, that actually improve over time"

The Price: £150.00 per 60 minute treatment

The Place: Premier Laser Clinic, Suite 7, 116 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5EW

The Treatment: My Skinbreeze Facial began with orbital microdermabrasion and LED light therapy that exfoliates the skin and removes unwanted imperfections and dead skin cells. It involved a small, handheld device - featuring a rotating abrasive pad - being worked around my face and neck. Although 'abrasive' sounds a little rough, I promise you this treatment isn't; I just experienced a vibrating sensation that was surprisingly relaxing. In addition, unlike most other microdermabrasion treatments, Skinbreeze doesn’t use harsh crystals which can damage the skin. As the device exfoliated my face, it also omitted pulses of red light, which are designed to neutralise bacteria, reduce redness, boost circulation and stimulate new tissue production.

Ingredients 101: Quinoa

Quinoa is praised for the great number of health benefits it provides, however what makes this South American ingredient really special is its beauty benefits... 

Natural or Synthetic: Natural

Origin: Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a species of the goosefoot genus, a grain crop grown primarily for its edible seeds.

Location: Quinoa was first discovered around Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia. However it is now cultivated all over the world, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and North America.

Beauty Benefits: Quinoa is a perfect haircare ingredient as it contains around 15% of proteins, making it one of the most protein-rich grains in the world. The hydrolyzed protein extracted from quinoa acts as a natural coating on the hair, protecting and nourishing the hair follicles and sealing split ends.

Review: Red Door Spa Union Square, NYC

I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Arden. Not just because the brand was founded by an inspiring, ambitious and creative woman, but because it continues - after over 100 years - to create beautiful products and gorgeous skincare treatments. I recently visited New York and one of my top priorities was to visit the Red Door Spa, Elizabeth Arden's spa and beauty boutique in the heart of Union Square. So I booked an appointment and prepared to tick something off my beauty bucket list...luckily, my experience did not disappoint.

News: MAC Makeup Studio Opens In New York

In an effort to let the beauty world know it's still the baddest brand in the game, MAC Cosmetics has launched the Mac Makeup Studio in New York.

The new 950-square-foot space studio offers everything from makeovers and tutorials to beauty parties and bridal looks, and the prices are reasonable. Tutorials start at $30.00 while make applications (such as contouring, winged liner or a full face) start at $15.00.

As for MAC products, they will be available, however the location is really dedicated to the art of makeup application and tuition. This isn't a place full of sales assistants pushing products, this is an intimate studio that gives customers one-to-one time with a highly skilled MAC Makeup Artist.

The MAC Makeup Studio can be found at 825 Lexington Avenue (at 63rd street). Bookings can be made online at maccosmetics.com.

Review: Skin Laundry

The Promise: "Every Skin Laundry treatment leaves skin deep cleaned and toned. Frequent treatments result in more dramatic improvements in the areas of acne, redness, unevenness, dullness, hyper-pigmentation and photo-ageing"

The Price: £100.00 per treatment (discounts are available to Skin Laundry members)

The Place: 3 West 16th St. (between 5th & 6th Avenue), New York 10011

The Treatment: Appointments at Skin Laundry are super speedy; deeply cleaning and treating the skin in under 10 minutes. Because of this, Skin Laundry is the perfect skin pit-stop for busy gals on the go.

My Skin Laundry experience began with a helpful (and lovely!) Physician Assistant providing a step-by-step run-down of what the treatment involves (which, FYI, is a combination of a YAG laser and a IPL). I then had to lie down on a table, pop on a gorgeous pair of safety goggles and prepare for the treatment.

Weekly Worship: Perricone MD and La Roche-Posay

Price: £8.50 / $34.95 150ml

Stockist: escentual.com / amazon.com

La Roche-Posay Serozinc is a cult product that is loved by French women. Until recently, girls in the UK were able to get hold of this super spray but not easily. Luckily, Serozinc launched in the UK at the very end of last year and beauty fans around Great Britain rejoiced.

Serozinc is made up of three simple ingredients; water, sodium chloride and zinc sulfate. Zinc sulfate is the hero ingredient in this toner, as it does an amazing job at calming and treating breakouts. Applying this product is a dream; it provides a fine, refreshing mist that covers the entire face in seconds. It leaves no mess and it absorbs very quickly. It begins to calm the skin - soothing irritation and redness - the second it is applied.

Serozinc also makes good on its promise; after a few days of use, any breakouts I have begin to clear. Now, it is not the best spot treatment I have ever used, however it comes close and it is definitely worthy of worship - especially considering the affordable price tag!

Price: £24.00 / $135.00 30ml

Stockist: John Lewis / Sephora

The Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma is one of the best skincare products I've ever used.

Packed with three unique forms of Hyaluronic Acid, this treatment has a gel consistency that is lightweight and soothing on the skin. It applies easily and evenly, leaving behind smooth and instantly hydrated skin.

I have been using the Hyalo Plasma for about three weeks now and I've noticed a big difference in the texture and general health of my skin. It is plump, softer and free of pesky fine lines (caused by dehydration).

It is on the expensive side...there is no point avoiding this. However it one of only a few products that have really impressed me in the last couple of years and I am sure I'll be worshipping it for many years to come.

The Tuesday Tip: DIY Lymphatic Drainage Facial

If you don't know about lymphatic drainage facials, you need to. They reduce wrinkles and dark circles and  improve skin health. A lymphatic drainage facial works by increasing movement through the lymph node, filtering out waste products, dead cells, excess proteins and toxins from the tissues in our body.

Now a lymphatic drainage facial doesn't come cheap but, lucky for us, Urban Retreat's Head of Beauty, Victoria Battersby, has given the lowdown on doing it yourself! As Victoria explains, "Cleansing your own lymph nodes takes just a few minutes at the end of the day and will leave you feeling relaxed and detoxified".

Before you start your lymphatic drainage facial, ensure you are in a quiet space with no disturbances. It is important to remember to only stretch the skin very lightly, as the lymphatic vessels are sensitive elastic fibres just underneath the skin. Each movement should be repeated a total of 10 times and be sure to lift your hands off the skin after each so you are not simply moving the lymph node back and forth.

1. Start by massaging the area around your collarbone, massaging horizontally across the bone outwards from the centre of your neck to your shoulders.
2. Then work your way up to the contour of your face moving your fingers along the jaw line from the chin to the ears.
3. After here, press one finger underneath the inner corners of both eyes and move along the bottom of the eye socket until you reach your ear, repeat this again moving along the top of the eye socket.
4. Finally, from the side of your face below your ears massage the lymph nodes of your neck down towards your shoulders.

So get massaging and let me know what you think!

If you don't want to get your hands dirty but are in need of a little pampering, book yourself a facial at a reputable salon or spa. If you're based in London, check out the Delarom Limited Edition Suite at Urban Retreat, which launched today. The Delarom Suit is only open for one week and, if the treatments are anything like Delarom products, you have  to book an appointment!

Weekly Worship: Skin3

Last week, I received the most amazing facial at Skin3. I will share all of the details in an upcoming review, however I was so impressed with the salon itself, that I thought it deserved a little bit of weekly worship.

Skin3 is the perfect destination for all things beauty. This top London salon offers a variety of treatments carried out by beauty experts. And not just any experts, experts that are very  passionate and knowledgeable about health, skin and beauty.

What I love most about this salon is the three-fold approach to results oriented skincare. Skin3 call this 'Feed, Fortify and Finish' - the idea that great skin isn't just achieved through the use of topical products, but through what you put into the body and how you enhance skin using colour cosmetics.

There are also many  treatments on offer, including:

• Manicures and pedicures
• Hair removal
• Spray tanning
• Massages
• Makeovers
• Skincare consultations
• Facials

Throughout my Skin3 visit I felt comfortable, pampered and really well looked after. I was given amazing skincare advice and great beauty tips that were targeted towards my skin type and beauty needs. I really enjoyed the whole experience and couldn't worship this beauty haven more!

If you are a London-based gal in need of a beauty fix, you can find Skin3 at 41 Fairfax Rd, London NW6 4EL.

www.skin3.co.uk