Treatments to try: The Back Facial, a Hair Shine bath, Hot Stone Manicure & a Fashion Massage.
Try a back facial… with the Cashmere V-Back at Turkuaz Spa. I always wondered why no one came out with a back facial, yes back treatments with cosmetologists & dermatologists but a back facial. I recently discovered this fab salon on Al Wasl Road – the turkish spa, Turkuaz which I’ve been so impressed with – they have a vast range of treatments and in between that large menu, I came across the Cashmere V-Back treatment, which is pretty much a Back treatment for all skin types for the back – primarily targeting blemishes and irritations. The spa considers it as a skin treatment and recommend a minimum of 4 treatments a month. I recently tried it out for my self… The treatment starts off with cleansing and exfoliation before a steam session to open up the pores for manual extraction. Once that is done, a machine is used for deep penetration and exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and Oxygen penetration on my back- it is also a pampering treatment – so I got a lovely 15 minute massage on my back and shoulders before applying a purifying mask for 15 mins to close up the pores. Incase you were wondering, the product range used within the treatment is by German professional skincare brand, Janssen Cosmetics. You do really end up with cashmere skin – my back was super soft for a whole week, and my therapist, Milika recommended I give myself a scrub once a week. www.turkuazhouse.net Recommended therapist: Milika Cost & time: 90 mins / AED450 Soothe your hands… with a Hot Stone Manicure at Nstyle I’ve tried Hot stone massages, but was intrigued to book in for a hot stone manicure when I saw it on the menu at Nstyle. It’s one of those treatments that you’d probably do instead of your regular manicure if you need to give yourself some extra pampering after a large project or a long week. The treatment consists of a classic manicure (nails filed, cleaning and cuticle care), a paraffin treatment on the hands (dipping them into hot wax to moisturise and soften the skin) and leaving them in heated mittens before removing them and getting a hot stone massage on the hands and arms. My therapist, Bernadette also does massages at the salon so her pressure was perfect, sooting and on point to help out the tense muscles I was working out at PT the day before. The treatment was then wrapped up with the actual manicure – they have their own branded Nstyle nail polish as well as the CND shellac and the CND Vinylux (7 day manicure. They also have a pedicure option which i think is perfect if your feet are worn out from the high heels. www.nstyleintl.com Recommended therapist: Bernadette (who is between the JBR & Dubai Mall branch) Give your hair a shine bath… at Marquee Salon I’ve been wanting to check out Marquee Salon since they opened their branch in Dubai (they initially opened their Abu Dhabi one as the first one) They currently have their salon in Arabian Ranches, and are about to open a blow dry bar at the Lakes club. I was booked in for a shine bath treatment at the retro 50’s glamour style salon – who by the way use Australian brand, Kevin Murphy (extra points!). The Shine bath is a gloss treatment by L’Oreal, which lasts on the hair for around 3-4 weeks and is a superficial treatment rather than a hair treatment, which nourishes beneath the strands. As soon as I entered the salon, I was welcomed with cranberry juice within a champagne glass before taken to the hair wash area – They have the flat bed shower beds (best thing ever… makes washing your hair seem like a spa treatment!) The hair is then washed with the Shine treatment, left on for 20 minutes (only wish they had better, international magazines!) before getting it washed off followed by a massage. The hair was then dried and I got my hair curled – which lasted a good two days and a half! All in all, the shine bath is a great superficial treatment to infuse the hair with colour as well as boosting the colour. www.marquee.ae Costs: AED280 for medium hair and AED320 for long hair. A journey to the Far East… with the Indigo Art Healing Treatment at Saray Spa at the JW Marriott Marquis I visit a ton of different spas in order to report on the best ones and the best treatments. This has advantages and disadvantages – If you read my blog religiously, you won’t be visiting any bad spas, but that also means not much impress me anymore. I recently checked out the Saray Spa at the JW Marriott Marquis, and can I just say this has got to be one of the best spas I’ve been to in a while. Not only is it huge, and the facilities are fab (I was taken on a tour.), the range of treatments are vast and all the therapists are highly trained and were hired from top spas around the world. Mine, Myriam was hired from Mamounia in Morroco. After being greeted and directed into the changing rooms (the lockers have a range of things you need & an Arabian robe- too bad it didn’t fit my Chloe Bailey bag!), I was then shown into my room. Starting off, they have the most comfortable beds and head/face rest. I was booked in for a 90 minute treatment – the Indigo Art Healing Treatment, which is an ancient healing art of Asian Shamans to treat muscular aches and pains. The treatment started off with a deep massage over my towel followed by a massage with heated herbal compresses (filled with Indigo), and finished off with a deep muscle and tissue massage with Citrus Oil using knuckles, palms and elbows. Post treatment, I was shown into the large relaxation room where they have options of heated and normal beds – with a tea menu, nuts and dates served by the therapist. It has got to be one of the most relaxing massages I’ve done in a while and highly recommend it. Recommended therapist: Myriam, she was amazing. Pamper your feet… with a Fashion Massage at Margaret Dabbs Sole Lounge at Level Shoe District You might remember my feature on on my Mararet Dabbs Sole Lounge experience just under a year ago. I have been super busy that I only had the chance to come back… The luxury Sole lounge have just launched a brand new treatment exclusively to Level Shoe District Dubai. With all the high heels, point toes and crazy styles, we need to make sure we’re taking care of our feet to avoid letting it lead on to in growns, bunions, or a build up of callus – Sole Lounge is definitely highly recommended in my books due to the fact that Simone, the podiatrist and specialist who was flown down from Margaret Dabbs in London is trained in that area, and is now (lucky for us!) based at the lounge in Dubai. The 30 minute Fashion Massage that they just launched is dedicated to Men, Women and and pregnant women to provide the ultimate relaxation for de-stressed and ached feet due to the joints and bunions. After arriving to clean and sleek sole lounge within the Level shoe district, I was greeted by the lovely Simone and taken to the private room (Ultimate luxury, makes you feel like a Queen!), and starts off with a 7 minute anti-inflammatory foot soak to soothe and add some moisture. The feet was then exfoliated with Margaret Dabbs’ exfoliating mousse in circular motions for super soft skin – the uber comfortable sofa chair was then reclined and the chair is turned on for a full body massage (with a focus on the back and the calves). I was also given an O2 machine headpiece to breathe through which has 20 percent oxygen, and gives you a burst of energy. Moving on to the best part of the treatment… I was given a massage which includes several techniques from Lymphatic drainage to light manipulation to relax the muscles and improve circulation, it also helps manipulate the joints against what are shoes try to do to our feet For AED260, this is definitely a pampering treatment worth investing in. Delay Ageing… with a Margy’s Facial at Talise Madinat Jumeirah A beauty editor once recommended that I check out Skincare brand from Monte Carlo, Margy’s. I recently booked in for a facial at Talise Madinat Jumeirah – where they have a 60 minute age embrace facial, and a 90 minute collagen one. Being in my early twenties, I went ahead with the 60 minute one. Before commencing the treatment, I booked in for a Visio Skin Analysis – a computerised skin analysis which revealed the UV levels, the sebum (skin oil), elasticity, moisture and melanin. Once we finished with the analysis, we headed to my therapy room which smelt like essential oils ready for the facial. The treatment started with a double cleansing as I had heavy make up on, followed by a toner but the most interesting part was when the collagen patches were applied to the skin followed by exfoliation (this gave a light tingly feel, but it was all worth it when you feel your skin post facial). My skin was then cleansed again followed by a lovely massage to help lift my skin and give a botox effect. I’m told a 90 minute facial also includes the collagen facial (which I didn’t need). Post treatment, my skin was brightened, glowing and squeaky clean. Recommended therapist: Aysel Tighten your skin & break up cellulite… with a Body Overhaul treatment at the Sheraton MOE spa I’m a firm believer that you can’t lose weight without a great diet and consistent workouts, but there’s no doubt there are treatments that can help up with this process. One of them would have to be the Body Overhaul treatment by Rodial available at the Sheraton Hotel MOE’s Spa. The treatment aims to tighten as well as firm up the skin – you’re able to choose from the bum, boobs or abs. (I chose thighs and bum!) A great way to eliminate toxins and water retention. The spa at the Sheraton MOE is perfect is you want a spa atmosphere around the mall area, but it’s still quite a capsule one – yet straight to the point. I was won over with the heated bed, and was given a bespoke, tailor made massage using citrus essential oils and Rodial’s crash diet treatment using a strong massage with different pressures using hands and knuckles to improve the texture of the skin, appearance and breaks down cellulite, detoxifying, as well as stimulating the body’s circulatory system. Not sure if it was psychological, but I definitely felt smoother and my bum lifted. Decongest skin… with a Bespoke treatment with Rebecca Treston @ Euromed. If you’re someone that regularly works out, you might start breaking out with blemishes on the back or chest where you sweat quite a bit, which causes the bacteria to turn into zits and breakouts. If that’s something you generally have or started to due to the humid weather in the region, my recommendation is to see Rebecca Treston at Euromed. I highly suggest the Pristine treatment, which is also called the Diamond peel followed by the Salicylic Acid peel. The back treatment can be done once, or as a package if it’s something that needs several treatments. To give you an idea, the Diamond Peel is an amazing, non invasive treatment that is a suction to stimulate blood, as well as rejuvenate and remove dead skin cells that can be used to treat a ton of different things from Acne, fine lines all the way to giving your skin a radiant finish. It’s also a great way to deep exfoliate the skin in order to allow the salicylic acid to penetrate and dry out the acne. Being a personal client of Rebecca Treston after falling in love with her treatments, it’s one of those visits that you see results from. After the treatment, I got check up calls to make sure my skin was all ok, great customer service always wins.