A pocket of serenity: salon treatments

“Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.”
- Marion C. Garretty

When your mother gave you life she gave you the greatest gift of all. In that light, singling out just one day to celebrate her seems a rather paltry offering in return. But seeing as we do have Mother’s Day marked out on our calendars especially for ‘her’, it behooves us all to make the most of it. Sure, you could give her fragrance or a little bauble as a token of your appreciation and love. But why not really celebrate all she means to you by giving her something she’ll not only treasure (because of the thought you put into it) but will also reap health and beauty rewards from. A beauty treatment, like the ones we’ve tried and tested, will give her serenity, mental and muscular relaxation, and improve the tone and condition of her skin. For busy women it’s a chance to switch off and replenish their energy resources. These luxury treatments by Decleor and La Prairie incorporate some of the best techniques and most exquisite pampering procedures on the market – and your mum is sure to love them.

Salon La Prairie

The Art of Beauty has set up shop at David Jones’ Elizabeth St store in Sydney, with the salon positioned discreetly behind the counter, like a carefully guarded beauty secret. The salon claims to combine Swiss science with all the luxury and pampering of traditional beauty therapy. Before I went into the room, Ella, the friendly consultant, asked me to sit in a white leather-upholstered chair, while she quizzed me as to the condition of my skin. After a quick assessment, she decided I would benefit most from The Cellular Purifying Treatment, advising that “This will deep cleanse, remove impurities and balance uneven tone”. As someone who suffers from the odd bout of acne and is forever struggling with the effects of oil and free radicals, her prescription sounded good to me.

Entering the cabin, I was greeted with a most inviting sight - a bed laden with a thick duvet, set in the middle of an oval room drenched in light. Ella helped me get under the duck down duvet, where at once I felt warm and comfortable. She gently removed my eye make-up and cleansed my face, neck and décolletage with Purifying Gelee, followed by Cellular Purifying Dual Phase Toner. Ella then diagnosed my naked skin and exfoliated with Cellular Balancing Mask, which she allowed to set for 10 minutes.  While the mask was acting on my skin she took one arm out from its warm burrow and smoothed on Essential Exfoliator, rubbing it in circular motions and finishing with Cellular Refining Lotion. She then removed the mask and applied a lip treatment to my mouth, to avoid dehydration under the steamer.

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