Decleor Facial Pilates at Intu Metrocentre

Decleor is a brand known for having its finger on the pulse when it comes to plant based skincare, with its rich, aromatic oils, products from Decleor’s skin specific ranges are something of a treat for parched skin.  As well as home use skincare, Decleor have a full suite of salon treatments to really get deep into the skin and nourish it from the outside in.  Yes, you’re probably thinking “I know all this.” But did you know that there’s a dedicated suite of beauty rooms hidden in House of Fraser at Intu Metrocentre that eliminate all background noise to make you feel a million miles from the hustle of the shopping mall?  Then read on Voyeurs…..

Decleor have just introduced their brand new Facial Pilates treatment to the market and it’s as weird as it sounds; think of it as a deep tissue massage for the face focussing on the contours of the brow bone, cheekbones and jaw.  It’s an intense facial that got me just a little bit excited.

I like my massages like I like my guys, rough and ready so when I was invited to try out Facial Pilates at House of Fraser, Intu Metrocentre, I jumped at the chance.  I met Decleor Therapist Karen on counter and she took me to the dedicated Decleor beauty room at the back of the store.  With soft lighting and even softer music it’s a super relaxing environment.  I strip to my waist and lie face down for Decleor’s famous diagnostic back massage that helps to flag up any potential issues to your Therapist.  You all know I’ve recently had surgery so it was no surprise that mine flagged up a sluggish system and dehydration.

Once we’re ready to start, Karen prepares my face for the treatment with a double cleanse and hot cloth exfoliation to remove any dead surface cells, afterwards I’m treated to lashings of Magnolia Night Balm to lubricate the skin ahead of the Facial Pilates Treatment.

To say the treatment is weird is an understatement, however it’s something I really enjoyed.  I was warned in advance that there are some areas of the face which may feel painful during and after the treatment as the purpose of the treatment is to lift and stretch facial muscles in order to plump out the skin.  Personally?  I didn’t find it painful at all, in fact I found it very pleasant and found myself drifting off a few times.  The steady petrissage movements on the forehead are deeply relaxing and the effleurage motion across the cheekbones almost sends me into a trance.  There are lots of repetitive motions during this part of the treatment to not only elongate the facial muscles but to drive the balm deep into the dermis.  That’s another thing to note about Decleor, because of the concentration of pure, microfine essential oils, the rich fragrances you experience throughout the treatment are divine, and definitely aid relaxation.

Once this part of the treatment is complete, an Energy Youth Concentrate mask is applied which is massaged deep into the skin with similar, but less intense movements.  After ten minutes of massage it’s removed from the skin and a skin specific moisturiser is applied.

You’re encouraged to take a before and after picture when you have Facial Pilates so that you can actually see the effects of the massage.  We all know about Caci and other mechanical anti aging facial treatments, but Decleor’s Facial Pilates is the first of its kind in that it’s all manual, the lift and visible skin plumping effect are produced by deep massage alone.  (Sidebar, I’m aware this makes me look like I have a serious head injury – I haven’t)

When we’re done, I’m given the mirror to check over my skin and the first thing I notice is the radiance.  Well, not strictly true – before I even look in the mirror I’m aware of how absolutely exhausted I feel and ready for sleep – when I look closer I can see there’s visible fullness and definite plumpness to the skin, the apples of my cheeks look full and rosy and my face feels supple.

 

When I get home, I ask Bo if he can see a difference – he can’t – but I notice that for the rest of the day I feel more aware of my cheekbones, as if they’re sitting a centimetre or two higher and I yawn constantly until my head hits the pillow – anything that winds me down like that is a winner in my book.

Intrigued about Facial Pilates?  Well the only stinger is the price.  It’s a whopping £75 for this 60 minute facial, but to sweeten the deal throughout the month of May Voyeurs, House of Fraser have a pretty damn good offer on that’s worth checking out:  Book in for Facial Pilates on counter with a £50 deposit, the remaining balance is payable on the day of the treatment and the full value of the Facial is redeemable against any two anti ageing products.  If you’re already a fan or a client of Decleor, that’s a pretty neat little offer that bags you a free facial with visible results and you can’t grumble at that, can you Voyeurs?

Pixie xo