First class facials
Abu Dhabi Week warms to the idea of a facial
Facials aren’t really on our regular must-do beauty agenda, but with the rising heat outside versus the rising air-con indoors, our skin’s looking a little less than perfect. Luckily, we’ve found the cure to dull and dry skin at the hands of Oriental Spa and Fitness.
Like most of the independent spas and beauty spots dotted around Abu Dhabi, Oriental is tucked discreetly away at the side of a residential street (in Khalidiya). From the outside you could be forgiven for missing it altogether.
Step inside however and there’s no mistaking that the renovated villa is a popular skin-care sanctuary and home for general well-being. There’s not a chipped nail or stray hair in sight on any of the staff and every female leaving the spa seems to be glowing –I want whatever they’ve had! Signing myself up for some rest and recovery, I’m whiskedoff to resolve my skin dilemmas with an Algomega Warm Treatment.
I always feel the need to apologise when my face is under inspection. I almost wince as my make-up is smoothly removed. However, my beautician has obviously seen it all before and doesn’t even squeal at my larger-than life pores while she preps and massages my skin with a cooling lotion before placing hot flannels over my face (to increase my pores to monstrous proportions).
There’s a slight similarity to being in the dentist’s chair as a harsh light is turned on and directed over my skin as my imperfections are scrutinised and squeezed (yes, really) with some precision.
Thankfully, the light is switched off again as the beautician busies around grinding up fresh ingredients which are then pasted over my face. Despite the explicit name of the treatment, I’m still surprised to feel the warm tingle of the paste as it’s spread on.
All that’s left for me to do then is lie back and wait for twenty minutes while hopefully miracles work beneath the warm cream.
I’m actually woken up twenty minutes later – the warmth of the cream and the calm surroundings having relaxed me into a slumber. The paste has now turned into a mask and it’s lightly peeled away from my skin. A few more sweeping strokes of moisturising lotion and the treatment is complete. I’m assured that within a few days, my existing imperfections will have gone.
Despite looking a bit of a state when I leave the spa – having had my hair scraped back from my face and wearing no make-up whatsoever – my skin does look and feel good. And as the beautician promised, I note my skin’s improvement a few days down the line: my blemishes have vanished, and my skin appears to look healthier and feel softer. Not only am I convinced that a facial at Oriental will become a regular beauty routine, but I may actually look after my skin a little better now it’s been given a new lease of life ...
What? Oriental Spa and Fitness
Where? Khalidiya
How much? Facials from AED 300
Why? It’ll make you quit some of
your beauty sins
Why not? Best to do this one at the end of the day – going back to work au natural and slightly pink is not a good look …
Rated:
Contact: 02 665 5707
[Writer] Charlie Kennedy
[Originally published in Abu Dhabi Week vol 2 issue 19]
