Flowers? Minerals? Herbs? Pah. We’re so over them. This year’s beauty treatments take it up a notch, with precious jewels, metals and other ultra-luxe ingredients all set to make you sparkle.
Sisters Lounge’s UMO gold facial
Why gold? Gold is full of minerals and antioxidants that rejuvenate the skin.
The treatment: In case you hadn’t noticed, Abu Dhabi is having a bit of a love affair with gold. You can get it on your dessert or from a vending machine, and it turns out you can also have it smeared on your face. Forget your standard lotions and potions, those in the market for the ultimate beauty treatment should seek out the gold facial at Sisters Lounge. A deep cleansing treatment is recommended before the actual facial, to ensure all the minerals are absorbed. After your face has been cleansed, toned and scrubbed, it is steamed and purged of blackheads. Then, there’s a lymph drainage massage and a 10-minute cold steam before the gold leaf is applied. After a few minutes, a serum is used to break down the gold so the minerals can be absorbed into the skin, before it is sponged off and a moisturising silk serum is applied. Whether it’s the gold, the massage or the thorough cleansing and moisturising, we’re not sure, but you’ll leave the salon with skin that has never felt so soft. A standard facial will never be good enough again.
Dhs2000. Sisters Beauty Lounge, Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Street (02 222 2502).
Changes Salon’s deep cleansing crystal peel
Why crystal? More abrasive than diamonds, and helps the skin produce natural collagen.
The treatment: The crystal facial starts off with a water-based cleanse that leaves your face clear for the crystal peel. This is done with a machine that gently removes all the dead skin from your face, with what feels like a small vacuum. It’s actually tiny crystals rubbing at the surface of the skin, which feels a little harsh at first but the discomfort is short-lived. The rest of the treatment includes a massage, and concludes with a lavender mask. There are no chemicals used, and the peel prompts the skin to produce collagen which helps it revitalise. A bonus of the treatment is the products you apply afterwards will work better.
Dhs350. Changes Hair and Beauty Salon (02 634 1147).
Silkor’s diamond microdermabrasion
Why diamonds? They give a deeper level of exfoliation than ordinary scrubs, because they’re powerful but don’t damage the skin.
The treatment: Don’t stress, you won’t end up looking like that poor chap from Bond movie Die Another Day – no diamonds will be implanted into your face. Instead, the thousands of tiny diamond particles used in the treatment can be found on the tip of a microdermabrasion wand. This is brushed over your skin to remove the top layer of skin – it sounds very harsh, but isn’t painful at all, more like a very thorough scrub. The facial starts with a quick cleanse, before the actual microdermabrasion process begins, which takes less than half an hour. We were warned that our face might look a little red for a few hours afterwards, but ours was fine, partly to due to the soothing mask the therapist applied afterwards. The result? Our skin looked fresher and clearer and felt much softer. Silkor recommends a series of six or more treatments over a few months for a deep effect, but one session is enough to brighten your complexion significantly.
Dhs600. Silkor Laser Hair Removal (02 681 6070).
Color Me Spa’s silver minx manicure
Why silver? This one isn’t real silver, it’s just a shiny metallic sticker…
The treatment: Minx manicures are growing in popularity in Abu Dhabi because of their ultra-shiny, eye-catching appearance. A range of colours and designs are available, but if you opt for gold or silver nails, the effect is like wearing extra jewellery. The manicurist places the stickers on to your fingernails and holds them under a heat lamp before trimming them to fit the right shape. This takes much longer than a conventional nail polish application, as getting the stickers on is pretty fiddly work. It takes around an hour and a half to finish, but at least there’s no waiting around for the paint to dry – as soon as it’s finished you can leave straight away. Minx manicures are great for a really dressy, special occasion because they look dazzlingly good – the metallic shades are very eye-catching, and do actually look like metal rather than a sticker. They’re also more expensive than ordinary manicures, and they don’t last more than a week, but we still think they’re worth it.
Dhs20 per finger, or Dhs180 for a full manicure. Color Me Spa, Khalifa City A (02 556 4557).
Chi, The Spa’s caviar facial
Why caviar? Caviar is particularly appropriate for mature ladies as it helps the skin’s elasticity, and helps it rejuvenate itself.
The treatment: The office was divided about this treatment. Some (the boys) scoffed about smearing fish eggs on your face while others (the girls) thought a caviar facial, as reportedly used by Angelina Jolie and other Hollywood starlets, was the last word in decadence. We can confirm that the girls were right. Chi’s take on the caviar facial is extremely indulgent – a two-hour 15-minute extravaganza of serums, scrubs, masks and moisturisers. The caviar part comes in the form of a lotus pink caviar sheet, which is left on the face for 20 minutes to work in conjunction with a lotus regenerating pearl ointment. It improves skin hydration, elasticity and firmness, while the experience itself in Chi’s beautiful spa makes you feel like a million dirhams.
Dhs900. Chi, The Spa Shangri-La (02 509 8888).
