An essential part of embracing seasonal change is sloughing away the dulling effects that winter has imparted on our sad-looking skin (blame the colder climate and a lack of vitamin D). If we want to emerge into the new season looking (and feeling) fresh and rejuvenated, it is to the experts that we must turn — experts who prove time and time again the miracles they can perform with rigorous massage, cleverly-layered products and handy tools.
For that reason alone (although we really could find any excuse to justify a facial), we have decided to round up all the best, glow-giving facials in Auckland, in the hope of delivering some insider’s intel on what your skin actually needs this spring. Because after a season of sitting under a heat pump, or having your face whipped by the wind on your way to work, your skin deserves some TLC, and these are the treatments to deliver exactly that and then some.
LED Light Boot Camp at East Day Spa
Nothing restores and renews the skin quite like concentrated LED light treatments (salon-quality LED, mind you), and there is irrefutable scientific evidence to prove it as well. Spring is the time we’re all about harnessing these rejuvenating treatments to inspire a new glow worthy of the season. East Day Spa knows this too, and as such, is offering a facial boot camp treatment that we’re obsessed with — three treatments over a week to relaunch your complexion. If you have a big event in the months ahead, the 28-day program is a completely transformative experience, and we couldn’t recommend it more.
ProCalm 60 at Skintopia
Celebrating the shift of Skintopia to its new Herne Bay address, a suite of new Dermalogica treatments have been specifically designed to address skin of every concern. Under the guidance of Morgan and her wealth of knowledge, opt for the ProCalm 60 to shake off your winter shell and rehydrate any impaired barriers. Each treatment is slightly tailored and moves through three phases, including the employment of LED lights, relaxing massages and most importantly, deep, long-lasting hydration.
Augustinus Bader Methode 120 at Spring Spa
Designed as a head-to-toe treatment, this facial morphs into a whole-body experience, with the welcome use of cult-favourite Augustinus Bader products that replenish tired complexions and deliver unparalleled hydration and rejuvenation. Bringing together a rigorous body brush and massage, using The Body Oil and The Body Cream, and a premium 75-minute facial with a combination of aloe vera, antioxidants, amino acids and Vitamin A, B and C, with a relaxing fascia massage and LED light — this treatment truly is the ultimate seasonal indulgence.
Buccal Massage at Skinography
Nothing uplifts the face or leaves us feeling taut and about five years younger than this unique facial. Designed to get into every crevice and muscle of the face, the buccal massage is similar in nature to Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), as it helps to move stagnant lymphatic systems and any associated puffiness away from the face. Specially-trained facialist Kate Michelmore (one of the only practitioners in New Zealand qualified to deliver this technique) will treat your face to a rigorous massage using repetitive strokes that awaken and lift your muscles and get rid of tension (particularly in the jaw and cheeks). We like to see this treatment as a ‘summer shred’ for your face because of the way it results in a noticeably slimmed-down and glowing visage. And while this is the perfect pre-event treatment, its effects are far more long-lasting when undertaken regularly.
Super Greens Algae Hydrojelly Mask at Society
There’s a reason we fill our spring diets with delicious greens — they’re some of the most alkalising foods available, which help to ‘detox’ your body for summer. Of course, the same principles can be applied to skincare, and we gladly embrace any facials that incorporate greens into their process. Grey Lynn hair and beauty salon, Society, has garnered something of a cult following for their pretty hydrojelly masks, which look as beautiful as they feel. The super greens algae version is a sumptuous yet powerful treatment to book into for spring.
Deep Cleansing Facial at Tonic Room
Tonic Room’s most beloved facial has been conceived with the intention of drawing those deep impurities from the layers of your skin to resurface an effortless, natural beauty for the summer months ahead. Dubbed ‘the ultimate skin transformation’, this facial is designed to eliminate the skin’s toxic load and restore its natural physiological functions with the considered use of the finest organic, naturally active botanical products. Be sure to follow it with Tonic Room’s signature massage and reiki experience for utter relaxation.
Sothy’s Micro Dermobooster Treatment at Exhibit Beauty
It has been said that summer skin is made in winter, but there is still time for it to be made in spring too. The innovative new treatment from Sothy’s, conducted at Epsom’s Exhibit Beauty, is the kind of experience that transforms your skin for the better. Offering a trifecta of aesthetic microdermabrasion, controlled cosmetic microneedling, and a modelling massage, over six weekly treatments — the results are actually noticeable and long-lasting. Our Editor-in-chief confessed that she would do it again in a heartbeat, should she find the time in her self-care schedule. After reading about her experience, we’re inclined to embark on the process ourselves.
The Supernatural Emma Lewisham Facial at The Facialist
With another focus on massage, The Facialist has joined with Emma Lewisham to offer a treatment that beauty aficionados can’t stop talking about. Reducing puffiness by adopting The Facialist’s signature massage technique and rehydrating through Emma Lewisham’s Supernatural Sleeping Mask and Skin Reset Serum, this facial offers a holistic approach in every way.
