Skincare: Attracta Courtney
Photo: TBC
I was going over my professional archive of work over the last few days, when I came across this picture that I worked on, it made me ask the question when did skincare become so in vogue?. There was a time when skin was rarely spoken about, on shoots it was quickly covered over with lots of heavy foundation, its primary purpose to serve as a canvas for makeup application. Those days are thankfully part of history, skincare today IS the new buzzword - people more than ever are seeking out to find the best world Spa, facial of skincare guru to visit. I believe that great skincare maintenance is better than any expensive heavy coverage foundation because you will see long lasting results and there is nothing as great as that natural healthy skin glow that is present when skin is well nourished and cared for.
I have always been very passionate about my skincare maintenance as I recognise it is vitally important to how I feel. I have interviewed many leading skin care experts and people behind exclusive brands in the past; curious to identify what makes a great skin care product or therapist successful. I came to the conclusion, what makes a treatment or therapist special is that they are passionate and totally believe in their product's benefits which then transfers over to their client's skincare wellbeing. As an former health care professional I understand how necessary it is to listen to the voice of our skin where all answers reside to inform us about our health. Skin is not only the largest organ of our body with numerous life enhancing functions, but also one of the most important organs to aid detoxification in our body. When skin looks and feels great you equally look and feel great. The benefits of a great facial massage and treatment ideally rebalances the energy and moisture in the skin, the firm strokes reawakens and revitalises all the muscles in the face, neck, décolletage and shoulders to release underlying tension that can interfere with the natural beauty of the face.
I am a big fan of non-invasive facials particularly when the therapist incorporates lots of unique massage techniques. I deeply relax when I have a treatment which incorporates facial exercises, to tone and improve muscular & cellular energy and flexibility. I had a Masterlift treatment with Marie Reynolds at Fortnum & Masons in London earlier this year. Marie is without a doubt a very knowledgeable skincare health guru, passionate about intelligent informed beauty. The Masterlift facial focuses on the philosophy of ageing beautifully alongside coaxing the skin to heal, tone and awaken. The day I had my facial my skin was not looking great, I was delighted to enter into the cocoon of tranquility that being in the same room as Marie evokes. My skin felt tender and looked tired, I was happy to surrender into the hands of an experienced expert. After an initial skin & health analysis to include looking at the soles of my feet, Marie deeply cleansed my face gently exfoliating away dead skin cells, then followed this with the application of a soothing botanical mask to nourish and soothe my skin alongside a short session of red light therapy to promote healing, the treatment ended after a rich serum and mosituriser was applied to balance the hydration of my skin. When I looked in the mirror to see my face, a moment I think we all secretly wish to avoid immediately after a treatment, I was relieved to see that the redness where the irritation had occurred had lessened, my complexion looked toned, and fresher. During the treatment I had a great opportunity to talk with Marie about her philosophy on skin ageing, we arrived at the conclusion that it is inevitable no matter what treatment or product one uses, skin will age, it's the normal ageing process, however we can assist this normal process in a very positive way by taking responsiblity to seek out key experts and skin care regimes that work best for the health and maintenance of your unique skin type.