Despite how this sounds, it is not a facial for your feet or a pedicure for your face, but both at the same time. It makes sense in a city that moves as fast as Hong Kong: with 10-hour working days as standard and overtime expected, people have less time than ever to spend on themselves and often forget about the all-important “me-time” that lets us reset and take stock of ourselves. The Oriental Spa at Landmark Mandarin Oriental has created a 60-minute therapy that gives you time-efficiency, medical benefits and a bit of emotionally gratifying pampering all in one go.
The Facial
The facial fuses together traditional holistic methods of cleansing and moisturising along with more modern techniques: using oxygenation technology from German brand SEYO, the facial provides a ‘face lift’ without the surgery by stimulating collagen production and reoxygenating the skin for a healthy and youthful glow.
Starting off as most facials do, the therapist began with a double cleanse, before using three sapphire-tipped instruments for micro-dermabrasion to remove dead skin cells. Applying a cool serum to my face, I was then informed we would begin the SEYO therapy.
The oxygenating technology appears is utilised in the form of SEYO’s Transdermal Application (TDA) treatment. This helps the active moisturising serums applied to the skin absorb more deeply than traditional facial methods and promises to regenerate cells and tissues, combat oxygen deficiency (or hypoxia), and increase the skin’s luminosity, texture and hydration. While it’s certainly cold (and noisy), the treatment is pain and touch-free, and the effects were immediately obvious with increased glow and softness. I expected, as with most facials, the effects to wear off after a few days, or even a few hours: however, I found my skin quality actually improved over the following weeks and remains more hydrated and fresher looking. As someone who has struggled with eczema for her entire life, I’m surprised to find a therapy that actually delivers on deep skin hydration but this facial delivers on the promise of helping with dull and damaged skin.
The Pedicure
The Oriental Spa features a range of signature treatments from the award-winning French podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez, the ‘New You’ employs his BGA pedicure which provides medical as well as aesthetic benefits to your nails and feet. Gonzalez’s technique is all about natural beauty: there’s no soaking or bathing with this treatment, and no nail polish either.
The treatment begins with cleaning the nails and removing old nail polish, after which the nails are buffed to remove discolouration. I was advised by my pedicurist to leave my nails ‘naked’ for a few days to allow them to heal and rejuvenate from constant nail varnish.
The removal of dead skin and foot buffing was not pleasant but nor was it uncomfortable – I have very ticklish feet but found that the facial was distraction enough that I didn’t notice most of it. While I spied a whole host of tools on the tray to begin with and was walked through the process beforehand, I couldn’t discern what was being used when – which is maybe better when someone has scalpels and drills to remove your hard skin and callouses.
The pedicure included the reshaping and polishing of the toenails, and this was very evident after the treatment: my feet have never looked or felt so healthy. The treatment left the souls of my feet feeling incredibly soft, and the nails were so shiny that I wasn’t tempted to rush home and cover them in nail varnish for the first time in my life.
Results
The treatment was finished with a gentle foot and calf massage, and a hand and shoulder massage. Having the two treatments given in tandem is incredibly time efficient and the use of advanced wellness technology gives this pedi-facial essential medical benefits, making this the perfect therapy for the health-savvy busy businessperson or multi-tasking entrepreneur, but the massage at the end stops the treatment from feeling too clinical. While the majority of the therapy is focussed on personal upkeep – literally making sure you’re putting your best face and foot forward as you step out the door – the setting of The Oriental Spa and the addition of the massages means you leave feeling refreshed mentally as well.
This 60-minute therapy is the ideal solution to those looking to pack a lot of medically and aesthetically beneficial me-time into a short space – and with the location of The Oriental Spa being so Central, there’s no reason not to book in for a quick lunch-time or post-work treat.
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