I would be the first to raise my hand at the Francophile’s Anonymous club, declaring my love for the Eiffel Tower and the feeling of joy while wandering the streets of Paris – not to mention macaroons. Understandably then, I was excited to receive an invitation to experience the skincare expertise of Christine Clais, aptly known as ‘The French Facialist’.
With her Prahran-based rooms discreetly tucked away upstairs (and next to a divine millinery store perfect for post-facial browsing) you’re transported straight to France, surrounded by gorgeous French chic style white furniture, beautifully framed prints of Paris and gorgeously upholstered armchairs I wanted to pick up and cart home for myself.
Christine was just as warm and inviting as her décor, with a delightful French accent to top off the experience. Her 20 years of experience in the skincare industry certainly shone through as she shared some of her knowledge and philosophies surrounding anti-aging, skincare ingredients and regimes.
I was there to experience Christine’s ‘Signature Facial’, which turned out to be 90 minutes of the most decadent, relaxing facial that also included a myriad of techniques and treatments. Not only did it cover your basic ‘facial’ schedule of cleanse, exfoliate, mask, but it also added in treatments usually considered stand alone extras, like the light therapy treatment Omnilux. It went above and beyond with a scalp, face, hand and foot massage – simply heavenly and definitely not your standard facial inclusions!
Christine explained that her philosophy for facial treatments is integrating the relaxing, smell and feel-good facials with the prioritised, results-based treatments. Why should targeted treatments miss out on the lovely facial rituals? As someone who struggled with some late onset skin problems in her early twenties, I applaud her stance. Most of my treatments were on the harsher end of the scale – peels, extractions, microdermabrasion – and I always wished that for once I could have a ‘normal’ facial and come out feeling relaxed and pampered.
With Christine’s Signature Facial, that’s exactly how I felt, and more. Her wealth of knowledge was evident as she explained each process of the seemingly never-ending luxe facial, and why she was treating my skin this way. Her diagnosis was that after a couple of years of trying to reign in those pesky pimples, I needed to start nurturing my skin with extra oils and moisture, rather than continuing to try and take away.
The Signature Facial ticked both boxes; pampering and effective facial that gets results in both your skin and wellbeing – the perfect facial!
For more information, visit www.thefrenchfacialist.com | By appointment only: 0410 556 557
