Time Out For Mum

The Young Parents team tries two new pampering services for busy mums.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The Young Parents team tries two new pampering services for busy mums.

My Reading Room

COLD COMFORT FOR THE SKIN

I have a cabinet filled with skincare products, but there’s nothing like having a skilled therapist to pamper my skin.

I was looking for a facial treatment to deeply hydrate and perk up my tired skin when I chanced upon Art by Verita, the medispa arm of The Wellness Clinic. The treatments and procedures here are said to be designed by certified doctors.

Its signature facial treatment, Cryolift Correct Hydra Facial Therapy, sounded like what my sensitive skin needed, so I gave it a shot.

How it worked: After thorough cleansing and toning, my therapist, Rosabel, gently extracted blackheads to improve congested skin before applying skin-friendly acids.

Next, it was time for a cryotherapy session and she prepped me for the 

COLOUR ME ASH BROWN

I don’t have time for a full face of makeup on most days. I just want to look as if I’ve had enough sleep when I haven’t.

What always helps perk up my look, though, is nice hair colour. But for the longest time I’d been playing it safe with just a single hue.

So, I jumped at the chance to try L’Oreal Professionnel’s new Ash Brown Bayalage collection, which was launched in collaboration with Belgium chocolate brand Godiva.

French bayalage is a technique dating back to the 1970s, where colour is handpainted on and looks multidimensional. It’s also said to allow colour change without the high maintenance and strong regrowth lines of traditional highlights.

The process is simple and fun. Choose coldness that came with it. Rosabel showed me a circular metal rod applicator which would help cool down the skin rapidly to about minus 10 deg C. It was bearable, thankfully, as the applicator stays on each area of my skin for only a few seconds.

The cold helps skin absorb the serum used during this process faster and a Godiva-inspired base shade (dark, cocoa or creme), then select a colour blend from a range of metallics. Finally, pick a third colour if you wish. My stylist, Enda, from NK Hairworks, deftly worked the various hues in – some parts of my hair were bleached to get the lighter shades.

Three hours later, I had celebrity mum hair – gorgeous from any angle. And it didn’t look dry, either, thanks to the Smartbond system used during the colouring process to strengthen hair fibre bonds.

The Ash Brown Bayalage process is available at participating salons such as LeeKaJa Beauty Salon. Prices vary, but at NK Hairworks, for instance, you can expect to pay about $250 to $300. VISIT www.tinyurl.com/AshBrownBayalage for a list of participating salons. – Stephanie soothes inflammation. When she passed me a mirror, I could immediately see that my complexion was brighter and firmer.

A gentle face massage, followed by a cooling mask, rounded up the 75-minute treatment. This costs $210, and you can also opt for a 90-minute version, which includes the neck, for $270.

VISIT www.artbyverita.com. – Elisa

My Reading Room
My Reading Room