25 H A R PE R S B A Z A A R . C O M . AU Future Beauty 2016

ACE OF

FACEWe’re all for sharing local knowledge on

TripAdvisor, but when it comes to facials, that’s BAZAAR’s territory. Here, our line-up of the

über-exclusive treatments every woman should experience at least once in a lifetime. By

EugEniE KElly and SophiE BloomfiEld

-ADDRESS BOOK

n her office, in a hidden courtyard near the Place Vendôme, Joëlle Ciocco has her fingers inside my mouth. This is no average facial. And Ciocco is no average facialist, tending as she does to Carine Roitfeld, Sofia Coppola and Monica Bellucci, among others. The Buccal Massage is part of

Ciocco’s Grand Soin treatment, and comprises a series of lifting and stretching movements performed inside the cheek to better access the muscles. “It is very old-fashioned to presume the skin can be improved by applying products alone,” says Ciocco. “Massage gives the muscles tone and oxygenates the skin from within to increase the production of collagen and elastin. It’s like exercising your body. You have to stimulate and boost the circulation in your skin to keep it fresh, plump and young.”

While I’m not in pain, I am finding it hard not to dribble. Equally, I’m struggling with the idea that any facial costs more than $1000. Astronomical price tag aside, I have to admit the results are so impressive they would silence sceptics. My bone structure appears lifted, my skin feels springy and the wrinkles have definitely dimin-ished. So much so that when I venture to meet my editor the same evening, completely bare-faced, she mentions how rested and glowing I look.

In an industry fuelled by technological advances (in products, machines and techniques), it is notable that Ciocco has simply and rather magically used nothing but her hands and a selection of serums and oils.

Ciocco is used to her busy clients questioning the time commitment she prescribes to keep up the routine with facial massage at home — the cumulative benefit of which can be seen in weeks (for example, with improvement to the skin’s microcirculation, helping it

PA R I S

I better absorb, and so benefit from, the richly plumping creams and masks that lend themselves to massage rituals). To this she retorts: “Do you honestly not think you are worth just two minutes — two minutes — twice a day?”

Who knew that lo-fi could be so spectacularly effective?Grand Soin treatment, from $1050, Joëlle Ciocco Centre de Soins

Épidermologue, 8 place de la Madeleine, Paris, joelle-ciocco.com.

ichola Joss is Ciocco’s London-based equiva-lent, renowned for performing the Bespoke Sculpting Inner Facial on an equally A-list clientele (Kate Moss and Cate Blanchett are fans). Sixty minutes of massage with layers

of serums and oils — plus a “rubber gloves on” phase of in-mouth massage to hoist up my cheekbones — mean I’m back to my Parisian standards (see above).

The hands of a celebrity facialist are amazing, but Joss, like Ciocco, believes you can replicate her effects back at home, noting rich plumping creams and masks lend themselves to massage rituals. “You need a good amount of ‘slip’ to massage the skin long enough to get the benefits — oils, balms and heavier textures are best,” says Joss.

Bespoke Sculpting Inner Facial, $485, Nichola Joss. For locations, visit nicholajoss.com.

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Nichola Joss at work.

Clockwise from left: Joëlle Ciocco and her “beauty centre”.

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f whale music and the flitter-flutter of a thera-pist’s fingers sounds like the most blissful way to experience a facial, move along, honey —

there’s nothing to see at Melanie Grant’s chic Double Bay salon. Don’t let the glam white decor and calming vibe lull you into a false sense of Zen — once you enter a treatment room, prepare to accept that Grant’s not leaving a single pore unturned. The skincare doyenne’s fans — Lara Bingle and Delta Goodrem, along with models Shanina Shaik, Nicole Trunfio and Linda Evangelista — obviously decide a tinge of pain is worth the gain.

If you had to pinpoint Grant’s trademark treatment, it would be the laser facial — a mix of IPL, radiofrequency and Nd:Yag laser — customised to your skin’s needs and your treatment stage. “You see me for results,” says Grant. “I love the concept of clinical beauty and I love pushing the bar higher, but we work within strict protocols for each modality. More women are now aware of the ageing effects of skin

tone and clarity. Botox and filler will fix lines, but the result looks unnatural and ‘done’ if you don’t back it up with great skin tone.”

Grant kicks things off with a deep cleanse, then launches the business end of proceedings with the ouch-y correction phase: she selects a laser according to skin type and condition — and no, there’s no danger of dozing off. Step three is a calming and hydrating mask, then you’re whipped under the LED light to improve recovery time, so you exit the premises slightly pink but presentable. And yes, maybe there was a little soothing massage before she sent us off.

The pay-off is skin so bright that people will think you’ve ingested sunbeams — but beauty like this comes at a price. Three to five treatments ($550 each) should dramatically improve tone — that is if you’re fastidious when it comes to SPF, skincare and maintenance treatments (many clients like to have an annual booster).

Grant’s a fan of plant-based, organic ranges but admits results are sometimes not consistent, so she uses these along-side active ingredients such as stem cells and growth factors. And in her own bathroom cabinet? “At home, I love Chanel La Solution 10 and Hydra Beauty Micro Sérum; and Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask is a favourite to plump and restore. Another cult product is the P50 lotion by Biologique Recherche — it prevents congestion and blackheads and really wakes up my skin.”

Understatement of the year: Grant is a busy woman. And as she plans to open a Melbourne salon next month, you should prepare to juggle your schedule to accommodate the odd appointment she has spare. Remember: no pain, no gain.

Custom Laser Facial, from $550, Melanie Grant, melaniegrant.com.

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F“Botox and filler will fix lines, but the result looks unnatural and

‘done’ if you don’t back it

up with great skin tone.”

ADDRESS BOOKMelanie Grant and (right) her Double Bay clinic.

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DNA Facial, $386, spa at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, fourseasons.com/losangeles.

ive years ago, when Hollywood’s most beautiful wanted an overhaul, they fled the city and holed up at the exclusive health retreats populating nearby Malibu, Vista or Ojai. Now it’s just about checking into a Beverly Hills hotel,

ordering from the paleo menu, phoning down-stairs to request some lululemon be sent to your room and getting a Rodeo Drive plastic surgeon on speed dial … one who will come to you.

For those who’d rather not leave their suite, the spa at the Four Seasons Los Angeles has just introduced the DNA Facial, specially designed by leading Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr Ronald Moy. And it’s already become a must-book pre-Grammys, Globes and Oscars.

Forget loading your skin with antioxidants. In Hollywood, it’s all about products containing DNA repair enzymes, which studies reveal can reverse sun damage. So after 20 years of clinical research, Dr Moy has created a skincare range all about stimulating cell renewal and boosting collagen production.

The 60-minute session centres on Dr Moy’s OxyGeneo+ machine, which delivers a cleanse, a gentle exfoliation, an infusion of nutrients (via an ultrasound device) and a natural skin oxygenation (to ensure the absorption of ingredients).

Overfilled A-lister faces may give Beverly Hills doctors a bad rep, but Dr Moy’s history as a scientist, researcher, derma-tologist and surgeon means his skincare line is switching the focus to repairing, plumping and hydrating skin. The pay-off is a rested, glowing complexion.

26 H A R PE R S B A Z A A R . C O M . AU Future Beauty 2016