Fittingly, it all began in the Zen room. Sitting in a comfortable chair with low lighting, I enjoyed that sense of excitement and anticipation you get when you know you are in for a treat and they don’t come better than a 90 minute facial.
With the chaos of the last two years, I’ve concluded that we all need to spoil ourselves more often and faced with the choice between a massage or a facial, I always choose the latter. Facials serve a dual purpose because they are incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating for your skin at the same time.
The Darling Spa at The Star Sydney is one of the oldest and most luxurious spas in Sydney and it’s the ideal place to pamper yourself.
After the Zen room comes the unusually large treatment room. Dressed in a caramel coloured terry towelling dressing robe, I follow my therapist Anna down a long corridor to the treatment room. She then swaddles me in warm towels and wraps my hair so she can concentrate on my face.
After discussing my health and skin condition and needs, Anna talks about the beautiful BABOR products she is about to use on my face. BABOR, she says, is the ‘top beauty product in Europe’. The skincare company and the Darling Spa recently developed a brand-new range of luxurious facials and massages designed to leave guests with glowing skin, and an enhanced feeling of inner peace. There’s plenty to choose including the Vital Energy Treatment (75 minutes) which concentrates on the hands, feet and head and the Darling Cleanformance Facial (60 minutes ) which is a vegan facial treatment using probiotics and the antioxidant benefits of red maple extract and the Darling Signature Reversive Facial (90 minutes).
I choose the Signature Facial which aims to combat the most visible signs of skin aging such as wrinkles, loss of elasticity, tired and dull skin in need of regeneration.
And yes, after being in lockdown for much of the last two years, my skin has suffered from many of my healthy routines falling to the wayside. So do I yearn for the promise of a youthful complexion? Yes please.
Anna has magical hands and even the first touch on my face sends me into such a deep feeling of relaxation I’m worried I am going to fall asleep. Anna cleans my face with smooth, rhythmic strokes and also works on my decolletage arms and head.
My skin quickly soaks up the goodness from the BABOR products. After Anna applies the mask, she spends 40 minutes massaging my face, arms, and head in what is unadulterated pampering.
Then, she applies the serum, eye cream and face cream and my face is feeling plump and hydrated.
It was pampering at its best and I walked out of the Spa feeling totally rejuvenated. While floated out of the spa, you can also stay on and make an afternoon of it by using the steam room, Jacuzzi, heated Moroccan Hammam chamber or outdoor swimming pool on level 5 of The Darling Hotel which is open for spa guests to use.
All in all, the facial was the perfect antidote to the stress we’ve all been experiencing and it was a totally enriching experience that I’d happily enjoy all over again.
For more information on The Darling Spa’s newest treatments and to make a booking, please visit: https://www.star.com.au/sydney/hotels-and-spa/the-darling/spa
