Facial at Halls of Ivy

"I'm gonna flush out and cover up every hiding place so he has to come out. Cruel? Sounds like I'm doing him a favour and being his publicist FOC!" - I love the stuff I come up with

I had a facial session booked at a place I have been passing by recently. I didn't notice it before and it turns out they're only a year old. It's called Halls of Ivy and it is a beauty parlour as well as a beauty academy. BBC 3 awarded the parlour/owner 1st runner up Beautician of the Year...

So, I was going through their service and price list and they have a 1 hour Monu Aromatic Facial session for £35  which, I thought, wasn't too bad a price. They are opened all week except Monday, so it had to be done today.

I showed up pretty much on time but they thought I was late as the girl booked my appointment 30 minutes earlier. They were nice about it, though.

My yardstick to any facials I get is: Aster Spring: Origin of Beauty in Malaysia. Price also compare la.

The place looked quite nice la but not spa-ish. Looks more like how someone would decorate a house in a modern punya English-type decoration i.e. one wall with a fancy coloured wall paper, a radio, a nice cupboard with decorative flower-candles, their table and no wash basin in the room. Should have taken photo! But you can see it here.

The bed was like one of those beds with a hole where you can put the face but they've covered it with a rather furry decorative towel. I doubt it is washed everyday cos they just line it with tissue like they do on hospital out-patient couches. No pillow under your knees. No towel to cover you when you get cold but the bed was heated la, thank god. So, I was thinking, is it cheaper to wash towels or heat a bed?

Then, they will get you to undress in private but the towel is probably at most 50cm long. I am not that tiny but neither am I fat; I couldn't wrap it around my chest. It was really weird la. Imagine the fat lady with tetek besar; she'd be lucky if the towel just about reached each nipple medially. Worse was when she later gave me the head band to put in myself so I mess up my hair instead of them (shifting responsibility at the next level). I was already using my upper arms to hold the little towel down. How do I do this without the towel dropping? A gay man might have bluffed me into think I had a solid relationship but luckily I not so stupid, lie down and put it on.

So everything was pretty much standard la. Wash, exfoliate, mask, massage, tone and moisturize.

The good:
1) Excellent application of each product. Every time was a massage. Her fingers were always warm! Her touch was like a fairy's. So smooth. So relaxing I was almost in dreamland
2) Offer me water
3) Don't have to omong-kosong too much
4) The price isn't too bad.

The not-so-good:
1) No steamer and steaming
2) No extractions
3) No towel but got heated bed
4) Just under one-hour. More like 45 minutes
5) I doubt the product is not tailored to the skin. And, not very aromatic for an aromatic facial. After five-hours, my skin felt dry and if I didn't top-up my own, I think it will become oily too. I have combination skin.

Verdict:
I think it was OK la. Three stars. I don't think, even after three sessions, my face would have that glow I get when I go to Aster Spring. I would go back to the place but not do the same facial (this is their only one-hour facial) again. Will want to try the microdermabrasion to see if I can get rid of some of my acne scars. :-(