Facial o’clock: La Prairie Switzerland

It is finally April and for the lot of you it means spring. Here in Dubai, it usually means that the chillier months are over and the heat is starting to return. Soon enough we will have such warm climate that spending time outside is not something to look forward to! But right now, we are experiencing a period of rain and thunder. For someone who has grown up with all four seasons, this climate is very welcomed. I love the rain, the dark skies over the shore line and I use the time to light candles and pamper myself a little bit extra. This weather suits my mood of comfort and relaxation.

Last week, I had the huge privilege to be invited to a facial by highly renowned La Prairie Switzerland. They have the most exquisite SPA located in the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa. I however was scheduled to have an appointment with their National Trainer Ms. Tina and we met early one morning at La Prairie’s own beauty facilities inside of Bloomingdales’s Dubai.

I can honestly say that the brand is quite new to me. Not in the sense that I’ve known about it for years and passed by the counters a lot, but I’ve always associated it with anti-ageing and maybe products for people over 40 and with me still being in the early ’30s, I haven’t really invested in it yet. That, and I’ve always known that this is the Rolls Royce of skincare: it is expensive, high-tech and very precious. Do I need to say how thrilled I was to be offered a real chance to get to know the brand?  

La Prairie started as a clinic in Montreux, Switzerland in 1931. It was known as the destination for the high society and royals when they wanted to escape and indulge in pioneering skincare therapies. For almost a century, the laboratories of La Prairie has been developing ground breaking formulas where science and rare natural materials have combined. To many of us, they are well known for their skin caviar series and the lifting properties of the range. The brand is well loved, established and respected and holds some of the finest patented ingredients such as Exclusive Cellular complex, which can be found throughout the range.

Over to my treatment. As said, I was lucky enough to get it done by Tina. This amazing lady has been in the business (and in Dubai) for longer than most, she is sassy and beautiful, sharp and very well composed. You meet her and she immediately wins your respect and admiration. Smiling, knowingly, so beautiful and super efficient. This is a girl-crush! I fell completley in love. When I got to understand that she is both educated in SPA Management and holds the CIDESCO diploma, my day was made. I love education and always look up to people who’s taken the time to educate themselves in something that they burn for. Tina, as the national trainer, now uses her time to educate all staff within the company and when I asked around, people had only great things to say about her. She makes people engaged in skincare.

I might as well start with the verdict: this was an 11 out of 10 kind of treatment for me. I believe she and the products used ticked all my boxes. Let me tell you what exactly made it such a remarkable experience:

Greeting: I had my appointment scheduled for 10.00am. 10 sharp everyone stood ready to great me. I was offered tea, coffee or cold beverages and served some delicious (branded) pralines made by Patchi. Already there I could taste the luxury. We sat down and I got to fill in a neat client form and a full face chart. No stress and I felt that I got a chance to really explain my skin, my expectations and have someone take a good look at my complexion. Tina and her colleague Arlene then put together a custom-made setup of products and brought it into the treatment room.

Facilities: La Prairie holds their own exclusive treatment salon inside the beauty floor and it is like stepping into a luxurious version of a clinic. It is white, glass and steel all over, the lighting is lush and the decoration gorgeous and branded. Even the trays that carries all products have logos. Everything felt so clean and the temperature was comfortable. The room was filled with a nice scent and some soft, relaxing music and as I laid down on the bed I was covered with thick soft flannels of really nice quality. If I wouldn’t have been so excited, I might just have fallen asleep!

As most of us have had a facial, we know pretty much what steps will be taken. I will not give you all the details but only tell you some highlights:

Treatment: I was very impressed with the signature Eye massage. I think it’s the first time that a therapist has focused so extensively on the skin around my eyes, of the pressure points and the blood circulation. All trough the treatment, I felt that this was key: TIME. Each part of the face and each delicate product got plenty of time. Tina didn’t stress, it was not at all like I could feel her counting to 10 strokes and then be done with it. I was almost like she felt in her hands, when my skin had reached the state she wanted it to be in, the heat, firmness or moist. She could read me as a client and quickly understood that I prefer firm hands and movements. During the whole treatment I felt she was there, but never heard or sense her in the room. Super efficient work, quiet movements and focus. The products melted.

I really appreciated the attention to my neck and bust area; La Prairie emphasise to keep it all looking ageless and firm. It is not only about your upper face, everything hangs together. When the products needed extra time to work their magic, some hand- and arm massage was very welcomed as it wasn’t just some strokes but a series of circular motions up against the heart for maximum blood circulation.

Products: I think that with good knowledge comes creativity. Many skincare specialists without formal education only know to repeat the brand’s marketing facts and if you ask additional questions then the tricky part begins. Tina seemed to have so much fun mixing and matching from all La Prairie’s lines to create the best setup for my skin. She didn’t just push for the most expensive series, but actually used the White Caviar system on me and also, as she saw how my skin reacted and how dehydrated it was, changed her mind on some products and recommended an alternative. I think that is classy, to know all the products full potential and how to best layer them. Very early in the treatment, I fell for the Cellular Mineral Face Exfoliator as I almost never like manual exfoliation. They are often to harsh for me and I do not enjoy the though of some small grains of plastic being flushed out into our eco-system. But in this brilliant and oh so luxurious product the exfoliation properties comes from finely-granulated diamond powder, quartz, tourmaline and meteorite dust! If anyone wonders about why the products are expensive, just look at the ingredient list and smile. I didn’t mind a bit to have diamond powder, rare roses, white caviar and other gems caressing my skin! In fact, I need to make a wish to Santa for the whole setup…

The whole experience was class and comfort, science and luxury all together and before leaving I was gifted a generous bag with a La Prairie candle (oh we love candles here) some deluxe samples and pralines. To really make the experience something extra, La Prairie had teamed up with my beloved Burberry to offer a makeover of makeup consultation! This actually really impressed me, when two so different brands decide to work together to enhance the experience. Sometimes, as a customer, one can feel the tension between different brands as they compete for their sale, but this was just so extraordinary and sweet. I had such a wonderful morning and really really encourage you all to learn more about the brand and visit a La Prairie counter or SPA venue! It is so worth the splurge ♥

A huge Thank You to Tina and the Bloomies Management for having me. I’m beyond grateful for the experience.