As you might be aware, this blog isn't really a male beauty blog. I'm a lad who likes to care for his appearance - I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with my hair, but you won't find me buying moisturisers and face serums over the counter. But, after a long five days out in the sun at Glastonbury, I forgave myself a little pampering and treated myself to my very first facial.
But not just any facial. I thought, if I'm going to delve into the world of men's grooming, why not go all in. So, rather than grabbing a brillo pad and some exfoliator, I booked myself in for what some might refer to as the most 'fabulous' sounding treatment going at the Skinhealth Spa in Manchester. The treatment in question is 'The Louie'* and is named after dancing queen, Louie Spence, who endorses and helped develop the process.
A blog post about Louie Spence and facials? Too good an opportunity to turn down.
So onto The Louie and the Skin Health Spa angels. For a first-time health spa visitor, the experience was extremely relaxing. Their clean, boudoir-esque interiors mean that you instantly feel like your in the lap of luxury, and that this really is a treat. Not the first thing that I was thinking about pre-treatment, but just taking 45 minutes out to sit in a quiet, slightly darkened room after a hectic day at the office really can make a world of difference to your mood - there's a joke about wanting to fall asleep after a facial in there but I'm not willing to make it.
The technicians really know their stuff as well - there's a story behind every treatment and exactly what they're putting onto/into your skin. The Louie itself starts off with a round of microdemabrasion, which I can only describe as skin buffing using tiny crystals to take away that top layer of skin which traps all the dirt and grime. The equipment they use looks a little like the moisture vacuum you might find at the dentist but feels a lot better, and is a chemical-free treatment so all good for the skin!
Following that, it's a bit closer to that T-zone scene in Friends. The microdemabrasion clears away all the crap, which allows the mudmask they then apply to give your skin the boost you think it needs. Again, it's a chemical-free approach and the mask contains lots of lovely natural ingredients, like volcanic ash. From which volcano though, my technician wasn't entirely sure - you can't have everything in this world, can you?
Rambo, Predator, Apocalypse Now?
There's also a whole heap of facial massaging going on and, as the mask dries, you can feel your skin tightening and becoming a little more glorious than when you went in. The mask is then peeled and then, stopping short of making a grandiose liking to butterflies and cocoons, you're face is as comfortable as fresh bedsheets.
So, from my first Louie Spence facial - which is a lot less 'pump, pump, squirt' than the name suggests - I can definitely see why there's a market for this kind of thing. It's a 'men only' treatment which might not necessarily appeal to the 'man's man' market but is something worth considering. Skinhealth Spa reckon around 40% of their clients are men and, given the number of male grooming blogs out there, it's becoming a massive market. After all, why shouldn't men look after themselves? Recent research suggests that over half of us use at least six grooming products a day and, based on the difference in the feel of my skin after just one session, I'll definitely be giving mine a little more attention.
*The Louie is an instant result facial treatment designed for special occasions or as part of a wider skincare regime.
** This is a sponsored post. If you are interested in featuring on Tales of Timler, email talesoftimler@gmail.com and let's have a natter.
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