02 December,2014 08:20 AM IST | | Dhara Vora and Hassan M Kamal
Perk your behind with the new butt facial that could be your ticket to turn heads at the beach and by the pool. Also, try the refreshing four-layered seaweed facial to get you the right look, from head to toe
Base
When we first heard that a salon chain is set to give your butt a facial (only for women), we were reminded how internationally, salons offer vajacials (facial for your vaginas) and its ilk. Get the drift, right?
While it might be only a matter of time before vajacials hit Indian salons, we thought of getting to the bottom of what's on offer already. After being the butt of several jokes among our colleagues, we mustered courage and signed up for the service.
The 45-minute service follows the steps of a regular facial that includes cleansing, massaging and in this case, a butt pack. The thought of the seemingly regular steps albeit not on the face put us a little at ease, so did the fact that we have earlier tried full body scrubs that offer the same results.
What we liked about this service though, was the use of a microdermabrasion machine, which our therapist informed, does a better job at exfoliating than a manual session as it gives even results all over. Post the cleansing and the abrasion process (used over the face in other therapies and doesn't hurt) our therapist then used a serum and an electroporation machine for better penetration of the serum. This process was then followed by a massage that further helped moisturise the skin. The salon uses a special sea mudpack (which we checked came from a reputed brand known for its seaweed products) before applying SPF in the end.
Was it worth the giggles and unwarranted attention? Absolutely! Some minute marks that we had, became lighter after the first session, and due to the exfoliation, the skin felt smoother to touch. Happy with the results, we suggest that dedicated beach bums ought to sign up for multiple sessions that are sure to help in doing a great job to even out one's skin tone which the regular loofah use might not help with.
Time: 10 am to 9 pm
At: Lakme Absolute Salon, 227, Diamond Link, off Linking Road, opposite Shoppers Stop, Bandra (W).
Call: 9819006482
Cost: Rs 3,500
Model secrets
They have the skin and bodies that sell a million products. How do models get their skin ready before donning the bikini?
Sucheta Sharma James: May of my friends go for regular body polishing treatments and bleaching to even out their skin tone. I think regular waxing helps exfoliate your skin, and I follow this.
Sucheta Sharma James
I also use body oils by brands such as The Body Shop everyday, post a shower just before I go to sleep. I wake up and take a cold shower to help relax my skin. I follow this with my workout and take a shower again. Once in six months, I go for a body massage.
Candice Pinto: I have been blessed with good skin and I workout regularly to maintain it. I go for occasional deep-tissue massages.
Candice Pinto
Since I have been a kid I have been using Nivea everyday. This apart, I use baby oil every day without fail. As my skin is sensitive, I don't use a lot of products.
Alesia Raut: I believe that inner health reflects on your skin. I work out regularly for this and undergo deep-tissue massage to relax my muscles. I go for regular laser treatments for hair removal to save time.
Alesia Raut
I also go for Dead Sea salt scrub occasionally to exfoliate my skin. The butt facial sounds interesting, and I will be trying it soon.
Deepti Gujral: I only use Camomile Cleansing Oil by The Body Shop to remove my make-up and follow toning and moisturising everyday with products by Clinique.
Deepti Gujral
I am a spa addict and have tried chocolate scrubs, sea salt scrubs, sugarcane scrub for exfoliating my skin.
You'll love this weed!
In search of an option instead of the regular facial, we tried the Derma Regen 4 Layer Therapy that uses four layers of products to deeply nourish the skin
Fresh European seaweed to rejuvenate the skin: this is what we were told would be on offer. This news put images of (smelly) seaweed wrapped on our face in our head (not the reality though). The 4-layer massage seemed interesting for its ingredients and the fact that they use four layers of products to reduce the effects of age and dehydration. The products used belong to a popular American brand known for developing this product (coincidently the same brand used for the butt facial) and is offered here by a popular local beauty clinic chain.
Representation Pics
The treatment starts with cleansing and exfoliation process that includes removal of blackheads and whiteheads. This is followed by the application of the four layers. The first is a seaweed filtrate of a serum consistency (serums have been ruling the beauty world for quite sometime now).
Next up is a creamy facial massage meant for hydrating one's skin. The final two layers are masks that set this treatment apart from most others. The first mask is a cooling seaweed mask (it is in powdered form with no whiff of seaweed); this we were told, helps improve the tone of the skin. This is then topped by a thick mineral mask, which is supposed to be a warm mask that activates the seaweed mask beneath.
The results: we appeared slightly de-tanned, though other than that, there were no other visible results after the very first session. Another positive aspect was that our skin felt a bit less dry, but for long-term benefits, one would have to try out multiple sessions to really notice any visible difference (they recommend minimum three).
At: Kaya Skin Clinic outlets across the city.
Log on to: www.kayaclinic.com
Cost: Rs 4,500
