Black Diamond Facial, Amara Spa, Park Hyatt Deira

Being a ‘man’s man’, I don’t spend much time pampering my skin like my more metrosexual counterparts. But when a female colleague commented on the unsightly burst of blackheads on my nose, I decided a facial wouldn’t really hurt that much – except for my male ego!

The Black Diamond Facial is meant to exfoliate, cleanse and brighten skin along with the promise of healthy cellular regeneration. It seemed just what the skin doctor ordered and thinking that I’d surprise my colleagues with a glowing, squeaky clean nose (at least), I arrived at the Park Hyatt’s Amara Spa at the end of a particularly stressful day at work.

The spa, located on the banks of Dubai Creek and straddling the iconic Dubai Creek Golf Course, has a tranquil and peaceful ambience. It felt like I was in a Mediterranean villa instead of a hotel.

The Balinese therapist welcomed me with an icy glass of water with fresh lime. I was then taken to my treatment room, which was decorated in earthy shades, and my therapist asked me to change into the bathrobe and wait outside.

Hang on a minute… outside? I wondered. But I stepped out into a stunning, tree-lined garden thinking this must be the best spa treatment room in the city. The therapist arrived and started to massage my feet gently with water that had rose petals in it.

I pride myself on my male machismo and wouldn’t typically go for a spa experience like this, but I’ve got to admit that sitting there with the breeze blowing through the foliage and getting a rose petal foot massage felt like absolute bliss.

My therapist asked me to choose the ambient music theme and I opted for ‘water’. Being in an almost total Zen state, I was then taken inside on to the treatment bed where my therapist began the Black Diamond treatment with a soothing facial massage, using Hommage shave oil.

Hommage is a range of spa products from Monaco, designed as a revitalising personal grooming range. The therapist told me that this massage helps soften coarse beard hair and thereby reduces shaving bumps and irritation.

After having my face cleansed, it was scrubbed and exfoliated with Amara’s black diamond dust, which is enriched with nutrients essential to male skin.

My therapist then covered my face with cream, especially around the eyes. I was told that this helps reduce the puffiness and eye irritation that facing a computer screen and the elements cause on a daily basis.

While I had the cream on, the therapist massaged my arms and shoulders using Hommage oil. I gave in and drifted between sleep and wakefulness.

One thing that stood out was that none of the products had an overpowering floral or fruity fragrance one would normally associate with female beauty products. I was thankful for this.

After the massage, the therapist then moisturised my face and proceeded to extract the blackheads and whiteheads around my nose.

Now, be warned – this bit will wake you up. It hurts, but I could feel my nose becoming cleaner. My face was cleansed again, bringing the treatment to an end. I was asked not to wash my face for three hours.

I thanked my therapist and left, looking and feeling significantly cleaner and fresher. When I checked out my reflection I was pleased – my face looked completely free of dirt and grime. 60 mins, Dh520. Tel: 04 602 1234, Email: dubai.park@hyatt.com.