MY 45-MINUTE ‘FACE LIFT’
A new breed of functional facials has revolutionised the treatment space – and the appeal is plain to see, says Annie Vischer
it’s clear facials have come a long way in the last decade as I surrender my face to a thorough pummelling at the hands of Facegym’s UK national training manager Ellie Clark. Once all scent, sound (whale music or Tibetan singing bowls, madam?) and the faux glow of liberal face oil application, today’s treatments promise to instantly sculpt, tone, lift and deliver a glow that doesn’t wash off.
‘The old facial model was tired,’ says Inge Theron, founder and creative director of Facegym, the disruptive massagefocused beauty brand she launched in 2015. ‘Back then I was a journalist tasked with reviewing spas all over the world and I soon learned that the real magic of the facials I tried out lay not in layers of expensive skincare, but muscle manipulation – the kneading, the knuckling, the pinching – that’s what de-puffs, relieves tension and even boosts collagen production.’
Before Facegym hit the scene, those deep-tissue sessions were the preserve of those in the know, more specifically A-list celebrities and industry insiders who had the likes of facial maverick Nichola Joss on speed dial. Known and revered for her signature Inner Facial – a treatment that involves manipulating the tissue inside the mouth – Nichola counts Meghan Markle, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank and Elle Macpherson as loyalists. ‘Every Inner Facial treatment is unique to my client, but each one leaves you looking and feeling revived, renewed and relaxed,’ says Nichola.
Facegym’s clientele is similarly starspangled. ‘You’ll have Justin Timberlake sitting next to P Diddy in there,’ says Inge of LA’S first Facegym outpost, a glossy beacon that sits off the sidewalk on Sunset Boulevard. ‘They’ll be opposite someone
who was given a voucher for their birthday. Everyone is on a level in there.’
And the democratisation of the facial scene extends far beyond those four glass walls. Gua sha hit the big time during the pandemic when the soothing powers of DIY face massage came into their own, Google searches for ‘lymphatic drainage massage’ continue to grow and the face tool market is booming – last year Boots reported a staggering 1,531% increase in sales. And it’s not hard to see why when you consider the results.
When I kicked back in front of Ellie, my skin bore all the tell-tale signs of a week spent staring at my computer screen – a deep crease between my brows, hollowed eyes ringed with dark circles, dry skin, puffy cheeks; 45 minutes later and they’re gone. My eyebrows sit higher, my eyes look wider, brighter and my cheekbones more defined. My forehead is gleaming like it’s had a fresh round of Botox – I haven’t had a top-up in two years – and that glow, it’s a genuine one born of a circulation boost, not a slick of face oil. Then there’s the feelgood factor. Like a workout, face massage stimulates the production of endorphins – our natural mood boosters. I feel as carefree as I look and perhaps that’s the real magic. Facegym workouts start at £55; facegym.com