Spa spy Glo for it

Head to North Berwick for a gorgeous and relaxing Michelle Denham facial

The treatment

Glo Signature Facial, £75 for 60 minutes, at Michelle Denham Studio Spa, North Berwick.

Why go?

Escape the city and head to North Berwick, where you can oxygenate on the beach before heading to this lovely spot. They’ve just made over the year old studio, so now, rather than being open plan, there’s a selfcontained treatment room within the space. Denham has lots of clients who travel to visit her, so she wanted to make it more of a spa-like experience.

Our spy says

“Good timing,” says Michelle. “The kettle’s just boiled.”

Ah, it’s so nice to be back at this venue, to try their new treatments that use products from skincare and make-up brand, Glo.

Once I’ve sipped my Pukka Elderberry & Echinacea herbal tea, I slip into the new therapy room, with its cork wall, houseplants, comfy bed topped with a big fluffy duvet and jazzy sounds on the stereo.

We begin with a deep cleanse, and Michelle uses circular moves to loosen off my make-up, before the slap is whisked away with hot towels. Next, she applies a layer of Glo’s Pumpkin Enzyme Scrub, which is massaged, then patted and tapped, so it gets tackier. It contains grains, but also natural exfoliants that have what Michelle describes as a “Pac-man effect” on the skin.

There’s a gentle heat as it deals with dead skin cells. Meanwhile, my décolleté is rubbed and my head is tilted to either side so my scalenes, shoulders and nascent jowls, can be firmly smoothed out.

Once the pumpkin mixture has been removed, a Restorative Mask with a moussey texture and which smells like marzipan (though, apparently, contains blackcurrant) is applied. As it sinks in, Michelle sets to work rubbing my hands, using a warming Pukka Active Oil. I always forget to wear gloves in the cold, so my mitts are desiccated and they absorb every drop, as she rubs into my palms with her thumbs, then works up to my arms and shoulders.

The mask comes off, and a face oil goes on. It’s pressed to my forehead and décolleté, then Michelle casts her facial spell, lifting my brow bones, and deeply massaging my cheeks.

She rounds off the experience with a little chocolate orange scented balm on my lips and a spritz of toner.

The results

My skin feels magnificent. I can see why loads of Michelle’s clients are happy to travel. I would walk from Edinburgh to get one of her facials. ■

Michelle Denham Studio Spa (Unit 2, The Lighthouse, Heugh Road, North Berwick, 07951 507316, www. michelledenham.co.uk)