Sadie MacLeod, reviews

I can’t work out if my face just had the workout of it’s life or if it just got slightly beaten up… but whatever just happened I look at least five years younger and I am not complaining. In fact, I just met someone for the first time who couldn’t believe that I was married “you’re far too young to be married” she said, i’ll take that. The last time I was asked to produce I.D was at least 10 years ago when I was offended, not thrilled, that anyone would presume I was too young to drink alcohol (the booze was probably a contributing factor to the aging).

Don’t get me wrong, at 28 I don’t think I am totally over the hill, but recently small things have been happening so as to signal that I am certainly on the crest of the hill. The odd wrinkle here, the patch of sun damage there. So when super-facialist, Su-Man, suggested I come in for a treatment I couldn’t believe my luck. Normally booked up for months in advance she had an opening at her studio in the uber-cool W Leicester Square. I arrived in their AWAY spa pretty exhausted and looking older than usual. If space had spas this is what it would look like – cool, white, clinical, with odd neon light and modern white sofas that are  unusually large making me feel small. Small and old – you can tell i’ve not had a good day.

Enter Su-Man. She was instantly friendly, warm and welcoming and I immediately relaxed. As I lay down on the deliciously comfy bed she said, “I see that you have brought me a little present”. She was referring to the spot on my forehead. It was becoming more and more apparent just how needed this facial was. I asked Su-Man how regularly she felt women should have facials; “Every two weeks if you are over 40, but if you are under that, once a month is fine”. She then got to work on my face.

Using her own range of products, which are not yet available to buy (but watch this space) Su-Man has developed her own technique drawing on her expertise in the fields of shiatsu and Pilates and her traditional background in Chinese remedies. The treatment begins with a quick skin analysis so that she can recognize and treat the problem areas. Then, after a thorough cleanse the facial massage begins. Deeply relaxing but also very powerful, Su-Man works with the structure of the face to boost collagen and encourage lymphatic drainage taking years off – she has been described as having botox in her fingertips. Her holistic approach to the treatment doesn’t end there, a shoulder, neck and foot massage are also incorporated into the hour. Total heaven.

Su-Man’s approach is certainly not wishy-washy. She is strong with her hands and her clients (which include famous faces such as Juliet Binoche, Frieda Pinto and Olga Kurylenko (the long-legged beauty in Quantum of Solace) thank her for it. As did I. I can honestly say that I have never seen a facial make such a difference to what I actually looked like. Juliette Binoche once described Su-Man’s facials as a way to keep her face alive. And I couldn’t agree more, she certainly gave me that “je ne sais quoi” I had been looking for.

Visit www.su-man.com for more information.