Review: Validation Facial @ LUSH SPA

It’s been a hot minute since I wrote a review!

In fact, I’m hoping to write a few more for this summer as I have been on and off product-testing. It’s nice to have an affinity again towards trying new products as my skin hasn’t been at its greatest since I come back from Hong Kong, taking the joy out of using new skincare for a while. I’m back to the norm now though or at the very least, close to my personal best.

For those who follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my post regarding my spontaneous visit to LUSH for their spa services! Today, I’ll be feeding back on that experience and whether or not I recommend the treatment.

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Hope everyone had a fab bank holiday weekend! I didn’t mention on the blog or here yet but I went to visit the LUSH Spa a few weeks ago. I spontaneously booked it 2 days prior the appointment because I had had a stressful week and just thought fuck it. If not now then when? Sometimes when life goes 300 miles an hour you just want to slow down but don’t know how. I’m glad I made that choice though as I came out feeling much more relaxed! I also ended up trying out a lot of products which I otherwise wouldn’t have and came away with 2 samples. I will write about the whole experience properly soon but for now, here’s a sneak peek of the LUSH kitchen and lounge area. #lushspa #LUSH #lushcosmetics

A post shared by Judy (@hoiyinli) on May 28, 2019 at 3:02pm PDT

Now, it’s important to note that not every LUSH has a spa – something you may have figured out already. It’s still a fairly new concept and as far as I’m aware, is available in the larger cities across the country and around the world.

I first started using LUSH about 10 years ago. It was always in this small shop that although had an upstairs, got claustrophobic real quick; so to see it get the upgrade demonstrates what a powerhouse LUSH has become over the years especially as we enter a world that will hopefully focus on being more plastic-free.

LUSH offers several treatments at very luxurious prices. I happened to choose the cheapest treatment at £95 – and the one I wanted to try the most which was the Validation Facial – the only facial treatment that LUSH Spa offers at this moment.

When it comes to spa services, I wouldn’t say that I’m a regular goer but I’ve certainly gone to my fair share and this is the most I’ve ever spent on one. The treatment is 1 hour itself but with consultation, product-picking and a bit of you-time after the treatment, the whole affair easily doubles to a 2 hour event so it’s best to book an afternoon off if you ever consider going.

I booked the treatment 3 days prior sometime in May. Originally I was saving the occasion for my birthday but because I had had such a stressful week, I decided to just take the plunge and have the treatment earlier.

For my 2 o’clock appointment, I arrived 15 minutes early and was warmly greeted by the receptionist who asked me to fill out a form and to take a seat in the corner. A shop assistant then attended to me shortly and asked if I wanted an arm massage whilst I waited. This scored very high on the customer service scale for me immediately as I felt more relaxed; the massage lasting about 10 minutes with a warm chat before my beauty therapist came down the elevator to collect me.

First stop was the ‘kitchen’ area:

The process for the entire LUSH Spa Validation Facial is as follows:

• A 15-minute 1-2-1 consultation to discuss your skin type and concerns. Not just that, but they ask how you feel prior the treatment and how you want to feel afterwards. Lemon and lime water available.
• Product-picking (there’s about 10 products in total)
• 1 hour treatment inclusive of a short back, shoulder and arm massage
• Some you-time is given after the treatment
• Option to use the LUSH shower rooms

My beauty therapist’s name was Megan who was very lovely and calm. The whole time, she made me feel relaxed – there was never any urgency to quickly explain something for the sake of it or to usher me out of the treatment room as soon as treatment finished.

One of the unique areas I found from the consultation was that she asked me how I was feeling prior to the treatment and how I wanted to feel after the treatment. I remember I said that I wanted to feel free and calm. Just acknowledging that really helped settle my mind and give me a goal.

Where we sat for the consultation!

After the consultation, it was time to select the products step-by-step.

Regrettably, I didn’t take a picture of the palette nor did I note down the product names but for each step, the therapist would scoop out some product onto the palette (whilst cleaning the knife between steps onto a clean towel). To be honest, had I written down product names, I doubt I would have remembered which product was what on my face either. Already, I can imagine this being a bit of a problem for some people.

Shortly after, I was taken upstairs (this whole LUSH store comprises of 3 floors, 2 of the upper floors solely for their LUSH Spa services) to the treatment room. This was when I was given some space to get comfortable and underneath the sheets (FYI – top off only to accommodate for the mini back massage later on). Once I was ready, I rang a bell as advised.

The treatment room itself was very ambient and tidy. It was also very cosy but not overly warm. The massage bed itself was comfortable – what I particularly liked was that there was a bit of incline so I wasn’t laying completely flat. Before long, my therapist put on their LUSH playlist and began the treatment.

Now – here comes the tricky part: It’s impossible for me to really rate the LUSH products because there were so many that were used so I can only feedback on the experience. Even trickier is letting you know whether my skin benefited at all.

I think in terms of stress, the treatment definitely reduced that to a minimum. I was particularly spotty that week so I knew I wasn’t going to have a skincare miracle however I do think stressing gives me more spots than is necessary so halting the stress benefited my skin in that way.

My skin didn’t necessarily look better after the treatment but it definitely didn’t look worse either. I am sure that the skin benefits were there but nothing too apparent that I would see a change. If anything, I think it was more in the way I felt – I felt more rejuvenated and relaxed as if a weight had been pulled off my shoulders.

My therapist was attentive. The whole experience was very zen so if you’re particularly into meditative practices, then the LUSH spa services as a whole may appeal to you as it seems to be marketed in that style. There were moments during the treatment where my therapist would ask me to take a deep breath in and out whilst smelling the product that she was about to use on me. This was unique to the treatment itself and I felt that the breathing technique was a great way in helping channel a positive energy especially if your wellbeing has been suffering lately.

Obviously, it’s an expensive treatment but for me, I felt like I bought an experience, not so much a skincare treatment as such. You can say wellbeing is tied to skincare though so it just depends on your perspective.

After the treatment, I was asked to get ready in my own time with an optional choice to use their shower rooms back on floor 2. Once I went down, I was greeted by my therapist again – this time in the ‘living room’ area where she had a fruit-infused drink ready for me. This earned another point from me. It was clear that LUSH had a whole spa journey mapped out in a way where the guest would feel most at home. I certainly felt very at home so I wonder if this is why there’s a kitchen, living room and shower? It’s no coincidence is all I’m saying.

In addition, I received 2 samples that were products used on me during treatment:

I received the Jade Roller Naked Cleanser which contains murumuru butter, mung beans and marula oil. In addition, I also received the Light Touch Facial oil which contains kaolin, jojoba oil and shea butter. These are products I wouldn’t traditionally choose for myself whilst shopping in LUSH so I’m excited to properly test them out myself!

Basic Recap:

Treatment: Validation Facial

Price: £95

Length of Treatment: 1 hour for actual treatment, about 2 hours in total with consultation, product-picking and free-time given before and afterwards

Pros	Cons
+ A helpful consultation pre-treatment	– May not appeal to sensitive-skin or acne-skin types
+ Chance to try lots of LUSH products in one sitting with 2 free samples at the end	– Impossible to know which product is what
+ No rushing	– Expensive and can be hard to justify
+ The spa music is unique to LUSH’s foundation and is a great USP to the spa itself.
+ A well thought-out treatment that considered both pre- and post- steps with the addition of healthy drinks before and after.
+ The beauty therapist was very attentive to whether I was warm enough, comfortable enough etc.
+ Breathing technique helped to exert positive energy thus improve wellbeing

Conclusion:

It was hard to make the full-call on how I felt about this treatment overall. I loved the entire experience but I just think for the utmost part, you’re paying lots of money for something that might not make your skin that much more better. If you want a skin-miracle, I don’t think this is it (you’re better off going for micro-dermabrasion) but if you truly want to treat yourself to an experience then I do recommend this treatment in that regard. Honestly, I felt very good afterwards. I’m just not sure how soon I would go again.

7.5/10 purely for experience rather than a skin treatment. I would say if you’re going to go for this, save for an occasion such as your birthday.