Trending 1st December 2023 by Aoife CodyKane

I Tried A Korean Princess Shine Facial – And Now I’m A Believer

Consider me a convert.

Before last week I had never had a facial.

Frankly, I wasn’t sure if I believed in them to begin with – you’re telling me someone’s going to knead my face like a piece of dough, rub a few creams in, and I’ll walk out with a brand new complexion?

It all sounded sort of fake to me – that is, until I met Clare.

I had the pleasure of getting my first ever facial with Clare O’Hanlon, who is the director of Boost Beauty.

An expert when it comes to skin, she’s a qualified CIBTEC & CIDESCO Beauty therapist, and aside from training therapists and working wonders on clients, she’s also brought some exciting foreign skin care into the country.

One line Clare distributes is Storyderm, a Korean dermatology brand that use special technologies to deliver active ingredients into your skin.

Clare tells me that Koreans are years ahead of us when it comes to skincare, and I’m reminded of the girls I’ve seen on TikTok with gorgeous ‘glass’ like skin, citing Korean products and methods.

Okay, I was getting a little excited now, I’ll admit it.

Since it was my first facial (and I was a little sceptical), Clare recommended a treatment that she felt was really going to wow me – as long as I was willing to get on board with some unusual sensations! 

Hilarious images of Clare cleansing my face (nice and foamy!)

Enter, Storyderm’s Princess Shine Facial.

(I’ll confess too that the name of the treatment made me a little giddy. Princess Shine? That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard!)

Basically, the facial is a 24 hour skin detoxification treatment with golden micro spicules.

A combination of colloidal gold, active fibroblasts and spicules from sponges in the sea work to counteract glycation and regenerate when pressed into your skin.

This is when the spicules are applied – if you look closely you can see the tiny gold flakes!

What does it feel like?

It’s a really bizarre sensation; like lots of teeny tiny needles prickling all over your skin. It doesn’t hurt, it just feels sort of like static all over your face, and oddly enough I quite liked it, because I could tell that something was happening!

As we went through the ten steps of the facial (Koreans are seriously dedicated to their routine), my skin went from warm to cold, and the sensation strengthened.

A Storyderm jelly mask and a Storyderm sheet mask at work

Clare had taken ‘before’ pictures, and I was beginning to wonder what my ‘after’ would look like.

Would I be a Storyderm facial convert?

Clare explained that the Princess Shine Facial works by polishing skin, smoothing wrinkles, rejuvenating your face and treating acne and congested skin.

And wow, did I realise that my skin was congested!

I mean, look at these photographs. I felt like I’d been punked. Who’s skin is that?

Of course, it only took one look in a mirror for me to become a total and utter believer. I happily ate my words – facials work!

A close inspection of my face showed firm, glowy, and totally clear skin – there’s that glass complexion I’d heard about.

It took 24 hours for the prickling sensation to abate, though it lessened over the day. The next morning my face really did look brand new, and I set to work with some new Storyderm products I’d snapped up; their Clinic A cleanser, Pure Origin Cell Ampuole serum, and BB Ecocell tinted balm.

One week later, my skin is still glowing, and I’ve set all of my friends on a new skin care routine.

I’m sorry I didn’t have faith in you, facials – consider me a brand new believer.

My skin on the way home – glowing!

*This writer was gifted a facial

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