I Tried 2 Hydrating Facials For 2 Different Kinds Of Glow

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Boasting red carpet ready skin all year long is a goal of mine.

The brightness, the shine, the smoothness that lasts days at a time. A look that is pretty close to perfection without a scrap of makeup on my face. Skin that glows all year round, that both looks – and feels – healthy.

Unfortunately, this is simply not possible for me 365 days a year, but it is possible for a few weeks if I’m availing of a solid facial.

Recently, I tried two hydrating facials that gave me that gorgeous glow I so craved – and two quite different experiences. This is them.

O2 Lift Facial – My Skincare, Temple Bar

First, I visited the wonderful people of Dublin’s My Skincare, who gave me a tailored facial to suit my individual skincare concerns, all the while promising a hydrating boost like no other with their O2 Lift Facial. And guys, it absolutely delivered.

The facial exfoliates the skin, promoting a smoother and more even complexion, while the infusion of oxygen revitalises, and plant-derived stem cells and peptides nourish and rejuvenate the skin.

All of this combined promises a youthful, glow-y, and vibrant result – which was very much the case for me.

A quick glance in the mirror immediately afterwards and my skin looked like glass. It was literally shining, felt ultra smooth, and was glowing beyond anything I had expected.

What’s more is that I was incredibly relaxed. This facial wasn’t just concerned with my head, but my neck, scalp, and even arms. Once my face was taken care of, my therapist, the lovely Emma, set about massaging my upper body and doing a small bit of lymphatic drainage on my face.

The botanical smell of the products, the calming music, and and gentle touch of my therapist’s hands left me in a state of pure tranquility. I was so relaxed and content I could’ve fallen asleep then and there.

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Emma used IMAGE products for my facial including the Vital C Hydrating Enzyme Masque, a product that smells so good I was almost taken aback by how delicious it was. As a lot of skincare these days tends to be fragrance free, it was a treat to be slathered in something natural and hydrating, that also smelled amazing too.

My newly found glow lasted all week, and I found myself wishing I could book in for another O2 Lift immediately (in fact, I could because the downtime is zero. Amazing).

Murad HyrdaFacial – South William Clinic, Dublin 2

A couple of weeks later I went in for a HydraFacial in South William Clinic. I had had HydraFacials before, but I had never had one with Murad products, so I was pumped to see the difference.

HydraFacial machines use a closed vacuum system to deeply cleanse and hydrate the skin using whatever serum you choose. The facial extracts oil and debris from the skin, and pumps in a vitamin and antioxidant infusion to give you an instant and hydrated glow.

My therapist used Murad’s Vita-C boost serum on my skin, which included gold-stabilised Vitamin C, Glycolic Acid, and Tranexamic Acid, to accelerate the skin’s surface renewal, and smooth everything.

The machine uses gentle suction to open the face’s pores and pump the boosters deep into skin, allowing the product easy access to the skin’s lower layers for instant results. The treatment isn’t at all painful, instead feeling only like a gentle pull on the skin, as it pulls out the bad and pumps in the good.

I forgot to ask my therapist if I could see exactly what the machine had pulled out of my skin (the first time I got a HydraFacial there was a lot floating in there at the end), but I’m going to go ahead and presume it was a good bit of gunk considering how smooth and fresh I felt afterwards. That night I put a full face on and the foundation literally glided onto my skin – how good?

The HydraFacial maybe wasn’t as deeply relaxing as the O2 Lift (the lights do have to be on so the therapist can see what they’re doing), but it’s a quicker and more targeted option when hunting for a fresh, hydrated glow.

You can find out more about the My Skincare and South William Clinic facials here and here. 

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