When I was invited to Exhale Beauty in Kilcoole for a Prescriptive Facial I was excited. What girl doesn’t love a good facial. They are possibly my favourite beauty treatment & if I could afford it I would have one once a month.

I had a look on Exhale Beauty‘s website & price list straight away & I was impressed. Last Autumn, Sinead O’Connor & Therese Rooney opened Exhale Beauty. Sinead & Therese who met while working together at ESPA in the Ritz Carlton, Powerscourt opened the salon with the aim of offering spa quality treatment & affordable prices.

The salon is in Kilcoole, right beside Greystones. I came off the M50 for Kilcoole & followed the signs to the village, when you come into Kilcoole you take the 3rd turn left & immediately left again.

When I arrived I was greeted by Sinead one of the owners & my therapist for my facial & Holly on reception. I was offered refreshments straight away as I filled out my new client form.

I was shown in to a beautiful treatment room. There were candles and big treatment bed which looked so comfy & appealing wrapped in blankets & towels.

Along the back of the room was a small chair where I took my seat for my consulation & skin anaylasis. We discussed my skin & errr skincare routine or lack there of! Sinead was attentive & listened to my likes & dislikes. For those of you who don’t know I hate the feel of creams on my skin, if I’m going to use anything it has to be light. Even the words “body butter” send a shiver down my spine!

Then the treatment began. The first step was a soothing eye make up remover, followed by a pre-cleanse, a light oil based cleaner that removes all traces of pollution, sun screen & make up. Instead of a heavy cream, Sinead used Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Gel for my second cleanse, it was so lovely, and is now on my skincare wish list, it can even be used in the shower.

Daily Mircofoliant was next, a rice powder based product which is gentle for sensitive skin while removing dead skin cells & brightening the skin. I have this product at home & I love it.

Next, I was asked to put my hand into a very warm liquid, I knew I had felt the sensation before, and said to Sinead it felt like hot wax (I had made a wax mould of my hand in Madame Tussauds, I don’t go around sticking my hands in wax randomly!) & I was right, it took a second to get used to the temperature but then it was a very pleasant experience. The white chocolate parafin wax is put into plastic bags and then cloth mittens are put on top.

Sinead then used her magic hands & performed the most amazing massage, neck, shoulder, facial & scalp using a deeply nourishing coconut oil.

Next it was time for my mask, Sinead applied two different masks, the plankton masque for any areas of breakout activity and multivitamin power recovery masque for any sensitive or dry areas. I would have always said I have combination skin but it’s the first time that I have ever had a mix of two masks. Exhale Beauty have the knowledge to customize the products for their clients needs.

After the removal of the masks Antioxidant Hydramist was used as my toner, this product is from the age smart range as is mv power recovery masque and both are full of vitamins and will help boost skin cell renewal and elastin and collagen production and leaves your skin glowing.

Around the eyes Sinead used Multivitamin Power Firm, this product accelerates skins natural repair process and improves smoothness feeding the skin with antioxidants.

And finally to finish it off, I had Dynamic Skin Recovery spf30 as my moisturiser which encourages firmness, elasticity and hydration while helping to defend against the primary causes of skin ageing.. ie uv damage.

This facial was the most amazing facial I have ever had, using one of my favourite ranges of skincare products but it was the surroundings and special attention that Exhale Beauty offer that really made the experience second to none. I have felt amazingly relaxed all day since my treatment this morning, my skin is silky smooth & glowing & I cannot stop smelling my hands, the white chocolate hand treatment was just gorgeous, I have never felt them so soft.

Ladies & Gentleman, get to Exhale Beauty, this hidden gem, as quick as you can. They offer a wide range of services including reflexology, reiki, tanning, nails & a wide range of facials including the MediBac Dermatolgica range for the treatment of acne.

I am already planning my second trip to the salon & I know I will be a regular there! Sometimes it’s worth travelling a little bit to find somewhere you are truly happy.

The Prescriptive Facial costs €65 all  facials include the White Chocolate Paraffin Wax Hand Treatment & Coconut Oil Head, Neck & Shoulder Massage

Mwah

Exhale Beauty, 3 Beachcourt, Main Street, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow TEL: 01 255 7847