I Smelt the Sea at Last

Posted on 30/5/09 by Vesna in Muswell Hill (1 comment)

My last reference to the seaside before Whitsunday is upon us and the Whitsun break is over. Not actually having had a chance to get away from it all this week, I decided to treat myself to a twenty minute break today which turned into half an hour of sheer indulgence and well worth it for any busy souls out there.

It is meant to last 20 minutes, ‘or so,’ says Maxine Valensky, inventor of The Organic Facial. Organic in this context means parts fitting together in a unified organic whole and refers to her technique which focusses on connecting mind back to body.

I woke up with a stiff shoulder today so as I settled myself into the cosy armchair in the Emporium’s beauty room, I asked Maxine if she could give me some acupressure without realising that the facial begins with acupressure on the upper back, shoulders and chest anyway. The idea is to relax all the tension in the upper back, and deal with any emotional stress and tension in the chest and face. The points she targets loosen tension on the jawline and brighten the eyes. I was obviously super tense because every point that Maxine pressed hurt but then had the immediate effect of stopping me bunching my muscles and I began to feel myself melting. Then she brushed my skin with a dry brush to release toxins before applying hot Atlantic seaweed.

This seaweed has magical properties and exfoliates, re-mineralises, and moisturises the skin all in one. As soon as she began to paint it onto my face I smelt the sea, not in an odorous seaweedy kind of way but in a subtle nostalgic way and I began to dream about walking barefoot in squelchy wet sand furrowed by the trails of hermit crabs.

After 5 minutes in my seaweed mask I was practically asleep and barely noticed Maxine wiping it off with, she told me later, a herbal tea infusion. ‘I use different types for different people,’ she said. I got a fig leaf and hawthorn top infusion which contains vitamin B to clarify the complexion and a tonic for your heart. Maxine used one of her own moisturisers to finish the job, a simple emulsion of shea butter and aloe lotion.

And the result? Well someone called me beautiful not long afterwards which hasn’t happened for a while! The best thing about my lovely little indulgence was that I felt really happy afterwards and smiled broadly as I walked down the street.

A facial with Maxine costs £25 and you can book her through the Emporium Tearooms (see our noticeboard)

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