Beauty Treatment Review: Concepts Beauty, Huddersfield
Review: Jennifer Bonfield
Concepts Beauty is an award winning salon with a fantastic, extensive treatment menu. The salon is spacious and light, set over four floors and features several treatment rooms, multiple mani and pedi stations. Brand beauty partners are Espa and Guinot, which are selected for their fantastic range of ingredients, with heaps of natural blends and products that really deliver results. There is a studio on the top floor which caters for group booking and is a great idea for baby showers or hen parties – something I’ve spent so much time searching and unable to find a salon to accommodate group bookings before, so this is a great find.
I arrived for the Espa Holistic Face, Back and Scalp Signature Treatment and the staff were warm and welcoming and I was shown upstairs to the relaxation area to fill out my consultation form. Franca, my therapist came to greet me and took me to a treatment room where she went through comprehansive consultation and conducted sensory tests for both face and body – the sensory tests are designed in and for your senses to guide you to the products your mind and body need specifically on that day, choose from blends of reviving or relaxing infusions. We talked through my skin care regime and Franca gave some great advice such as only applying eye cream to the bone area of eyes and not applying on the eyelids or directly underneath the eyes – especially with an over load of product as this can actual cause puffiness. She also advised I should double cleanse every evening as a single cleanse is not enough to remove daily grime and make up.
The Back Treatment
The treatment started with a body brush to the back to stimulate sluggish circulation, followed by a back scrub using an exfoliator – this is great as we all know how hard is it to fully exfoliate your own back in the shower, there are always hard to reach areas. Franca then removed the scrub with hot towels and continued with a back cleanse to remove all residue of the scrub leaving prepped skin ready for the deep tissue back massage. The Espa Fitness oil I has sensory selected was worked deep into the muscle tissue which I fully needed as I had more knots than a beach of Granddads’ with hankies on their heads. A whole host of massage techniques were used to soften the tissue and ease out the knots, this, combined with soothing strokes which were used to relax the body and ease tension from both body and mind.
The Facial Treatment
The next step was the facial which started with a triple cleanse using Espa Hydrating Cleansing Milk – gentle enough for sensitive skin. Then the Espa Optimal Skin Pro Cleanser was applied, this cover formula is a 3 in 1 cleanser, exfoliator and mask ( great to pack in your suitcase for space saving holiday beauty regime) this was worked into the skin to remove all traces of make-up and create an optimal nourished base to apply products to ensure they fully absorb. Franca then used a light to do a skin analysis which helped her evaluate my complexion and tailor the products which my skin needed and also to pin point any problem areas.
After the analysis the Espa Nourishing Cleansing Balm was applied with a soothing facial massage – the scent of the balm was super relaxing (this is definitely a must purchase). The balm was removed with hot flannels and the Espa Optimal Skin Pro Serum was massaged into the skin, assisting with lymphatic drainage and this step was designed to be left on skin to sink into the complexion for ultimate nourishment. Next, it was time to multi-mask, the Espa Essential Cleansing Mask was applied to my T-Zone and the Espa Lift and Firm Mask was applied to the cheeks neck and décolletage. These masks were left on to absorb into the skin for around five minutes and then removed to make way for the finishing moisture hit. The Espa 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser – which is a rich hydrator formulated to strengthen the skins moisture barrier, and the Espa Optimal Skin Pro Defense SPF 15 was applied to protect against harmful UV rays (yes even in cloudy weather) followed by the Espa 24-hour Replenishing Eye Moisturiser, which was dabbed on to the bone area around the eyes.
The Scalp Treatment
One of Espa’s Signature products is the Pink Hair and Scalp Mud, which really does transform your tresses into a glossy mane, so I was pleased this was going to be used for the scalp massage. The pink mud along with a few drops of oil were applied in sections around the hairline (not all the way to the ends) and soothing massage strokes were used to stimulate circulation and nourish the scalp rather than just the hair, and promote a totally soothing experience, even my ears got some TLC – surprising therapeutic! The mask advised to be left on the hair once the entire treatment has finished and advised to leave for a few hours to give maximum benefits. Do be sure you’re going straight home after the treatment though as it’s not really a look for a spot of post-treatment shopping.
The Overview
After the treatment my skin felt plump and glowing, and my back felt better than it has in ages – I had less tension and more movement. Franca did a really in-depth consultation prior to the treatment and offered lots of tips and advice both pre and post treatment. The salon is in a great location and plenty of parking is available on the surrounding streets. There are some great spa packages available and the treatment menu offers so much it is almost hard to pick just one. If you are in need of ultimate rejuvenation, the Espa Holistic Face, Back and Scalp Treatment signature treatment at Concepts to definitely the one to invest in – your body and mind will seriously thank you for it.
Espa Holistic Face, Back and Scalp Treatment. 90mins. £80
Concepts Beauty & Wellbeing
121 Lidget St | Huddersfield | HD3 3JR