Antonia Burrell facial review

Facials have to be the ultimate in skincare treats – and up until recently, I was a facial virgin. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had mini treatments that lasted about 15 minutes, but for some reason I’d never made the jump to full facial. This all changed however, when I made my first ever visit to iconic facialist Antonia Burrell’s treatment room in the Urban Bliss rooms in Notting Hill.

Antonia Burrell is not only queen of the holistic facial scene, she’s also developed her own range of skin loving products which are all chemical-free, and 100% natural. She uses a mixture of her own products and a selection of other key ingredients during her facial treatments, ensuring your skin gets exactly what it needs. Each facial is personalised to the individual, so even if you choose a specific type from her treatment menu, you’ll still get a slightly different experience to someone with a different skin type.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my first facial treatment*, but Antonia was really reassuring and talked me through the process as we went. She aims to treat skin complaints as well as the overall aesthetic of skin, and created the much coveted ‘Natural Face Lift Facial’technique.

My facial started with a serious amount of cleansing, steaming and facial massage. I found the steaming part a little uncomfortable – not due to the heat, more just due to it being an unusual sensation and not something I’m used to. The cleansing part was lovely – this wasn’t your at home quick cleanse, but a luxurious process that got skin super clean, and yet relaxed at the same time.

Afterwards, Antonia popped on a face mask and while that was getting to work, she gave me a mini neck and shoulder massage. At one point I was slightly worried I’d nodded off as it was so relaxing (no-one wants to be the snorer on the spa bed…!) Once the mask was taken off, a moisturiser was applied and that was me all done!

The entire treatment took about an hour, and I honestly don’t know why I left it so long to have a full facial. I will definitely be booking another in the not too distant future. I left completely makeup free with slightly pink skin from all the massaging, but my whole face looked brighter and much more ‘awake’; the effects of which continued for several days after. My boss even commented on the fact my skin was glowing the next day, so it definitely must have done the trick!

After my treatment, I got the chance to ask Antonia a few skincare related questions. During my consultation she’d told me I had an oily skin type, which is something that surprised me as my skin is always dehydrated. She explained that really most skins are either oily, normal or dry, but things like dehydration are skin issues, rather than skin types, so can be fixed through proper nutrition and skincare treatments. Dehydration, for example, can occur through a lot of factors – environmental, lack of water, hot/cold weather etc.  and treated by re-hydrating the body, and also the skin.

Since my treatment, I’ve been using Antonia’s Pure Therapy facial serum*, which is a potent mix of natural oils designed to help balance irritated or reactive skin and give it a natural glow. The bottle is quite small, but this is really rich stuff, so a little bit goes a long way! I use one pump at night and press gently into my skin before adding a moisturiser on top. I think this has really helped my face to continue to see the benefits of the facial, but would also be great for anyone with slightly oily skin. It sinks in very quickly and every time I use it, I wake up to supple feeling, glowing skin. You can buy this, along with all of Antonia's skincare range from her website. The Pure Therapy serum costs £58.80 for 15ml.

Have you tried anything from Antonia Burrell before? What's your favourite facial treatment?

*PR samples