My skin was feeling drab and worn out from another long winter of cold winds and central heating when I arrived at 33 Dowanhill on a sunny Monday morning in April.
Spring was in the air so it felt like the perfect moment for a skincare pick-me-up.
The tiny boutique, which is tucked up a side street close to the Kelvinhall underground in Glasgow, must be the definition of a hidden gem.
Such is the demand for its bespoke facials that until recently it was booking up six months in advance.
More recently, business owner Joanna has switched to releasing appointments on a month-by-month basis, with some slots set aside for regular clients such as brides who come to get their complexions wedding-ready - sometimes working with the skincare therapists for full year leading up to the big day.
The salon's most recent month of appointments was sold out within three minutes.
I was in the very lucky position, therefore, of sampling one of Glasgow's most sought after facials.
Several things set 33 Dowanhill apart. One of the appeals (and the reason competition for appointments is so fierce) is that there is just one treatment room.
The advantage is that there is zero noise or distraction during treatment.
Nothing interrupts a mid-facial zen like the sounds of doors clattering or conversations outside - something hard to escape in many other city beauty salons.
The main attraction, however, is that 33 Dowanhill are dedicated facial specialists.
Joanna established the business around seven years ago after training in the UK, Japan and Paris.
She is not affiliated with any single brand, so the products used are an eclectic mix of indie brands and imports that you might struggle to find elsewhere.
Each bespoke facial is tailor-made for the client's skin, using a mix of serums, oils and balms, and the whole process is strongly massage-led to really work away facial tension and give the skin an invigorated, dewy feel.
Before we got underway, Joanna used a bright lamp to examine the condition of my 40-year-old skin (which I was surprised and relieved to be told is actually faring pretty well) in order to devise the optimum mix of products and interventions to revive my post-winter complexion.
The 60 minute treatment included acupressure point work to relieve tension in my forehead (the sensation feels pleasingly like someone running a biro across your face, with much better results) and running cold cryo-sticks over my face for tightening.
Lots of time is spent on a super-relaxing facial massage using blended oils which boosts lymphatic drainage, as well as a chest and shoulder massage.
The end result was skin that felt soft, dewy and revitalised.
Well worth a visit - if you can snag an appointment.
For more information, visit: www.33dowanhill.com
- Price list: Signature Edit facial: £69 for 45 minutes
- Signature Facial: £95 for 60 minutes; £116 for 80 minutes
- Signature Facial Add-Ons: LED (15mins) - £23; Microcurrent (10mins) - £15
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