43 Face
Following on from our first impression of 43 Face, I couldn’t wait to go back after it launched on 17th April 2014. Greeted by the passionate owner, Gibran gave me a warm welcome and offered a choice of wine, champagne, tea or coffee while I settled on a luxurious yet comfortable sofa, laden with an array of beautiful cushions to match the sophisticated, yet edgy interior. 43 Face is a breath of fresh air, moving away from the sterile white decor we usually see in spas and beauty parlours.
After leaving the banking industry about 17 years ago, Gibran travelled around Brazil for a little while, moving back to London for family reasons, where he was inspired by his grandmother’s passion for the health benefits of carrot juice. He explored and researched the benefits of carrot as a skincare product, which successfully led to selling his range of self-made carrot soaps at a stall in Camden market. His passion for skincare grew even more, leading him to study beauty at London Beauty College after which he started his second beauty business in Fulham. When the opportunity came up to snap up Jade Jagger’s old shop in West Kensington, he jumped at it, making 43 Face available in a more central location.
I was excited to try the Dragon Blood facial with promises of smooth, supple skin. Gibran explained that Dragon’s Blood was a plant extract which originates from the amazon, where it is used as plaster for its healing properties on sores and wounds. The facial started with two cleanses, removing all oil, makeup and dirt on the surface of the skin and moisturising the face in preparation for the next three steps. The cleansing then followed with a gentle exfoliation, penetrating the pores and preparing for the steam treatment, which involved a gentle steam cleanse that sent me into a soft snooze for about 5-10 minutes. Next was the dragon blood itself, which was left to rest on my face for about 15 minutes till it became a slightly sticky consistency, a bit like a peel-off mask. It was gently removed using cleansing pads, followed by the piece de resistance, an indulgent collagen cream which smelt beautiful, and left a glow on my face without any stickiness or shine.
The facial promises anti-aging benefits, and continues to penetrate and moisturise your face days after the treatment! Also offered at 43 Face are the luxurious 24 Carat gold facial, Acne Healing, Green Algae and many more. Although all treatments are for males and females, men get extra special treatment with the Men Face 4300. Also offered are semi-permanent facial tattoos for long lasting effortless makeup.
43 Face is based on the values of great service, aftercare and ensuring that they provide accessible skincare where it’s really needed. Their values are highly demonstrated in the service they offer, and their passion and knowledge oozes at every stage of the process, from the welcome, to the consultation, and even through to their aftercare.
I absolutely loved my experience at 43 face, and I will definitely be going back with my friends in the summer to enjoy a lovely glass of champagne in their beautiful garden, followed by a Dragon Blood facial to give the perfect summer glow!
We absolutely recommend you do too! To book an appointment, give them a call on 020 3757 6244.
Follow them on Instagram and Facebook for regular competitions and discounts.
By Winnie Oudeman