Escentials Urban Retreat @ Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur

When I attended the REN Skincare workshop previously, part of the goody bag given was a voucher for a complimentary Decleor back massage at Escentials Urban Retreat at Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur. I’d forgotten about it until one day when I rediscovered the voucher while clearing my desk and it was just a couple of days to expiry! So, I booked myself into a slot one day and found myself standing on the Pamper Floor of the luxurious Starhill Gallery in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

I was asked if I wanted to top up money to a longer body massage but I declined. I was happy they did not push it or I might have gotten nasty. I was however feeling really tired so I opted instead for a Decleor facial. It is probably one of the most expensive facials I’d ever gone for – I paid something like RM268 or thereabouts. Question is, was it worth it?

The spa is a lot larger than I originally thought. It stretches all the way in which is nice because its so quiet in the waiting room while you sip your hot tea and wait for them to prepare your room.

In the treatment room, you are directed to the back where there is a shower, and you can change in comfort. The tube top they made me wear was very interesting – it opens at the back so the therapist can massage your shoulders and back without you stripping – good for the modest 🙂

The back and shoulder massage was very nice. You choose the pressure you feel most comfortable with and I opted for medium pressure so it was just right as she worked out the kinks in my shoulders. I did find the place you put your face in a little weird – it was lined with tissue paper for hygiene I guess, but when the massage was over and I lifted my head, the tissue was all stuck to my face 😛

The facial however was a bit of a disappointment – an expensive disappointment, in fact! You get the same therapist as the  one who does the massage so I found her touch a bit too firm when doing a facial for which I prefer a lighter touch. Also, I think the products are kept in fixed drawers, not on trolleys, so instead of having all the products next to her, the therapist would roll back and forth on her wheelie chair to get the items she needed.

Imagine wheeling a chair back and forth on a wooden floor and you get the idea why I felt uncomfortable. It was noisy and I’d suggest that Escentials find a way to have the facial products NEXT to the therapist or if not, ban them from freewheeling in their chair.

I haven’t used Decleor products before and I don’t have much comment about it. The facial felt as most other facials do with the usual cleansing, eyebrow trimming, extraction, facial massage, mask and moisturizer.

Its my first time at Escentials Urban Retreat. The ambiance is lovely, the body massage is very good but my facial was spoilt by the noise so I could not fully relax and doze off. It is expensive I won’t deny so I will not go back again all that soon. There was a facial I was quite fascinated with though – some champagne something that promised to leave you glowing. Hmm… not with those wheely chairs I won’t!

Escentials Urban Retreat is located at Lot S32-37, Pamper Floor, Starhill Gallery. Go up to the Pamper Floor and look for the standalone counter that looks like the information counter for a forest reserve. That’s the image I had in my mind. 😛

Have you been to Escentials Urban Retreat?

Stay beautiful,

Paris B