Guerlain Spa at Raffles London at The OWO: beauty destination

Una beauty stronghold in the city: one of the palaces historically most inaccessible in London it has been transformed into an absolute luxury destination. The former headquarters of Ministry of War, home to the halls of power of Winston Churchill (and some scenes from the James Bond films) – today it is called Raffles London at The OWOor The Old War Office, in Whitehall. The result of an impressive conservative restoration of marble, briarwood and ballrooms that have seen history, the building houses 120 rooms and suites with butler, nine restaurants, three bars. And, in the depths of its vaults, one of the largest City Spas in London, designed by Guerlain. We went there, a preview.

The Guerlain Spa at Raffles London at The OWO

The jewel? The underground swimming pool set in marble and in discretion. Long corridors wind into the depths of the building, revealing nine maxi treatment cabins where the loungers, clouds of fine fabrics, are enveloped in scented auras of the Maison’s creations, which accompany every break. The purest luxury? Peace. And expert hands that take care of the skin with jewel skincare formulas, customized on every need, or perhaps dream.

«Every detail, from the varying touch of the facial to the scented auras that accompany the sensorial journey, is maximum expression of the art of care» explains the director of the Guerlain spa training in the world, Sandrine Silvestre, which welcomes us to one of the largest and most deluxe City spas in the City. «The gestures, the formulas, the textures, the technologies behind the products: luxury is a set of elements. We guarantee extreme attention to the customer, from the temperature of the towels to that of the accessories, to the quantity of product calibrated to each skin, considering the moment, the need, the biorhythm.”

Each Guerlain spa around the world has its own identity and cultureeven if the “signature” treatment menu is available in all facilities: «Here, for London, we have created a anti-grey face protocol of the city, which manages, through particular gestures, to lead to “here and now” even the most hyperactive and stressed minds».

The Guerlain maison has longstanding expertise in facial care for its beloved customers: the first facial was developed in 1939 on the upper floor of the first boutique on the Champs-Élysées. Sandrine, who builds dream facial treatments, and above all leads hours of training all over the world, assures: «Our heritage was born from almost century of expertise in Asia, in the East, in the areas of the world where massage has its most ancient roots.”

«We boast over 500 pillar gestures which require hours of training and practice. Today we have the privilege of passing on, in an avant-garde way, techniques such as acupressure, that is, massage with the fingertips, in combination with ultra-performing skincare formulas, from Abeille Royal to Orchidée Imperiale: there tradition meets the future, and the results, on the skin, are immediate».

A dream multi step facial

Living it is a dream. In practice, «The treatment Guerlain x The OWO is very technical: it starts from the assumption that everything in us is connected, therefore working on the skin of the face turns the light back on, both of skin than the inner one». There are five steps during which even the most hyperkinetic mind, like that of the undersigned, cannot do anything else stop and enjoy the moment. «Today it is extremely difficult to relax: the goal of this treatment is to be able to synchronize the thoughts with sensations, fallowing the recipient to feel in harmony, anchored in the moment.” Ready? Street.

It starts with the consultation rite, with specific questions on the habits and needs, often presumed and not real, of the skin. With your eyes closed you then let yourself be guided by your sense of smell a blind tasting of three fragrances of the high perfumery collection L’Art & La Matière: the choice will accompany the entire treatment in the form of an aura: a ritual within a ritual, which helps deep relaxation.

The actual facial begins with a deep cleansing with the help of Orchidée Impériale La Mousse Nettoyante Richeunder a cloud of warm aroma: «It opens the pores, detoxifies the skin, at the same time stimulates microcirculation, facilitates the absorption of the active ingredients but above all creates a very cocoon aura which “hugs” the face in a very delicate way. A sort of bubble is created in which the nervous system feels safe from everything, and unconsciously orders, “relax”” continues Sandrine Silvestre.

Now, the “massage”, made up of techniques that strengthen global anti-aging action of the Guerlain formulas most suitable for each skin, in our case, in the range Orchidée Imperiale with orchid extracts, powerful flower of longevity. «Expect many different sensations during this facial: you never get bored, it’s always a surprise. The nervous system is thus stimulated to concentrate on the moment, on what will come next, you feel connected, very calm.” Real.

«As during training, you need a warm-up; we start with a fast-paced, dry massage, which awakens the muscle fibers and tissue oxygenation, i.e. the “flow”. A follows “brush massage”, a massage with a special beauté brush: «It helps to drain the lymph from the highest points of the face, before moving on to a ritual acupressure which seems like a dance on the face, which enhances the application of the serum first, then of the richer and more sumptuous textures of the range.

Last, another surprise tool, the gua sha, flowing over the skin sublimated by the treatment mask Orchidée Imperiale. «It’s sort of passive gym for the face, which works both on liquids and on muscle tone: we proceed by accompanying the lines and natural movements of the face, esculpting effect».

The sharpest corners of the small instrument focus on the eye contour, on the lion’s wrinkles (those in the center of the eyebrows), dissolve every micro tension of the forehead frowning, of the hairline, of the scalp and around the ears, going down to the lymph nodes that discharge toxins and tension. The release of negative energies is total.

«Now even science admits that the art of massage succeeds to have impacts on the stress hormone, cortisol: treat yourself to a spa treatment it is a powerful healing gesture, not just for the skin.” And perhaps then the glow, one might think, not only comes from the mythological orchid of the Maison, but also really comes from within.

Info and reservations: guerlain.com/it/it-it/c/guerlain-spa-raffles-london-the-owo-london.html

iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED