Lumiere is fairly new to the neighbourhood and offers some very unique treatments in the form of European style facials using German brand BABOR products and facial techniques. I had never heard of BABOR before, but it is quite well-known in Europe and was founded by German biochemist Dr. Michael Babor (history). The products felt very “sciencey” with plenty of active ingredients and awards featured, but I should mention that I did not have access to a full ingredients list nor was there one on the website. The price range of BABOR products is fairly reasonable with Skinovage moisturizers ranging from $72-$80.
Lumiere offers everything from specialized facials to the more “advanced” SilkPeel and LED light therapy treatments as well as massage and wax services. You can pretty much come in here a total mess and leave feeling and looking like a million bucks since makeup touch ups are complimentary. If you’re the kind of person who loves having a SilkPeel or “lunchtime facial”, definitely look into the Lumiere membership program starting at $59/month. There are varying membership levels based on the types of services you’d like to get, but the entry level guarantees you a 30 minute facial and aromatherapy back massage every month which sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
If you are a new client, a consultation will be done to address your current skin needs and what you would like to achieve in terms of results. I found my consultation with Marvice to be very personalized and even came with an aromatherapy recommendation. It felt like two gals just sitting down with some tea talkin’ all about skin!
I had originally planned to go in for a BABOR Skinovage Skin Performance Facial ($99 CDN), but after my consultation, Marvice and I decided that since I had tried the typical facial so many times it was time to try something new. This is how I ended up getting my very first microderm abrasion treatment in the form of the SilkPeel Dermalinfusion Treatment ($159 CDN) followed by a rejeuvenating Luminix LED Light Therapy Facial ($149 CDN).
The treatment room was cozy and had a little mini gown and headband for me to wear which I have never had before. Usually, I just dive underneath the blanket with just a bra and undies!
The SilkPeel Dermalinfusion Treatment is an incredibly gentle form of microderm abrasion as it is a completely non-invasive exfoliation, providing relief for even acne-prone and sensitive skin. In addition to exfoliation, a skin specific topical solution is also administered simultaneously. I chose to look brighter, so my topical solution was the Ultimate Vitamin C Booster Concentrate. I was upside down and lying on the table at this point so my vantage point of the SilkPeel machine was a bit skewed, but from what I could see the “pen” (someone tell me what this is actually called!) was pulled along my neck and face and felt a little bit “scratchy”. I wouldn’t describe this facial as relaxing because the machine can be quite loud and the abrasion pen tip can feel a bit rough combined with the sucking. It’s more like a “business facial” if you know what I mean. What I found interesting was that as the pen was exfoliating, it was also delivering the vitamin C solution so my skin was always moist. I almost felt like Marvice was drawing on my face with Vitamin C!
My skin is a little bit thinner around my cheeks with some broken capillaries so Marvice didn’t concentrate quite as much on these areas, but on my neck, forehead and sides of jaw instead. Once the SilkPeel was complete, Marvice showed me all the stuff that was sucked out of my skin and it wasn’t too scary. A few blackheads, but nothing too crazy. Can you imagine how much would have come out if you had never exfoliated?I was also told that in order to receive the full benefit of the treatment, I would need to come back every 2 weeks for a series of 6 treatments.
The SilkPeel treatment was followed up with the Luminix LED Light Therapy Facial which is the equivalent of sitting on a beach and getting some rays without the UV damage. I don’t know a lot about LED Light Therapy, but I received a red light for rejuvenation and even though my eyes were covered, it was BRIGHT. The light is comfortably warm, but must be brought fairly close to the face. Your eyes get used to it after awhile, but I was a little uncomfortable and was glad when the 15 minutes were up. I kind of felt like a chicken egg being incubated until ready to hatch! Luckily, Marvice stayed in the room with me and distracted me from the brightness with conversation.
You would think that having a microderm abrasion would leave me red and unable to see the light of day, but it was the total opposite. It was dark by the time I got home, but I snapped (this) photo 2 hours after the treatment and you can see ZERO redness. My skin was almost glowy and super smooth. I even had a meeting with Britta from Vancouver Vogue afterwards and even she commented on how radiant my skin looked because I didn’t bother with makeup! This is a treatment that has no downtime and my skin looked luminous for the remainder of the week!
The very next day I received an email from Marvice checking in on me and my skin which I appreciated. I have only had this done by one other facial spa. What I loved about Lumiere was that the atmosphere was very relaxed and it was all about me. Marvice was completely focused on my well-being and for a place that seemed so chill, I never would have thought that such high-tech facial services would be available. I was convinced that I would have to get a microderm abrasion done in a more clinical setting which sounds totally stressful to me. If you have a taste for the pricier services, think about getting the membership because the top Platinum level is $119/month and entitles you to one of the SilkPeel and LED Light Therapy which saves you either $40 or $30 depending on what you choose. You also get a number of other perks like 10% off product and any other treatment you would like and birthday massages! I can’t even get my husband to give me those! Ha!
Lumiere is somewhat tucked away in the Rogers Building, but is in a super busy area so if you work downtown and just need a quick skin “rejuvie” over lunch without worrying about looking like you just had a chemical procedure done on your face, set up an appointment and give this facial a try!
*BONUS* For all Cosmetic Proof readers, just mention you saw the offer here and you will get 50% off one treatment of your choice!
All photos courtesy of Lumiere Skin Health & Wellness Centre
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