I can’t even type how I felt after the treatment so I will convey it was this photo of Hugo. I was just MELTY! Read on to find out about my experience because there are a few notable differences between the two locations.
Seeing that this is a large hotel, the grandeur of everything from the waiting room to the treatment rooms is very evident. It was SUPER hot and muggy in Toronto when I arrived and even though I was 30 min early, the staff let me change into a robe and read a magazine in the relaxation lounge. As made clear in the blog title, this Miraj Hammam Spa uses nothing other than Caudalie products which I absolutely adore! I have many Caudalie favourites including: the Beauty Elixir, Premier Cru Eye Cream, Grape Water and the Micellular Cleansing Water and to have a full facial with them by a licensed esthetician is nothing short of a skincare lover’s heaven!
I just love Erlenmeyer flasks. Sigh, memories of lab days.
In Vancouver, I did not have the option to cover up for the hammam and gommage while at the Shangri-La, I was given the option to wear a set of disposable black bra and undies. Seeing as how the Shangri-la caters to a number of international travelers from varying backgrounds, I was grateful for the option. I still chose to go nude as I wanted the most out of my full body exfoliation and since the sessions are still one-on-one with a female esthetician, why not? I wasn’t able to get photos of the hammam or steam room, but for comparison, the hammam in Vancouver can house 2 people while the one in Toronto can house up to 8! I was the only one in the room so I felt like I had a TON of space! The steam was just as I remembered – eucalyptus and lemon scented and I was given water in a metal cup to stay cool and hydrated.
The gommage was lovely and done in the same manner as in when I had it done in Vancouver. It is only 15 minutes long so you will definitely want a little something more after like a massage or a facial. It is up to you to moisturize your body after such an intensive exfoliation and after 15 minutes of steam I am grateful that my next step was into bed for a 1 hour facial where arms and legs were also to be moisturized!
Even though it was gloriously sunny day, walking into the facial room felt like another world. There were a few facials on the menu, but seeing as how this was my first time visiting, I went with the cult favourite: The Grand Caudalie Facial for all skin types. This facial is customizable to your current skincare needs and also includes an arm, leg and head massage. I still get dreamy remembering it…Kassie was my esthetician and first asked me what my immediate concerns were and whether I “knew skincare”. The latter was actually a great question because once she knew that I loved learning about skincare, she took the time to go into far more detail about what she was using on my skin as well as Caudalie’s hero ingredients like resveratol and polyphenol-C. After explaining that I was a visitor to Toronto and that what I was wanting was to brightened and revive my skin from traveling and new climate, Kassie decided that the best thing for me was a solid dose of hydration with a glycolic acid mask. We have all seen Caudalie’s Glycolic Mask treatment in stores so I had to ask, what makes this version so different? Turns out the one in stores is 3% glycolic acid while the mask I received was 10%. Awesome tingling was experienced.
If you haven’t tried Caudalie’s Grape Water, it is THE BOMB as a toner, spraying out like a super fine mist that I am addicted to at home. This facial is all about this toner. My skin was hydrated every single second as I was lightly misted after every mask and prior to every dose of moisture. I’ve actually never been misted so much during a facial and I gotta tell ya, misting hydration all over the face is SO REFRESHING. After the glycolic acid mask was removed, Kassie applied a hydrating mask that was left on for about 5 minutes at which time I received a foot and leg massage. I can’t actually remember what went on my face after the hydrating mask was removed, but I do remember a hand and arm massage as well as a GLORIOUS facial massage with Caudalie’s Divine Oil Elixir cocktailed with neroli and lavender essential oils. It was so relaxing! Think that 20 minute Lisa Eldrige facial massage video that I know all of us have watched from beginning to end! I actually had to pee like really badly afterwards so I guess the massage really did work in terms of fluid drainage!
I told Kassie that I was flying out in a two hours so to prep my skin for the very drying airplane air, we amped up the hydration levels with Premier Cru as well as sun protection using Radiance Day Fluid in SPF 15. I was so relaxed, you could have made me jump out of a plane and I wouldn’t have minded!
I was led back into the relaxation lounge for some sweet tea, baklava and lemon water. There were also nuts and dried fruit available. In Vancouver, I was pretty much alone most of the time in the lounge the two times that I went and NEVER saw men because there are specific times when men are allowed, but in the Shangri-La it is co-ed at all hours. I was in a robe sitting directly across from a few men who were more or less waiting for their wives/girlfriends, but I wasn’t the most comfortable having them there. I may have felt differently if my husband or another girlfriend were there with me.
No spa visit is complete without touring the goods! I didn’t end up buying anything mainly because I was packed to the max for luggage and already had a bag full of goodies that I had to check in thanks to a makeup swap fest at Julie’s!
The hammam and gommage were both equally professional and effective at both the Vancouver and Toronto locations with the estheticians being personable and able to put you at ease. Though there were more clients in the Shangri-La location, you still felt like you were on your own and could relax. The facial was fabulous and though it comes at a hefty price of $170, it is certainly well worth every single dollar. If I made boatloads of money I would be getting this facial every week if I could, but I will save it for the next time I’m in Toronto (which won’t be for a few years). At the end of my visit I received a card with all the products used on me as well as Kassie’s product recommendations, many of which I owned already! I had such a great time and would highly recommend the hammam and gommage as well as the facials whether you are looking to relax or treat yourself. This was one of the most luxurious spas I have ever been to and it lived up to the pedestal I had placed it on!
I know many of you have tried the Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie, but have you tried one of their facials?
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