According to dame Shirley Bassey, diamonds never lie. Neither does skin. So as far as I was concerned, traveling all the way to Amsterdam for a facial using some of the world's most precious gemstones made perfect sense.
Now let me preface this by saying, The Away Spa at the W Amsterdam isn't like other spas. It's a cool spa. Steps away from Dam Square, the gold-embellished spa is literally situated inside an old banking building behind a 4000 kg vault door. If James Bond and Pussy Galore had a secret hideaway, this would be it...
Given its utter opulence, it's fitting that the Away Spa is among the few that offers "diamond" facials using Gemology, a luxe French skincare line that uses powdered diamond, as well as other precious minerals extracted from 20 different kinds of rare gems, for its offerings.
So what kind of leg up do diamonds have on regular facials? Here's my appraisal:
Semi-precious gems aren't incorporated into the facial treatment just because. They contain trace elements and when applied topically, stimulate cell renewal and fight free radicals. This is why the diamond facial is most notorious for anti-aging. But trust, it still works wonders for jet-lagged twenty-somethings.
The treatment began with the esthetician removing all the foundation and debris off my face using the milky, moonstone-based Gemology Bijou Nacre Makeup Remover. For my kohl-lined eyes, she used the Pluie de Cristal lotion—infused with opal and white quartz—to remove the pigment and calm my extra-sensitive eyes. She then massaged the Mousse de Roche foaming cleanser into my face and neck with her finger tips, which felt divine while leaving my visage squeaky clean.
Then came the much-needed, post-plane-ride exfoliation process. Made from micro-particles of pearl, with pearl jojoba and mango flower acting as gentle physical exfoliants, she gave my face a deep scrub. And only after this sloughing was my face ready for the stone therapy massage.
The massage was performed with a slew of precious stones including pink quartz, a rosy-tinted mineral rich in silicon for naturally stimulating the collagen reproduction, and jade, which is naturally rich in sodium, providing moisture to the cells that helps restore elasticity.
My favorite parts of the massage were when the hot pink quartz stones were kneaded into the contours of my cheeks, and rolled along my jawline, as well as when the pointy sticks of jade were carefully prodded at the frown lines between my brows.
Naturally, the grand finale of the treatment was the application of the Youth Diamond Cream, made with real diamond, adenosine, and Vitamin E among other wrinkles smoothers, which gave my face a dreamy, soft-focus finish. That, teamed, with the Contour des Yeux Jeunesse eye contour cream left me looking more alive than I'd been in months. Despite some minor redness (which is always the case for me post-facial), my complexion was brighter, clearer, and smoother. Plus, the contours of my face looked more taught and toned. In other words, eat your heart out, Bella Hadid.
Afterwards, I took a dip at the Wet Deck inside the longest outdoor whirlpool in the world overlooking Amsterdam. Then, took my newly-acquired glow out during golden hour for some sunset yoga with W FIT ambassador and anti-yoga goddess, Tara Stiles. Because how else does one follow up a diamond facial?
The Diamonds Never Lie Facial is available for €75 ($82.68) at the W Amsterdam's Away Spa. View the full spa menu here.
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