Moisturisation may not be the true paradigm to masculinity, but there isn't a man we know who doesn't welcome the occasional pamper.
As such, we welcome the new crop of men-only spas springing up across the globe, with a favourite being the Refinery in London's Mayfair.
Keen advocates of big-name brands such as Dermalogica and the lesser-known Edwin Jagger - along with their own, eponymous range - the Mayfair institution has recently taken on a new protégé, in the form of Kyoku, an achromatically packaged, organic men-only product fresh on the market.
With a volcanic ash and rice bran face scrub, a ginseng and peppermint cleanser and a buttery green tea and bamboo moisturiser - the black and white exterior packaging is all that's simplistic about these products.
In line with the release, the Refinery has teamed up with Kyoku to offer a man-only, hour-long facial to show off their wares. Ever eager for a lunch-hour-scrub-up, we asked if we could be first to try it out, and the refinery graciously obliged.
Stripped down to an ever-so-mini dressing gown things start out shakily, but the moment Evelyna - the spa's senior facial consultant - applies her super-supple fingers, everything slips into blissed-out blackness.
An hour later after being scrubbed, cleansed, steamed and massaged, our faces glowing and our souls cleansed, the world feels like a better place. If however you don't have leisurely lunches to burn, there's a half-hour express version, which packs just as much of a punch.
ADDRESS
The Refinery
60 Brook Street
London
W1K 5DU
-
These are the jewellery pieces which have defined a generationFrom established jewellery houses, to up-and coming designers and avant-garde artists, a new book by Phaidon spotlights the stand-out jewellery from the last two centuries
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThe clocks have gone back in the UK and evenings are officially cloaked in darkness. Cue nights spent tucked away in London’s cosy corners – this week, the Wallpaper* team opted for a Latin-inspired listening bar, an underground arts space, and a brand new hotel in Shoreditch
-
How do you exhibit invisible art? A new show at Palais de Tokyo has the answer'Perfume, Sculpture of the Invisible' celebrates the work of master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian with an exhibition that activates all the scenes.
