A Sisley facial at John Lewis, Newcastle upon Tyne

It is November, and Newcastle upon Tyne is teeming with Christmas shoppers. Eldon Square, a shopping mall which snakes round the city centre, is particularly crowded. I cut through the crowds towards the relative calm of John Lewis and head straight to the Sisley counter, where consultant Rachael is waiting for me.

Rachael has been looking after my skin – and to a certain extent, my soul – for over two years now. In this time, she has come to know my complexion well, and so can tailor the treatments to suit my skin’s needs on any given occasion. We have also become friends, which makes the treatments enjoyable as well as effective: we chat about feminism, Gothic literature, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

My skin is acne-prone, combination, and sensitive. It seems to benefit most from a gentle yet thorough regimen, with targeted treatments, which I believe is why I gravitated towards Sisley products in the first instant. There are no elaborate ad campaigns, there is no hard sell – everything just works. This is what I love about Sisley.

Rachael shows me to the treatment room and takes a look at my skin. (I have given her a head start by turning up bare-faced.) Following some stressful life events, my skin seems to be in pretty poor shape, but she assures me that it could be worse. I close my eyes and relax somewhat.

First, Rachael uses Cleansing Milk with Sage, working in gentle circular motions. Though cleansing milks are, by and large, better suited to dry skins, this one has been formulated specifically for combination to oily types: the active ingredient, sage, works to purify the complexion, while the milky texture softens the skin.

After cleansing, Rachael sweeps Grapefruit Toning Lotion over my skin. I have a tendency to avoid toners, however this low-alcohol formula doesn’t cause any irritation. After the toner has penetrated, she begins exfoliating with Gentle Facial Buffing Cream. Like toners, manual exfoliators are something I tend to avoid, but the exfoliating microbeads in this cream are so fine and gentle that I barely feel them.

At this stage, Rachael would normally use Creamy Mask with Tropical Resins, a purifying mask, but instead uses Facial Mask with Linden Blossom, a calming formula created for sensitive skin. Owing to an ambiguous break-up and work-related woes, my skin is in need of calm; with its creamy texture and soothing properties, this mask achieves just that.

After the mask has been tissued off, Rachael applies Eye and Lip Contour Complex to the required areas using the lightest possible pressure. A powerful combination of cucumber, hops and horsetail, this botanic-heavy product works to combat the first signs of ageing around the eyes and lips.

Next, Rachael applies what has long been my favourite Sisley product – Global Perfect Pore Minimizer. With extracts of java tea, lentil and ratanhia – a plant known for its astringent and toning properties – Global Perfect makes pores imperceptible and leaves a matte, silky finish. For extra hydration she uses Sisleyouth, an energising moisturiser which debuted earlier this year and is designed for use from the age of twenty-five.

Rachael rounds off the facial by using Sisley’s most talked-about product, All Day All Year. Adored by beauty editors worldwide (the Harper’s Bazaar team are big fans), All Day All Year is at once an anti-ageing moisturiser and a powerful shield against UVA-UVB rays, free-radicals, and other external aggressors.

The treatment ends with a shoulder, arm and hand massage, which is welcome. “Relax,” Rachael urges. (Relaxing is something I have never been good at.) “You can feel that you’re literally holding yourself up.” Needless to say, I come away feeling much more relaxed than when I went in, and with a calmer-looking complexion, too.

This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.wordpress.com in December 2014.