Dermalogica, Kensington, London

Dermalogica products really did the miracle for me!
Went into the High St Ken store for a fab event just before Christmas and by the time I left my skin was brighter, softer and healthier (despite the drinking and eating excesses of the party season) ... All credit goes to the high quality of the Dermalogica products and the professional help of the staff... If you are really in need of some beauty magic this place cannot be missed!

When you walk through the door of Dematologica you're skin automatically feels that little bit better.

Went to a great seminar/event night a month or so ago and got some useful skin tips from the experts. It was all very professionally done by the lovely ladies who usually work behind the counter but had stepped out to dispense their expert knowledge. The products were pricey but after being shown the quality and longevity of each treatment I would seriously consider spending a lot of my hard earned cash in-store.

Well worth a visit.

It's all very bright, and clean, and fragrant...just as your skin should end up after a talkin' to from the staff. Our host for the evenin was informed and engaging with plenty of nuggets of info; no hope for caffiene fiends. My skin was humming as good as it would in a turkish bath after a summer of sunburn; a few layers down and you're startin anew!

A skincare event isn't one I'd normally throw my name in the hat to attend; it doesn't generally sit up there with partying hard and being a socialite, but it certainly should be - especially as it was a session on party skin.

We sat around in a eager arc as our friendly expert told us about the 22-step routine to flawless skin. We buffed, scrubbed, patted and sptrized and if you're anything like me and can't imagine keeping this up twice a day everyday, they also had a few suggestions for 'quick fixes'.

After we were all a-glow we each had the chance to have a face-mapping done. Not the most convincing mapping I've ever had, but very glad of the result and the nifty little sample packs I was sent home with - they'll certainly help with the mid-week parties this time of year and looking better than I might feel! :)

I am no expert on reviewing skincare products, or the stores they sell them in, but in my limited experience Dermalogica's flagship Kensington store sets the bar pretty high.

it's a classy space, with friendly and helpful staff, and a great events room where they host a number of things like a Movember shaving emporium for the blokes, or a 'party skincare' lesson for some assembled Qypers (me included).

Yep, I exfoliated, spritzed, cleansed and moisturised with the best of them and lived to tell the tale. In fact, it was actually a lot of fun, and I came away with a few handy skin facts that should help keep me looking radiant and luminous for years to come.

I paid a brief visit to this Dermalogica store recently, and I can't wait to go back!
The staff are really friendly, the display area is all clean and inspiringly white- you can't leave here without wanting cleaner skin. If you have had any experience with the brand then you already know it's well worth the investment, and this is a store dedicated to the best practise with their products.
I'll be updating my review as soon as Qype's Dermalogica event is done and dusted!

----------------------------

Here's the update:
The event we held with the lovelies of the Dermalogica store was a shiny skin success!
They took time to supply us with more products than Cheryl Cole can endorse in a year, neatly laid out in a very white room (think less dentist more beauty school) and even engaged the men in the wash, scrub, rinse, spray regime. I did think that perhaps they were more entranced than they would have liked to admit- there has to be a reason why Eamon scrubbed his face till it became a beacon.
Add to that personal face mapping (and confirmation of sun damage from childhood in Australian ozone free zones) and product matching. The thing about this event is that they host them regularly, so you haven't missed out.

I tagged along as photographer to the recent "party skin" guru event at Dermalogica (see those pics here). I'm not much of a skin care product type of guy but I was impressed with how fresh and clean my skin felt after using the Dermalogica products in the shop. On my way home, I was actually pleasantly surprised when I caught a reflection of myself on the Tube. My face looked much more radiant than usual (I reckon it rarely ever looks radiant at all).

My first visit to Dermalogica's modern Kensington store was for the event with some other qypers. After arriving a bit late, and getting a bit flustered it was time for us all to sit round a table and admit how truly terrible our skincare routines really are. Mine tends to be good half the time, and nothing the rest - all depends on how much time I have.

So we were given a presentation and had the opportunity to test out a range of products. I managed to drop the messiest one into my lap which wasn't good, but apart from that it was a valuable experience. We got some great tips along the way which I'll be keeping in mind.

Then I had some face mapping done. Mine was very brief, but also very accurate. My skin is quite clear so I wasn't recommended many products at all. I always find that to be refreshing as it shows they care about your skin, not just making a profit.

Amazingly, my consultant knew instantly that I had a dairy intolerance (showed in my forehead apparently) so the outcome from the evening is that I really should stop eating cheese.

The skin mapping is free, so it's definitely worth popping in for some advice.

I turned up at this Dermalogica event slightly too early and definitely too wet! I was drenched. This evening was the popping of my Qype event cherry and I had a momentary flutter of nerves on arrival. I needn't have worried. I was warmly welcomed and soon happily chatting to other Qype first timers.

I hadn't anticipated this being such a 'get stuck in' affair, but primed with our product laden workstations and a power point we were off, complete with elasticated paper headbands designed in a slightly matronly carry-on style.
Focusing on luminous party skin, the session leader was well informed, funny and very approachable.

There are 7 steps to skin nirvana and we were on them. I think I might have over done it on the colour changing face mask, and hadn't even conceived of a pre-cleanse cleanser but hey, I still think facial is a dirty word...

We scrubbed, spritzed and rehydrated and picked up some really useful facts.

I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the goodie bag and Dermalogica is seriously special. The clinical packaging has always put me off but I will definitely be going back for some skin fixes. The staff were really approachable and friendly too. There is an impressive range and a substantial section for men. It was good to see so many guys get interested on the night.

I don't think my skin has ever felt so clean and smooth. I even cut back on the skin shriveling caffeine for a full 24 hours to preserve my new found luminosity.
I am converted.

Together with some fellow Qypers, I attended last night's event at the new Dermalogica store.
To be honest, it was a bit like preaching to the converted for me as I'm a bit of a fan anyway. I'm a sucker for promises of 'luminous' skin!

Sat in a classroom environment with the rest of the group freaked me out a little initially but once we got started and everyone relaxed. It was actually quite good fun.

We were shown the ideal Dermalogica cleansing routine – it was all hands-on, everyone cleansing, exfoliating, applying face masks. The face mask was hilarious because after application it gradually got more orange the longer it was on your face, very WAG-esque after 10 mins. This demonstration went on for about an hour and we were all glowing at the end of it. The member of staff who was taking us through all of this was great, she didn't mind all of our questions, and every answer didn't end with recommendation of a product, which was refreshing.

Afterwards we went for some 'face mapping'. I've heard good things about this but, to be honest, the person that spoke to me for all of 30 seconds obviously didn't want to be at work at 8pm and it showed. Bit of a shame as it lost them a star. As I said, I'm a sucker for all this and I'd have bought porridge in a tube if they told me I'd wake up looking amazing. Some people did get really good advice, so don't let my comments deter you.

I enjoyed it more than I thought and would recommend going along to have a chat to them about any skin issues you may have. The products are very good (they do a men's range too) and it's a really friendly place. The staff really are approachable, unlike some beauty counters or salons.

Blimey, I wish that I had the commanding effect that the Dermalogica word has over women; every utterance stops them in their tracks like the sight of Tom Selleck lounging invitingly in his Speedos or a George Clooney trademark stare.

From a product that commands such attention, their flagship London store is everything that you'd expect - gauged from my brief visit with my fetching young Australian friend. The decor is minimally plush and it oozes health and beauty.

---------------------------

So the event. My skin care routine was even more medieval than Mr. Fogarty's: tepid water splashed on the boat and that's it.

Even now, my skin still feels smooth and has a radiant glow. Thankfully, the bright red sheen (due to my oh so sensitive nature) has vanished.

What I really enjoyed about last night was how accurate the skin mapping is (correctly diagnosing one lady's dairy intolerance and rightly letting me knw that I don't drink enough water) and how the products that they sell are tailored to meet your own personal requirements. Bespoke beauty.

Also, if Dermalogica's range does seem pricey, I didn't realise until last night how miniscule an amount needs to be uses, meaning a bottle will last you months.

If you want to read about bed bugs eating your eyelashes or the woes of drinking coffee on a sunbed, have a peek at the blog here.

Not only do they sell every possible skin care product you could ever need, they'll also teach you how to use them and keep your skin healthy. As a gent whose 'facial care routine' consists of wash-shave-done, there was a lot for me to learn: 14 zones, acids, 5 steps, oils... and the fact that bed bugs eat mascara. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful and will explain what you should be using, where, and in what order. Apparently soap and water doesn't cut it these days.

Unfortunately it seems you more or less have to choose between having good skin, having a good time, or having a good bank balance. Alcohol and caffeine are out, and when I enquired about prices (there are no tags - I should have taken the hint) I nearly choked on the complimentary vitamin water. Still, if there's a special someone you want to treat, and they won't take it as a veiled "Y'know, you don't look as good as when we first met", then this is the place to bring them. For the chaps there's a range of quality shaving products, and a collection of impressive coffee table books to peruse if you've been dragged along by your better half.