I enjoy an online discount code as much as the next beauty nerd, but what website can give me a pre-party “Oxygen Blast” facial, as an Elizabeth Arden consultant did the other day? Smart bricks-and-mortar retailers know that the in-person customer experience is their trump card, and their new on-counter treatment menus couldn’t be further from the dodgy makeovers of yore. They’re also a brilliant way to try products without commitment or risk.
The aforementioned Arden treatment (a 15-minute booster during which a mist of hydrating serum and oxygen was delivered very pleasantly via airbrush over my face and neck for a plumper, brighter – albeit temporary – glow) is just one of those offered in the new Red Door Spa Express Services, available at selected counters. Others on the menu include a modern skin peel, custom facial massage and one revolving around the use of a digital diagnostic tool measuring moisture levels in the skin (I did this too and found the result gratifying). All are £15 but fully redeemable against any product bought on the day.
