Spa Awards 2021: The Best Beauty Services And Men's Treatments

BEST BRAZILIAN WAX

BRAZILIAN WAXING, $68 per session, STRIP

Experienced therapists who make quick work of hair removal is a very big plus when it comes to the sensitive nether regions, and those at STRIP definitely fit the bill, working double time to keep your pain to a minimum. The salon is also big on hygiene: A new kit containing wipes, gloves and other peripherals is opened for each customer and therapists never, ever double dip into the wax solution, so you can rest easy.

BEST BROW CONSTRUCTION

BROW RESURRECTION, From $1,200, Browhaus

Have bad memories of the single-tone arches of the 1990s? Well, that fear holds no grounds at Browhaus. The brow therapists here undergo weeks of training before being certified and are more than capable of creating lush, natural-looking arches filled in with precise strokes that lend depth, freeing you from the need to draw them in every day. 

BEST HANDS & FEET CARE

BASTIEN’S DUO, $300 for 75 minutes, Remède Spa at The St. Regis Singapore

Your hands and feet go through so much daily, it’s only right to treat them. And pamper them you will with this treatment, where two therapists work in sync to shower them with tender, loving care—cleaning, cutting, shaping and buffing the nails to healthy-looking perfection while massaging your arms and legs to relieve them of any and all tension.

BEST MANICURE

ECOGEL AROMATHERAPY MANICURE, $188, AUUM The Honest Nail Spa

Too busy to visit a nail salon or simply still nervous about spending time outside during the pandemic? AUUM The Honest Nail Spa has you covered with its concierge service, where a nail therapist comes into your home to give your talons much-needed attention, massaging your mitts and cleaning your nails and cuticles before finishing off with a double coat of a gel polish said to last up to 14 days. 

BEST PAIN-FREE HAIR REMOVAL – BRAZILIAN

AFT HAIR REMOVAL, $2,250 for six sessions, STRIP

Laser hair removal has come a long way and it seems like STRIP is always ahead of the pack. Using Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT), which is more precise in its distribution of energy, to target hair follicles, this treatment purportedly helps reduce follicle activity to make each strand thinner and to delay hair growth over time. The AFT machine also has a built-in cooling system, which, when coupled with the generous use of a cooling gel, makes this a pain-free, even comfortable, experience. 

BEST PAIN-FREE HAIR REMOVAL – UNDERARM

SILKY SMOOTH IPL HAIR REMOVAL TREATMENT, $120 per session, EstheClinic

Ticklish in the armpits but still want to flaunt silky-smooth skin in the area? EstheClinic makes that possible with this intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy that uses a broader handpiece that covers a larger area, reducing the number of shots and time needed to complete each painless treatment. IPL works by damaging the hair follicles to help delay and impede hair regrowth, so you can expect noticeably less hair and slower regrowth after a few sessions. 

BEST PEDICURE

ECOGEL AROMATHERAPY PEDICURE, $238, AUUM The Honest Nail Spa

It doesn’t seem fair that the hands get it and the feet don’t, so pencil in a pedi too. Performed in your home, this one removes impurities with essential oil-infused cleansers before exfoliating away dead skin cells with a slip-on foot mask. A double coat of EcoGel polish then gives the digits a splash of lasting colour that can be taken off with a regular nail polish remover.

BEST ANTI-AGEING FACIAL

TRIPLE BOOST TREATMENT, $330 for 75 minutes, Freia Aesthetics

Give your anti-ageing skincare a boost with this facial that cleanses, hydrates and protects. Utilising a powerful vacuum and patented vortex technology, the HydraFacial device cleanses and exfoliates sans abrasion while infusing a blend of peptides, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid to aid repair, stimulate collagen production, counteract free radicals and plump. SkinCeuticals’ Vitamin C Firming Masque and C E Ferulic serum further brighten, firm and protect against skin-ageing environmental aggressors. 

BEST BODY-TONING TREATMENT

ESTHECRYO FAT FREEZING TREATMENT, From $550 per session, EstheClinic

Don’t be shy to seek tech help to complement the exercise and healthy eating. Tackling stubborn pockets of fat using Cryolipolysis, this treatment utilises vacuum suction to draw up fatty tissue before cooling plates lower the temperature in the area for targeted fat freezing. The fat cells are then broken down and disposed of by the body naturally. 

BEST BRIGHTENING FACIAL

MIKIMOTO BRIGHTENING FACIAL, From $289 for 60 minutes, Raffles Spa at Raffles Hotel Singapore

MIKIMOTO pearls are famed for their lustre—a quality your skin can boast too, thanks to this facial. At the heart of it are vitamin C derivatives and MIKIMOTO’s proprietary Pearl Conchiorin to lighten dark spots and even out skin tone, so your natural radiance can shine through.

BEST DEEP-CLEANING FACIAL

BLACK DIAMOND FACIAL, $250 for 75 minutes, EPION Aesthetics

It’s no secret that men’s skin is oilier than women’s, so give it a good, deep cleanse with this facial that clears pores of gunk with a unique aqua cleansing system, exfoliates with a diamond peel and clarifies with a charcoal mask.

BEST HYDRATING FACIAL

THE GENTLEMAN’S RESTORATIVE FACIAL, From $279 for 60 minutes, Raffles Spa at Raffles Hotel Singapore

Hydrate and refresh with this facial that features deep-massaging techniques alongside skincare that helps boost the skin’s water reserves. Apart from a serum with aloe vera that cools and hydrates while calming razor burns, there are facial oils (including coconut and açai oils) rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamins to hydrate skin and help it retain moisture.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Anna Daki CREATIVE DIRECTION: Andrei Iovu MODEL: Feli Rastar/ Miha Model Management MAKEUP AND HAIR: Helena Narra