Clare Rudd-Jones went to Equilibrium’s Stamford boutique salon for the launch of the prestigious Clarins’ ‘Precious’ skincare range, then to Equilibrium Oakham to experience a luxurious Precious ‘experience’ (a fitting name for its two exquisite treatments). Celebrations are the order of the day at Equilibrium right now: not only have they just launched as two of only three Clarins salons in the country to offer this exclusive range and its experiences, they have also just marked their 20th anniversary.

Both of Equilibrium’s beautiful salons have Clarins Gold Status, an accolade that acknowledges the exceptional quality of their offering by the award-winning French brand they represent. And the exciting news is that the Oakham and Stamford salons have just been selected by Clarins to showcase their innovative, highly exclusive ‘Precious’ range – an amazing achievement given that there are only three salons in the county that do so, and Equilibrium have two of them. This means that both salons now stock the full range and have expert therapists who can advise on them and are trained to offer the exclusive Precious experiences (treatments). 

Precious Launch & 20th Anniversary Celebrations

I was thrilled to be invited to one of the launch evenings for the range at the Stamford salon – an event that appropriately coincided with Equilibrium’s 20th anniversary, meaning that there was a wonderfully uplifting, celebratory mood all round. No wonder that the ever-professional team radiate positivity!

We were treated to delicious canapés (courtesy of Equilibrium’s Tracy) and Champagne, as well as a presentation on the Precious range by Clarins’ representatives Julia and Kate, who gave an engaging overview of how Precious developed, why it’s so special and what it will do for your skin. 

Precious Skincare & the Moonlight Flower 

Precious has been developed by Clarins Research to harness the power of their poetically named Moonlight flower (also known as Queen of the Night) – and as both a keen gardener and beauty product aficionado, I was enchanted by this story. Originally from the warm, humid forests for Central America, this rare flower – a type of cactus – blooms just one night a year. Realising its potential, Clarins set up its own greenhouses for the plant in Brittany, in Northern France. Once the Moonlight flower comes into bloom, there is a two-hour window to pick the flowers; these are harvested by hand and immediately processed at -196°C to freeze their fragile molecules. This natural cryoextraction process makes it possible to obtain a concentrate that reactivates FOXO, a longevity protein, which helps to promote enduringly youthful-looking skin. Clarins add to this an innovative replenishing and restructuring peptide trio, which leaves the skin further revitalised with its youthful radiance restored.

The select range of premium products, which are elegantly packaged in chic, sustainable packaging, include La Mousse (a gorgeous creamy, foaming cleanser; £75), La Lotion (a hydrating, radiance-boosting liquid; £98), two serums (one for day; one for night; £299 each), a beautiful eye cream (which comes with a special applicator tool; £125) and two deeply enriching moisturisers (one slightly richer for drier complexions or anyone that prefers a richer texture; £299 each). There is also a wonderful little facial massage device called L’Outil (meaning ‘the tool’; £45), think gua sha, but heavier in the hand; it’s so luxurious in feel, beautifully cooling and especially effective. I invested in one of these and left with a range of samples of the serums and creams, which I have been artfully applying to my face with it ever since. Heaven! While Clarins’ products in the Precious range are high end in terms of price, this reflects their exclusivity, the extensive research that goes into their formulation, and the truly premium skincare experience they are offering. Fortunately too, a little seems to go a long way.

Precious Experiences

A few days later, Samantha and Selena kindly invited me to try a Precious ‘experience’ at their beautiful salon in Oakham. I was warmly welcomed by Selena, before heading up to one of the lovely treatment rooms upstairs. As with the Stamford salon, it’s a real joy to see one of the town’s most historic buildings so carefully brought back to life. Everything is in the detail, and it’s all been so stylishly done. I felt the tension lifting as soon as I walked in.

There are two Precious experiences, both of which are high end and gloriously indulgent. The Precious Luxury Facial Ritual (£185) lasts for 90 minutes and is described as: ‘the ultimate facial ritual to reveal ageless radiance’. The promise is that the cryo-power of the rare Moonlight Flower provides unrivalled anti-ageing, youth- renewing benefits. A combination of Kobido Japanese massage and the cutting-edge, potent active ingredients in the products, visibly transform the skin, giving it a new burst of precious light.

There is also the Precious Sensorial Experience (£245), which lasts for a full 2 hours, and includes a targeted back massage prior to the Precious Luxury Facial. I was extremely fortunate to be road-testing this one, and I have to say that it was just amazing, combining deep relaxation with the utmost luxury. It’s unhurried, every element seems carefully considered and it’s ultra-luxe. It feels like the gift that just keeps on giving. There are so many exquisite elements that are specific to this treatment: the combination of lifting, cooling tools used; the specially choreographed massage moves on the face and body; the magical story around the products; the sheer length of the whole experience.

My therapist at Oakham was Lydia, who was delightful, looking after me wonderfully throughout and extremely knowledgeable about the new range. She radiated the same pride about this wonderful addition to Equilibrium that was so evident across the whole team at the salon on launch night. 

Led by Samantha and Selena, the team at Equilibrium are so impressive – a real success story across our region and this latest addition – the launch of Precious – takes them to the next level. Over the years, Equilibrium have won a whole raft of customer service awards, and my own experience is that the lovely team treat you impeccably. You leave feeling refreshed, uplifted, relaxed and ready to tackle the world – with beautifully hydrated and plumped skin that just glows. That really is a precious gift.

To book your private consultation with one of Equilibrium’s experts to discover the luxury precious collection and discuss the treatment experiences, please contact the salons:

Equilibrium Oakham, 19 Mill Street, Oakham LE15 6EA

01572 722227  | www.equilibriumoakham.co.uk 

@equilibriumoakham

Equilibrium Stamford, 21 St Mary’s Street, Stamford PE9 2DG 

01780 757579  |  www.equilibriumstamford.co.uk

@equilibriumstamford