My Cozy Room is a boutique beauty spa established back in 2010 by founder and director, Celine Chan. In addition to providing facial services, they also offer treatments for the back, known as back facials or “bacials” in their terms. They have since expanded its operations to two outlets, with its flagship at Claymore Connect shopping mall (the one I visited!) and the other at Devonshire Road. Getting here via public transport can be a bit of a hassle though as the nearest train station, Orchard MRT, is about a 15-minute walk away. Half of this journey is largely unsheltered so do bring an umbrella along just in case.
If you happen to be staying next door at Orchard Hotel, the good news is that there is a direct linkway from the hotel to this shopping mall. As you exit that linkway into the mall, it’ll bring you right to the entrance of this spa.
Disclosure: The inclusions were sponsored by My Cozy Room. However, the opinions expressed in this post reflect my honest and independent evaluation of the experience.
- Inclusions:
- 120-minute Ultimate Pore Extraction Facial
Walking through the doors into the bright and well-kept reception area, I was warmly welcomed by one of the staff, Nicole. Before proceeding further, I had to first change out my shoes for rubber slip-ons. She then ushered me to a sitting corner to introduce the elements of my upcoming treatment and had me fill up a short form. Apparently, the therapist then selects the most appropriate product types based on the information provided in this form and her analysis of your skin later on for a more customized treatment experience.
This Ultimate Pore Extraction Facial is their signature treatment that focuses on a complete and thorough deep-cleansing of the skin to bring about improved regeneration and absorption abilities. As such, quite a bit of time was spent on the extraction process compared to other facials I’ve had but thankfully with much less pain involved. Given that my skin is fairly sensitive too, I was glad to hear that the products and tools used are potent yet gentle for skin types such as mine. This treatment is for those with skin issues like clogged pores and acne, as well as deeply embedded blackheads and whiteheads, or simply pain-avoidant people like me who still want all those skin impurities thoroughly cleared out!
The products used in their treatments are from their in-house range called BeKind, developed and tailored to suit the skincare needs of Singaporeans in this climate. One of the key features is its lightweight texture, which is helpful given the high levels of humidity here.
The therapist assigned to me that day was Crystal, a lovely lady who was professional, experienced and forthcoming in our interactions. I really appreciated how she used a light pressure throughout the whole session, almost as if she read my mind because I never once mentioned this preference. The treatment room was clean and inviting as well, and came with a heated treatment bed.
Dimming the lights, she then began the treatment in this general sequence:
– Brief head and scalp massage
– Makeup removal
– Skin analysis (she examined my skin, then selected the most suitable products for its condition)
– Cleanser
– Fruit enzyme mask to soften and draw out the gunk from pores (this is apparently made from more natural ingredients like papaya and pineapple instead of harsh mechanical scrubs)
– Ultrasonic scrubber to exfoliate and remove dead skin, blackheads or whiteheads that surfaced
– Another sheet mask to further soften pores (at this point, I was pretty mind-blown that so much effort goes into prepping the face to minimize discomfort in the next step of extraction!)
– Facial steaming and extraction (the most thorough and least painful extraction I’ve experienced thus far, thanks to the previous steps and having a steamer blowing at my face during the entire process; I also liked how the steamer was thoughtfully angled from the side instead of from the front so I could still breathe easy)
– High-frequency tool to disinfect and shrink pores (be prepared for a mild prickly sensation)
– Gold elixir for hydration and brightening (they kindly replaced the regular serum with this) applied with a Coolight therapy tool (this felt very icy)
– Eyebrow shaping
– Lymphatic face massage (depending on your skin condition, your therapist might recommend a lifting face massage instead), followed by an eye massage
– Premium alginate mask (they have 4 different coloured masks for various skin conditions so your therapist will select the one most suited for you)
– Shoulder and upper back massage with lavender oil and hot stones
– Toner, moisturizer and sunblock application (during this step, Crystal gave me tips and demonstrated how to apply my toner for better cleansing results)
Once treatment is done, customers have the option to freshen up at a little nook nestled amongst the treatment rooms. It is small but sufficiently equipped with a sink, combs, a hairdryer and even contact lens solution.
Coming back out to the reception area, Nicole then brought me a cup of hot tea and a snack. I was slightly bemused, maybe because I felt this choice of snack wasn’t particularly aligned with the premium positioning of the brand. It is no doubt a small detail but it does impact first impressions, especially since it is the concluding point of a customer’s experience here. But if you’re a returning customer, a more deluxe snack type is probably just a good-to-have.
In concluding our time here, Nicole sprang one last surprise on me when she handed me a Clear Skin Elixir as a parting gift (: This is one of their BeKind products that can be used to address acne issues, a handy gift indeed.
As for the actual price of this facial, it isn’t one for the faint-hearted. At $338++ for one session, it is an undeniably daunting amount, especially if you don’t quite know what you’re going to get out of it. What might bring down this barrier to entry is the fact that they offer first-time customers a trial session at a more-than-50%-off promotional rate of $144++ (I wonder if they’d still consider me part of this group, I came as a reviewer and not a customer right? #tryingmyluck) 😀
If you do go on to sign up for a package, you get to enjoy discounted rates as well. The last I enquired, 10 sessions would set you back $288++ per session and they throw in 2 additional complimentary sessions too.
My overall rating of the experience: 5 out of 5 stars. It was evident that pretty much all aspects of the experience here (both hardware and software) were thoughtfully designed with the customer’s comfort and needs in mind. From the hygienic spaces, to the highly customized treatments, to the copious amounts of products and technology deployed to make that dreaded extraction process as comfortable and painless as possible. My therapist, Crystal, was skilful, experienced and had a gentle touch, which pain-averse me was very thankful for ❤ Generally, it felt like there was a sort of quiet confidence the staff had in their products and treatments such that there wasn’t a need for them to “sell” it to me, almost as if they were certain the results would speak for itself. And it truly did – my pores were the cleanest and smallest I’d ever seen them (a rare occurrence indeed), and my skin was soft and smooth to the touch. But what was most impressive was that these results lasted for close to two weeks after the treatment (no other facial I’ve done has had such long-lasting effects). Although the price of one session is incredibly steep, I will definitely be back for it in-between my regular facial sessions, especially when my skin feels like it needs this magical reset button again.
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
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