You don’t have to be at a five star hotel to get the royal treatment, in fact you could be shopping at City Centre Beirut, only to make a stop at the Clarins store which to my surprise included a fully equipped institute. After a full morning of stocking up on baby supplies I was booked at Clarins for a treatment I had yet to experience, The “Neuf Mois en Beauté ” body massage.

Let me tell you, in my current condition and as I go through the many pregnancy symptoms most expectant mothers do, (heaviness, tiredness, muscle aches and spasms-only to name a few) a professional pre-natal massage with a trained therapist is godsend. In fact, you may not know this- but some of the most luxurious spa centers and hotels in Lebanon don’t offer this treatment to pregnant women, because it is very important that this session is handled by a certified expert.

It was also a chance to get to experience the different varieties of the new generation of treatment-specific CLARINSPRO professional products developed and used exclusively by Clarins beauty therapists for each personalized session.

The 60-minute massage was instrumental in awakening each of my five senses starting from my feet all the way up to my forehead, but mind you it wasn’t simply about relaxing though I must admit I dozed off a couple of times. It was also about reducing stress on my ligaments and encouraging blood circulation with the added benefits of most Clarins treatments which also work on getting skin toned, firmed and contoured.

My therapist was gentle yet confident in her techniques, which alleviated tension from every area she touched and coupled with the soothing background music, it had left me in a state of trance I haven’t been able to experience for many months now. Though after an hour I was sad it had to come to an end, I didn’t expect to feel as energized as I did. Needless to say, I slept like a baby that evening, with absolutely no nervous tension.

The Clarins spa also offers an extensive list of treatments facials and massages for both men and women which I will be trying out very soon. Just make sure you book in advance, cause they’re usually super busy.

Following my session, I also took the liberty of freshening up with some Clarins skin care and makeup, it really was too tempting to pass up.

The two new skin care products I’m currently using are the Shaping Facial Lift Total V Contouring Serum, which reduces the look of puffiness and double chin ( I’m in dire need of at the moment) while lifting and contouring the face. I also added some of Clarins Mission Perfection Serum, that works as a pigmentation corrector for dark spots, acne marks and dull complexions in general. I love how this combo left my skin looking radiant and moisturized, and is now an essential part of my daily beauty regimen.

And of course some Clarins Crayon Kohl eyeliner never hurt anyone, and I finally got to try out the Aquatic Treasures Summer Bronzing Compact which I used to warm up and sculpt my face and cheekbones. Loved how matte yet luminous it settled on my face.