Heaven has come down to Earth, to the lower ground floor of Eight Thonglor, which houses Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Anti-ageing Studio, to be exact.
I recently found myself knocking on Heaven's door to check out the highly-acclaimed Bee Sting Facial created by Mitchell, the famed British beautician who gave the treatment to the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge.
The Bangkok studio opened its doors last year after Pannaphas Chokenana became the Thai distributor of the brand famous for its royal treatment and Bee Venom Mask.
Pannaphas became familiar with Heaven while working in London as a hotel guest relations officer.
"A Thai guest recommended Heaven skincare products to me and I have been using it since my mid-20s. Having met the affable Deborah, she encouraged me to start taking care of my skin at an early age. I wanted to share her wonderful products with other Thais so that they can better take care of their skin too," Pannaphas said, in explaining how she became the importer.
Heaven's range of organic skincare products are sold at the compact Anti-ageing Studio with three facial rooms and one larger body treatment room.
Treatments include the 30 minute Revitalising Facial and four one-hour options such as the Bee Sting and Angel Face Lift created by Mitchell. The anti-ageing studio also offers back and whole body massages — one designed for pregnant women to help lessen stretch marks.
Lying on the treatment bed, ready for the heavenly experience, I didn't get to hear the sound of buzzing bees, but, instead calming music, along with dimmed lighting and the pleasant aroma from a candle that sent me to sleep.
Thankfully, I wasn't woken by a bee sting. The anti-ageing facial refers to Abeetoxin, bee venom, which is hailed as a natural alternative to injectable botulinum toxin used to flatten frown lines and crow's feet.
The cleansing part of the facial was particularly nice, with the use of make-up remover, cleansing milk, the gel-like Skin Polish Exfoliator, and a gentle toner that worked together not only to clean, but to detoxify the skin.
Twenty minutes of the facial was dedicated to a skin-tightening oil massage. Upon completing the first half of the face, the therapist handed me a mirror to show how it made a difference compared to the undone half.
After concentrating on the face, she continued the massage by extending it to the neck, shoulders and arms, to further relax the area vulnerable to office syndrome.
A thick layer of the iconic Bee Venom Mask was then applied to my face for 10 minutes, again without any stinging, while the therapist worked on giving my feet some much-needed reflexology. The relaxing treatment was rounded off with a moisturisation session, which is tailored to skin types.
The Bee Sting Facial aims for wrinkle-softening and skin-firming effects (5,900 baht). The result is enhanced by following a Heaven skincare ritual, with the Bee Venom Mask a key product in maintaining a youthful-looking complexion.
"You can use it as a mask twice a week, leaving it on the skin for 20 minutes, or apply a small amount on top of a moisturiser as an overnight treatment to wake up with smooth skin," said Pannaphas.
The iconic mask contains bee venom, Manuka honey and shea butter as well as rose and lavender essential oils. There are also Silver, Black and Gold limited editions with more organic ingredients and concentrated Abeetoxin, to better fight back wrinkles.
Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Anti-ageing Studio is located on the LG floor of Eight Thonglor Building, Sukhumvit 55. Call 02-726-9338 or visit www.heavenskincarethailand.com
Pannaphas Chokenana with Deborah Mitchell.
Heaven by Deborah Mitchell Anti-ageing Studio.
Bee Venom Mask (6,590 baht).
Limited edition Gold Bee Venom Mask (35,000 baht).
