This Sunday that I’m writing about I wasn’t your average Sunday.

I can say this because it’s not every Sunday that you’re coming down from the high of (read: recovering from)  ‘owning’ your very first Nike 10K run.

This Sunday in particular was a ‘I’m-going-to-treat-myself-Sunday.’

Earlier on in the week I’d gotten a rather nice email from the ladies at Urban Retreat introducing me to the Gazelli Cosmetics Brand Marketing Coordinator, Sinéad de Hora.

Sinéad invited me into the Urban Retreat Harrods spa to try out one of their Gazelli Azerbaijan-born facials. Eager to accept, Ichecked my diary and was delighted when I found out that they had an appointment free at 11.30am on a Sunday morning – the Sunday morning after my big (for me) run.

I arrived at Harrods and took the super-duper escalator up to the 5th floor – home to Urban Retreat’s jewellery box-esq treasure trove of beauty.

I made myself known at the check-in desk and then walked around to the waiting room where Sinéad was ready to greet me. Sinéad led me into the Gazelli treatment room: a little slice of peace and tranquillity from the busy hubbub of London life flying past outside.

Sinéad explained that she would start off by cleansing my skin and analysing its needs. She asked a few questions about my current skincare regime and lifestyle to assess what facial I would benefit from most.

It turns out that I have normal/combination skin. With a sort of ring of normal skin on the top half of my forehead, my jaw and décolleté. I suffer from a couple of dry spots on my cheeks, forehead and fine lines (like cracks in a parched desert apparently ..) around my eye area but have a slight oiliness on my nose and chin. Who knew?

Prior to my facial, I’d noticed that my skin had looked a bit flat. I’m not sure if this is due to dehydration, lack of moisture or just general tiredness/stress. I was looking forward to coming out of that treatment room with renewed, plump and radiant skin. Not much to ask… eh?

Sinéad opted to prescribe the Triple Cleanse Facial - perfect for my skin type. The treatment, just one of many that Sinéad has developed for Gazelli, was the equivalent of being tucked up under a ridiculously comfy duvet whilst someone strokes, smoothes and diffuses the weight off your weary shoulders and simultaneously drains the toxins from your face, neck, shoulders and back.

The Triple Cleanse Facial did wonders to plump up my lack-lustre stressed-out skin.

“This deep cleansing and purifying treatment uses lymphatic draining to remove toxins and impurities, calms the skin and corrects pH balance. The soothing White Oil™ is used to repair and restore the skin, nourishing and healing from within. Irritated skin will feel fresh, cleansed and soothed with a more even skin tone and protection against further breakouts.”

The beauty of Gazelli products is that they contain the finest of ingredients, one of which is White Oil™ heralded by Gazelli Cosmetic to “improve the skin’s ability to regenerate itself and absorb nutrients and oxygen by increasing the metabolic process at cellular level.”

I’m going to be following up my facial with twice weekly overnight masks - as advised by Sinéad to combat the dehydrated areas - using the Gazelli Triple Youth Ultra Nourishing Saviour Mask, £40 from Urban Retreat Beautique, also available in store at Urban Retreat Harrods.

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 Verdict:As I said to my friend when it was all over – I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I was the kind of pampering you’d expect from a place with a Knightsbridge postcode.

Worth Every. Indulgent. Minute.

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The Triple Cleanse facial lasts for one whole delicious hour and costs £95.

From June 3rd – 16th The Gazelli Spa at Urban Retreat Harrods are offering a selection of specialist Gazelli treatments* to their lovely customers.

You can choose from:

• Triple Youth Facial, 1hr - £110
• Triple Cleanse Facial, 1hr - £95
• White Oil™ Body Massage, 1hr - £75

 *The treatments are available for a limited time only, so book fast to avoid disappointment. I can thoroughly recommend the Triple Cleanse Facial.

Visit Gazelli at Urban Retreat, Harrods for more information.

Photography © Lucie Kerley