The 24-carat facial: gold and diamonds make for sparkling skincare

Never mind the humble mud mask, facial treatments have taken an extravagant turn of late, with gold and diamonds not merely appearing as ingredients in products, but being used on skin in their pure form as well. At the Sun Gardens resort in Dubrovnik, the OCCO-run spa is famed for its Soin Mille Lumière (£145 for 90 minutes), a rejuvenating facial using Maria Galland’s gold-infused serum and face cream, and a mask comprising sheets of 24ct gold leaf. At London’s Four Seasons, meanwhile, the deep-cleansing Black Diamond facial (£125 for 60 minutes) is designed for men by skincare label Hommage and relies on black diamond-dust powder to brighten the complexion.

As originally featured in the December 2015 issue (W*201)