We test a bespoke bridal facial at Kent's 27 Two 6 Beauty

For salon owner Kristina Shepherd 27 Two 6 Beauty is the result of nearly a decade of hard work and dreams. She began her career with a small beauty room in a local hairdresser, at the age of the 21, but she can actually trace her ambition to own her own enterprise to a much younger age. She explains, “When it came to putting a name to my own salon it had to be the name I’d come up with when I was 12. Even then I knew what I wanted to do. The name 27 Two 6 is a combination of my family’s birth dates – I’d been saying it for so long, I had to keep it!” Kristina and her team have now been in their current location on Upper Wickham Lane for two and a half years, and also runs a sister business – KSLA Professional. The lash education company is a labour of love for Kristina, culminating in the launch of her own professional lash range last year. She says, “Lashes are one of the first things I trained in and have been doing them for 11 years. It’s the most popular service we offer and is what we’re well known for.”

The salon offers a menu of bridal packages, with plans to launch a dedicated section on the website soon. But, what Kristina really loves to do is offer each bride a bespoke solution to their big-day beauty needs. She says, “Every appointment starts with a consultation. We need to find out what they want to focus on and what their concerns are. It’s also crucial that we understand they skincare journey they’ve been on, and what they’ve tried up to this point.” The salon uses clinical grade products, which is different from most. This means a much higher quality of ingredient than you’d usually fine, with effective delivery systems to reach the level of epidermis where they’re needed. 

I was to try the perfect pre-wedding facial, intended to give my skin that sought-after glow, with a smoothness to ensure flawless make-up application. After settling down in the calming oasis of the treatment room the first step was a melting gel-to-milk cleanser. It soaks into the skin almost like a balm, and its key ingredient helps to even skin tone by stabling pigment-producing cells. Skin is left with a dewy, youthful appearance. 

The next step was the enzyme peel, gloriously fragranced with pineapple and papaya. The fruit enzyme eats away at dead skin, but doesn’t affect any live layers, so it’s gentle. I could feel it turning from a thick, smooth cream to, what I thought was an exfoliator, but actually turned out to be my dead skin. I won’t lie, I found that to be an enormously satisfying little fact! The skin is resurfaced allowing key nutrients and oxygen through. 

The peel was removed and next came the oxygen mask that I’d been looking forward to. You can actually feel the foamburst technology making it bubble and fizz away on your face, which I loved. The millions of tiny bubbles work away at the dry areas first as they absorb the oxygen and nutrients. This is a great solution for breakout, which don’t occur in oxygen-rich environments, and also is also anti-aging. 

The Vital C serum goes on next, full of vitamins A, C and E. The stable form of vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which protects skin against environmental damage. This was followed by a broad-spectrum SPF which is packed with stem cells and protects from UVA and UVB rays, which will age and burn your skin. The final product to go on was a lip cream containing broken collagen. This tricks your lips into thinking they’re being damaged, causing the skin to go into overdrive and produce more collagen. The benefit of this ladies, is that with regular application, it can help you gain a plumper pout. 

My treatment was finished with deep, relaxing hot stones massage. The heat helps with lymphatic drainage and blood flow, as well as relaxing the facial muscles where we hold a lot of tension. I’d heard much about rose quartz rollers, so I was pleased of the opportunity to try one and find out about its benefits. The coolness of the quartz directly after the heat shocks the face, firming and tightening the skin, and making pores smaller. 

I left 27 Two 6 Beauty with a glow on my face and a spring in my step. To find out more and book your consultation call 020 8301 2726 and check out www.2726beauty.co.uk