This is the latest installment in my adventure “on the trail of Men’s beauty parlours”, with a trip to “Il fait beau” at 51 rue des Archives, in the Marais (they have another salon at 57 rue des Peupliers à Boulogne). It opened two years ago, and offers a modern, stylish setting for beauty treatments using [comfort zone] products. [comfort zone] is an Italian brand that specialises in spa treatments.

On the menu: facial and body treatments, relaxation, hand and foot care and hair removal! For the latter, “il fait beau” also offer light pulse hair removal. My first test (undertaken in a beauty parlour 2 years ago) left me unconvinced, but according to the beautician, who was also sceptical at first, it works! I might try it out again sometime…

In the mean time, I tried another facial (the last one was a month ago, and once a month is a good frequency). This facial was carried out using [comfort zone] products. There is a wide range with around a hundred products to suit all skin types (dry, sensitive, mixed, oily etc). If you’re not sure about your skin type: a facial will always start with a test to determine which type it is! This allows the beautician to choose the right products, which will also help you choose your own.

At “il fait beau” there are several treatment rooms, which are all quite small (yes, like in most salons, they make the most of the space!). But that doesn’t really make a difference: you spend most of the hour with your eyes shut. And we’re off: cleanse, tone, and moisturise… And you leave feeling fresh as a daisy, with a new face! Once again: I feel good!

Bonus: the salon boasts a beauty parlour and a Power Plate® area on the same premises (for those you want to try it out at the same time). It costs €40 for an eye treatment (30 min) and €65 for a facial treatment (60min) including cleansing, oxygenating luminosity treatment, calming treatment or deep moisturising treatment.

Once upon a time, our fathers had no choice but to visit “mixed” beauty parlours: -Have you come for the bikini wax? Erm, no, it’s for my back. I’m off to the beach next week, and at the moment, to tell you the truth…I’ve got a mohawk down my back! I like to travel light, you see… And a bit of massage wouldn’t go amiss!

Times change. Since then, some beauty parlours have opened their doors specially for us men with our rebellious hair and pale faces… They can treat your feet, back, hands, face and more… Everything to help you relax and put the colour back in your cheeks.

The first time I went to a beauty parlour, like many others, it was a gift. -“Ok, I’ll go then!” Having carefully examined the range, I decided to try a facial treatment.

Being the active sort, I was a bit dubious of my ability to stay still for an hour. So during the first 15 minutes, I asked loads of questions:
What are you doing?
Have you finished it yet?
Are you qualified?
Can I see your certificate?

Then I agreed to close my eyes and leave myself in expert hands: I was cleansed, toned and moisturised… I let myself be swept away by the zen music and feel only the dancing of nimble little fingers.

-Ok, calm… So much so, that at the end of the hour I was nearly asleep. And so, slowly, I came back to life, I put my shirt back on, walked up the steps, said goodbye to the staff, and was carried away by the ebb and flow of Paris.

It was strange to find myself back amongst the crowds after escaping for an hour. I felt like I was walking on moss in the middle of the forest, and my face was breathing the open air.
-My face is breathing!
And I felt really relaxed. If I followed my instincts, I would have gone home, and sat down on the sofa in front of a nature documentary with a big bowl of soup. But I had things to do, like meeting friends for a drink. I had to! -“Hey, you know what, guys? My face is breathing.”

Still to come: our special dossier on men’s beauty parlours in Paris