The best facials in Sydney

A treatment at Venustus is the closest thing you’ll find to a spiritual experience on Oxford Street during daylight hours. The spectacular space is home to several egg-shaped treatment rooms, a shape chosen by founder Jeannie Bourke based on what they represent: a space to grow and be reborn. And with their combination of expert techniques, divine organic products and focus on channelling energy to achieve spiritual healing, it’s hard to deny that facials at Venustus do feel like a rebirth of sorts. Treatments here last for an hour or more, and incorporate cleansing, a facial brush machine, steam vapour, exfoliants, peels, a tailored facial massage and a hot heavy mask that will transport you to another realm. With decades of experience and an otherworldly energy, Jeannie is a modern day magician whose passion for helping people step into the higher version of themselves shines through in everything she does. Come for the facial (you’re in good company – Venustus is a favourite spot for Sydney-based celebrities) but return for the ethereal experience.

For the time-poor among us, Fayshell offers express-style treatments with a unique membership model, inspired by the belief that facials would (in an ideal world) be a regular part of our wellness routine, not a one-off treat. A monthly membership will score you one bespoke facial treatment every month, plus unlimited access to the LED skin lounge. Instead of choosing from a treatment menu, your skincare consultant will customise a treatment that’s perfect for you, with a range of price points to choose from. After the success of their Bondi Junction space, Fayshell opened a second location in Neutral Bay – so you can get your glow on from either side of the bridge. Bonus points go to the playful decor of the space and the range of products they have on offer, which the resident skincare experts will recommend to you after your treatment based on your specific needs.

I've never felt as serene after a facial as I did following my treatment at Ella Baché, and considering the salon is located within the bustling walls of Westfield, that’s an almighty feat. After a brief consultation, my treatment began with what my therapist called “a welcome massage” – deeply relaxing and performed with expert care – which set the tone for the next hour. Using a series of nourishing cleaning techniques, gentle exfoliation, masks and massage, my therapist tended meticulously to my skin whilst guiding me through the best approach to naturally and un-intrusively care for my complexion. While the final mask was working its magic, my hands and arms were scrubbed and massaged – left feeling almost as indulged as my newly glowing cheeks. The mission statement across all Ella Baché outposts (you’ll find salons across Sydney, from Penrith to Coogee) is to help people “unwind, relax and escape from the everyday hustle and bustle”. Walking through the busy Bondi Junction mall after my treatment, I can confirm: mission accomplished.

UK-born Lisa Rush is a registered nurse in aesthetic medicine, with more than 15 years of experience helping people look and feel their best. In 2016, she opened her first practice in Woollahra, and her patients followed her when she moved to a Victorian terrace right by Paddington’s Five Ways. That’s because Lisa's philosophy is simple: she focuses on the overall health and tone of the skin to achieve natural-looking results. With a fresh white exterior and black lace balcony, the Glenmore Road spot resembles the high-end fashion boutiques dotted throughout Paddington’s tree-lined streets. Inside is just as nice, with minimal chic interiors, florals and incredible artworks (that’s you, original Slim Aarons). Lisa offers a range of non-surgical aesthetic treatments to minimise the signs of ageing and enhance your skin health, from facials to microneedling, skin firming and consultations on reducing wrinkles. After my hydrafacial, I left with glowing skin – even my date said so – but more than that, I felt good. No wonder her patients followed her.

It wouldn’t be outrageous to call Double Bay Sydney’s beauty-clinic capital, and in our opinion, there’s one unassuming space that supersedes the rest. Founded by yoga coach and passionate holistic wellness advocate Adie Robertson, Wonder is something of a hidden gem – housed in a terrace-style space on a quiet leafy street. Guided by a holistic approach, Wonder offers a range of treatments (from lymphatic drainage massages to colonic hydrotherapy), but the facials here are out-of-this-world. State of the art techniques (including a radio frequency treatment that stimulates collagen and elastin and an ultrasound skin tightening machine) and hyper high-end products are used with care by therapists who – by the end of your treatment – will feel like friends.

For arguably the best facial massage in Sydney, head to Glow Medispa – an unassuming space tucked within a historic building in Pyrmont. The intimate studio is the passion project of Elisa Osmo: a distinguished practitioner who gained a loyal following after spending over eight years working in some of the city’s leading skincare clinics. Setting out on her own, Osmo’s aim was to create highly targeted bespoke facial treatments using a careful curation of techniques and products. After a 30-minute skincare consultation, you’ll experience a series of treatments ranging from herbal peels to LED treatments to dermaplane exfoliation treatments. While you’re waiting for a mask to work its magic, you’ll be offered a scalp or neck and shoulder massage which you absolutely cannot refuse, and an hour or so later you’ll leave armed with customised skincare advice and a newfound glow. 

For a fantastic facial on the Northern Beaches, head to Beaches Lash Co: a gloriously hyper-feminine space just a short walk from Manly Corso. The studio itself is enough to make you feel like you’ve had a spa day: all whitewashed floorboards and baby pink treatment chairs, but it's the treatment approach that makes this place unique. Relaxing rituals (including incredible hand massages, a scalp and decolletage massage and essential oil aromatherapy) are used throughout their signature facial, so you’ll leave the 90-minute session feeling head-to-toe indulged. If you’re keen to complement your new glow with an eyelash lift or brow transformation, this is your place: and you can score another dreamy hand massage while you’re at it. Beaches Lash Co has two locations, with salons in Newport and Manly.

This sparkly Darlinghurst salon is a one-stop-shop for all things beauty, offering everything from eyelash lifts to blow drys – all from a very beautiful, very central location. Their signature facial (the Radiance Glow Facial) is a guest favourite: a powerful enzyme peel designed to increase collagen production, reduce breakouts and nourish skin with little downtime, meaning you can head straight out onto Oxford Street to show off your new-found glow without worrying about post-treatment breakouts.

For a facial on the fly (almost literally) head to La Prairie Spa Sydney Airport: a hyper-luxurious beauty spa housed beyond the security gates of Terminal One. After a Champagne-fuelled skincare consultation, you’ll be led into the treatment room – a low-lit, somewhat futuristic space lined with chrome and an artfully placed curation of La Prairie products. Don your fluffy gown, then find your place beneath the warm towels on the treatment bed and dream of Switzerland while the expert therapists work their magic. The spa’s signature facials combine a deeply cleansing facial massage with a careful selection of products designed to hydrate and rejuvenate your pre-flight face. The entire experience – inclusive of consultation and inevitable post-treatment expressions of wonder at your reflection – takes less than an hour, the perfect time-filler between check-in, Toblerone-browsing and boarding.

If you’re located further West, we’d suggest heading to La Belle Cosmetics – a new beauty clinic in the heart of Bella Vista. While the focus here is on cosmetic procedures, they also specialise in “revitalising facials” – expertly-performed, non-cosmetic treatments which combine cleansing, massage and super high-end products to leave skin glowing, and guests feeling connected to what the team describe as “ inner and outer radiance”. Careful attention has been paid to every element – from the signature scent to the marble trimmed lobby.

Though the team at this luxe Double Bay clinic specialise in cosmetic procedures (hence the name), they’re also experts in skincare – offering hyper-personalised facials using super indulgent, clinical and entirely non-toxic products. The multi-step facial I was treated to one rainy Saturday morning included several cleanses, serums, a nourishing mask and an LED treatment, and I walked out with the kind of glow you’d hope for from a day in the sunshine (minus the skin damage). The luxurious setting – all designer furniture and air laced with the scent of candles – rounds out the experience.

This unassuming but super-welcoming space in Bondi Junction offers a high-tech facial that will leave you with the softest skin you’ve ever experienced, with no down-time. The pulse-triggered laser technology is activated by your heartbeat (a pulse-measuring device will be attached to your finger, but there’s zero discomfort involved), activating the laser to work in a way that best suits your skin. The technology used in this treatment means it’s super-effective at repairing the skin, with the dreamy facial massage and cleansing rituals performed by the team a lovely bonus. It’s recommended to keep the products on overnight, so we’d suggest keeping the evening after your facial free to let the treatment work its magic. 

The founder of this carefully curated beauty salon in the heart of Bronte was offering beauty treatments from home for three years before she opened her own salon, and she gained a solid client base during that time for very good reason. The Ginger and Me Mindfulness Ritual Facial is my go-to for a double hit of inner peace and surface-level glow. Choose a meditation and essential oil blend based on how your feeling, then settle in with the headphones on for a transcendent meditation, a deep cleanse and nourishing face mask. Jordan is a wizard masseuse, so you’ll leave with shoulder knots obliterated and a deep sense of calm.