I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when I heard about this 'beauty scraping therapy' that was offered to me by Arte Belle. The word 'scraping' alone sounds scary – especially when it comes to your face. However, being the daredevil I am, decided to give it a go. Well of course, it's not as scary as it sounds. My two beauty therapists, Fiona and Yee Mun were so friendly, I was left feeling like a pampered kitten.

The beauty scraping therapy, usually referred to a Gua Sha, a traditional beauty treatment that has been used for thousands of years. The treatment requires use of a buffalo board (that looks like a fish, actually) to scrape the face. By doing so, it helps enhance the facial complexion and skin radiance. Our face reflects the vitality and overall state of our health. I dubbed it face feng shui, as Fiona explained that different areas of the face correlate to specific internal organs. For example, if you have problematic skin on your forehead, it usually means you have some lung health issues. Usually it's not as serious as it sounds, so don't fret.

That's what gua sha can help you with, along with these other things:

• Increase skin cell turnover rate (for brighter skin, say byebye to dull, dead skin)
• Improve blood circulation and skin texture
• Reduce pore size, preventing white and black heads
• Reduce dark circles and puffiness
• Lighten freckles, dark spots
• Reduce wrinkles and fine lines
• Eliminates water retention, skin lifting and firming 

Sounds too good to be true? Well, they told me that gua sha can help with making your face's V-shape more pronounced, and with regular sessions, permanent. They were not lying, I saw results in just this session alone, it's amazeballs! But first, let me also clarify that they are using really great products from Artistry, that smells so good. The products are quite well-used in Malaysia as well, so you can always ask around for more info.






To start off, I was given a beauty consultation on my skin's condition. Well, not much of a skin condition except for my annoying sun-kisses (what I call my freckles) that have been multiplying over the years, which was also thanks to all the beach holidays to Krabi and Gold Coast, not to mention that sun-scorching trip to Cambodia earlier this year. It was freaking 40 degrees Celcius there! Digressing.

After a quick once-over, Yee Mun began with cleansing my face with just a washcloth and a basin of water. How convenient! Maybe I should train my boyfriend to wash my face with a washcloth too, so I have no need to walk all the way (okay, just 10 steps away) to the bathroom to wash my face. I can wake up in bed, have my face washed and polished without even getting up. Ahh, wishful thinking.



She's only working on one half of my face, so that I can compare the effects of gua sha later on. After cleansing, she preps my face for my favorite part – the mask! The mask smells very floral and is the type where you squeeze out of a tube. It also has a very soothing menthol effect, which made me melt into a puddle of contentment. I bought a tube of that mask, that's just how good it is.



After 10 minutes or so, the mask starts hardening and the face starts feeling taut – like one half of my face felt numb and restricted from smiling, lest any unwanted lines form. Using the washcloth, the mask was expertly cleaned off my face, leaving nice and soft skin behind, with a lingering menthol cool.

Then they massaged some Vitamin C into my skin. If you, like me, didn't know that Vitamin C can be applied straight to the face – now you know. The concoction is a one-month-usage (Vitamin C spoils and expires after that duration) to be applied onto skin daily. It is a mixture of Vitamin C and wild yam. Apparently after getting a gua sha session done, your face absorbs the products that are applied to your face at a 100% rate, compared to the usual 50%, as our face's circulation has been stimulated after the session. So yes, eat your Vitamins and feed your face too.



Then comes the gua sha session. The buffalo board, which I call the 'fish stick', is used to gently massage the face, with slight pressure. It is called 'scraping' because that's what it looks like – someone scraping your face with a fish-stick. But it doesn't feel that way, and your face will not get red and blotchy after gua sha, unlike those facial sessions you get at saloons.





I find it very relaxing, and would have fallen asleep if Yee Mun was not talking to me and telling me about how the parts of the face relates to parts of the body. It is somewhat like reflexology. As I mentioned before, the forehead connects to the lungs, the bridge of the nose are your heart and liver, and so on. And the scraping therapy provides a sort of massage to the face, which improves blood circulation. That in turn, helps with overall body circulation – and thus, wellness.

The result? Softer skin, and also visible lifting in the jaw area. Amazing! It's hard to show through photos, but looking into a mirror on the spot, it's pretty obvious.



So, really, if you are interested in going for it, the lovely girls from Arte Belle are having a promo for a first trial that's only costing you RM128 (RRP: RM168). Applies to first 50 first-time customers only. It's a pretty good price to pay for a comfort-in-your-own-home-service. You don't even need to drive out. ;) For further inquiries regarding the products or gua sha services, please feel free to contact Fiona (+6012-3351788) or Yee Mun (+6016-3476277), they are the friendliest beauticians you are ever gonna find.

Thank you Fiona & Yee Mun for the lovely experience and great work! :) The effects lasts for about 5 days after treatment, but my skin feels super cushiony-soft, even after a week.



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