As gentlemen, our attitude to skincare has evolved over the years. It used to be that notions of masculinity excluded taking care of ourselves – our skin included. It did not fit with the rough-and-tumble, fixer-upper image we want to cultivate for ourselves to fit with our own, or society’s expectations of what men should be. Later, we learnt that being able to take care of ourselves is just as important – and directly correlational with our ability to take care of the ones we love.
Some of the old notions of masculinity still prevail. For example, spending 70 minutes on a facial is 69 minutes more than most of us are comfortable with. The colour pink – swaths of it – might still discomfort the traditional male psyche. So when I was invited to Peachy Skin Bar at Bugis Street for its signature 70-minute Saborino Omakase Facial, I was admittedly rather apprehensive going into it.
But if there’s anything that would define Peachy Skin Bar, it’s their commitment to no-judgment, personalised service. I was made to feel comfortable from the reception area to the end of my treatment. It was admittedly a decidedly feminine space (in the traditional sense of the word), but the staff were professional, talking me through the various processes, and the options I had in my Omakase Facial.
The idea of an Omakase Facial was particularly appealing. As the name suggests, an Omakase Facial allows you to choose from a plethora of different treatments to craft a course that best suits your skin type and skin goals. Their award-winning Omakase Facial is no doubt their most popular treatment of all time but this time I tried their Saborino ft Omakase Facial as it’s their seasonal special for their 4th Year Anniversary celebration. The treatment utilises seven medical-grade aesthetic machines and comes with complimentary Collagen Oxygen Spray & Honey Collagen Eye Mask. The press materials said ‘You just have to relax and leave the rest to the professionals’ and that is resoundingly true in my experience there.
By the end of my session, my face felt reinvigorated, my pores were breathing, fresh and open, my skin felt cool and rejuvenated. It’s an amazing feeling, something I feel we fail to appreciate much as heterosexual dude-bros and our preconceived, baseless notions of ‘what a man should be’ in relation to skincare.
At Augustman, bespoke facials are something that we encourage our readers to go for regularly, and Peachy Skin Bar, despite being an indie establishment, has some of the best. And one of the things that makes it so appealing is that they don’t push for packages, which puts stress on you to have a facial every month, even when the need is not there. What’s more, anything from hormones to what we eat to environmental stresses, cause frequent changes in our skin condition, so inflexible packages for one specific treatment throughout the year simply do not work. With Peachy Skin Bar, their expert therapists will study your skin first, before determining the best course of action for your skin at that time.
After your treatment, you can relax in the lounge, where you can enjoy coffee, tea, juices or even champagne. It’s a great place for a date, or even a much-needed self-love session. Once you get past how traditionally feminine it is, Peachy Skin Bar is actually a great place for you to start looking your best.
Bugis Street Address: 62A Queen Street, Bugis Street, Singapore 188541
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-8.30pm daily; Saturday-Sunday, 11am to 9pm
Contact: DM @peachyskinbar or WhatsApp 88923378 for appointments
