Tried and tested: Fish eggs for the face

Could caviar hold the key to youthful looks?

Rosemary Behan tries out a caviar facial, an anti-ageing treatment, at the Zayna Spa at the Grand Millennium Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi.
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WHAT I TRIED The Caviar for Her facial at the Zayna Spa at the Grand Millennium Al Wahda.

WHAT I WANTED A good dose of caviar protein might be just what my skin needed. In short, I hoped to look younger.

WHAT HAPPENED I had just used the hotel's pool, Jacuzzi and steam room, so I arrived in the spa feeling relaxed.

After a gentle cleanse and scrub, punctuated by a balancing toner containing caviar and pearl extract, my face was steamed, but no extractions were done on my clogged pores. A glorious face massage almost sent me to sleep.

Next up was the main event: a three-layered mask made up of a white cream containing caviar extract, which was applied to the skin; a layer of gauze, to "protect" the skin; and a thick, warm, black mask containing caviar (Pevonia Botanica's "Filmo-tech myoxy-caviar treatment mask"), to cake the face.

My arms and legs were massaged but Alice, my aesthetician, didn't do my shoulders or décolletage. These are available only with the two-hour Zayna Anti Age Facial Package.

In 15 minutes or so the mask was dry, and was lifted off my face like something out of a horror film. My face was wiped clean and toned, and face cream and eye cream were applied.

THE VERDICT The whole process was restful and my face felt smooth, clean and hydrated, and it looked ever-so-slightly lifted. What lines I have got are still there, but overall, I look brightened.

I spotted a friend in the changing rooms, who remarked: "You look radiant." Then, shopping in LuLu next door, I clocked several strangers grinning at me. The effect seemed to have lasted only about a day, but must have done something right.

Rosemary Behan

Caviar for Her facial, Dh800 for 75 minutes, Zayna Spa, Grand Millennium Al Wahda, 11th Street, Abu Dhabi, 02 495 3822