Resting in Rustom Bagh

BANGALORE: As the city tests you for another round of perseverance behind the wheels while the customary smoke-bellowing traffic idly snakes its way through Old Airport Road, the green belt of
Resting in Rustom Bagh
Updated on
3 min read

BANGALORE: As the city tests you for another round of perseverance behind the wheels while the customary smoke-bellowing traffic idly snakes its way through Old Airport Road, the green belt of Rustom Bagh comes to the rescue like an oasis in a parched land. Sunburnt and fingers-crossed, I make my way to the scenic White Mantra spa that I’d heard so much about for the past two years. The once-upon-a-time bungalow casts a spell of serenity as soon as I lay my eyes on it. A man-made water body forms most of the porch and rectangular stone steps lead to Aparna Raghavan’s office.

After a round of casual pleasantries, she says she has to check the hydration (water content) of my skin. “We do that before every facial,” says Aparna who quit an IT job to set up her spa. She switches on a red hand held machine, called the GK4, and places it on both sides of my face. Anything above seventy is a good sign. But mine shows 54 and 40. “You have to drink lots of water,” she advises. Aparna then suggests that I go for the Hot Chocolate Spa Facial. “The Hot Chocolate Spa Facial uses nature’s best-known source to nourish the skin — the cocoa bean,” she says. The facial is meant to deep cleanse, exfoliate, de-tan and hydrate the skin, and it is not just skin-deep. “It clears the skin from inside,” notes Aparna.

Olivia, my guide for the day, ushers me into a white room overlooking a luscious green canopy of trees on the first floor. “The chocolate that we use for the facial is hot. That’s how we get the name Hot Chocolate Spa Facial,” explains Olivia, as I settle in for 90 minutes of pampering.

The facial begins with the usual cleansing. Olivia applies a cleansing lotion on my face before the two rounds of deep cleansing and exfoliation. A cleansing gel is applied after the lotion is wiped off, followed by a peel that is left on the face for 10 minutes. The chocolate process starts only after these three elaborate steps. And by the time, I hit a state of tranquility.  

The smell of hot chocolate overpowers me as Olivia prepares the chocolate cleanser, and for a minute I am transported to the world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After a session of calming circular strokes, Olivia applies a warm chocolate peel pack for 10 minutes. As the exfoliating delicious semi-liquid is let to seep in, she gives me a pampering foot and hand massage. She then prepares the final face pack. The viscous liquid feels heavy on my face. But it feels good — it’s like wearing a thick layer of hot dark chocolate spread on the face. “Don’t lick it,” quips Olivia. As I resist my chocolate craving, I am also told that alcohol is one of the ingredients. It’s meant to hydrate the skin to a flawless state. The pack is left on for 20 relaxing minutes, and I drift off into a world of sleep.

As the pack is removed, I touch my face and neck with my fingertips. It feels soft. Delighted, I thank both Aparna and

Olivia as I step back to the world of chaos. But on the way, I slip my hands into my purse and fish out a bar of melted chocolate and simply give into the dark temptation.

elizabeth@expressbuzz.com

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