All the best from Bastien

PODIATRIST BASTIEN Gonzales travels the world reminding people that they shouldn’t be neglecting their feet so much – especially the heels and soles. And last week he was in Bangkok, at the Mandarin Oriental’s Spa Studio, to demonstrate the benefits of pampering foot treatments.
Paris-based Gonzales unveiled his wares at the newly revamped spa in the hotel’s similarly refurbished Garden Wing. Reconfiguring the treatment rooms has created four spacious suites that welcome men as well as women in a sophisticated yet utterly calming setting. 
There’s a great new reason to revisit the historic riverside hotel now that the spa is stocked with Gonzales’ Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio products, along with award-winning skin treatments from German firm QMS Medicosmetics.

A therapist applies the QMS Medicosmetics Activator Mask

With both wellbeing and beauty in mind, Gonzales designs his own treatments for the feet and hands. From a team of specialists he personally selected and trained, Alex Lutun is in charge of the treatments in Bangkok.
Bastien’s Duo is a 75-minute four-hand treatment focusing on the legs and feet and arms and hands, including a manicure and pedicure in which the nails are gently buffed to restore their natural healthy shine. Lutun uses chamois leather and a pearl buffing cream to bring out the shine in the nails and cuticles. 
Next is a treatment to remove hardened skin, employing tools that are sterilised before each use. The therapist will test the hardness of the skin with the fingertips and then use an electric drill on the problem areas – it might sound scary at first, but it’s painless and even tickles a bit.

Alex Lutun has an amazing way of buffing the nails - a technique passed down from Gonzales' grandmother 

The session ends with a massage from toes to knees that relieves muscle tension.
Fingernails look even better with a French-style colour touch-up. A white line is applied along the edges and a natural soft-pink lacquer covers the rest of the nail. It takes about 20 minutes for all 10 fingers. 
Meanwhile the range of luxurious treatments from QMS Medicosmetics, a 29-year-old German brand, have earned plaudits for their scientific advances in skincare. 
The Mandarin spa has four treatments that are available nowhere else in Asia, among them the anti-ageing Collagen Vita Skin Facial and the rejuvenating Advanced Cellular Hydration that’s said to “infuse energy into the skin” by stimulating cell regeneration.
Ideal for all skin types, the purifying 45-minute Skin Rebalance Facial involves double cleansing, gentle exfoliation, a skin-enhancing mask and intense hydration with a natural, soluble collagen. 
The smoothing Activator Mask, made of liquefied fleece, moisturises and rids the complexion of all signs of stress and tiredness. The results are apparent after just 10 minutes thanks to the way the mask is applied. It perfectly fits the contours of the face to ensure even results, and an “Item Tab” is used to apply the liquid, a high concentration of hyaluronic acid and marine collagen, swelling the tissues.

The fleece mask fits perfectly on the contours of the face and brings instant results.

The Spa Studio also offers waxing, using a natural, elastic wax selected according to individual skin type and available in chocolate, strawberry and lemon flavours. 
And the 45-minute Express Massage is designed to recharge energy quickly when time is limited. Just name the target area – back, neck, shoulders, head, arms, feet, joints, eyes or ear – for a thoroughly soothing rub.
  

WHAT’S  ON TAP
>> Bastien’s Duo, 75 minutes, Bt4,850
>> French Colour Touch, 20 minutes, Bt1,200
>> Express Massage, 45 minutes, Bt1,500
>> QMS Medicosmetics Skin Rebalance Facial, 45 minutes, Bt3,350
>> Spa Studio by Mandarin Oriental is on the first floor of the hotel’s Garden Wing. It’s open daily from 10am to 8pm.
>> Book a session at (02) 659 0000, extension 7433, 
or [email protected].