Saturday Times Magazine

7 July 2007

'Saving Face'

By Sarah Vine

Since I started doing this job, large amounts of my life have been spent listening parties enthusing about celebrity-endorsed products: Angelina Jolie's favourite foot cream, Eva Longoria's toothpaste, Paris Hilton's nail polish. On the beauty-hack circuit, there are always individuals and salons that facilitate easy press access to their products and services, and suprise, suprise, the mentions are glowing. Ring up as a member of the public and you'll be told there is a three-month waiting list; call back in a professional capacity and an appointment will mysteriously become available.

There is, however, one person who doesn't dispense freebies but whose name is nevertheless legendary among those in the know: Beata Aleksandrowicz. Beata is so sought after that she takes booking months in advance. And she really doesn't want, or need, the attention of the press. It took me ages to get a slot in her schedule, and I only succeeded because she has recently finished instructing four apprentices in her technique. This, she hopes, will mean that she can at last begin meeting demand with supply.

Our first encounter was not auspicious. Beata is extremely professional, and she takes herself very seriously. I was late, tired and flustered. She told me off- well, not exactly a telling-off but a quiet talking-to about how there was no point in embarking on this (a course of six sessions) if I wasn't going to be committed. Then she did something quite extraordinary. She examined my face at some length, put her hands on my shoulders and told me something about myself that astonished me. Nothing mystical - just and alarmingly accurate insight. Wow, I thought. Perhaps this woman really is all she's cracked up to be.

The treatment itself is like reflexology for the face, with elements of cranial osteopathy and lymphatic drainage. She works on the muscles' connective tissue, kneading away a lifetime's tensions. The result is subtle but unmistakable: a general softening of the features, a brighter, lighter countenance. It is incredibly soothing and calming - I left feeling wonderfully serene.

Much of Beata's work is with Bell's Palsy sufferers and, in this area, she has had considerable success - although she is at pains to point out that she is not a miracle worker, "I try to restore the true face", she says. I shall be going back. And I will be more than happy to pay.