SPA HOTSPOT: BELLS AT KILLCARE DAY SPA

CONNECTED TOP NATURE

Nadine Dilong shares her experience at Bells at Killcare’s Bells Day Spa, where she enjoyed an indulgent treatment rooted in nature.

Bells at Killcare on the NSW Central Coast has everything you need in order to get away from the daily grind and hustle and bustle of the big city: Cozy cottages with fireplaces and big bath tubs to relax in on cold nights, an acreage with lush green trees and happy chickens who provide eggs for breakfast, and hardly any phone reception so you really get a chance to stop and unwind. But most notable for me was the silence. How wonderful to put your feet up and simply hear nothing, no cars, no people, just the rustling leaves in the autumn wind.

Of course, this state of doing nothing could only be enhanced by a spa treatment. Bells Day Spa offers massages and facials using iKOU products, which are made locally by Founder Naomi Whitfeld, and from the moment I entered the little cottage the spa is situated in, I could tell there was a deep connection with the land and all the wonderful native botanicals it has to offer.

I was there for the spa’s White Flannel Flower Sanctuary Ritual, a 120-minute body and face treatment. Inspired by the beauty and healing properties of the Australian White Flannel Flower, which grows in the area, this popular ritual is a complete head-to-toe degustation of iKOU treatments. The treatment room was dimly lit by candles, and after a smoking ritual, my therapist applied an organic Coconut and Jasmine Body Polish to my arms, legs, back, and even my stomach. There wasn’t much pressure needed as the fine scrub effortlessly exfoliated my body, and the flowing massaging strokes all the way from my toes up to my scalp felt deeply relaxing. Every now and then, my therapist ‘sprinkled’ the scrub from a height onto my back, which felt soft and a bit tingly – a lovely multi sensorial detail.

I was guided to a private bathroom next door to wash off the scrub before once again laying face down on the treatment bed. And then, the really indulgent part of the treatment began. The iKOU Australian White Flannel Floral Hydrating mask was applied to my entire body, and I was impressed by the ‘towel choreography’, as I dubbed it – the movement of the many layers of towels on me to make sure I was never cold or too exposed. In fact, the entire treatment felt like a beautifully choreographed dance performance, the movements just flowed, and it felt serene and safe.

Once my body was ‘marinating’ in the Flannel Flower, my therapist cleansed my face and wrapped my ears and eyes in a soft head band, which further deepened my state of relaxation. As she applied the White Flannel Flower Souffle to my cleansed skin, she used tiny, circular motions on every inch of my face – something I had never experienced in a facial before, but which felt very thorough and nice. Anther detail I really enjoyed was the soft music in the background, which was a mix of instrumental and nature sounds, in particular the sound of cicadas and birds, which made me feel as if we were outside – again, the deep connection to nature was apparent.

The ritual finished with a foot massage and the application of lip balm (never ignore the lips!), and it took me a minute or two to ‘come back to reality’ as I got up and put on my robe. A truly indulgent and deeply relaxing experience, and my skin looked glowing and deeply nourished for days after!