In the crystal maze

Buoyed by my positive beauty therapy experience, and with my renewed clarity of mind still strong, I visit facialist Nichola Joss. She is known for using crushed crystals in the bespoke masks she mixes up for her celebrity clientele (from £180 for an hour). “Crystals vibrate at a high rate so their impact on boosting micro-circulation in the skin is tenfold,” she tells me. “They actively boost cellular energy and promote cell turnover for a smoother, more radiant complexion.” She mixes a mask with rose quartz (to keep the heart chakra open, calm and balanced), obsidian crystal (for positivity) and a little diamond dust of the highest grade “for the highest vibration”. The aim is to tap into my chakras, allowing energy to flow from the top of my head – “from the crown chakra through the body and out through the root chakra. It’s a cleansing of the mind, of negativity that circulates your thoughts.” I leave with cheekbones higher than they’ve been in years and with a glow that lasts long after the weekend is over. And my chakras? “Your vibrations are really high,” Joss tells me. “Your chakra is really open, your energy is lovely but your solar plexus was a little grumbly,” which we put down to my period.

I’m still not sure I buy into this crystal malarkey though. I do a little research. Crystals are millions of years old, forged during the early part of the earth’s formation. For millennia the energies of the stones have been used to interact with the human electromagnetic field to bring about subtle energetic changes. They’re now infused into your water, your skincare, even your nail polish. The resurgence of these translucent pink chunks and wand-shaped amethyst stones have seen them scattered across desks and bedside tables of high-flying women – even Victoria Beckham keeps a black obsidian crystal in her handbag for ‘positivity’. “

Introducing the new age (of) beauty treatments