THE Elizabethan dramatist Thomas Dekker once said 'a mask of gold hides all deformities', but what happens when you take it off?

The answer is very taut and luminescent skin if the mask in question is the Miracle Gold Mask that completes FIL's new Miracle Gold Face Therapy.

FIL claims that the mask - a unique blend of gold, pearl, ginseng, Vitamin C, pseudo-ginseng root (Tianqi) and alginic acid - helps to improve the elasticity and tone of one's skin. After a trial session, we're inclined to agree.

The results however, would not have been so good if my skin hadn't already been prepped by the Miracle Gold Machine which uses a special gold plated probe to deliver a customised treatment gel (depending on skin type) deeply into the skin.

One of the reasons why FIL chose a machine with a gold probe is because gold - being one of the softest metals - helps the gel to penetrate more easily into the dermis layer (second layer) of the face which means that the machine delivers faster and more noticeable results than its competitors in the market.

For greater efficacy, the probe is charged with negative ions which it delivers into your skin as well. According to FIL, when the negatively charged electric ions ('negative ions') permeate into the surface of your skin, your pores and sweat glands expand, allowing better absorption of the customised treatment gel. Studies have also shown that negative ions, when introduced into a person's body, have the added benefit of promoting collagen production.

Hence, the treatment works just as well for the body as it does for the face. The processes for both are fairly similar, save that the body version utilises a slightly bigger gold probe to deliver a slimming gel (rather than a customised gel) and the negative ions into the subcutaneous layer (third layer) of the body and doesn't finish off with a mask (or a wrap).

What it does do, however, is improve blood circulation; rid the body of toxins; reduce excess water retention and burn stubborn body fats.

When a spa is confident enough to treat one side of your body so that you can see the difference, you know that the final results will at least be decent but to be fair to FIL, they exceeded expectations.

The only problem with gold is that those with hyper-sensitive or allergy-prone skin may not take too well to this treatment. Otherwise, those who try this may well find that they have truly struck gold this time round.

Miracle Gold Face Therapy  (approx 60 min, $258 a la carte) and Miracle Gold Sculptic Body Portion Slimming Therapy (approx 45 min, $250 a la carte) FIL Skin, Body & Spa Intelligence

#01-00/B1-00, Far East Finance Building 14 Robinson Road
Tel: 6323 3343