The supermodel-turned-spiritual skincare entrepreneur has bought out a spa treatment. It won't give you Mossy cheekbones, but it will leave you glowing
When Kate Moss launched Cosmoss – don’t you dare call it a ‘beauty brand’, it’s a “holistic, self-care universe” – last year, I must admit wasn’t entirely convinced about her volte-face from era-defining party animal to Croydon’s answer to Gwyneth Paltrow.
The bijou range comprises cleansers, moisturisers and face oil (containing actual moss extracts!), a 'Sacred Mist' fragrance to make your aura small as nice as you do, and two punchy herbal teas inspired by her Cotswolds garden, around which she wafts ethereally in the marketing visuals. I do find it hard to reconcile today’s spiritual guru vibe with the Kate Moss who slouched past me backstage at Glastonbury 2005, wearing hotpants, with a grubby Pete Doherty on her arm. Let’s just say I don’t think they were heading to a yoga class.
But I guess we all change - I mean, I’m more ‘run 10k’ than ‘drink 10 vodka shots’ these days. And when I was asked to be the first writer to road-test the new Cosmoss spa experience – a one-hour body and face treatment, using the products - at the la-di-da Four Seasons at Park Lane hotel in London, funnily enough I was both extremely available and more than willing park the scepticism for an hour.
The key question is though: is it worth forking out £240 for Kate Moss’s wellbeing treatment?
What is the Cosmoss Ritual at the Four Seasons?
This is Cosmoss’s first collaboration with a London spa (Moss launched a different Cosmoss treatment at The Lakes By Yoo spa in the Cotswolds earlier this year.) It kicks off with some mindful breathing while being spritzed with Sacred Mist.
This is followed by a hot stone massage and a facial using the Golden Nectar oil, Face Cleanser and Face Cream. You are then escorted to a nearby relaxation pod (can I live forever there, please?) to lie in a bed, sip Cosmoss herbal tea, and loll around winsomely… until they have to call security to have you removed from the hotel.
This is all apparently based on Moss’ own daily rituals. (Needless to say, it’s quite different to my own daily ritual, which is more like kids/ commute/ work/ chores/ fall into a coma/repeat).
If all of this doesn’t sound indulgent enough for you, note that guests are encouraged to arrive up to an hour early to make full use of the Four Seasons spa. I didn’t do this and kicked myself because it is DIVINE. It’s on the rooftop 10th floor of the Park Lane stalwart with views across Hyde Park, which means you can relax in the salt crystal infrared sauna, while gazing out the window (yep, a sauna with a view) at the neon rides of Winter Wonderland, praising the lord that you are here not there.
There’s also a eucalyptus steam room and a pool-sized candle-lit jacuzzi to play in. The attention to detail is excellent: the efficiency of the staff, the softness of the bathrobes, the Dyson hairdryers in the changing room, and so on.
What is the Cosmoss Ritual like?
A gloriously luxe treat, in short. The spa’s nine treatment rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with park views, plus the Rolls Royce of treatment beds, which have temperature controls and are adjusted to best fit your body shape.
Lead therapist Jacy customizes the back massage (which is done using a specialist massage oil rather than the Cosmoss one) to tackle my aches, applying just the right amount of pressure. I loved how the hot stones were placed in my palms after she’d used them. One of my favourite authors Katherine May (ask for Enchantment for Christmas) talks about how grounding it feels to have a smooth pebble in your hand and she’s so right.
The second half of the treatment is the facial. Given that Cosmoss only has an oil, cleanser and moisturiser, the scope of this is limited – don’t expect any exfoliation, for example. But what makes it is Jacy’s handiwork. After cleansing, she uses the oil (which smells wonderful) for an expert facial massage, deploying smaller hot stones and a gua sha tool, before a slick of moisturiser to close.
Then it's tea time. You choose between the Cosmoss Calming Dusk Tea, with chamomile flower for relaxation and fennel for digestion, or Dawn Tea, with caffeine, hibiscus to energise and ginger for immunity; both brightly coloured and blended by homeopath Victoria Young. I tried both in my relaxation pod – think little rooms with beds sectioned off by curtains; like being on an NHS ward but posh and fun.
My tastes in tea are rather ‘basic bitch’, as Kate would put it (if it’s not PG Tips, I’m suspicious). The 'Dawn' tea (bright red due to the hibiscus flower) was palatable. But I couldn’t manage the aggressively cobalt 'Dusk' one (the colour comes from butterfly pea flower). One of my rules is 'don't drink blue things', after an unfortunate incident with blue curaçao in Tenerife, but someone has told me, however, it works wonders for their digestion.
My verdict
This is a pampering, restorative treatment rather than a medical facial. I was so zoned out afterwards, it was hard to hold a conversation. Although I looked presentable enough to go out for the evening– smooth, glowy skin and no oil in my hair – it is probably best booked for a day when you’re not rushing off to do other things. Embrace the relaxation.
In all honesty, what makes it special are the skills of the therapist and the dreamy location, rather than the products. They are perfectly serviceable (the Nectar Oil is especially lovely), but I’d rather buy my skincare from a doctor-led brand than a celebrity one. That said, I do understand the power of creating rituals – those nourishing, comforting daily moments, to mark a moment of pause – so maybe I’m more woo woo than I thought. Perhaps Kate Moss can be my new spiritual leader after all. I’d prefer her to Gwyneth – more up for a laugh, I reckon.
As for the price, £240 is fairly standard for a five-star Mayfair hotel spa. I think it is worth saving up for – and I would spend money on the Cosmoss treatment over buying the products.
Don’t forget, use of the spa is included in that price – and you can’t book a standalone spa day at the Four Season. You can only access it as a hotel guest or alongside a treatment – and Cosmoss is at the cheaper end of the options.
To book Cosmoss Rituals at the Four Seasons at Park Lane, call 020 7319 5480