As a beauty editor, I’ve been fortunate enough to try some seriously heavenly facial treatments, but it’s not often that I’m invited to try a body treatment. To be honest, it’s also not something I usually look at first when I attend a treatment outside of work. So, when the kind people at The Darling Spa invited me in to try their luxurious Lit’Ya Mala Mayi treatment—made up of a full body exfoliation, mud wrap and massage—I said YES!

First of all, who doesn’t love a good hotel spa treatment, and The Darling Spa is seriously luxe. Once you enter the spa, it feels like you’ve entered a different world, with dark interiors and moody lighting throughout the cavernous space. I attended the treatment in May, when The Darling Spa was offering an ultra immersive experience, by partnering with Tame Impala’s Cam Avery, who created an unique ambient soundtrack for the treatment, but I would recommend going at any time of the year to treat yourself to a bit of rest and relaxation.

Here’s the lowdown on the treatment…

The Sell: The Darling Spa claims the 90-minute treatment will “unwind, invigorate and celebrate” your body with a “rejuvenation experience”.

The Price: $280 for 90 minutes of pure bliss.

The Review: After being guided to a treatment room by my therapist, she had me relaxing with a footbath immersed in a copper bowl with warm water that’s infused with dried rosella flowers, lemon myrtle leaf, native mint leaf and quandong kernel. Once there, she explained the treatment to me before taking me on a sensory journey with the dessert salts I could select for my treatment—I opted for the Wild Rosella Dessert Salt, which offered a milder exfoliation and was infused with pink desert salt, and, you guessed it, wild rosella flowers. I was also able to select the style of mud used throughout the treatment, which I really liked, as I felt like I was in control of the scents used throughout the treatment—a big tick for those with sensitive sinuses. (I opted for the Purifying Body Mud, which had a detoxifying element).

The treatment began with a full body exfoliation using the dessert salts. If you’ve never experienced this, be warned: it can be quite a shock. The therapist uses a flowing massage to exfoliate the body, which is so rhythmic it almost feels like your skin is humming. 

Next up is the application of the mud wrap, which is exactly that—red ochre made into a mud formula that is painted onto the skin. The mud is pleasantly warm and once applied, the therapist wraps you up in layers of towels and blankets, so that you remain warm while the mud sets. As the mud dried, I did start to feel a little on the chilly side, so those who are sensitive to cold air might want to request extra blankets or a higher room temperature. 

A quick rinse in the shower is the next step. This was the only part of the treatment that I didn’t enjoy, as I didn’t want to get out of the warm treatment bed and into a cold bathroom for a shower! Rest assured though, that what awaits is worth it: the treatment finished with a heavenly full body massage (yes, even the scalp!) using beautiful oils that put the moisture back into your skin.

I left feeling like I was floating and was deeply relaxed, but the best bit was that my skin felt incredibly soft and super hydrated for days after.

The Score: 7/10.

Want to test drive it yourself? You can book a treatment at The Darling Spa here. 

This is an independently written road test which was not commissioned or paid for by the brand. However, the treatment was provided to the writer at the brand’s discretion.