Recently on an overnight stay at the stunning Bannisters Port Stephens, I had the opportunity to try one of the four facials on their spa menu, and I couldn’t go past one in particular, titled ‘Plumping Pumpkin.’ While I always love a good plumping treatment, it was the word ‘pumpkin’ that really caught my attention. What is a pumpkin facial? I had to find out.

Bannisters Port Stephens is one of two Bannisters Hotels (the other being south, in Mollymook), and if you’re thinking of trying the spa and you are able to make a weekend out of it, then I can definitely recommend an overnight stay. In this Covid-19 era of zero overseas travel, it’s the perfect staycation-style escape for those that reside close to Sydney—the hotel is right on the Salamander Shores of Port Stephens, a 3-hour drive from Sydney. Rick Stein at Bannisters provides a fine-dining experience for guests, with a focus on delicious Australian seafood. Then there’s the interiors: Bannisters is a renovated retro motel that is complete with an idyllic pool—if you close your eyes, you’re basically in Europe…

Now, back to the facial. 

Here’s the lowdown on the treatment…

The Sell: The focus of this facial is a deep clean. Exfoliating plant acids, including those derived from pumpkin (hence the name), slough of dead skin for a luminous complexion.

The Price: $175 for a 60-minute facial.

The Review: Given the time of year, my therapist at the spa earned some quick bonus points for offering me a hot water bottle in an already warm bed—and then also draping me in a warm quilt. After a skin consultation, in which I shared that I was experiencing some dryness due to the May cold snap, my therapist began with a thorough double cleanse. The spa uses Skin Juice products, an Australian-owned beauty brand which combines fruit and vegetable extracts in efficacious ways. 

Following that, my therapist used a chemical exfoliation using—yep, you guessed it, pumpkin enzymes—to exfoliate the skin. Taking a cool gel that did in fact smell like pumpkins, she slathered it onto my skin and gave me a relaxing head and hand massage while the product got to work. There was a slight tingling, but nothing uncomfortable.  

One of the reasons I loved this facial is the massage part seemed to go forever, leaving me feeling completely relaxed. After removing the exfoliant, the therapist massaged a number of moisturisers and natural oils into my skin, taking a lymphatic approach to the massage. 

After the treatment, my skin tone felt improved, the dehydration and dryness I was experiencing had subsided and my skin looked brighter and definitely plumper. While the plumping results didn’t last days, it was still a really beautiful experience and helped to solve that dryness in my skin.

The Score: 7/10. 

Want to test drive it yourself? You can book a treatment at The Bannisters Spa here and book to stay overnight 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.