Cheongdam pore care facial before a nephew's wedding: Clermont Monde

Why I loved getting facials while traveling in Southeast Asia

During two years of traveling around Southeast Asia, I got quite a lot of facials instead of body massages. Body massages feel great, but lying face-down can feel stuffy, and you end up with those little hole marks on your face, right?

A facial massage or skin treatment also loosens up your back and shoulders, so that suited me better, and I kept seeking them out.

Since coming back, life has taken over and it hasn't been easy to go for skin care as often as I'd like. But my nephew's wedding is coming up, and my pores and sebum have been bugging me lately, so I decided to treat myself to a Cheongdam facial for the first time in a while. The place I visited is Clermont Monde (끌레르몽드), near Cheongdam Station.

How do you get to Clermont Monde from Cheongdam Station?

Clermont Monde took me about 5-6 minutes on foot from Cheongdam Station Exit 9. It isn't on the main Dosan-daero road but tucked inside a residential area.

It's a converted house rather than a regular commercial building, so the atmosphere felt different from the moment I walked in. It was fun to look around and think, so this is what old Cheongdam houses looked like.

What is the atmosphere inside Clermont Monde?

The inside of this Cheongdam skin care salon was calm too. Through the window you can see a garden in autumn colors, and in the afternoon I visited, sunlight came in and made the space feel comfortable.

How does the consultation work, and what programs are there?

Before the treatment, I filled in a quick check of my skin concerns and daily habits. For my biggest worry these days, I wrote pores and sebum.

Programs are divided up broadly: not just facials but body, contouring, décolleté and more. The care I received was also not only the face but continued on to the back and shoulders.

Changing room and InBody

Clermont Monde has a separate changing room. It has a sink and towels, and even saline solution for people who wear contact lenses, which was handy before and after the treatment.

There was also an InBody scale on the 1st floor. Since they run body shape programs as well as facials, they have this kind of equipment ready.

Is the facial at Clermont Monde one-on-one?

After the consultation and changing, I went up to the treatment room on the 2nd floor. The care happens in a private space, so I could lie back comfortably without worrying much about other people.

I wanted to compare before and after, so I took a bare-faced photo. My focus that day was, naturally, the pores and sebum around my nose and cheeks.

How does the sebum care work?

The real Cheongdam skin care at Clermont Monde started with sebum care. They don't go straight into extraction; first there was a step of gently softening the sebum for about 10 minutes.

Next, they used a device to clear up the sebum built up on my nose and face. At home I usually only work on the area around my nose, so having my whole face done like this felt so refreshing.

Facial massage, then back, shoulder and belly care

A facial massage followed the sebum care. It didn't feel like just rubbing the skin surface; they pressed carefully all over my face, loosening the spots I use most when making expressions one by one, and it felt great.

What I liked about Clermont Monde is that it didn't end at the face. They continued on to my back, shoulders and neck, and even my belly.

This is exactly why I used to get facials so often in Southeast Asia. You come for a facial, and when your tight shoulders and upper body get loosened too, your whole body feels refreshed.

Does the ultrasound care and mask finish hurt?

After the hands-on care, Clermont Monde moved on to care with an ultrasound device. It glides gently over the skin, so nothing stung or hurt; it was actually warm and relaxing.

Finally, they put a mask on my whole face, and I rested for about 15 minutes with it on. Lying in the quiet treatment room, I fell asleep right there.

After the mask and a good 15-minute rest, it felt like I'd had my body cared for, not just my face. In the mirror my skin looked more settled than before, and above all my neck and shoulders felt refreshed, which made me happy.

Who Cheongdam's Clermont Monde suits

I prefer care that loosens the neck, shoulders and back along with the face rather than the face alone. Clermont Monde suited me because I could get a facial that pays attention to sebum and pores, continuing on to the upper body.

If you're looking for Cheongdam skin care and want your tight neck and shoulders looked after as well as your face, take a look.