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Dunedin: Lick my face!

I just had a chocolate facial. I smell like I fell into a bowl of self-saucing chocolate pudding. I also couldn’t help but lick a bit of it as I lay on the therapist’s table in a catatonic state.

I’m in Dunedin for the annual Cadbury Chocolate Carnival which culminates in the famous Jaffa roll down Baldwin Street on Friday.

But before we get there, I have a few chocolatey events to attend first. First up today was the decadent and delicious chocolate facial at Erban Spa in Roslyn. I have just returned and I keep thinking there’s a brownie cooking somewhere near me.

It was absolutely divine though and even outside of the Carnival, you can request the chocolate facial (it has one step extra to their normal facial) which is simply 4 little melted squares of Cadbury Old Gold slowly melted while 9 other “courses” of New Zealand-made and gorgeous smelling organic Antipodes products were applied by the angelic fingers of Alice.

Bite me!

Here’s what to expect:

1. Firstly my face was gently cleansed with the heavenly smelling Grapeseed Butter Cleanser and I thought, man I could go home now, this is sooo wonderful!

2. Next up was the Hallelujah Lime and Patchouli Cleanser, more creamy with its base of avocado oil and carrot seed oil.

3. The Reincarnation Pure Facial Exfoliator is made up of avocado oil and jojoba beads to gently slough off any dead skin cells. It smelled deliciously citrussy and at first I thought lemon, but no, it was orange.

4. Then Alice applied a gooey Manuka Honey mask designed to intensely hydrate the skin. My face drank it in! There was vanilla pod and mandarin and by now the whole room smelled like heaven.

5. Now for the chocolate layer! This is quite literally 4 pieces of Cadbury dark chocolate, melted with the hot towels, then painted on with a brush on top of the honey mask. I snuck my finger across it for a little taste when Alice wasn’t looking. I could lick my face off!! While that was “marinating” Alice gave my arms and hands a massage.

6. Then after towelling it all off (what a waste), she applied the Divine Face Oil with ylang ylang, orange and jasmine infused into the base of avocado oil.

7. Then she spritzed my face with a toner made up of sweet sage, lavender and chamomile to soothe the skin.

8. But wait, there’s still more! The Hosanna Intense Hydrating Serum made with black fern and sauvignon blanc grape seeds, French rose and cardamom.

9. A wee dab of Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream around my eyes to reduce fine lines and carrot seed oil, aloe gel and avo oil.

10. And finally she massaged Vanilla Pod Hydrating Cream into my face told me to take my time getting up.

I wandered into the lounge a sipped on my cup of hot green tea, as selected at the start of my appointment, and wrote down everything I just experienced! Seriously, if you’re in Dunedin – or just need an excuse to go – book one of these!

The Chocolate Facial takes an hour and costs $100.

Erban Spa, The Old Firestation, 50 City Road

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Hi, I'm Megan Singleton and I'm the word slinger of this travel blog as well as on radio in NZ every Sunday. Former Travel Editor at Yahoo NZ and current freelance writer for a few newspapers and mags from time to time, I set off on this travel writing journey 20 years ago and I've pretty much always got a suitcase half packed (or half un-packed!) I'd love you to join me on Facebook or Twitter and sign up for my newsletters if you want loads of travel tips, advice and deals!