I never thought I’d add “Get slapped” to my Wednesday-morning work calendar, and I definitely didn’t expect to be looking forward to said slapping all week—but here we are. It’s the only acceptable reaction when one has the opportunity to visit Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine, a celebrity facialist renowned for prepping the biggest stars ahead of high-pressure, highly photographed events. (See: Cynthia Erivo at the Oscars, Zoe Saldaña for the SAG awards, and a roster of A-listers for the Met Gala, including Saldaña, Anok Yai, and Alex Consani just last night!). His signature method (yep, the slapping) certainly jolts the senses, but it also immediately defines your bone structure—and there’s not much I wouldn’t do to coax my cheekbones out of hiding.
“It’s based on an ancient practice called Kobido,” McLeod-Valentine tells me at The Skin Lab, a painfully chic facial spa from Augustinus Bader. “There are different varieties of Kobido, which is a traditional Japanese facial massage. Essentially, it’s angled on lymphatic drainage, really engaging the elastin, fibroblasts, and collagen fibers in the skin, and engaging micro-circulation.” McLeod-Valentine learned his specific form from an 85-year-old geisha named Madame Shin, who he met in China. “She taught me something which is historically passed down from geisha den mother to den mother to den mother to make them look more angular,” he recounts. The technique? Rhythmic, upward facial movements—or slaps.
Despite the intense massage, McLeod-Valentine’s facial requires zero downtime, which makes it A+ for day-of event prep. I’m all about making them look enviable on the carpet,” he says of his celebrity clientele. “That’s what really sets it apart, that there’s no waiting between getting it done and then getting on the carpet.” That’s also what makes it relatively easy to replicate at home—assuming you know the right slapping steps.
Ahead, a peek behind the curtain into McLeod-Valentine’s coveted celeb treatment, complete with every single step, before-and-after photos, and his exclusive at-home tricks.
Step 1: Cleanse
Just like in any facial, McLeod-Valentine first ensures my skin is clear of any lingering oil and grime. He massages in a cleansing balm with medium to firm pressure, noting that cleansing can actually serve as your first sculpting step—if you do it correctly. After using his palms and fingertips to massage every nook and cranny, he places a warm, damp towel over my skin to dissolve all the debris brought to the surface.
Step 2: Slapping
I wasn’t expecting to get into his signature move so quickly! Yet right after cleansing my skin, he applies a silky face oil and gets right to work on my cheekbones: McLeod-Valentine strums my skin at what seems like an inhuman velocity (my camera barely catches the movements) before using his fingertips to pinch and mold my cheekbones out of hiding.
My first thought? I can’t believe celebrities opt for this right before stepping on the red carpet. My skin already looks energized, but my blood circulation is, well, circulating, leaving me with a heated, pink flush. Trust the process, McLeod-Valentine tells me—cooling steps to come.
Step 3: Cooling Mask
And here we are! As soon as McLeod-Valentine applies a serum-activated sheet mask infused with algae, aloe vera, and green tea, I audibly sigh in relief. The cooling sensation feels heavenly on my flushed skin, and the calming, nourishing ingredients dial down redness almost immediately.
“I often use this on clients who are prone to redness or have very dehydrated, dry skin. It can replace the need for an oxygen facial,” McLeod-Valentine shares. “If we think of a moisturizer being like a mom’s hug, this is like a granny’s cuddle for the skin.” As if the naturally cooling ingredients weren’t enough, he floats a pair of cryo-sticks across my skin to help tighten and temper inflammation.
Step 4: Lyma
Next, McLeod-Valentine treats my skin with the aesthetician-loved Lyma Laser, a skin-transforming device that claims to have 100 times the power of standard LED devices. It’s meant for at-home use (and requires a daily commitment to see dramatic results), but in professional settings, “It helps with absorption and sealing a brightening effect to the skin,” McLeod-Valentine says.
Step 5: Slapping (Again)
Post-Lyma, I’m met with another round of slapping. This time, however, I notice my skin welcoming the manipulation without feeling as “tight.” McLeod-Valentine says this is a pretty standard reaction, which is exactly why he prefers to do two rounds of sculpting. Once your facial muscles can expect this type of attention, they tend to better respond to the treatment. In short: Second time’s the charm!
Step 6: Radiofrequency and Cryotherapy
McLeod-Valentine then alternates between hot and cold therapy using radiofrequency wands (from London-based brand Opatra) to help with absorption and the aforementioned cryo-sticks to further tighten. “I love the impact on the skin when you heat it up, cool it down, heat it up, cool it down… It takes on a vibrancy that you really can’t get any other way,” he notes.
Step 9: Mask, LED Light, and Meditation
Finally, he gently places eye patches and a hydrogel face mask on my skin before switching on a red light device. I usually marinate in silence during this portion of a facial, trying (and failing) to clear my thoughts, but McLeod-Valentine leads me through a quick, guided meditation that makes the time fly. It’s the perfect way to end the treatment, especially one that precedes a high-profile event like the Met Gala. Though, it’s not often discussed when it comes to his signature method.
“Readying the mind for what’s to come is paramount to how people show up,” he says. “To me, a facial is a vehicle to onboard a message to the client so they can leave their subconscious nature behind and show up in absolute. That’s always the goal I strive for.” I may be headed straight home after leaving his SoHo studio (certainly no red carpet appearances on the docket for me), but for the first time that day—hell, that week—I take a deep, full breath.
Exclusive Tips for Event Prep
McLeod-Valentine’s facials are highly coveted and exclusive among celebs. (I feel incredibly lucky to have been blessed by his magic hands; it’s not an opportunity that comes knocking often, even for a beauty editor!) That being said, I’d be remiss not to ask for all his tips and tricks to replicate the “slapping” effects at home.
1. Take Advantage of the Cleanse
As you can probably guess, McLeod-Valentine is a fan of daily facial massage. “That makes the skin and the barrier more defensive, more alert, more primed to respond and to protect,” he says. That doesn’t mean you must commit to 10 minutes of kneading (but major props if you do!).
“Where I really like the client to engage with facial massage is in the cleansing step,” he shares. “Get yourself a cleansing balm or oil of some type and really massage underneath the cheek, along the jawline, [and] tapping under the eyes from the inner [corners] to the temples to expunge those toxins. Just get things more mobile and active.”
2. Massage at Least an Hour Before
Ideally, McLeod-Valentine likes to see his clients at least three times before their important event—the last session being either the night before or day of. For folks doing the latter, he recommends having at least an hour in between the facial and any sort of makeup prep.
“When we increase the blood flow, we also want it to settle down. When you settle down, you get this vibrancy and clarity to the complexion,” he notes. People often look a bit flushed immediately post-treatment, he says—my results below are certainly proof—but an hour is all it takes for the effects (read: lifted cheekbones and an ultra-snatched jawline) to kick in.
3. Always Use Upward Strokes
“The rule of thumb is to always sweep up and out on the diagonal,” says McLeod-Valentine. “Every step of the way, whether you’re applying a cleanser, serum, or moisturizer, engage with these upward rhythmic movements.”
4. Don’t Be Afraid to “Slap”
“Take your fingertips—either with one hand or two—and strum, almost like a guitar, underneath the cheekbone, that area where people get buccal fat removal” he instructs. “Tapping from the corner of mouth up to the midpoint of the ear will give you that look.”
And don’t be afraid to really get physical. Of course you should always remain delicate on fragile areas like the under-eyes, but the cheekbones can handle a little physical manipulation. It helps stimulate blood circulation, which, in turn, helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells, resulting in a vibrant, sculpted glow. “I like to amplify areas where I want volume, so I’ll be really percussive on my cheek area,” McLeod-Valentine shares. He’ll then hold a cryo-stick (but you can use an ice roller, frozen spoon, or whatever you have on hand) right underneath that point to tighten the surrounding area.
5. In a Pinch, Grab Cryo-Sticks
Let’s say you don’t have time for a full-on facial massage, but you want to reduce some unwelcome swelling. To de-puff in a pinch, McLeod-Valentine has the ultimate trick: “Get yourself a setting spray, put it on top of your makeup, and then I would take a cryo-stick or two—I would wrap them in a cotton towel, tea towel, or whatever you have on hand, just so it’s not so caustic to the skin—and just hold the cold in place,” he shares. “Hold the cold underneath the cheek as long as you can bear—I would say five to seven minutes should be enough—then thread that cryo-stick under the jaw area. That will help with additional lymphatic drainage.”
6. Stick to the Basics
A final golden rule: “If you have an event where you need to look your best, don’t try something new,” advises McLeod-Valentine. As tempting as it may be to dabble in high-tech treatments like lasers, peels, et al., he recommends maintaining a balanced, simple routine—nothing too shocking for the skin. “A lot of people go too hardcore, and it’s maybe something they’ve never done before. They feel pressured to do it, and they’re not taking into account the effects that it can have on the skin,” he shares.
If you do wish to book a noninvasive skin treatment before an event, make sure you have ample time for recovery. “Give yourself an extra week farther than what they say, so that everything is settled,” McLeod-Valentine adds. Certainly don’t do anything drastic the week of your event; if you are craving a bit of an instant lift, know that a quick “slap” can go a long way.
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