Spa day at Champneys Tring

For those of you that know me personally, you will know that I love a good spa day. A chance to really get away from it all, relax and be pampered. With recent news that spas can now start to re-open in the UK, I'm sure that my fellow spa fans will join me in celebrating this and get their spa treatments booked in quickly! For anyone looking for a luxury spa close to London, Champneys Tring could be the perfect treat.

Location

Having been to Champneys Spring in Leicestershire around 10 years ago with my mother, I decided to try out the original flagship Champneys Spa Tring in Hertfordshire. Now that I'm London based, it's surprisingly easy to reach, as it's just 45 minutes on the train direct from London Euston.

Checking in

I booked a spa day a few months ago with a friend that included one treatment each, access to the full spa facilities, breakfast, lunch and use of robes and slippers all day. Set in a converted stately home, guests are in awe of the Champneys Tring building on arrival as you pull up on the driveway. It's surrounded by expansive grounds and perfectly manicured gardens. On arrival, we were welcomed by the staff and checked in for the day. As part of the arrival process, we were treated to a welcome breakfast buffet which included a range of healthy and delicious options such as granola, fruit and smoothies.

Spa facilities 

After getting changed into my robe, I felt completely relaxed and settled in to the atmosphere. The spa itself is huge with a 25 metre swimming pool, several different jacuzzis including one outdoors, saunas, steam rooms, a gym, a thalassotherapy pool, two spa product shops and plenty of relaxation areas. I was very impressed with the layout and the amount of space available, however on a Saturday it did get a little crowded in the afternoon.

Treatments

For my 30 minute treatment, I opted for a facial which was both relaxing and refreshing for my skin. The only thing I would change is having a longer treatment time as I didn't want to leave the treatment room! There is a very long menu of treatments available, from massages to manicures and pedicures, so you'll definitely be spoiled for choice.

Lunch

At lunchtime, we were seated in the grand dining room amongst plenty of other guests having lunch in their robes as well! The buffet included a range of delicious and nutritional food - all very low-fat and healthy. After lunch, it was time to make use of all the facilities and chill out for the rest of the day. My absolute favourite areas included the thalassotherapy pool, jacuzzi and steam rooms as I feel like they do wonders for both my skin and any muscle tension.

For anyone looking to get away and enjoy some true pampering, I would highly recommend Champneys Tring. Find out more at: www.champneys.com/spa-resorts/champneys-tring.

Photo credit: Champneys Tring

Choosing the perfect spring fragrance

Spring is a great time to freshen up your fragrance collection and add some new perfumes to match the season. I actually have lots of perfumes in my collection, but I'm always looking to discover new ones. The British perfumery brand, Amelgo, kindly sent me* one of their new fragrances in the scent Burnt Rose. It's a beautiful blend of fresh rose like notes with pink pepper and saffron. It's a very luxurious scent, ideal for an evening out. 

With beautiful packaging, the highest quality ingredients and rich scents, the Amelgo brand is right up my street! I also really like the packaging as the opaque black bottles help to preserve the longevity of the fragrances. They're also compact enough to fit in your make up bag, and ideal for travelling. Amelgo also source unique ingredients such as oud, sandlewood and freesia from countries including South America, Asia and the Middle East. I also really like the fact that they have no harmful chemicals in any products and are strictly cruelty free.

I would highly recommend trying one of their lovely fragrances this spring and you can view all perfumes here. Although the Burnt Rose perfume is my favourite, there's a range of scents to choose from, many of which are suitable for both females and males.

Photography by Kirstie Melville.

*Thank you to the team at Amelgo for kindly gifting me this perfume. As always, all views are honest and my own.

   

Discovering Kiehl's skincare

Kiehl's skincare is a brand I have seen and heard of, but never actually tried. I was lucky enough to be invited to a Kiehl's blogger event where I had the opportunity to sample lots of products and have a really good introduction to the brand by Hannah and Saffia, who are brand representatives.

About Kiehl's 

Since 1851, Kiehl's have been providing good quality skincare and haircare products. The brand actually started as an old world apothecary in New York, and has now become a worldwide beauty brand.

As a new concession was opening in the Highcross shopping centre on that day, the first part of the bloggers event took place at the 'Kiehl's on Wheels' pop up, which was a branded Kiehl's van full of products to discover. A spread of the best Kiehl's products were laid out on a long table where all of the bloggers were invited to take a seat.

Products with natural ingredients 

We were very lucky to try lots of the best selling products. My favourites included the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, the Ultra Facial Cream and the Tumeric and Cranberry Seed Energising Masque. I could really instantly see the difference in my skin after trying these, which is why I was drawn to them.

In the second part of the event, we went into the brand new concession that had just opened in Debenhams to have a quick look around. The counter looked fantastic, with a real apothecary feel to it! There's even a skeleton in there called Mr Bones! I would highly recommend taking a look around any Kiehl's store if you haven't before, as their skincare is of a high quality and contains natural ingredients.

I'm very grateful that I was given a bloggers goodie bag with lots of samples to try, as well as products such as the Amino Acid Shampoo, the Amino Acid Conditioner and the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash. Thank you so much to the Kiehl's team for inviting me to this event and spoiling me with lovely products to try.

Luxury spa day at Sofitel The Palm Dubai

After partying hard in Dubai for days, there's nothing better than a luxury spa day to revive and rejuvenate yourself. I love going to different spas and having massages and treatments, so when I visited the So Spa at the Sofitel hotel with my friend Gemma, we knew our day would be amazing.

The spa facilities

The luxury So Spa has excellent facilities including therapeutic pools, a sauna, steam room, hammam and relaxation areas both indoors and outdoors. As soon as I walked in, I could feel myself automatically relaxing and switching off from the world outside. The scent of lavender filled the whole spa area, and the candles and lighting made it feel like I had been transported somewhere far away.

My favourite facilities were the steam room and the outdoor relaxation area. The steam room is so refreshing and makes my skin feel cleansed and soft afterwards. It was great to be able to relax outside after my treatment by the pool, and Gemma and I ordered some lunch which we had outside too.

The treatment

I decided to have a full body massage known as the Polynesian Taurumi Massage which lasted for one hour. My therapist was excellent and she really helped me to relax and unwind during my treatment. The massage included a head massage, as well as head to toe deep tissue massage. I felt very zen afterwards and relaxed by the pool with a cup of herbal tea and some almonds.

I would highly recommend the So Spa at the Sofitel The Palm if you're looking to treat yourself whilst in Dubai.  

Aloe Fleur de Jouvence Facial from Forever Living

As autumn and winter draws upon us, those cosy nights in can be brightened up with some at home spa treatments. I've always been a fan of face masks so when I was asked to review* the Forever Living Aloe face mask, I thought it was perfect to try a new one this winter. The Forever Living products are also natural, so I knew it would be doing good stuff for my skin.

The face mask

The Aloe Fleur de Jouvence is a facial that combines a Mask Powder with an Aloe Activator to create a lotion which you apply to your face as a mask. I have been using this face mask for around a month now and I really enjoy actually making it as well. It's quite interesting as you have to add a teaspoon of the Mask Powder into a bowl and then mix it with a teaspoon of the Aloe Activator. This creates a pink lotion which can then be applied to your face. I like to use a foundation brush to apply this evenly on my face.

How to use it

The instructions recommend that you leave the mask on your face for around 30 minutes before washing it off. At first I thought this was quite a long time compared to other face masks I have used, but to get the full effect I would leave it on for the recommended time. This mask is interestingly known as the 'botox mask' as you can really feel the mask tightening on your face during the 30 minutes. To be honest, I was actually really surprised the first time I used the product at how tight your face becomes! I can see why it's called the botox mask as it feels really tight and you can feel it working.

The results

Even after the first use, I could see a genuine improvement in my skin and was even getting compliments on how clear my skin was looking later that day! I'm really impressed with this face mask and would recommend it to anyone looking for a natural product to use which is also really fun to make. I like that you can feel it working on your skin and tightening, plus the fact that it's from a brand that has a good reputation for natural products.

Have you tried any face masks recently? Which is your favourite?

*Thank you to Forever Living for sending me this product to try. As always, all views are honest and my own.

Finishing touches for any outfit

Getting ready and finishing off your make up should be an enjoyable experience, with new beauty products constantly being launched for you to try. I'm currently obsessed with a good matte lip to complete my make up and I've recently purchased the NYX soft matte lip cream in the shade London. This is the perfect nude shade for me and it's great to wear in the day time. I find that matte lipsticks are so much more long lasting as well.

Perfume is another favourite of mine to spritz on before you leave your house. I have a lot of perfumes which I have written a whole blog post about - you can read that here. One of my current favourite perfumes is the Hugo Boss BOSS Jour fragrance. As well as being in a gorgeous white and gold bottle, the scent has top notes of agathosma, grapefruit flower and lime accord. It has been inspired by the successful, elegant and on-the-go woman. The fragrance lasts with me all day and it's perfect to spray ahead of a busy day.

Finishing touches like lipsticks and perfumes really help to add that extra sparkle to how you feel. Personally, I feel great when I have finished my make up and wear one of my most luxurious perfumes for the day. It's small things like this that help to lift your mood and increase your confidence. If you're ever having a bad day or not feeling too good, then try finishing touches like this in your morning routine. Although they are small and every day things, they do still make a lot of difference to your mood.

Photography by Kirstie Melville.

How to do you like to finish getting ready?

The Boots No7 Eye Cream

I've always been quite sceptical about eye creams that claim to work wonders for the skin under  and around your eyes. I've tried a couple over the years but it was never something I wanted to heavily invest in as there is always the risk that it won't work and leave you disappointed.

The affordable eye cream 

When No7 at Boots had a special offer on, I decided to try their eye cream from the Youthful range. I've been using it over the last year as part of my evening skincare routine and it has definitely made a difference to the skin around my eyes. It's a lot smoother and firmer and I've always had dark circles under my eyes so it has helped with that as well. It's not a heavy cream so you shouldn't feel discomfort with it.

How to get good results with eye creams 

You definitely have to give eye creams a chance to work, as sometimes I would forget to apply the cream at night which is no wonder why it wasn't working! Try to be consistent in applying your eye cream of choice and like me, you should start to see results. I apply the No7 eye cream before I go to sleep on the area around my eye, underneath my eye and even on my eyelids. 

Have you used the Boots No7 eye cream? Would you recommend any others that I should try?

Bedtime skincare treats with Eness Cosmetics

When you've had a long hard day there is nothing better than getting home, putting your feet up and pampering your skin. With the weather now changing to slightly colder and crisper, your skin can feel the effects of it so it's important to keep it hydrated and well looked after. The sustainable, ethical and cruelty-free brand Eness Cosmetics has recently launched it's brand in the UK, with a new store now open in Birmingham city centre. More and more people are now looking to ethical brands to buy from, with the ever increasing concerns over sustainability and cruelty. So brands like Eness Cosmetics are sought after and there's definitely a demand for it. Eness Cosmetics very kindly sent me some of their skincare products to try and I have been using them over the last month as a treat to my skin.

The Magnolia Tissue Oil is a lovely and luxurious treat for your skin, especially dry skin. I love to massage it into my skin and it leaves my skin so soft and smelling great.

Another one of my favourites is the Lavender Hand and Nail Cream, which is especially good for this time of year when your hands start to become dryer. The 75ml size is also really handy for slipping into your handbag.

I love using body butters and the Wild Rose Body Butter is so nourishing and fresh. I would recommend using it after a long hot bath and then putting your feet up and relaxing for the rest of the evening.

Eness Cosmetics have opened a brand new store on Cannon Street in Birmingham city centre selling quality body care products such as body butters, candles, soaps and body lotions. The Managing Director of Eness Cosmetics, Justin Clohessy says "As a brand we are passionate about ethical sourcing - and can reassure our customers that no animals have been used in the testing of our products. They are ethical, sustainable and support consumer values. Most importantly, they are affordable to all".

Have you tried any of the Eness Cosmetics range? How do you like to treat your skin after a long day?

Luxury treatments and Fire & Ice Experience at The Belfry Spa

Image credit: The Belfry Spa

Last week I decided to book a well-deserved luxury spa day at The Belfry Spa in Sutton Coldfield with one of my friends. I believe it's so important to look after yourself and spa days with treatments can really help to re-energise and relax your body. We get so caught up in this busy world that sometimes there is nothing better than a little 'me time' where you spoil yourself. I like to book spa days every couple of months as I enjoy spa retreats in the countryside and completely switching off from the outside world. This includes time away from my phone, laptop and any other distractions. In between spa days, I also like to have regular monthly treatments at local city spas which can include facials and deep tissue massages. As a regular spa-goer, I like to think I know quality when I see it, so when I was booking myself into The Belfry Spa I knew this would be an extra special and luxurious day.

The day started off with two treatments - a back massage and facial. I think it's great to start any spa day off with your treatments as afterwards you feel so pampered and relaxed, ready to enjoy the steam rooms and saunas. The treatments were followed by afternoon tea at The Belfry, which was delicious with fresh scones, cakes and sandwiches.

In the afternoon I booked the Fire & Ice Experience which is one of the things that The Belfry Spa is most famous for. This is essentially a 90 minute relaxation experience in 12 bio thermal rooms. Each of the rooms are designed to awaken your senses. For example, there is an Igloo room where ice crystals are available to rub on your body and leave you feeling cool and refreshed. On the opposite scale there is a Crystal Steam room that combines oils and warm steam that cleanses your skin. This was one of my favourite spa experiences and I left feeling so refreshed.

If you're looking for a special treat or just want to indulge and treat yourself, I would definitely recommend a spa day at The Belfry Spa. I'm already looking forward to going back to the Fire & Ice Experience!

Have you ever been to The Belfry Spa? What are your favourite spa treatments?

Peppermint Clarifying Hydrogel by Heaven Skincare

I have naturally oily skin and I've tried a few different moisturisers over the years to help me control my skin type. The main concern for me is when my face goes shiny towards the middle of the day, as well as keeping my skin clean and clear. At a recent event, I discovered the brand Heaven Skincare by Deborah Mitchell and was really pleased to find that one of their best selling products is the Peppermint Clarifying Hydrogel which is ideal for oily skin! To top it off, the Heaven Skincare brand is also all natural and organic which is great as you are assured there are no nasty parabens or chemicals used.

The lovely team at Heaven Skincare kindly sent me one of their Peppermint Clarifying Hydrogels and I've been using it twice a day (morning and night) for the last few weeks. The packaging states that it can be used to prime, moisturise and tone which is ideal for all of you busy ladies like me who need a simple skincare routine. I've been using it as my main moisturiser and it's actually gel like in consistency. However it soaks very quickly into your skin and leaves you with a nice matte finish. Even on the first day I used it, there were no shiny areas on my face which I was so happy to see and I can genuinely see a real improvement in my skin.

It has been designed to balance the oil in your skin, balances the pH levels and restores moisture levels in your skin. The peppermint scent is so refreshing and cooling on the skin and I love the packaging of the bottle and how nice it look on my dressing table, which is another bonus!

To find out more about the Peppermint Clarifying Hydrogel click here. Thank you to Heaven Skincare by Deborah Mitchell for this fantastic product which has just improved my skincare and moisturising routine.

Have you used any of the Heaven Skincare products? Which ones are your favourites?

This blog post is in collaboration with Heaven Skincare who kindly sent me the hydrogel to use. 

The L'Occitane Bloggers Event

I was invited to the L'Occitane bloggers event on Thursday 14th July. The event took place at their lovely store, which I always love going into. I'm already a loyal customer of L'Occitane as I have used their repairing shampoo, shower gels and other bathing products. I'm always drawn to their store  as it is just so luxurious and bright and when I got invited to their blogger event, I couldn't wait to go!

Some of my blogger friends were also going to the event, so when we got there we were greeted by the L'Occitane friendly staff and a glass of bubbly. Hotel Chocolat also kindly sent a spread of luxury chocolates for the bloggers at the event!

There was plenty to discover about the brand and I had a great hand massage using some of the best products. There was also a fragrance discovery area where I smelled lots of different scents, not knowing what they were. At the end I chose my favourite and I got the neroli scent, which I will definitely be purchasing as a full sized bottle.

I learned a lot about the person who started L'Occitane in 1976 - Oliver Baussan. It's a really inspiring story and a lot of their products are based on true stories which is why they use the iconic hashtag #atruestory. The most famous and number one best seller is the L'Occitane Divine Cream. I have tried this iconic product before and my mum is also a fan of it! At £74.00 it really is a high end product, but it does wonders for your skin. Discover all the L'Occitane products online at: uk.loccitane.com

I had a fantastic time at the event and I wanted to say thank you to L'Occitane for inviting me. I also vlogged my evening at the bloggers event, so please watch my video below and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more vlogs.

Have you tried any L'Occitane products? Which are your favourites?

Elemis Full Body Polish and Deep Tissue Massage

It's always good to give your body and skin a treat from time to time. I like to have regular full body massages and facials to help me relax and also take the stress out of my muscles and body. As a frequent spa visitor, I know some of the best spa and beauty brands and Elemis is one of the most luxurious. I decided to book myself in for some lovely pampering treatments at my local Elemis spa.

The spa treatments? Elemis Full Body Polish and an Elemis Deep Tissue Back Massage

Elemis Full Body Polish

This treatment was like no other I have had before. My therapist used the high end Elemis polish to scrub and massage my full body. This helped to remove dead skin and exfoliate my whole body. After this, I showered to remove all of the scrub and my skin was left feeling soft and smooth.

Elemis Deep Tissue Back Massage

I was definitely in need of a deep tissue massage as working at my desk all day means that my back can become quite tense, especially in the neck and shoulder areas. My therapist used Elemis oils to work into my back and helped to relieve some of the tension. I found this particularly relaxing and could really feel the tension leaving my body. I will definitely be making deep tissue massages a regular thing!

The result

After an hour of relaxation, pampering and bliss, my treatment ended with a cold glass of water to keep my hydrated. I left the spa feeling quite sleepy actually, but my therapist said this is completely normal as my body is adjusting to the treatment. My skin was feeling very soft and cleansed after the body polish. I would definitely recommend this treatment to anyone in need of some relaxation and skin renewal. I can't wait to book my next Elemis treatment.

Have you ever tried the Elemis spa treatments? Let me know in the comments below.

June 2016 Favourites - YouTube video

The month of July is here so it's time for me to talk you through my June favourites. This month I decided to do more of a June monthly update and favourites, to let you all know about what I was doing in June, places that I visited and even some restaurant recommendations.

Watch my video below and please subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly uploads.

What were your favourites in June? Let me know in the comments below :)

The L'OCCITANE Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream

When L'OCCITANE promoted their 7 day skincare trial, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out a new moisturiser. I have always used Olay and it works for me, however it's always good to refresh your skincare routine.

The Pivoile Sublime Perfecting Cream

After completing the online questionnaire about my skin, I was matched with the Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream. This is ideal for creating perfect looking skin with a fresh and radiant complexion. I have oily/combination skin and I want to keep it looking radiant, so this cream is ideal for my skin type.

The results of the L'OCCITANE cream

I used the cream for 7 days and could genuinely see the difference. Sometimes I even just used the cream on it's own with no foundation on top, as my skin felt glowing and as if it didn't need any base make up. Having said that, the Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream is also great under make-up and I did feel that my make-up lasts longer when using this moisturiser.

If you are looking to refresh your moisturising routine, then why not give the L'OCCITANE Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream a try?

Find out more about the L'OCCITANE Pivoine Sublime Perfecting Cream.

Have you already tried this cream? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date with my latest blog posts and videos.

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