Reviews Coming soon!

I have been neglecting my poor wee blog, I do want to keep up with it so I will be posting a few more reviews imminently, I've got rambles to write about all of these places; 

• Sanctuary Spa - Covent Garden, London
• Bodyna - The Ritz,  Madrid
• Athenaeum Spa - Mayfair, London
• Marrakech Spa - Ilford, London
• One Spa, The Sheraton, Edinburgh (again because its still my favourite) 

K x

2014 - My Year of Pampering

It's still January (just about) which means resolutions and plans for the year ahead are still a hot topic. I have to admit, I'm not one for resolutions, at the end of the day I don't really stick to them. So instead, I have decided that I'm going to go for some subtle life improvements throughout the year and hopefully come 2015 I will feel the changes. 

Luxury product gifts I got at Christmas

As the title suggests, I have crowned 2014 my year of pampering, it may seem odd but I think that finding some time to yourself can often be difficult, life just gets in the way and before you know it you're stressed and feeling dishevelled. What I have in mind is investing in some good quality beauty products, a few new additions to my health regime and more regular spa visits. Of course, the spa visits are the most exciting part for me, having done one this month, I have one planned for the beginning of March (technically my February edition), one for the end of March and another for mid April so I am definitely in the swing of a spa visit a month for the forseeable! 

Post treatment relaxation area at One Spa

I think I have taken a good run at my goals this month, starting with a day of indulgence at One Spa in Edinburgh on New Year's day - start as you mean to go on! This spa currently sits at my number one spot for spas in the UK, there is nothing I don't like about it. My favourite areas are the rooftop hydropool (with neck massage fountains, whirlpool and air beds), bliss even when the atmosphere outside is cloudy and drizzly, and  the tepidarium, the ceramic couches heated to 37 degrees often send me into a wonderful slumber. I generally make use of all the facilities in the spa just for the novelty and enjoyment of it all, it really adds to the experience if you hop to and fro between all the areas. On this occasion I also indulged myself with a Swedish massage, with a personalised mixed of Espa essential oils and massage technique focused on areas that were long overdue some attention. The knowledge of the therapists at this spa always makes me realise I'm in good hands, with after care and recommendations readily given. One thing that I had been toying with was purchasing a body brush but I was a bit unsure what to do with it and why to bother with it. I asked my therapist once our treatment time came to an end and she gave me a quick demo and some tips for body brushing at home - on my way out I purchased an Espa body brush! 

My Espa Body Brush

And that brings me to my next thing, body brushing! There are lots of health benefits to dry body brushing; removal of dead skin cells and increase of skin condition, increased blood circulation, stimulates your body to flush out impurities and an increase of muscle tone to name a few. Of course these benefits can only be realised if you are strict in your body brushing regime. At the moment I am remembering about twice a week, it does add a few minutes to my shower routine as its best to brush right before you shower,  but I am realising some of these benefits already, most importantly it feels nice and that is a benefit in itself. To learn more just browse the web for tips and tricks, I've even found some good technique articles on Pinterest and demos on YouTube. 

I also wanted to give my hair a bit of TLC, it is easy to get carried away with skin and body care and forget about your barnet, so after a full head of highlights and a much needed trim I went for a keratin treatment. Whilst this treatment costs a pretty penny, it has such a good result this was actually the second time I have had it done. It is basically a very intense hair mask which infuses your hair with keratin to give you a smooth and light finish, ideal for me because my hair has a bit of a naturally fuzzy look. The effects last anything up to 12 weeks (my first one was still good after 10) and it reduces the amount of products I go through for styling and smoothing. The thing to keep in mind is that you are restricted in the type of shampoo you can use after Keratin treatments (sulphate and chloride free which are generally better for your hair anyway) but your stylist will give you all the details you need. I've also invested in a good quality hair brush and have been making an effort to polish brush my hair rather than just smoothing it through. 

A bit of stretching to get supple! 

It's not all about products and spending though, some things I have taken to doing are relatively low cost. I've been going to Pilates and Step classes at my gym and ballet classes for a few months now, but managed to miss a few week consecutively in the run up to the festive period. I enjoy them because they give me the right kind of exercise for my goals, core strength, increase of flexibility and enough cardio without burning body mass. Sometimes the hardest thing is getting back to your routine, but I am back on the wagon and really enjoying it again. I've been throwing in a few independent sessions at the gym too, and to  my own surprise I felt the urge for a bit of a jog on the treadmill the other week - not an urge I ever thought I would have! 

Minestrone with bacon, conchigliette & pesto
(homemade a la Hello Fresh)

Lastly and probably most importantly is food. I've come to dislike the term "diet" it has connotations of depriving yourself of things and being restrictive, but I am certainly a fan of a healthy balanced variety of food. I've stopped beating myself up about what I consume and I have started being smarter about what I eat and when, for example adapting my food intake after a work out to have some good recovery nutrients like protein. With this comes discovering new ingredients and combinations, we have started using Hello Fresh a couple of times a month to keep us on our toes with home cooked meals that don't break the bank (or our waistbands). I've simplified my approach; more water, less refined sugar, more protein, less fat, more planning of meals/kitchen time and less deprivation (if I want a cake, I'll have a cake!). 

Well, that is my grand introduction to My Year of Pampering, I am hoping I can stick to what I have started and pick up a few new tricks on the way, I am aiming for these things to become normal lifestyle habits rather than something I have to think about and coordinate - we shall see! 

Stay tuned for reviews and updates on how I'm getting on, suggestions and comments welcome! 

Kx 

Have you heard of GlossyBox?

I hadn't until recently. Well I knew the concept existed but never paid much attention to it. Now however, on my quest for a healthier, more preened and pampered self it has become my new favourite thing. 

So what is it? Well it's a subscription based beauty product site, you sign up, do a questionnaire about your beauty preferences and then every month they take your money and post you a little box of goodies. 'But are the goodies any good?' I hear you ask, and I thought that myself so in my sceptical state of mind I signed up for a 'Miss Glossy Box' purely because its a little cheaper (£7 +p&p bi monthly rather than £10 +p&p monthly) and it would give me an example of the quality and calibre of the products I'd be receiving. Well I needn't have bothered, my Miss Glossy Box came and it was fab! I have since ordered a regular Glossy Box and I am just as pleased. 

Upon the arrival of my Miss Glossy box I was rather excited (I am cheeky and have them delivered to my office, doubly exciting on a Monday morning arrival!). The first thing I noticed as I ripped open the packaging was the scent, there was something heavenly smelling in there and I was intrigued. Inside the box was a lovely patterned draw string bag, with a little card welcoming me to the Glossy box experience and an outline of the products and how to get my hands on full size items if I so wished (I must note here that the product sizes are generally sample size, but not always - I guess you could say travel sized, so don't be thinking you are getting half a dozen full sized products for a tenner).  

Miss Glossy Box

My Miss Glossy box contained;
Full set of Kiss Nail Wraps,pink zebra print with diamanté - a little bit loud for me but I think I will still use them, they are quick and easy to apply and I do love a nail art treat. 
VO5 Plump it up spray - not a product I would normally use, it gives you the 'back combed' effect without you having to back comb and actually I have used it loads since I had my hair cut short to add a bit of texture and oomph.
Glossy box false eyelashes - a little to dark and full for me, but very good quality. 
Beyonce perfume sample - again not a perfume I would have chosen but its very nice and the little vile has made it into my make up bag for applying when I am out and about.  
Two Bath bombs - passionflower scented with glittery stars, I have used one so far and it smelled heavenly, I am saving the glittery one for a deluxe bathing occasion! ( I can't recall the 'brand' of the bath bombs but they were much the same as what you would see in the likes of Lush). 

Overall, I got a wee selection of products I wouldn't normally choose but seeing as I know have them I will make use of them. I think the 'get out of your beauty comfort zone' element of these little delights is what I like the most, it is so easy to keep going back to the same shops for the same products and never really knowing what else is out there. At the same time buying a new 'untested' full size product is a bit daunting and I know I wouldn't be the first to have a cupboard full of random products that are half used then forgotten about! I would say the Miss Glossy box seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than myself (albeit I am only *cough25cough*) which is why I then opted for a Beauty Box. 

My Beauty Box

The Beauty Box arrived in much the same delightful packaging, a nice little box, tissue paper and crepe to protect the products, its all very 'boutique' feeling and exciting to open. I mean who doesn't like surprise post? Okay you know you are getting it but you don't know what is in it!

My Beauty Box contained:
Urban Veda purifying day cream - this came with perfect timing as my skin is suffering from a break out at the moment, it feels light and smooth on and settles down the gloss you get from blemished skin. 
Jelly Pong Pong 2 in 1 eye liner shadow, black - ironically I had been online asking for eye-liner recommendations due to being unsatisfied with the 10 or so I already own! This is a nice chunky crayon style liner that gives a nice smooth application but also smudges out to look like a shadow. Having said that because I have a black one I will mostly use it as a liner or a smudgy smoke effect rather than an all over type shadow. 
Emite make up eye lash curler - I do use an eyelash curler for a bit more jazz, this one is much the generic curler, with nice bright red rubber in-fills.  I will be moving on to it once I have exhausted my current one. 
TRESemme Keratin Smooth - another ironic item as I am considering having a Brazilian blow dry/keratin treatment done on my hair. This one application tube is yet to be used, I am saving it for when I need a bit of 'wow' factor to my hair do however it looks like it might be a good short term smoothing solution. 
Oceane make up remover pen - not yet available for retail in the UK, this little magic pen is fabulous. Have you ever used a nail corrector pen to get rid of those pesky nail varnish smudges? Well this works the same way but it is for eye make up meaning you can create the perfect shadow or liner look regardless of how pro you are because you can touch it up with the pen. It also came with refills - brilliant. 

So all my Beauty Box items are fabulous, I like that I have things that kinda of match up, i.e. 3 eye related products as it makes a nice collaboration of products to add to your collection. 

I am really chuffed with what I have received so far and I am looking forward to my next delivery! Want to know more? Visit www.glossybox.co.uk or check them out on twitter @GlossyboxUK

K x