SPA WATCH | Elemis Winter Warmer Delight

The ever intrepid Julia Rebaudo submits to the hands of yet another beauty therapist all in the name of research for beautywoome.com. Find out what she thinks of Elemis's Winter Warmer Delight...

EVER SINCE my highly successful Modern Skin Facial I’ ve been a huge fan of Elemis and was impressed to see they have tailored a spa therapy treatment specifically for these grim winter months. An hour and 45 minutes of blissful pampering at this bijoux spa in central London frequented by the likes of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Denise Van Outen and yes, even the BBC’ s Loose Women? I’ d have been a fool to say no.

As I probably mentioned before, just walking through the front door of the Elemis flagship spa is a pleasure; scented, warm and populated with pretty therapists padding around in perfectly manicured bare feet. Welcomed and offered green tea by my therapist Amy, I’ m taken upstairs for my treatment into a room with sliding doors that makes up one half of a couple’ s treatment room – couples treatments are very popular Amy tells me, although I wouldn’ t be able to drag my other half into spa in a million years.

Anyway, a quick chat about my skin and massage needs and then I’ m getting undressed and slipping into those little black paper pants, you know the ones, except, thoughtfully, Elemis offer both the g-string and brief variety depending on how modest you’ re feeling. I’ m usually not bothered, but for some reason I go for the comfy big briefs.

THE DETAILS

First up, body brushing with a special Elemis brush, while I lie melting into the heated bed, followed by Frangipani oil rubbed all over my bod and then a lime and ginger salt scrub. I’ m so cosy and warm and my winter skin is feeling fresh and invigorated. I wash it all off in the shower then lay back down for the hot stone body massage which is quite simple divine. Special attention is lavished on my laptop-tense neck and shoulder muscles. Then my face is treated to a soothing facial not too far removed from the afore-mentioned Modern Skin Facial, lots of nourishing Visible Brilliance serum – basically just all the nice cleansing, nourishing, massaging bits of a facial, none of the extraction pain. At this point, predictably, I’ m nearly asleep.

Final touch is a mini manicure with Essie products. I got for the moody Smokin’ Hot colour from the winter collection, a beautiful sultry grey-purple, and am super impressed with the result aided by the Nail Corrector Pen and Quick-e drying drops.

THE RESULT

Skin is super-soft and fresh-feeling, face is looking plumped and moisturised, neck and shoulders are relaxed and nails so beautifully manicured that everyone is commenting.

Elemis Winter Warmer Delight, 1hr 45mins for £125. Available until 31 January 2011 at Elemis Day Spa (2-3 Lancashire Ct, London W1S 1EX, 0870 410 4210). Find other locations here.

Check out Julia on her blog Stylonylon.com.

SPA WATCH | Ayurvedic Massage at Blink Brow Bar

IF GIVEN my choice of treatments from a spa menu, massage is never a top choice. Massages get a bum wrap in my book because although I can feel the good they do, I can't see it (illogical I know, but true).

But running around central London the other day, a massage sounded like an amazing idea thanks to miles walked in heels and a few long-haul flights.

Blink Brow Bar Fenwick's New Bond Street location is one of the newer outposts offering full-on body treatments. Blink (mwhahaha) and you might miss the new treatment room, tucked just behind the women braving the threading chair on their lunch breaks. Because of the room's proximity to the beauty hall, no conversation goes unheard and you'll be in the beauty hall's line of sight when that door swings open so be forewarned if you're a slow dresser.

That said, once you're under the hands of the capable Blink therapists, it's surprisingly easy to tune out the noise.

Ancient Ayurvedic principles are used to tailor your massage, making it as bespoke a treatment as you'll find in a department store beauty hall. The products and technique used are specified for your dosha type. How do they know your dosha type? From the extensive questionnaire you complete before submitting to the surprisingly strong hands of your diminutive therapist. From diet to stress levels, personality traits and sleep patterns, all is noted to decode your dosha type - vata (space and air), pitta (fire and water) or kapha (water and earth).

What are doshas? The three metabolic types/humours/physiological principles of the human constitution. Each of us has a bit of all three but we're all predominantly one type. The aim is to keep them balanced. Most of us are out of balance, thanks to a pretty stressful modern lifestyle.

I'm Vata-Pitta according to my Blink questionnaire. (Take this dosha quiz and figure out which ones you are right now.)

During the treatment, the therapist spends at least 45 of the 60 minutes on my back, neck and legs with a lightly spicy rose-scented oil. It's so relaxing -- even with the pressure (which was perfect) she uses -- that I doze off for a minute. She works in a way that feels more organic than many massages but no less effective. In fact, I would argue the opposite.

Does tailoring the treatment to your dosha type really make a difference? It's hard to tell. But my relaxed, knot-free back is a telling sign that, Ayurvedic or not, the massage is a thoroughly good one.

THE DETAILS

Blink Ayurvedic Massage is £75 for 60 minutes at Fenwick, New Bond Street, Blink Brow Bar