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.

TRAVEL TALES | New Zealand's top beauty brands part II

WE STARTED to tell you about all the cool Kiwi brands on our trip yesterday. Here are the rest, in no particular order yet all as fabulous as the ones listed yesterday:

New Zealand's best beauty finds continued

Art A Face is a small nature-meets-science skincare range with things like potent vitamin C serum and colostrum (see my thoughts on the stuff below). Every product page lists the full ingredients.

Electric Body is now being stocked by the House of Fraser Apothecary in the UK. It's hero ingredient is colostrum, something I don't quite feel comfortable having in my beauty products yet. Like placenta. But the range also focuses on the bio-availability of the things we put on our skin (meaning, according to the website, that our skin will actually know what to do with the ingredients once applied to our skin). The brand founders believe you can replace all of your skin and bodycare products with just three products (check out theirs here).

Trilogy has become pretty popular in the last five or so years. Their championing of the rosehip (and their award-winning rosehip oil) helped make facial oils something that people with acne-prone complexions would use. The Everything Balm is really wonderful for absolutely everything and the fuss-free men's range brings New Zealand's natural beauty ethos to your husband's dopp kit.

Linden Leaves focuses on aromatherapy for the body and home. They also do things like a gold range that uses 24k gold leave in it's facial mists, soaps, lotion and oil. Their variety of products and scents is vast and there's a little slice of New Zealand here for everyone and every place... even the guest bathroom.

Antipodes skincare is made with "bioactive botancial ingredients" and "protein-rich formulations" free from the same nasties that many of the brands here are also free from. Their strapline is superior skincare, responsible earthcare".

Hema is a gorgeous, tightly edited range of hand-blended organic oils from facialist Margaret Hema, based in Wellington, New Zealand. The actual formulations are a trade secret, but we know they contain  New Zealand certifed organic avocado oil, New Zealand certifed organic Pacific Blue Lavender, East Cape organic manuka essential oil, New Zealand certifed organic Totarol, UMF 15 active East Cape manuka honey, New Zealand certified organic borage oil, New Zealand certifed organic evening primrose oil, New Zealand meadowfoam oil, New Zealand organic calendula oil and New Zealand certifed organic olive oil. All oils have a 9-month shelf life. The design of the bottles and logo are both gorgeous. Next time we're in New Zealand, we know where we're booking a facial.

Sans is a body and haircare range from Stephen Marr and Lucy Vincent-Marr. Called new generation ceuticals, the site features a sexy video with a bathing girl to introduce you to their brand. Highly active yet free from harsh chemical additives, Sans boasts fifteen simple products, a clean crisp lemon verbena-meets-vanilla scent and a look that's a bit Le Labo-meets-Fresh. Only available in New Zealand... for now.

Dr Wendy's 100% Botanical Skincare uses cold-pressed oils and active aromatics. ALL synthetic ingredients are banned. Available for both professional and salon use the site is refreshingly honest and says, for example, when you can use a product for two purposes instead of suggesting you purchase two separate things.

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Other fun New Zealand beauty bits? World is a bit like New Zealand's Colette too so check it out if you're down there. And Lancome is the new home to a Kiwi who goes by the name of Aaron de May. He's their global creative director.

SPA WATCH | Verta Spa London to Paris

 

THE NEWLY opened Hotel Verta in London’s Battersea, right next to the Heliport, by luxury hotel chain von Essen, boasts a brand new sparkly spa (rain showers, heated loungers, atmospheric hydrotherapy pool) and is open to the public – so if you’re in that part of town, it’s worth a visit. The staff is extremely friendly and willing to help. The spa is partnered with French beauty brand Anne Sémonin, and this is where I went to experience the Verta spa’s signature and tailor-made treatment, the two-hour London To Paris with Anne Sémonin (£200).

THE TREATMENT

My therapist Wendy, a former beauty school teacher, was extremely experienced and knowledgeable in all things beauty, and I was full of questions to begin with (What to do with ingrown hairs from waxing? Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. What can I do about the small milia below my eyes? Use a quality eye make-up remover.) But I soon wound down as she got started on the black sea salt all-over-body scrub. This involved donning the little black paper panties, lying face down and turning over for application and then showering off. My skin felt extremely soft after the scrub.

Then a hot bubbling seaweed back treatment – Wendy dolloped the seaweed mix onto a sheet of foil, which I lay back onto; the sensation was warm and the bubbles like a mild massage. In the meantime, Wendy massaged both my feet and scalp. Next up was the facial, which, after cleansing, consisted of a mineral mask and a fantastic lymphatic drainage facial massage – Wendy gently pressed points on my face, neck and scalp with her fingers.

Finally some Oligoanne Serum for my dehydrated skin and Wendy’s hero product, which she uses night and day instead of a moisturiser, the 100% Active Serum to finish off.

THE RESULT

Two hours is a fantastic length of time to really slip into a relaxed, slumberous state. I loved the bubbling seaweed back treatment, the heat was so soothing and the lymphatic drainage facial massage was a real pleasure. My skin was soft from the body scrub and my face, with the freshly applied 100% Active Serum, was deliciously dewy and stayed that way all evening. This is definitely a product I would welcome into my life!

London To Paris with Anne Sémonin (£200)

Check out Spa Verta and Anne Sémonin for more information.

Written by Julia Rebaudo for beautywoome.com. Check out Julia's blog at Planet707.