SPA WATCH | The Fish Pedicure at Aqua Sheko

The Treatment

AQUA SHEKO, the first salon dedicated solely to the exfoliating Garra Rufa fish pedicure, has just opened up in London’s salubrious High Street Kensington and by the looks of it is doing a roaring trade. The therapists say clients come for weekly, bi-weekly and monthly treatments and even daily for those suffering from psoriasis – apparently the fish release an enzyme which helps in the treatment of certain skin conditions and different parts of the body can be dipped into the small pools and treated. The fish were originally found in hot springs in Kangal, Turkey and apparently love nothing more than to feast on dry skin, making one of the charms of this treatments the symbiotic nature for all parties concerned.

How Was It?

I TOOK my sister along as a treat, courtesy of a fabulous discount from new health and beauty site Wahanda (if you don’t know about Wahanda, check it out, daily hefty discounts on every beauty treatment you could possibly want) – I paid £12 for what is usually a £30 25-minute treatment. The sleek black salon is small with an open shop- front window that draws the occasional inquisitive look from passers by. There are not more than about ten raised leather seats each with its own little pool of about 80-odd fish of differing sizes, the largest being a couple of inches long.

WE WERE welcomed and made to feel very much at home before having our feet thoroughly rinsed to ensure they were free from any oils and creams, which can cause the occasional fish death. We sat down side by side with tea and water (there’s room in between seats to put your handbag) and then slipped our feet out of our white towel slippers into the pools – best to wear leggings or trousers you can easily roll up to beneath your knee. Be warned, the fish do immediately swarm, but as promised it isn’t at all painful. Just a heavy tickly sensation as they get to work all over your feet. I could hardly feel them on my hardened heels and was fascinated watching them attach their sucker mouths to my cuticles. The only slightly unnerving bit was when the occasional fish went for the softer skin around the ankle, but that was fine too. After 25 minutes our time was up and a therapist helped us out and dried our feet.

The Result

OVERALL, I was pretty pleased. The harder bits on my big toe and heel were definitely more sanded down and the sole of my feet near my toes was extremely soft. I was very happy to slip back into my flip flops and parade my tootsies back out on the streets of London. However, as my feet are quite dry, I could have definitely benefited from a dollop of foot cream or oil as is offered in the Deluxe treatment – £45 for 30 minutes fish-time plus 15-minute foot massage. Ten days later my feet are a little bit tougher round the edges but still presentable.

 

Aqua Sheko, 14 Holland Street, High St Kensington, London W8 4LT (07837 539 325).

Written for beautywoome.com by contributor Julia Rebaudo.

Simply the Bess: The open secret among makeup lovers in New York hits the UK

THE FIRST thing I notice about South Carolinian Edward Bess when I meet him in person is his hair – the luscious chestnut locks he's always brushing away from his cherubic face. It's the sort of hair that girls dream of. Not that his thick lashes, pillow pout and other-worldly glow aren't also envy-inspiring. Or his whippet-thin waistline and long limbs. In fact, Bess is a vision fit for the Belle Époque – he makes TV vampire heart throbs look positively mundane; yep, Lestat, Louis and Edward would writhe with jealousy at the site of this willowy beauty entrepreneur. 

READ THE MY FULL PROFILE OF EDWARD BESS

IN GLASS MAGAZINE

TREND MILL | Topshop Make Up revealed

"YESTERDAY I swung by Victoria House in Holborn to check out the new Topshop Make Up range – a collaboration between the Topshop design team and makeup artist Hannah Murray. First impressions?

Wow, great packaging (thanks to Topshop’s Sarah Thorne and her graphic design team). Loving the monochrome polka dots and stripes. Very cute and just the kind of thing I’d be happy to whip out on a Friday night to lend to a pal. First off, I tried the black eyeliner. Soft, smudgy and thick. I put on a small line beneath my lower lash and the rest of the day I had that rock-chick smudgy eye thing going on – this is a look I’m happy to rock at all times not being a prim and proper suit-wearing kinda girl, but maybe not be so great for the office – this is definitely a party time eyeliner. I then opened a bright blue mascara, then brown before I found my beloved black. The wand is pretty standard, however, the consistency is good, not clumpy. Although you’d definitely need a couple of layers to give good lash.

Next I picked up one of the pinky-red blushers with an inviting creamy texture, but managed to mess it up with my black eye-linered finger, so I quickly moved on to the crayons and lipsticks. Nice range of light, bright colours and hugely creamy on the skin. “Juicy” said the girl next to me, who I have to say was looking very fab in one of the pink lip colours. Very cute little pots of lip balm, watermelon and rose, which I’m dying to get my hands on and there was also a tube of foundation which I must admit I didn’t try – sorry, girls.

But this range is really all about the lip and eye colours. And the prices! The Core range is priced £4-£10 and the smaller Spring-Summer Limited Edition Trend range, which is all glam-evening and disco colours, is £5 to £15.

The core range available this May at select Topshop stores and www.topshop.com. The Limited Edition Trend range available late May via the same outlets."

Written for beautywoome.com by Julia Rebaudo. Check out her new blog Planet707.