Edinburgh Reviewed; The Lush Spa

Thanks to years of blogging I have been lucky enough to get to check out some pretty amazing spas and salons across Scotland but every so often one comes along that is completely different and takes me by surprise. The Lush Spa in Edinburgh is just this kind of place.....

Located incredibly handily on the bustling Princes Street and below a stunning store front jam packed with all your favourite Lush Products, this is a little piece of homely heaven that an incredible amount of care and planning has gone in to to make it just right. Based on the country home feeling of owner Mark Constantine the Lush spa is absolutely incredible.Greeted by a beautiful lounge sitting area, and the most welcoming and inviting kitchen dining table complete with mismatched bright colours chairs,  I couldn't believe all this could be happening just under the busiest street in the capital! I have seen a lot of gorgeous spa's with nice ambient atmosphere but never before have I actually wanted my own home to look identical. It was like walking into my dream home, complete with rustic touches and quirks that take so long to get just right without feeling over 'done'.

 I was shown around the treatment rooms by my wonderful therapist
Genna and was blown away by them, just like the communal areas the rooms make you feel instantly at home. The rooms can tailored to each kind of treatment in so many ways, from a bubble machine to different specially composed music, there is no stone unturned in making a lush spa experience one you will never forget.

The treatment I was having was the 'Validation Facial' which Lush summarise as;

"a sublime spectacle to refresh, stretch you and restore your confidence"

I was most definately intrigued by the concept. Genna first sat me down at the huge kitchen table to take some details and talk me through the experience, it was such a nice way to begin and I loved that she asked me to think of words to describe what I want to get out of my facial- how I wanted my skin to look and how I wanted to feel. It really made me feel 'special' and in a completely sincere way,with this place you could never feel like just another client or customer.  I could really tell Genna wanted me to get as much out of the time there as possible which was such a lovely personal touch.

 We then headed off to the shop floor to tailor my facial to exactly my needs which was such a fun aspect. The facial consists of loads of different elements and I was amazed as we loaded up product after product on to the slate that was essentially my shopping basket for our trip! It was great to have someone as knowledgeable about the products as Genna talk me through my options and what would work best and give me that further VIP feeling. Once we had covered all the bases it was off to get settled into the treatment, but not before a little bit of magic in the form of some dry ice and fruit which was such an unexpected treat and turns out not only looks and smells good but then became a super refreshing after treatment drink infused with all the fruit goodness!

By the time we came to the actual facial itself I already felt like a total princess, I was completely sold on the experience before she had even touched my skin! The facial was exquisite, each product was applied with such care and attention that I was quickly lost in another world ( something I actually find really hard to do in treatments normally) gorgeous products and massage aside, the thing I was absolutely in love with was the music. Now that might not sound like the normal centrepiece for a facial but Lush really have created something special, hiring composer Simon Emmerson to create a special soundtrack that incorporates a blend of relaxing sounds and music with specially chosen words and phrases continuing throughout devised to lift you and boost your confidence. Now I know for some people that all sounds a bit  'soft' and when I first read about the treatment I was a little sceptical myself but it has to be tried to be believed. I was amazed by how much the music rested me and the facial movements are timed with swells in the music- it pretty much felt like I was experiencing a whole ballet being performed just for me and well... on me. The whole atmosphere the soundtrack creates really did take me to a slightly hypnotic state and I felt a genuine difference in how I felt following it. Of course the products and the techniques used gave me the glowing and youthful looking skin that I had said I was after- she even used elements of the Alexander technique during it which I loved as it has always interested me, and those touches were just another tool to help you walk a little taller when it is all done and make you feel more confident and empowered.

The aim of the facial aside from some seriously good looking skin is to make you feel better and uplifted and I was delighted that I felt just that. I didn't expect for the whole treatment to really be up my street as a fan of powerful, active ingredients facials normally but it was such a beautifully put together, natural experience that I was blown away by it.I think that a voucher for one of the treatments at the Lush Spa would make an truly magical gift for someone, this experience will stick with me for a long time and I am desperate to get back there asap and try The Good Hour- a massage based around the idea of sea shanties and pirates! From the little bell to ring when you are ready in your treatment room, to the bathroom all equipped with amazing Lush products to get you ready to face the world after your treatment- the Lush staff and Spa will go the extra mile to make sure your time with them is magical, memorable and beneficial in a whole manner of ways. It is a fantastic spa experience I cannot recommend highly enough.

To book you can call the Spa on 0131 225 4688 and check out their list of amazing treatments here. To find out more about the Validation Facial you can also watch this video- even hearing the music used now is sending me back to that hypnotic state- Enjoy!

Images 3-6 c/o lush