Edinburgh Reviewed; The Beauty Lift at The Guerlain Spa

I cannot believe it has been three years since I set eyes on the beautiful Guerlain Spa, nestled in The Caledonian Hotel right in the heart of Edinburgh's City centre. Offering serious luxury to clients, this spa is a truly an indulgent experience that is not to be missed. To celebrate turning 3, the team there have added two fantastic new treatments to their menu to celebrate,  I have had some amazing experiences with Guerlain in these years, so I was super excited to find out more about the latest offerings.

From September, you can choose a new Deep Muscle Relaxation treatment designed to build a stronger body, relax the muscles and calm the mind, or experience a radiant lifted and toned face with The Beauty Lift. I was totally torn between the two as both of them sounded like exactly what I was needing right now- after a year of strength training I have become more in tune with what my body is needing and a massage designed for deep and lasting relaxation sounded ideal. Incorporating Balinese Massage this new treatment sounds completely ideal for sports enthusiasts  or people with particularly busy lives.

But as much as the body treatment sounds like a total dream for me right now I could not forget that without a doubt the most impactful facial treatment I have ever had was here at Guerlain and it  incorporated facial massage that completely transormed my deepest wrinkle concern ( hello frown lines!) and the results lasted for months. So in the battle of new treatments, it had to be The Beauty Lift I went for. Incorporating the anti-aging beauty massage technique that focuses on every facial muscle to target wrinkles and increase microcirculation, this muscle stimulation helps restore volume to areas where it has been lost and your therapist is there to provide you with top  secrets for you to leave with and carry on the newer radiant you at home.

Sound Dreamy? Well I can report it certainly was. As always I was greeted by the friendliest of faces at the Spa and got settled into a comfy robe and chilled out in the relaxation room ( complete with tasty healthy nibbles). My therapist Louise picked me up from here and started the journey by allowing me to select the Guerlain scent I would like used in my treatment. I love this aspect to of the spa as it  really allows you to tailor your treatment to how you are feeling in that moment and for what you want to leave feeling like ( relaxed/energised/soothed) On this visit I was really feeling the masculine scent of Idylle Homme and it was a stunning addition to my treatment to have in the room with me. As with all treatments, you start with a soothing footbath which is perfect for really bringing my focus to the treatment itself and actually relaxing into it. It also gives the therapist time to explain what to expect and answer any questions you might have ( never mind leaving you with lovely soft feet too!)

Feeling wrinkle-free and radiant following the Beauty Lift

The massage itself was absolutely beautiful and incredibly impactful, it is certainly firm in places in order to work the muscles hard but is not actually sore. It takes real skill on the part of the therapist to apply pressure in the right places  that really accentuates the facial contours and work away lines. While a mask works on your skin you are treated to a beautiful arm and shoulder massage ( can also opt for the head) which is then followed by a delightfully cooling application of massage balls to round it all off. The targeted movements used really stretch and relax the face in the most tense areas which was super soothing, I really had no idea how much stress I actually carry in my upper body and this really worked a lot of that away. I was super delighted with the outcome immediately after treatment, just like the first facial I had here that used massage techniques, my deepest frown lines were transformed and my face looked really plump and bright which lasted way after the treatment. If you suffer from particularly sagging skin in any area, I can really only imagine how much firmer skin would feel following this facial workout.

I was on a cloud following The Beauty Lift so I made myself at home back in the relaxation room to enjoy a soothing herbal tea and some fruit while I came back down to earth, it really was a dream way to spend an afternoon ( next time I am definitely also taking advantage of the pool and sauna facilities as they look just gorgeous). These two new treatments are such a good addition to the already impressive  menu at the Guerlain Spa and they are such a fun way to celebrate 3 fantastic years.

To book in with the fab team call 0131 222 8836

Introducing; Predator Nutrition

I am always on the look out for a decent site to order some of my staple treats such as PB2, Walden Farms syrups, and Meridian nut butters, so it is a bonus for me when I find somewhere that stocks them along side good new protein options, supplements like the Fish Oil I use and brands I am used to ordering from the US like Now Nutrition.  Based in Leeds,Predator Nutrition's owner Reggie clearly puts the work in to stocking the site with hard to get health and fitness products that you usually have to pay huge shipping on as well as making sure they are always adding new and upcoming exciting products.

I follow a lot of health and fitness types on instagram and It seems like I can't go a day without seeing some of the US based ones posting pics of delicious sounding Quest Bars and I had been itching to see what all the fuss was about. With a whopping 20g of Protein but only 1g or so ( they all vary slightly) of sugar per bar alongside being gluten free, these certainly looked to be many peoples go to snack of choice or post workout fix but were they actually any good? Lucky for me the Predator Nutrition team sent me a super exciting parcel with a whole load of flavours to try out and so far so tasty! I have only tried a couple of protein style bars before and always been pretty much underwhelmed by their taste, often just chewy and either flavourless or super synthetic sweet tasting. I hadn't found anything that could actually get me looking forward to eating one ( or happy to shell out the £'s for).

Straight off the bat, before I had eve finished reading all the flavours in front of me, I ripped open the strawberry cheesecake option to tuck into. My eagerness means my first go was a little disappointing, it was a nicer flavour than ones I had tried before but it still was a little too chewy and powdery tasting. Colour me disappointed! UNTIL I remembered that on instagram I always see people talking about having them heated and let me tell you that changed everything for me. I got home and cut up the cinnamon swirl option as I knew it would float ally's boat, and with 20 or so seconds in the micro we had a tasty, soft and almost brownie like situation going on that was super tasty, filling, and definitely hit my sweet craving spot. From here on in I have tried them all warm , not heated up is still perfectly fine for a snack on the go but warm actually excites me and has me looking forward to having one after dinner on gym days. The ones I have used so far have been amazing like cookies and cream, peanut butter supreme and  I am in love with the coconut cashew. Next up I am definitely firing into the smores and the cookie dough ones! I am usually a fan of trying to meeting my proten needs in the form of whole food sources as often as possible but often at weekends I find myself not getting enought so these are totally perfect for keeping me going and being a darn tasty snack too. People often eat nowhere near as much protein as they need ( especially if exercising), so these are a fantastic option for meeting those levels easily. At £2.79 a go, they aren't cheap but these fill me up so much better than any other cereal bar I would usually be swayed by and if buying in boxes on the site you can get them for nearer £2 each, plus I would always keep my eyes peeled for deals.

With my whole workout in mind, the team also sent me some sachets of Optimum Nutrition Pre -Workout  powder to try which I am surprised to say seem to make a difference for me. I had my reservations but so far this has helped me with my workouts, very possibly due to the caffeine content ( alongside  creatine and B vitamins)and that I hit the gym pretty early in the morning. These have made me feel far more alert and up for working hard, and I have actually managed PB's  the first day I tried it so  it has been an interesting experiment for me. 

Predator Nutrition has been a really useful find for me getting most of my goodies from one site and is well worth checking out, I love that they stock a decent mix of products and brands and I am a fan of the loyalty points system too. Now if I could just get Reggie to stock my favourite liquid stevias I would be all set!

If you are interested in trying out Quest Bars I just noticed they are selling some short dated stock right now so you could pick up a mixed box of flavours for £16.99 or a few flavours for only 11.99 which is a fab deal, I have just ordered my next bundle ( which arrrived the next day!) and I happened to notice the handy code QUEST10 will get you 10% off that too- bargain! If you take advantage of the handy deal would love you to use my refferer code at the checkout 6650028 and I earn a few of those loyalty points to my next order. Happy Healthy Shopping!

Glasgow Reviewed; Obagi Blue Radiance Peel at Transform

If you missed my experience at my consultation with the non-surgical team at Transform you can catch up on how it went here. After my chat I was super excited to actually give the Obagi Blue Radiance Peel a go as having read up on Obagi products in the past thanks to their amazing reviews to do with treating pigmentation, I knew that I was in for a treat. My skin has been really bothered with spots recently and the Blue Radiance Peel is designed to help with any post acne scarring by helping remove colourations ( alongside spots and wrinkles too!) The chemicals used essentially burn off the top layers of the skin to encourage the needed cell renewal to reveal brighter and clearer skin from below which is exactly what I was after. This is the most gentle of the peels on offer but still super effective thanks to the blends of acids it incorporates ( salicylic acid is the key component).

Before/During/Straight after/20 Mins After

As always I was made to feel super relaxed and at ease in the clinic and Marie was amazing at answering my questions and talking me through exactly what to expect with a peel like this. These peels can feel quite hot on the skin and as people experience pain in different ways it is really good to get a full run down of the possible things I might be aware of while it is all happening. I settled onto the bed and she used Obagi products to thoroughly cleanse my skin and then applied a protective barrier cream to my lips and eyebrows along with an eye protecting cover to get me ready for the first layer of peel to be applied. Going on for only 60 seconds, the first application is applied to the face and brings a rush of heat, nothing too wild at all but it is definitely there and as she had warned me the smell is very strong ( the chemicals ) so I wasn't taking in any massive deep breaths through my nose but the heat subsides really quickly and all I was left with was a little tickle in the back of my throat.

Cleansed skin on day of peel/ cleansed skin 7 days on from peel

The second application is then layered on and left for a good ten minutes, this also brings about a heat but is totally fine, It is a little hot, a little itchy and nearing the end of the ten minutes your face certainly feels tight but it is totally livable. Marie had patted the product all over my face and was talking about the 'frosting' she could see happening- she took a pic for me to show you and as you can see I am certainly going whiter in some areas which is all the bacteria being brought to the surface ( goodbye spots!) after the ten minutes were through she cleaned off any excess and applied a soothing balm and a tinted SPF 50 to take the edge of the initial redness for me heading home. I was shocked how quickly your face does return to normal considering how red it can be immediately after- the whole process is so quick you could be back at your desk in no time which makes it an ideal lunchtime treatment.

cleansed skin day before peel/ cleansed skin 7 days on

Immediately I could see that my skin was looking better already- a lot of my sore looking spots looked far less fierce and I had  a much brighter complexion.  I had my peel on a Thursday night and by Saturday I was experiencing the peeling effect I had been told about, only really in the sensitive areas of around my nose and chin. It is nothing major- kind of like having been sun-burnt, but I had been warned to try and leave it and not pick at it- IMPOSSIBLE to a picker like me! I relied on a bit of the La Roche Posay Effeclar H I had in my cabinet at this point and it certainly meant I could apply my make up without too much distracting peeling. It is a possible  after effect to be aware of however- I wouldn't go getting it done right before a big event! A couple more days of slight peeling happened but it remained in these areas and was manageable, in all I would allow for 7 days for any peeling to go away although mine was not properly noticeable after 3. After the week my peeling had completely gone and it was then I noticed how incredibly soft my skin was and looking far brighter.

7 days from peel with light layer of BB Cream on

I was really impressed with how the peel has helped my spotty skin and I am already looking at when I can book in for a follow up as they are usually recommended to have a few spread out and I can imagine the results after the first one will really build. It is a quick procedure that although smarts a little , is a really small price to pay for the clearer skin it brings. My skin looks really bright, the darker patches have improved massively and in the week since having the peel my clogged pores which were horrific have not been an issue at all which is exactly what I was hoping for. 

An Obagi Blue Radiance Peel will set you back £70 with discounts available on a package of three peels and can be booked with Transform on 0800 655 6406

Treating myself with Debenhams Flowers

Whenever I am in a fancy restaurant or nice cafe one of things that always catches my eye are gorgeous flower displays and I always think how 'fancy' that makes me feel- that I am out enjoying somewhere that is lovely enough to qualify for pretty fresh flowers. Thing is I never actually stop and think wait- me and my flat are lovely too and we could just as easily have something that makes us smile sitting out on display too! So I was over the moon when the guys at Debenhams Flowers got in touch and asked if they could send me some lovely blooms to try out their service, fancy time indeed.

I had no idea Debenhams even had a flower service until now which is daft considering how long I spend in there ( it is on my route home- damn that beauty hall!) Looking at their current summer flowers range, I was bowled over by the delicate bouquets they had on offer with soft peonies, and pastel roses- they are a real bloggers dream! But in the end I could not resist the bold colour explosion of the Summer Sun Bouquet. I am such a sucker for sunflowers and yellow hues mixed with the vibrant purple statice was guaranteed to put a smile on my face every time I passed the living room so I had just had to have them. I knew going for the more bold colours would make it not overly girlie for ally too and I must have picked just right as even he met them with an ' Ooohh I really like sunflowers'!

Having never actually ordered flowers before I really didn't even know what kind of costs you would be looking at but I was really impressed that you can get beautifully neat starter bouquets of blush peonies or golden sunflowers for £20 and they offer adorable add-ons like cake in a tin for £5 too- it would be so amazing to treat someone ( or yourself!) to a delivery like this.

I cannot get over how much a simply addition of fresh bright flowers to my flat makes- they genuinely just cheer me right up and look so pretty. I was really impressed with the speedy service and how well packaged the bouquet arrives, it would be such a big surprise for ordering for someone special.

Lucky for us the gorgeous team at Debenhams Flowers have given me an amazing code to share with you guys- if you use;

DFBLOG25

You can get 25% any order you place ( not including flowers by post) and even better than that is this an ongoing code that doesn't expire. I know it will be putting to good use for me considering my facebook feed is filled with good news of pregnancies and engagements right now!

Fancy treatment for my fancy readers :)

Treat yo'self!