Glasgow Reviewed; Deluxe Mani at Pure Spa

Ihave been meaning to head along to the newly opened city centre Pure Spa for AGES as It is always handy to have somewhere so perfectly located to head to for all pampering needs. Sitting on West Nile Street this is perfectly placed as a haven from all the madness and the perfect spot for getting glammed up for a big night out or for celebrating something special. I popped in to try out the deluxe mani which they are offering right now for treating your mum too this coming weekend and it was the perfect way to start my sunday!

Greeted by the super lovely team, I got settled in with a coffee ( the package does come with bubbly but even for me 10.30 on a Sunday seemed a little early!) and picked out a gorgeous Leighton Denny colour ( a popping red called Viva La Diva) and selected which extra service to take advantage of. My nails have been totally terrible of late so I opted for the cuticle treatment but you can also  choose to have an exfoliation or hand massage- I like that with the deluxe option you can tailor the treatment to suit. The salon itself is bigger than I imagined, really well turned out and clean and fresh which is always important to me when picking out somewhere to take someone to. They have a nail bar, brow bar and pedi bar alongside a sauna, tanning room and multiple therapy rooms on offer alongside a great menu of treatments to choose from.

I was delighted with the end result of my mani the staff are really attentive and knowledgeable and I am keen to get myself booked in for one of their bigger treatments so I can really put them to the test and get a go inside that sauna!  I think a deluxe manicure session with your mum would be a perfect way to treat her- bubbles, gossip and some glam time and with being right in the town you are in the perfect spot to head out for some shopping and food! The package for two with a glass of bubbly is £42  Handily they also have spas in Silverburn shopping centre, Edinburgh and Aberdeen so you can treat mum wherever you are.

You can contact the West Nile Street spa on 0843 507 1888

The Spa and Sparkle Package at the Guerlain Spa

Ahhh Guerlain.

 Just knowing I am coming through your spa doors at the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh has me walking on clouds from the moment the appointment is booked. I am embarrassed to be the one running to you from Waverley Station pretty much undressing from the moment the train stops at the platform, desperate to be relaxing in those ridiculously soft robes whilst sipping on peppermint tea in your gorgeous relaxation room.  I seriously cannot get enough of this little haven of tranquillity and am always all ears when it comes to the the new treatments and packages they have on offer.

So of course I pretty much ran there when the opportunity to try their new Spa and Sparkle package they have available for the festive period presented itself. For £140 you can enjoy the gorgeous spa facilities and enjoy the perfect line up of treatments to get you relaxed and ready for the party season.

On arrival you are taken on their trademark personalised fragrance journey, I really love this element of their treatments as every time I have been I have been in a different mood or wanted to leave feeling a certain way and being able to tailor those emotions to my experience is so unique. You are then led into the stunning treatment rooms for the first part of the treatment which was a glorious and invigorating body scrub. My therapist  Louise started it off with a foot bath and walked me through the procedure, I then got settled on the bed while she used a body brush to boost my circulation before applying the body scrub. When the treatment was all done, not only did I smell heavenly but my skin felt like silk- I was buffed and polished to perfection from head to toe!

Leighton Denny Paparrazi

I was then taken through to their nail bars and treated to a fantastic Leighton Denny manicure and pedicure complete with a glass of fizz that went down a treat! I opted for a bright pink on my fingers and a stunning pin up red on my toes. I never really go for mani's or pedis but I have to say when I have had it done I feel so glam, it really picks up my mood and after these treatments I genuinely wanted to hit the town right then and there, if only it wasn't half 12 on a Saturday afternoon.

After all that pampering you get to make yourself at home in the gorgeous relaxation room with a host of herbal teas and healthy nibbles to enjoy. It is such a soothing place and just being snuggled up in your robe feeling fabulous makes the experience well worth the money. To finish up Louise took my through the Guerlain makeup range and applied my 'touch of colour' which was perfect for getting me ready to hit the busy streets of Edinburgh. I was in love with the lingerie de peau foundation, and she applied the products just as I wanted them- a daytime look that was natural but polished. It is such a good way to end the package and give you that extra boost as you leave.

My little touch of colour after leaving

With nearly 200 years of distinguished work in the field of wellness and beauty, Guerlain knows what it takes to deliver flawless spa experiences and the Spa and Sparkle package is no exception. It is the perfect Christmas gift to yourself or a special person who is in need of quality pampering.

To book you can call the spa on 0131 222 8836

Edinburgh Reviewed: Vinylux Nails by CND at the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa

When CND brought us Shellac- beauty fans were ecstatic, but it was never really for me. I have too short an attention span to have one colour on my nails for such a long time, and anything that they say needs removed specially is just too much fussing for a lazy gal  like me ( although I can see why it would be perfect for holidays and special occasions). So when I first hear about CND’s latest offering- Vinylux I knew it was more up my street. A breakthrough polish once again, Vinylux requires no base coat, and has a top coat that continues to becomes durable with natural light exposure, it also removes with normal polish remover AND can last around 7 days, sounds pretty perfect to me!

 I was lucky enough to get to try out this breakthrough product at one of my favourite spots, the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa in Edinburgh and I can say it is definatley something I will be doing again. The colour range is spectacular; it applies like a dream and so far after 10 days and counting it still looks immaculate, glossy and bright. I was actually going to hold off on posting this review until after this manicure had worn off but at this rate it will be on forever so I have had to give in and share it now! The fact it has lasted so long is truly testament to how good and long lasting these vinylux polishes are- I am a total clutz and my nail polish is usually chipped mere hours after application from me fiddling with things but this still looks amazing. You can see in the snaps there is a slight amount of tip wear on a couple of fingers but that is it- otherwise it is in fantastic condition and still attracting compliments.

just a few of the amazing colours available

12 hours after manicure

My therapist At Chamomile was Sonica who gave me a full manicure, filing and buffing my nails into a beautiful rounded shape and giving my hands a gorgeous massage with an exfoliating scrub with coffee granules in it to prep my hands for my pop of Vinylux colour. She filled me in on the pro-light technology these have which creates  a network of polymer bonds that build resistance  to chips  and actually becomes more durable with exposure to natural light. It takes just two lights coats of the colour and one coat of the vinylux weekly topcoat which dries in around 8 minutes and you are good to go. Coming in a huge 62 shades with many matching the hugely popular shellac shades so you can now have your favourite one applied in the vinylux version. I was massively impressed both with my treatment at the spa and the finished product, the colour I am wearing is tropix which is the perfect corally pink for summer- I have had so many comments on my nails I will be gutted when it actually comes off!

6 days after manicure

10 full days after manicure!

I never thought I would be so impressed with a nail treatment but CND have really won me over with this. The treatment at Chamomile is only £18 for half an hour, which I think is a fantastic price for such a good manicure - long lasting colour and all from the comfort of their beautiful relaxing nail room, it is definately top marks from me!