Introducing; RedRubyRouge.com

Every so often a website comes along that I just lose my mind over and RedRubyRouge is exactly one of those sites. I am a sucker for unusual design and this site has so many amazing examples of unique designers that I instantly compiled an epic wish list of goodies and I just had to share.

How could I not be on board with that approach?! So much care and attention has obviously been taken in selecting the finest in talent for stocking the shop and they have really created something special.   I had been eyeing up a Baggu for ages which is what led me to the site so it was first up for ordering when a 20%  discount voucher came winging its way into my inbox. As I had hoped, this new foldable tote/backpack made from tough nylon akin to a parachute is the ultimate in 'be prepared' style. Finally someone is nailing the mix of practicality and style and this little beauty is going to be put to all sorts of good use. My mum has already jumped right in and ordered one for herself as she is always looking for a decent extra tote for when she is out shopping and as she uses a stick the fact she cans sling this on her shoulder is a massive plus.

Following some seriously quick free delivery and a further 15% off purchases for signing up to the newsletter my baggu was very closely followed by an order for these amazing Hiro and Wolf earrings which just spoke to me massively. Modern but chic, I loved the mix of textures with the tiny pop of metallic and at £12 they seemed like too good a bargain to miss out on never mind the added fair trade credentials which I love.

As you can see from the below- these two purchases are clearly not enough as  I pretty much want EVERYTHING. Even narrowing down my choices just for this post was hard enough- you seriously need to go and check out the line up for yourself, but hopefully this gives you a pretty good taster of what they have on offer.

1. Black Cat Scarf / 2. Mrs Jermyn Neon Clutch / 3. Baqqu Breton Stripe
4.Elizabeth Stone Agate Necklace / 5. Hurraw Green Tea lipbalm / 6.Wild Thing Fox Necklace
7. Anna Joyce Star Tote / 8. Wild Thing Digital Cuff

So good right? My birthday is coming up next month and this little post might just be popping up in the other half's inbox shortly....!

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

A pre festival pamper with Guerlain

Just a quick post to fill you in on my gorgeous stop off at the Guerlain Spa on the way to the Fringe on Saturday. For £65 their festival  pamper treatment truly is the best way to kick off any visit, I was left relaxed but invigorated- a little buzz from some fizz and some seriously gorgeous hot pink on talons. I was ready for anything!

The experience starts with a scent journey, based on your mood and how you want to feel afterwards  your therapist gets you to pick a scent that is then placed in your room and incorporated into your treatments. I wanted to feel invigorated, confident and ready for a day of shows so my therapist helped me to pick out Idylle as my scent. She explained to me the bottle was designed so that if you look at it upside down it has the sexiness of a woman's high heel, I loved that little touch and like many Guerlain products there is a fabulous story that goes with it.

I was taken to change into my robes ( truly the softest thing you will ever feel- seriously) and taken into my treatment room, all prepared with my chosen scent. My therapist Jennifer talked me through the treatment while I enjoyed a relaxing foot bath and she explained the movements behind the Caledonian Chic massage that are used. The therapists here actually created this routine and each of the moves had a real amount of thinking and history involved which is something I have never experienced before. Pulling on Scottish inspiration moves included one based on the pattern of tartan, one based on historical use of the Caledonain Waldorf Hotel itself and one themed around our weather- rain! It was fascinating to learn how much had gone in to putting this routine together, offering the perfect blend of both relaxing but also deeper movements to ensure your are really experiencing the benefits of massage therapy.

For half an hour Jennifer really worked some magic on my badly knotted back and I was in utter bliss. The atmosphere in the room is just divine, twinned with those well thought out and balanced moves you are left feeling absolutely incredible. I felt so much stress disappear and it really brought my focus to relaxing and enjoying our adventure. I was then taken for an on the go manicure, picking a beautiful pop of pink from Leighton Denny to brighten up my hands, Jennifer expertly evened out my nails which had been a huge mess while I enjoyed a relaxing glass of bubbly. To allow my nails to dry, I then made my self comfortable in the spa's gorgeous relaxation room, enjoyed a cup of green tea and a magazine before getting dressed and heading off into the hustle and bustle of the Edinburgh Fringe. In an hour and a half I had gone from a sleepy ball of stress to calm, relaxed and excited to get going and enjoy everything there is to see in the busy city. I absolutely adored the treatment here, it has been so well thought out to allow you to get the most out of a stay, I highly recommend giving it a try.

Thanks as always to the super lovely team at the Guerlain Spa for having me.

Edinburgh Reviewed: Champagne Pamper Package with The Bonham and Chamomile

Edinburgh is somewhere I love to go for days out only 50 minutes away on a train from Glasgow and it feels like a proper mini holiday with a whole new array of salons, spas, shops and café to try out. You really are spoiled for choice! Myself and the lovely Mairead decided a day of fun was just what we needed so when we heard of the new Champagne Pamper Package being offered between the Chamomile Sanctuary Spa and the beautiful boutique hotel The Bonham we knew it was perfect for us!

The Chamomile Sanctuary Spa is set in a  gorgeous west end location, even though it is right off of a very busy Princes Street, it feels a million miles away. Looking quite unassuming from the outside, the minute you walk through those doors you are hit with sheer bliss, a really luxurious feeling haven. We were shown into the waiting room to fill in our client forms, it is certainly the most stunning waiting rooms I have ever spent time in-  I would have moved in if they would have let me!

We were then led down stairs to the bottom floor which is a haven of tranquillity. Being down below ground level just added to the feeling of peace for me, totally cut off from the hustle and bustle of day to day life, even though you are just  a stones throw from thousands of busy shoppers! We were shown our lockers with slippers and the plushest robe I have ever put on, got ourselves ready and then moved through to the relaxation room stocked with delicious Tea Pigs herbal teas, little nibble snacks and some gorgeous mood lighting. We made ourselves comfy on the loungers with our books and  made ourselves right at home, until it was time for our treatments.

What I loved about the massages here was how attentive our therapist was, after both plumping for a back massage it was nice that we both had completely different massages by the same person. I was looking for a fairly hard pressure to get the massive knots out my back, and Mai wanted a lighter relaxation based experience, and we both got exactly that. Mairead was really impressed with the tips she was given to alleviate any problems she had, and I loved the detail that was put into explaining the treatment. Afterwards we were allowed to take our time and relax for a little longer with our tea and loungers, which was perfect for a spa package for two- a chance to unwind and have a giggle together.

I absolutely loved the atmosphere at Chamomile and cannot wait to go back, they have a superb array of treatments and packages on offer and just this month they are even launching a range of treatments for the man in your life, available on Mondays they can choose from a mani, pedi, massage or facial- such a good idea!

After such a luxurious massage we had both certainly worked up a hunger so within minutes we were picked up in a complimentary taxi to take us to the beautiful Bonham hotel for the second part of the experience! I love this aspect of the package, being swept away in a taxi adds a real element of luxury that I have never experienced at a spa before. It means you stay in this blissful fuss free bubble the whole time, and takes any effort away from yourself. I also love the flexibility of the package,you can choose to have the lunch or afternoon tea followed by your treatment or do it the other way around, you can tailor the package to suit you which is great.

Greeted by the friendly staff at the Bonham we were led through to be seated in the gorgeous 2 AA Rosette Restaurant- with the sun shining in the large windows it was such a welcoming atmosphere. The staff were absolutely second to none, everyone was really attentive and certainly made you feel pampered. We were given our glasses of champagne which went down a treat while we perused the stunning market menu which left us spoilt for choice. Deciding both to go for the goats cheese and wild garlic  risotto, which was delicious delicious and then a main of Braised Beef Cheek on a bed of crushed burgundy potato for me, and the Grilled Sea Bream with sea food spaetzle and bisque sauce for Miss Mairead.

The food was incredible, buttery soft meat that melted in your mouth and generous portions that didn't leave you so full you couldn't get on with your day but not teeny tiny fancy restaurant portions that break your heart leaving you wanting more! To me it was presented beautifully but without an air of pretentiousness, which is something that just makes the experience even more relaxing. The attention to detail was amazing and for the quality of food and the luxury of the surroundings the prices on the market menu are absolutely superb. This pamper package-which is one of the best days out I have had in a long time- is £75 person, or if you just fancy going for an amazing meal the market menu at the Bonham is £18 for two courses or £22 for three which is incredible value for you what you are getting.

I am all about sharing the best deals with H2T readers, so when I noticed in the Bonham  also do a 'Boozy Snoozy' lunch deal I just had to share it too. Costing £80 for a table of 4 with a 3 course meal and 2 courses of wine- I just had to share! I think it is a mega steal and well worth looking in to if there are a group of you.

You can peruse the incredible array of treatments at the Chamomile Spa here and the take a look at the stunning Bonham Hotel Restaurant here. This beautiful champagne pamper package can be booked by calling 0131 274 7444 or by emailing reserve@thebonham.com