Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Karin Herzog Fruit Smoothie Facial @ Alexandra House






As a full-time mummy I do find it really hard to relax. I spend all day long looking after my daughter and even when shes finally gone to bed I still have plenty of housework to do. This often leaves me feeling very stressed out and exhausted. So I was overjoyed when I was contacted by Wahanda, a website offering deals for spas, facials, manicures, tanning, exercise, hairdressers and much much more. They gifted me with a £50 voucher so I could choose any treatment I desired. With Wahanda its so easy to find whatever treatment you want in an area local to you. I live in Huddersfield so I just used their easy drop down menus to search for spa days in Yorkshire. Each business on Wahanda has got reviews from previous clients so its easy to find out what people have enjoyed or if you should generally avoid that establishment like the plague. You just choose the treatment you want, purchase the voucher and either book online or by phone. Easy peasy.

I decided I wanted to have a proper spa facial and I spotted a place called Alexandra House. This was walking distance from my house and I liked the sound of their holistic treatments so I plumped for a Karin Herzog Fruit Smoothie facial. Apparently Karin Herzog products are a fave of Kate Middleton so I figured it'd be a good one to try out. The facial lasts for one hour and is a luxurious treatment incorporating oxygen, water, vitamins and gentle but effective enzymes of orange, mandarin, grapefruit and grapes. The result is skin that stays firm, hydrated and lifted, with radiance that is both instant and long lasting. It is most suitable for normal, oily or combination skin types including those with heightened sensitivity.

The spa itself is more like a manor house. It has an amazingly calming atmosphere as soon as you step inside. The approach here is very personable and friendly which differs greatly from the more clinical spas I've visited in the past. Theres a nice waiting room which you can relax in before and after your treatments. In here there was lots of interesting things to read though including a book about dreams and a little tray filled with bits of paper with daily affirmations written onto them. I chose one saying 'I am here to be a loving presence that expresses life joyously, deeply and passionately'. I'd been feeling a bit down lately as I tend to let the little things get to me. I find that positive messages such as these really help me to feel better about myself, as silly as it sounds.

After filling in a form about my skin and lifestyle my facial began. I was told to completely relax and to focus on the peaceful music. It started with a thorough cleansing removed with a lovely hot towel. Then an exfoliating scrub was massaged onto my face using a scrublet and removed with another towel. The most interesting part was the mask. I had one layer painted onto my skin then a cloth was draped over my face before another hot mask layer was placed on top of that. After the mask had been applied I was treated to a brilliant neck and shoulder massage. Again the mask was removed with another hot towel. This was followed by the final step of the facial. Some oil was massaged into my face, head, neck and shoulders. The massage was definitely the highlight. We carry a lot of tension in these areas and my therapist really helped to lighten the load. As with most spa treatments the time absolutely whizzed by. I was left feeling so relaxed and calm. It was exactly what I needed! I walked home with super soft glowing skin and a huge smile on my face. Next time I'd love to have a full body or hot stone massage. I can tell I'll be back very soon. We all need time to relax & treat ourselves from time to time. Looking at all your local deals on Wahanda is a great place to start.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

You Don't Light Me Up Like You Used To




Leotard - New Look / Skirt - American Apparel / Belt - Primark / Hat - Topshop / Shoes - Topshop
Necklace - Lady Luck Rules OK / Bracelets - Black Tied / Rings - Regal Rose & H&M

I totally caved again. I just couldn't resist ordering these shoes from Topshop. White shoes are such a staple in my wardrobe. I think its because I wear so much black that I prefer to have something contrasting on my feet, even if they do attract more dirt. I also ordered the black canvas Vectras and this hat. I tend to shy away from hats because I end up feeling like a bit of tit in them but this one is lovely. Its a tiny bit loose but its not blown away yet so I guess its okay! Nearly every Lookbook photo I like features some kind of hat so I figured it was time to buy one. Now I seriously need to stop buying things if I'm ever gonna save up enough to order a Canon 650D with the 18-135mm STM lens for my birthday next month!

Another item that I'm loving right now is this velvet skirt from American Apparel. I've wanted to buy it for such a long time and my waiting finally paid off as they had a 50% discount on everything last month. I bought one of their tri-blend cardigans for Chloe too. Their whole kids section is so cute and if I had the money I'd buy her everything from there. I wanted to buy her the kids version of this velvet skirt too but knowing her it would last about five minutes before getting completely smothered in chocolate!

Saturday, 14 July 2012

BuyaPowa Blue Sky Co-Buys

This week BuyaPowa are running some 'Blue Sky' co-buys. All of these co-buys are for items that are considered to be Summer essentials by certain bloggers. I was recently contacted by them and was asked which Summer essentials I'd like to see as one of their co-buys. The product at the top of my wishlist was the Alpha-H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF50+. After being completely floored their wonderful Liquid Gold I knew I wanted to try some more of the Alpha-H skincare range.

I currently use Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré day and night but it doesn't have any SPF in it. When it gets sunny over here or if I'm going abroad one thing I always struggle with is deciding which sunscreen to buy. Its so difficult to find one that will sit nicely under makeup and not turn your face into a giant greaseball. Its also hard to find one with a high enough SPF to stop my pasty skin from getting burnt. If like me you use products such as Liquid Gold that contain Glycolic Acid its really important to wear SPF on a daily basis as they do make your face more susceptible to sun damage. During the little heatwave we had here a couple of months ago I bought the Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream For Face SPF 50 and that was pretty good but it was a bit heavy to wear on top of my normal moisturiser. So I scoured the internet for a moisturiser with SPF 50 built into it. This Alpha-H one seems like the best solution. According to every review I've read it is light yet hydrating and gives you brilliant sun protection with an almost matte finish. Perfection.

If you're interested in purchasing this product then make sure you sign up to get an email as soon as the co-buy goes live. With BuyaPowa you can get this product for as low as £22.50 which is a decent saving on the RRP of £27. Theres loads of other great products coming next week. I also have my eye on one of the Urban Decay setting sprays. With both products in hand I'm sure my face will survive the Summer... if it ever starts that is!