Review - The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary Spa, in Covent Garden, was one of my very favourite places, and had been ever since my first visit about five years ago. I loved that it's woman-friendly without being all fluffy and pink, but most of all I loved it because it's a spectacular oasis of peace and calm right here in central London.

I used to go two or three times a year, but on my last visit there was a bit of a customer service issue (which was never really resolved by the spa either at the time, or in response to emails after my visit), so I hadn't been for a while, but when I was invited to an event recently to celebrate their re-launch of their skincare range, and to announce the opening  of three new branches (in Cambridge, in Richmond and in Bristol), I thought I'd pop along to see how things were.

During the event, I was struck by the obvious passion for the place from the staff, and was impressed by the entire operation's devotion to making the spa a real sanctuary for their visitors, and I have to admit that I was very impressed by this.  I was also happy to hear that they've changed a lot of their skincare - I have to be honest, I was never much of a fan of it, and always found Sanctuary facials to be a little disappointing in the past - and I'm delighted that they're expanding their offerings into things like eyebrow shaping, and a more medi-spa offering in all their sites.

 In fact, I was so impressed with everything they're planning to do that I went back - at my own expense! - last Friday for a day of R'n'R.  As I'm still recovering from surgery, a lot of the facilities were inadvisable (the pools, the steam rooms, massages, etc), but the setting itself is so wonderfully relaxing that I still managed to have a great day.  I started with a light breakfast in the koi carp lounge, then went to the third floor - the Sanctuary has 42 treatment rooms, an amazing number I still find hard to believe - for an express manicure and a perfectly polished pedicure. The manicure didn't quite last 24 hours, though the colour (Merlot from Jessica) is beautiful, I always go for a deep, dark nail colour when someone else is doing it, it's so satisfying seeing how neat a manicure can be! The pedicure, however, was amazing.  My therapist, Hollie, was very sympathetic to my ... er... unusual foot situation, but the callus gel they use is AMAZING, and frankly, my feet have never been so soft.  I bought a supply of this amazing elixir so I can replicate the results at home from now on!
I then had a lingering lunch in the restaurant - the food at The Sanctuary is much better than you might expect from a spa, you can eat healthily if you wish, or not if you don't!  Generally, I choose not to, and had an excellent steak and chips for lunch, followed by an iced coffee in place of desert.  Then to round off my day, I had a little post-lunch nap on one of the beds in the koi carp lounge.  I didn't miss not being able to use the pools or the steam rooms, or anything of that nature and I had a wonderfully indulgent and relaxing day, I'm glad I decided to go back.

As for the revamped, repackaged and relaunched skincare, well, for me, the jury is still out. I have some bits and pieces to try - I have high hopes for the facial oil - and I'll bring you my thoughts as and when I get around to trying everything properly.  But, one thing they've launched that I think is a great idea is the "Facial in a Box" kit, which has everything you need to give yourself a salon-quality facial at home.  In two varieties, Brightening and Youth Boosting, the kits cost £16 each, and are a great way to acquaint yourself with The Sanctuary products.

Now, this post has been pretty London-centric, and I'm aware that many of my readers won't get the chance to travel to London to try out their facilities (though if you do get the chance, leap at it, you won't regret it!), so I bought one of the Facials in a Box to give away to one of you guys.  Just leave a comment on this blog post saying what would be your ideal spa treatment, and I'll draw a winner entirely at random at the end of the week.  The prize is a Brightening Facial in a Box, and I will ship internationally.  You don't need to be a follower to enter this competition, but you do need to leave a valid email address in your entry comment.  Good luck!

Organic Weekend - A'kin Kaolin Clay & Activated Carbon Express Purifying Facial Masque

I've talked about A'kin and their particular brand of organic, sulphate-, petrochemical-, paraben-, silicone- and mineral oil-free products before, they're a brand I always have a few bits and pieces from around the house - I particularly like their hair conditioners, and I'll be reviewing them for you soon - but I wanted to mention this one today as it's something I've found really useful this week.

Post-surgery, my skin hasn't been that great, a combination of feeling more than a bit lacklustre and, well, let's face it, me just generally having other priorities on my  mind than keeping myself catwalk-ready!  I did, however, give myself a little home-facial this morning, with this masque as the star of the show, and have to admit that I've been pretty impressed with the results.

A pale duck-egg blue emulsion, the masque smells gloriously fresh - unusual for a clay-based product in my experience - and dries to a powdery finish in the ten minutes you keep it on your skin for.  I found that even the thick layer I'd applied had absorbed somewhat into my skin, which says a lot for how greasy and gross my face had become over the last week or two!  It tingled slightly, which I'm putting down to the "activated carbon"-based ingredients, but when it was washed off, my skin was left feeling tingly-fresh, and a whole lot softer than it had been previously.  Finished with a layer of facial oil (about which more next week), my skin is feeling a lot better than it was earlier, I can see this mask becoming a regular treat. Mainly because it lets me pull faces like this:

Don't try this at home, folks!

A'kin Kaolin Clay and Activated Carbon Express Purifying Facial Masque costs £12.99, and is available from Look Fantastic and LoveLula.  It's suitable for normal, oily and combination skin.

The Fine Print I bought mine from Wholefoods several months ago, but it's come in really handy recently.  Links provided are for informational purposes only, and are NOT affiliate links.  I don't believe in affliiate links.  Or body lotion.  Or toner. Or the Easter Bunny.

Guest Post: Two Face Retractible Kabuki Brush

Today's guest poster is Eyelining, she has a great blog which I subscribe to, and you can find it at: Eyelining and Other Makeup Obsessions

***

The lovely Louise kindly agreed to let me loose with a guest post. She even sent a lippie for me to review which Royal Mail promptly stole and are now denying all knowledge of. Super.

Nonetheless we will soldier on with this review of a brush which has become my new summer staple. Now I know when you think of summer staples you think of bronzers and sunscreen but for me and my oily skin summer means blotting papers and powder. Lots and lots of powder. I apply it every couple of hours for fear of BP setting up a rig on my nose.

This little kabuki is a lifesaver. Because it retracts and has a lid it is very handbag friendly. The inside of my makeup bag no longer looks like somebody has been baking in it! The brush itself is incredibly dense which means that you do get a rather heavy application so it is best to use a light hand. Too Faced famously use ‘teddy bear hair’, synthetic bristles, so it is animal friendly too. It is supremely soft and thus far hasn’t shed a single hair.

My one little niggle is than it is quite awkward to wash. It’s really easy for you to get water up inside the handle and if you do it takes at least a couple of days to dry properly. But its super cute packaging and convenience win out, I love this thing! Mine was bought from Asos for £21 and yes, I would repurchase x

Guest Post: Go to bed in England and wake up in Jamaica

Today's guest post is from Liloo who blogs at Le Petit Jardin de Liloo but some of you might know her better as that Twitter powerhouse @tsunimee. She's very shy, so please be gentle ...


***


My overnight failproof fake tan recipe for dummies 

I will simply never achieve a nice tan from natural exposure to the sun. I had to come to terms with that. Unless I spend 2 full solid weeks in the sun, I will never achieve a decent tan. I don’t go red at the first sign of sun, and my skin is quite used to the sun (I spent all my life in Mauritius) but it will take me for ever to develop a hint of colour. So I’ve always been fascinated by the world of fake tanning at home, and achieving a tan, artificially using a bottle for example. Problem is that for years, I was scared to try in case of turning yellow, orange, zebra and too brown. With the arrival of ‘gradual tanning products’ on the market, it was finally time I took the plunge. Months and months of hilarious and disastrous fake tan experiences, I think I’ve finally ‘cracked it now’ and I wanted to share with you my recipe.

I have been experimenting with all sorts of products, from traditional self tan products to gradual ones (self tan product mixed with moisturiser for a lighter tan), different textures (tan towels, cream, mousse, gel) with all unsatisfactory results until I realised where I had been going wrong all along:

It was more how I was applying the fake tan product more than what particular product I was using. My number one fake tan phobia was the dreaded orange hands and streaks everywhere: I was rushing through the application. I was forgetting where I was applying it. I didn’t leave enough time for it to dry to put my clothes back on (for how many hours are you supposed to stand there waiting for it to dry before you put your clothes back on anyway?) and I didn’t know for how long I was supposed to leave the product to take effect. I was aiming for a healthy glow bronze goddess. Instead I was a stressed out, streaky mess.

Until I decided to apply my fake tan OVERNIGHT, take all the time in the world to do it and it solved all my problems, and wake up like I had spent the night in Jamaica, all rested, like I wanted to be. For years now, I have been using a high street /drugstore, the Sublime Bronze, Tinted gel, for face and body all in one.

This product is just ideal for me. The smell is typical of fake tan products and you will stink, and it will do your head in after a while. But it has been giving me such a NATURAL result every single time, with no streaks, this natural “been spending a few hours in the sun’ glow without looking orange or fake” that it’s totally worth it. It is very easy to apply: because it is tinted & shimmering you can see where you have actually applied it. How do I apply it? How do I go round the overpowering smell on my body? How do I avoid streaks on my skin and on clothes? orange hands? Hear hear.

Ingredients: what you’ll need

- One night to yourself, with no boyfriend or guest staying in your bed

- 1 pair of skin tight medical gloves from eBay, (buy a whole box of them, you’ll use them for your hair colouring as well: totally worth the investment. The tighter, snuggier, the better! The aim is not to feel the glove at all. When I run out of medical ones, I go get some at Sainsbury’s (in the cleaning section, local supermarket)

- 2 Exfoliating products, one for the face, and one for the rest of the body.

- 2 Moisturisers, one for the face, and one for the rest of the body

- Fake tan product itself: L’oréal Dermo Expertise, Sublime Bronze, Self Tanning Gel, Tinted and Shimmering, for Face and Body

- Old bed linen: old pillow case, and sheets to sleep in

- Old rubbish light bath robe, (in case someone rings your bell once you’re in the middle of your tan operation lol)

- Hair Dryer

- (Optional) Moisturising Face Mask (Optional)

What you do:

1. Prepare your skin: In the evening, before going to bed, spend time in the shower/bath exfoliating face and body, spending extra time on the driest areas of your body: elbows, ankles, knees, hand knuckles, feet. If you have got a moustache (don’t tell me I am the only one with facial hair), make sure to lighten it beforehand or to have epilated it a few hours beforehand because the fake tan will make everything darker: skin and facial hair. Pat dry your skin, and spend lots of time moisturising face and body, paying extra attention again to the driest parts of body. Wait a few minutes till the moisturiser has been totally absorbed. While you wait, make sure hair is up and out of the way, and just keep your underwear to a minimum: a pair of knickers only. No pyjamas or nightie. If you’re cold at this stage, because of the moisturiser, blast a little hair dryer on you for a few seconds.

2. Apply fake tan: In front of mirror, put on your medical skin tights gloves on both hands, put a little bit of product in your protected hands and start applying on centre of face, then to the edges, blending in your skin as you would with a moisturiser. There’s no need to apply too much. Blend, blend, blend. Take all the time you need. Apply lightly to start with, you can always apply some more the following day. Make sure not to forget to put a little bit of product around the eyes and on the ears. You can apply a more liberally on the rest of the body.

When it comes to the driest parts of your body, (ankles, knees, elbows) mix a tiny weeny bit of body moisturiser with fake tan product in protected palm of your hand and apply mixture. The last part of the body should be your hands: partially remove gloves and apply very lightly on wrist and front of the hands. Rub the fronts of your hands together. Wash back of hands even though you feel you have not applied anything there.

3. Getting ready for bed, and letting the fake tan to do its magic while you sleep. Cover your existing bed linen with old bed linen, including the sheet you sleep on, the sheet covering you, and the pillow case you will have you face on. Again with just very minimal underwear on, wait 10 minutes or so till product has dried a little bit. If you still feel a bit sticky, before going to bed, blow hair dryer on yourself for a few seconds.

4. Wake up gorgeous and sunkissed. Wash face and body gently (no scrubbing) but thoroughly. Gently pat dry your skin (no frantic rubbing) and moisturise more than you would normally do. Fake tan tend to dry up your skin a lot! The advantage is that you have any little spots or little blemishes you’ll see them drying up faster as well. woohoo!

- If you feel the urge to scratch nose or whatever while fake tan is on, don’t do it with your fingers, or your fingernails could get stained in the process, use the old sheet you sleep to protect fingernails and back of the hands.
- Any stains left on bed linen using that product will still disappear through normal cycle machine washing but still make sure to use old bed linen anyway.
- On me, the tan will last about 3 to 4 days. What I do to top it up is to use my favourite gradual tanner, until the next time I exfoliate again and ready to do the whole operation again.

- Sounds obvious but avoid any exfoliating products (products containing AHAs also for example) for the next 4 days or so
- Finally, fake tan will have the tendency to dry your skin a lot, and you’ll probably find you need double the amount of moisturiser than usual.

Fancy waking up in Jamaica with me tomorrow? Try it and let me know how you get on. Any products or methods/recipes/tips & tricks /fake tan mishaps you would like to share? I’d love to hear! Thank you for reading and thank you Louise for the opportunity :) x

Guest Post: Esthederm Suncare

If you don't read MakeupbyKaty, you should!  She's a font of some amazing knowledge, and she's a lovely person to boot, I love her, and you will too.  Today, she's talking some sense about suncare:

***

Hi!,

I recently came back from 10 days in sunny, glorious Greece. Great food, white beaches, hot sun. Perfect. Except that me and the sun, well let’s just say that it’s a one way love affair.

I’m happy to admit that I enjoy the sun, that I embrace the sun, that, shock horror, I like to tan. It is an area that is controversial to say the least! As the sister of someone with Albinism and the daughter of a Dermatological secretary, I am educated in all matters of sun-damage. So when I do get the chance to see some sun, I take every precaution to protect as well as get some colour to my skin.

I like to think about my tan levels in terms of Biscuits. I generally never get darker than a Digestive…and that’s fine with me… I don’t hanker after russet brown skin. I just don’t have enough melanin. And I’m ok with that.

My husband on the other hand, with his half Greek genes, goes roughly the colour of a Bourbon biscuit within the first week. And that’s with no trying. I think that somewhere along his genealogy, he has an ancestor that was a mahogany table.


 All jokes aside, I do have to be very careful as I am prone to easily burning and the pink wafer is neither delicious, nor an attractive look. 

So how do we get a balance between over exposure and Vitamin D deprivation?

I am a huge believer in the good that the sun can give us. I treat the sun with respect, knowing that it’s just as likely to harm me as to help me.

I first discovered Esthederm Sun care when working as a visitor in Space NK a year or so ago. There was a huge buzz about it with the staff, and that for me is a very telling sign. Space NK staff are usually very skincare/sun care savvy and if they’re excited and purchasing, my ears tend to prick up.

My usual holiday sun care purchases are an SPF30 for the first few days, an SPF15 for the rest of the holiday. I have also used Tan stimulating creams and also tablets (with disastrous effects, I may blog about it another time). So when a friend suggested I could take just the one and it would suffice, I took the leap.

At £38, it’s not cheap. And I’m also going to have to simplify the technology to explain why. 

The one I opted for was the Adaptasun Body Milk for Extreme Sun. This is how the levels work at Esthederm. You choose your sun care by your skin sensitivity levels and the sun level of your holiday destination. Hence, I went for Extreme. The Website states the Result as ‘Optimal Tanning quickly and safely’

It also ‘Ensures a suitable protection under extreme exposure (glaciers, tropics, prolonged exposure to the sea or high altitude).

Here is what Esthederm have to say about their ‘different’ approach to the Sun.

•  Overexposure to the sun is dangerous, as is its absence
Sun is essential to life because of its heat, its light and its natural anti-depressant action.

•  Tanning does not age skin
Photo Cellular skincare protects cells from the attacks of free radicals.

•  Tanning is the best protection
On the skin’s surface, melanin pigments absorb some of the solar radiation.

•  Adaptation to sun rather than over protection
Completely depriving the skin of sun exposure makes it lose its ability to adapt to the sun, which is tanning.


•  Inequality of the skin’s behaviour under the sun is not inevitable
With Photo Cellular Skincare, fair skin tans; intolerant skins bear the sun.


•  SPF is not a reliable or sufficient indicator
SPF measures the risk of sunburn but not the risk of ageing, nor of photo-sensitisation.

My take on this? Instead of totally blocking my skin from the sun, I’m using the positive aspects of it to help my skin to adapt. I have no burnt skin. I have no peeling. I feel great. I’m tanned, safely.  Of course, we still have to take responsibility and be wise in our sun exposure. I don’t lay out in the sun for hours at a time. I religiously re-apply every two hours, sometimes more often. I apply it liberally, DO NOT SKIMP!! After swimming I re-apply, as I do before swimming, on my shoulders and forehead.

I tend to skulk off either under an umbrella or to a bar between the hours of 12 and 3 and I never fall asleep with bits sticking out of the shade, (anymore….).

I cannot really do the technology justice, I’m not a scientist, but I will tell you this. I will never go in the sun again without my Esthederm.

Here is a gratuitous picture of me on holiday. 

Yours, deep in post holiday blues