Cruise away the years
Despite the economic downturn, cruising’s popularity continues to grow with onboard spas becoming ever more extensive and sophisticated. Pampering and cosmetic services are increasingly part of the affluent consumer lifestyle; so the expectation is for them to be offered on cruise holidays too. Innovative treatments and medi-spa services such as botox and facial fillers, gold facials, tooth-whitening, micro-dermabrasion, anti-cellulite and acupuncture are now available across a broad range of cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club, Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) and Princess Cruises. Cruising can be rejuvenating in more ways than one!

Some cruise lines have developed their own bespoke spa concepts featuring high profile or innovative spa ranges such as Fred Olsen who offer organic spa brand O SPA London, while Princess Cruises’ Lotus Spa & Fitness offers Asian influenced treatments. NCL is launching the Norwegian Epic in June 2010, which will host the largest spa at sea at over 31,000 square feet.

Hot New Facial
The Lava Shells Therma Facial - the latest innovation in hot massage, launches at salons and spas in July 2010. This deeply hydrating facial uses Spa Find natural mineral therapy products, and is perfect for delicate and dehydrated skins, renewing and reviving the complexion leaving skin radiant and glowing.

The face, neck and décolleté are deeply cleansed and polished to prepare the skin for a specialised massage using a self-heating Lava Shell. This is used at a lower, more comfortable heat for the face than the temperature used in the Lava Shells body massage. The natural mineral heat from within the Lava Shell helps the Spa Find products penetrate into the skin and is instantly relaxing. The facial massage is followed by application of a mineral mud mask and a scalp massage. The combination of the massage, heat and concentrated Dead Sea minerals in the Spa Find products tone and firm the skin.

The Lava Shells body massage uses recycled tiger clam shells from the South Pacific and is available in 350 spas and salons nationwide including Urban Retreat at Harrods, The Grove, Ragdale Hall, Calcot Manor, Marriott Hotels and Dove Spas to name but a few.

The new Lava Shells Therma Facial takes 60 minutes and costs £55.
For more information visit www.sharedbeautysecrets.com 01869 338890

Retreat to the Maldives
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, is home to one of the Indian Ocean’s leading ayurvedic centres offering 7, 14 and 21-day retreats in its beautiful Spa and Ayurvedic Retreat. All Resort guests are invited to have a free ayurvedic consultation and the option of dosha-specific menus throughout their stay.


This year, the Resort is running a series of 5-day retreats facilitated by yoga experts Denise and John Leicester, founders of ILA-SPA, an organic skincare company dedicated to bringing purity, energy and balance into everyday life.

The Zantaa Nidraa (Peaceful Sleep) Retreat (from 3 to 8 August 2010) explores the concept of natural healing and uses the natural wilderness of the island to promote better sleep. The Retreat focuses on relaxing and purifying the nervous system by balancing the sleep centre of the body, the throat charka, which is governed by the space element. It will also showcase ILA-SPA’s exclusive Zaanta Nidraa dreamtime ritual: a delicate yet powerful eight-step journey that addresses every level of healing.

Couples Connect Retreats (26 – 31 July & 11 – 16 October) offer a nurturing and intimate space in which couples can rediscover the joy of their relationship. Focusing on the sacral/swadhisthana charka – the body’s pleasure centre, governed by the water element – the Retreat encourages better communication and helps couples deepen their bond. The Retreat also includes yoga, meditations and sensuous spa rituals that nourish and heal the internal being. The island’s beauty, stillness and purity promote intimacy and is the ideal setting in which to transform ‘me’ and ‘you’ into ‘us’.

5-night Peaceful Sleep Retreat costs US$5,695 per person, US$8,390 per couple 5-night Couples Connect Retreat costs US$8,390 per couple
For further details and information visit www.fourseasons.com/maldiveslg
Swedish Massage
Early summer is an ideal time for a spa break in undiscovered West Sweden. Long summer days, warm weather and a beautiful coastline that is one of Sweden’s best-kept secrets. The Vann Spa Hotel is a stylish new retreat set in a nature reserve overlooking a fjord. It offers 117 light and airy non-smoking rooms, a restaurant serving organic food, a 300-metre beach and a splendid six-pool spa.

Treatments range from authentic Swedish massage to facials and hot mud baths. The Duo Spa Package costs £176.50 per person per night and includes accommodation in a double room with breakfast, three-course dinner with table water and coffee, lunch on day of departure, entrance to the spa and refreshments and a 60-minute treatment for two, group activities and use of gym and tennis courts.

EasyJet and Ryanair have regular flights to Gothenburg, from where it is approximately an hour by rail or road to Lysekil and the Vann Spa Hotel.

Visit www.vastsverige.com/en/West-Sweden/Articles/Vann-Spa-Hotel-Conference/ for further information; call 0046523 44200 or email info@vann.se

News from La Reserve
The award-winning spa at La Réserve Geneva has introduced new seven and 14-day Better Ageing Programmes and an innovative facial, the La Réserve Face Massage.

The Better Ageing Programme is designed to revitalise mind and body, reverting the detrimental effects of everyday life through a personalised plan and specialist treatments, including full consultations with the spa’s medical spa team. Prices on application.

The new facial, known as the ‘Japanese Natural Facelift’, is a deep kneading massage that gives the skin a spectacular radiance boost and is followed by ultra-soft electric suction cups which are applied to plump the face. This produces a firming effect comparable to a wrinkle-filling treatment – without the filler! This 40-minute treatment leaves the skin feeling glowing and invigorated and ends with advice on good habits to adopt in everyday life.

The La Réserve ‘Better Ageing’ Facial costs ChF 160 (£100). The spa has also opened Café Lauren, a new spa restaurant offering light balanced haut cuisine. www.lareserve.ch

Sanctuary Spa on the High Street

The women-only Sanctuary Spa in London’s Covent Garden is branching out onto the high street with a series of day spas around the UK. The first will open in Cambridge’s Grand Arcade in July, followed by day spas in Richmond and Bristol.

The new spas will have five treatment rooms, nail and pedicure stations, relaxation area and a Spa Shop. Medi-spa treatments such as fillers and botox will be offered in addition to traditional spa treatments, many from the menu of the London Sanctuary.
More details: www.thesanctuary.co.uk

Good Spa Awards
The Good Spa Guide, an independent guide to UK spas (see our review in Previous Books) has announced the winners of their first Good Spa Awards. From over 700 UK spas on the guide’s website, 35 were short listed across seven categories. The winners and categories are:

Most Marvellous Massage: Traditional Thai Massage, SenSpa, Carey's Manor, Hants
Finest Fabulush Facial: Anne Semonin Ice Facial, Verbena Spa, Feversham Arms, N Yorks
Customer Service without Batting and Eyelid: Ragdale Hall Health Hydro, Leics
Best Spa for Being Alone: Grayshott Spa, Surrey
Best to Keep the Boys Happy: Aqua Sana spas at Center Parcs nationwide
Most Delicious Spa: Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Best Spa for Sipping Champagne in a Hot Tub: The Scarlet, Cornwall

To see all the nominations visit www.good-spa-awards.co.uk

Treatment Review

A Global Transformation
My hair and spas have never mixed well. Visiting a spa usually meant getting my hair wet and my thick and unruly tresses turning into a frizzy mess that took ages to dry. I always kept a shower cap in my robe pocket, ready to pop on during any treatment that involved contact with water or steam. Hardly a flattering look! How I longed for shiny straight hair that washed effortlessly after every spa session. Mine was always difficult to manage when I washed it myself. Only regular visits to my hairdresser - and straightening irons – kept it looking its transient best. Such was my vanity that I gave up swimming and avoided anything that brought my tresses into contact with water.

Until now, that is - because I’ve discovered a brilliant solution for difficult hair – the Global Keratin Hair Treatment. This new and affordable conditioning treatment is like manna from heaven - Brazil’s gift to those of us plagued with curly or unruly hair! It works like magic, infusing vitamins, collagen and the protein keratin into the hair and removing frizz. The result is soft, shiny hair for up to four months. The keratin progressively fades away with each wash and can be repeated every two to four months. No harmful chemicals are used and the treatment is gentle enough to use on coloured and permed hair.

From this
To this

At Colour Nation London Hairdressers I lie back in a massage chair while senior stylist Brad uses a clarifying shampoo to open up the hair follicle. Then he paints on the keratin conditioner and leaves it to dry. After this, my hair is blow dried then straightening irons are used to seal in the protein. This is the longest part of the treatment, as Brad has to run the irons down each and every strand several times. The whole process takes about two hours but the end result is worth the wait – my hair is straight, shiny and swings!

Before leaving the salon, I’m advised not to get my hair wet, put it up, wear slides or a hat for the next three days to avoid creating a kink. I must also use a sulphite-free shampoo and conditioner, as most popular hair products contain sulphites (salt), which strip the keratin from the hair. I return home with some Global Keratin sulphite-free shampoo and conditioner to help prolong the effects of the treatment.

Almost four months have passed since my appointment and the keratin is only now beginning to wear off. My hair is in good condition and I can wash and dry it without disaster – though prefer my hairdresser to do it when possible. If you have hair like mine, this treatment will transform your life as well as your hair – I recommend it wholeheartedly and have already booked my second treatment so I can enjoy a carefree summer with lots of swimming.
Catherine Beattie

The Global Keratin Hair Treatment costs from about £130 and is available at hair salons including Colour Nation London Hairdressers, 55 Endell Street, London WC2H 9AJ 0207 836 8883 www.colournation.com.
Global Keratin shampoo and conditioner cost £14.95 each and can be obtained from the salon.
For a list of salons and further details visit www.globalkeratin.co.uk
 

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