What Katie Tried Next

I can’t help but be intrigued when faced with an ambiguous sounding treatment like La Chic Beauty and Holistic’s De-Stress Package. Owner and therapist Raheela invited me down to her newest Ilford-based venue to discover the various holistic treats that make up this wonderful wind-down package.

The venue

Attempting to bring a slice of serene spa life to an affluent part of Ilford, salon owner Raheela has really pulled out all the stops to create a uniquely warm and welcoming atmosphere. Decorated in tones of beige and rich chocolate brown, the salon is softly lit with chandelier-style lamps that enhance the elegant ambience.

It is evident that a lot of thought and planning has gone into the layout, presentation and purpose of Raheela’s second salon, which only opened its doors last...

As a girl who feels naked without nail polish, I jumped at the chance to sample a long lasting and chip free gel manicure treatment at one of Splash’s four London based salons. Located just off Tottenham Court Road, I easily found my way to the Goodge Street branch. With bare hands buried in my coat pockets, I was ready to see if Splash could deliver to my high standards.

The venueMy first impressions of the Goodge Street branch were great, as manager Francesco warmly ushered me in, shook my hand, whisked off my coat and provided me with a glass of chilled white wine. He then lead me downstairs where all of the beauty treatments were performed, away from the whir of hairdryers by the main entrance.

The décor was very city chic – a minimalist black, red and white space, with modern grey...

Last July, I was lucky enough to sample Baker Street’s home of massage Thai London Therapy for an exotic Thai Combination massage, soon after they opened their doors for the first time. Eight months down the line I decided to head back, but this time Thai London Therapy have added an extra string to their bow in the form of a second venue in equally central South Kensington. I was invited along to see if their new venture matched up to the first.

The venue

Just a two minute walk away from Gloucester Road tube station, Thai London Therapy owner Yanapat has opted to open her second venue in chic South Kensington, to use as a base for the brand new mobile section of her blooming business. With a fantastically central location in an affluent area of our capital, Yanapat has high hopes of...

Finding the perfect bikini wax can sometimes be almost as difficult as finding the gold at the end of the rainbow. We know waxing down below is essential, so I decided to check out north London venue The Waxing Suite based at Dappa Boutique, to see if it really was as good as the reviews suggest...

The venue

Gorgeously unique, this retro-style salon was a simple five minute walk away from Chalk Farm tube station on the Northern line, so still nice and central which is always handy. Even though I walked past The Waxing Suite at first because I couldn’t spot the venue sign, once I was in, I fell in love with the random hodgepodge of hair salon one side, and vintage clothes stall the other. Another plus point is definitely the late opening times, closing between 7.30pm and 8.00pm on week...

Being one of these people who finds plucking my eyebrows incredibly tedious, I thought it was about time I tried something new to keep my unruly brows in check. When I was given the opportunity to test out threading at brand new salon Vixen Nail Bar and Beauty, I thought this could be the answer…

The venue

Situated in an up and coming hot spot in north London, Vixen Nail Bar and Beauty has plenty of glamour, personality and also bags of ambition to continuously improve itself. Literally next door to Totteridge and Whetstone station, the commute couldn’t be simpler, especially for a navigational nightmare like me. With tall glass fronting the salon, the bright whites and peachy orange illuminating the inside spill out onto the street with a very inviting atmosphere.

Owned and run by...

Just because the swimwear season has passed, doesn’t mean it’s time to let bikini maintenance go awry. Whatever your waxing style and habits, finding that perfect venue can be rather tricky and a nuisance you can do without. With this in mind, we tested out London-based location The Soho Salon...

The venue

The Soho Salon has an easy location down Carlisle Street, just off central shopping destination Oxford Street, so plenty of tube links are a short walk away. Tucked at the end of the road, you can’t miss its bright pink sign and as you enter you're hit by its cool, calm contemporary vibes. With chunky black beaded chandeliers, large mirrors and trendy accents of hot pink against the white walls and flooring, this salon oozes style.

The treatment

I’ve never really dabbled in waxing...

Having sensitive skin has led me to shy away from facials, as I always worried about whether it will finish with red rashes rather than a radiant glow. But when the chance came up to sample this new Caudalie Anti-Ox treatment that uses juicy grapes to revive skin, I thought I'd better give it a go. Only available at two venues, I was intrigued about what made this treatment so special...

The venue

Body & Sole is only a 10 minute bus ride away from Ealing Broadway station and even for a hopeless navigator like me, getting the right bus was surprisingly simple. Granted, it took me a while to find the salon in the promenade of shops, since they don’t have a sign on top (I later found out that the outside of the shop was being decorated and the new sign hadn't been put up yet). I managed to...

Keen to relax after a busy week in the city, I was excited to be given the chance to explore the new Amida Spa in Farnham, Surrey, with fellow copywriter and partner in crime Micaela. Only an hour and a half away from London (and the same from my native Essex), it was just right for a sunny Saturday escape.

The venue

Even though this Amida Spa is housed in the same building as a calorie-busting David Lloyd gym, it feels like they're a world apart. As soon as I followed the Amida logo down a blue carpeted corridor, the soft music hit me along with the gentle scents and already I could feel the stress of my journey on the M25 disappear.

A casual seating area with white leather sofas leads off into various treatment rooms, complete with thick double doors to eliminate any possibility of...

International fitness consultant Steve Halsall and Fitness 12 have partnered up with five star spa hotel Stoke Park to provide a fully packed, four day luxury fitness retreat which kicks off in September. 

Halsall and his team have every area covered in their unique weight loss breaks, which aim to tackle both the physical and psychological aspects of losing weight while surrounding you with the stunning surroundings of Buckinghamshire-based Stoke Park. 

Set within 350 acres of grounds and a gorgeous Georgian manor, Stoke Park provides the perfect backdrop for your stay, which starts with a pre-retreat consultation.  This allows the experts to find out exactly what you want to gain, so that your workouts are tailor-made to fulfill all your fitness ambitions. 

Your days will be divided...

A good smile is a must in my book, so showing off a less-than-white grin when a camera is pointed my way is really not an option. Teeth whitening treatments seemed a bit drastic for what I wanted, so when the Polar White Pro Teeth Whitening Glaze landed on my desk, I was hoping this could be the perfect pearly-white enhancing product I was searching for.

The product

The Polar White Pro Teeth Whitening Glaze is an innovative home teeth whitening pen that can simply slot into your makeup bag and your daily routine with ease. It uses the potent active ingredient carbamide peroxide as its base, which is not only clinically proven to bleach teeth and lighten discolouration, but it is also completely safe and won’t damage your enamel or gums.

Carbamide peroxide is also popular with...

After starting my massage journey last week with a Chinese Tui Na at Good Nature, this week I’ve continued my exotic Eastern theme with an intriguing Thai Combination massage at central London based Thai London Therapy. I wasn’t 100% sure what styles of massage would be mixed up to create the combination, but I was keen to find out...

The venue

Therapist and owner Yanapat decided to set up shop near London’s famed Baker Street after working on a cruise ship. Only a short walk from Baker Street tube station, Thai London Therapy has a great central location, although I had trouble finding the entrance. I ended up going in through a very random back way – behind a cafe and through a gym. Once inside, it had that definitive salon feel, with glossy wooden flooring and minimalist white walls....

It's pretty hard to believe that I've never had a massage before, but my time finally came when I went to Chinese practice Good Nature, based in Paddington. Not knowing what to expect or what it would do for me, I was a little apprehensive but it was certainly a learning curve. Here's how I got on with Tui Na, which is a little like a Chinese sports massage - find out if it was worth the wait...

The venue

If you go to Good Nature with the intention of having a soothing and chilled out half hour, then you definitely have the wrong impression. It’s very much a Chinese Medical Practice, where they view massage, acupuncture and cupping as the Chinese version of physio, aiming to eliminate and tackle any areas of your body causing you discomfort and pain.

Granted, the location won’t...

When the bright red box of Holy Lama goodies arrived in the office, it honestly felt as if Christmas had come early. Parcelled in natural straw packages, tied with ribbon, were thoughtfully compiled travel-sized, body-specific gift sets, emitting a heady organic scent. Fellow Copywriter Micaela and I split the stash to test out whether these natural, handmade cosmetics made the grade...

The products

Based in Kerala in Southern India, Holy Lama are an up and coming family run, international business breaking into the essential oils market. Their whole ethos oozes originality and skincare as nature intended, their products overflowing with plant and mineral sources as well as being free from artificial chemicals or synthetic perfumes.

Following tradition, they also base their products...

Well-known for being a shopaholic, I absolutely love hitting the high street and exploring stores with rails and shelves of fabulous fabric, carefree colours and stunning styles. But no matter how much I adore the buzz of buying yet more clothing, shopping can still be a complete minefield. With the fashion compass swinging like never before, it can be near impossible to pinpoint what actually makes you look good. Time to indulge in my very first styling session with the trendy Nisha from Style ME...

The venue

The brilliant thing about these sessions is that you never even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Fashion friendly Nisha will come to you, as long as you live within a 15 mile radius of London. Then, armed with nothing more than an incredible eye for colour and trends as...

Breathtaking natural views of rolling blue waves and undulating sand dunes provide the perfect backdrop to contemporary spa The Oitavos, snuggled 20 miles away from bustling Lisbon in the coastal area of Cascais, in sunny Portugal. With attentive staff catering to your every need, this is definitely one spa that you’ll never want to leave...

The venue

The Oitavos is a stamp of sleek modernity among gorgeous natural wilderness. The quirky ‘Y’ shaped building ensures that every view is outward facing, taking in the picturesque coastal views, or even the luxurious golf course. Clean white lines and shapes create the signature simplistic style throughout the building, which houses 142 rooms, 16 of which are suites.

The hotel’s 5* restaurant provides delicious menus that are a mix of...

The big lash look has hit the fashion scene hard this year, so when we heard about a brand new treatment that has the same effect as false lashes or extensions but uses your own eyelashes to achieve it, we were intrigued. Who wouldn’t want to save on all the fuss and hassle of curling, layering on the mascara and gluing on fake lashes to get extra length?

Already receiving plenty of attention and curious enquiries despite only just being out of the starting blocks, we weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to explore this time-saving treatment some more...

The venue

Stunning splendour, gorgeous grandeur and an impressive imposing air are all common in London’s glamorous Park Lane, but nowhere more so than at Athenaeum Spa at Athenaeum Hotel. As the massively tall glass doors were...