Joanne Jarvis

I visited Aqua Sheko at the height of the fish pedicure craze last summer, and still don't really get what the fuss is about. It is essentially a novelty treatment, not a proper pedicure. Perhaps if you visited regularly then it would be as effective, but as a one-off it does not remove enough hard skin. The facilities are more well-maintained than other fish spas I've seen, but still are not very appealing - especially when you have to wash your feet in a funny little sink with cold water before the treatment. The fish nibbling is an odd sensation, but one you get used to. At the usual price of £35 I was not a fan of this treatment.

I visited Urban Beauty as part of a girly group before a night out for a morning of beautifying. I'd bought a Wahanda voucher for a spray tan and a pedicure, and i went for eyelash extensions on top of this. Sadly, as I'm very olive skinned it took a lot of tan to show up on my skin - as it wasn't a super dark formulation it ended up more orange than anything, which was a shame (luckily I don't mind being orange!). My fairer skinned friends only needed a fine spray and it looked lovely on them. My pedicure was great and she had a great colour range - I went for a purpley black which was really glossy and lasted for ages. My eyelashes were really good value at £25 and were really full on lashes. The salon itself is tiny and is not at all luxurious, which is the only downfall. Hayley herself, who owns the salon, was incredibly friendly and couldn't do enough for us (including getting us lunch!). Will definitely go back - sign up to the newsletter for some good deals.

I've been going to Charles Worthington for about 5 years now and would never go anywhere else. I can't even imagine having a bad hair disaster here, the staff and stylists are so amazing. My hair is very dark brown, and CW managed to take me successfully to really light blonde - something I never thought could be done. The products are mostly L'Oreal and Kerastase, which are all lovely. Blow drys, colouring and cuts have always been completely spot on, courtesy of Michael (who is Sarah Harding & Sara Cox's regular hairdresser - listen out for him on Radio 1 on sundays). CW is also really good value considering the service - think a cut is around £50-60 and a cut and colour gloss usually costs me about £120. Am evangelical about the place!

The surroundings at Champneys Henlow are breathtaking, and the building itself is really impressive. Champneys is very much a health farm to me, rather than a spa - it is so difficult to obtain a glass of champagne its untrue! Definitely one for pre-wedding weight loss and beautifying rather than overall pampering. The food is delicious, but the diet plates make you feel very guilty. The spa area uses Elemis products (which aren't my fave) and it doesn't feel very 'luxury'. Aside from that, all therapists are professional and the setting is nice. I was surprised not to find more water therapy areas - there was a thalassotherapy area but this came with an additional cost. Overall, very expensive for what it is. There are much nicer spas at a more reasonable price point.

I bought my mum a one night spa package at Berystede, so we booked our treatments ahead of time. We were disappointed to find that once we were there, the spa was fully booked for our stay, so we were unable to purchase additional treatments there as we'd been advised. The spa area is well maintained and peaceful. It was good to find that you could eat and drink from the full menu too. My massage was not up to much, despite me frequently telling the therapist I needed firm pressure, but the Decleor products used were divine. The facial was much better and the therapist was good at tailoring products to skin type. The facilities in the pool area were not as good - the 6 room water therapy area is well kitted out to include salt room, ice room, infra-red room etc but sadly 3/6 rooms were out of order. The outdoor pool / jacuzzi area wasn't as clean as it could have been but surroundings were beautiful. We had a lovely time overall and the various deals you can get online make it very good value.

I found the name Pacifica Day Spa a bit misleading - it is essentially a salon. There are no chill out areas, pools etc, after all. Once I'd got past that, the experience was actually ok. The downstairs zone is tranquil and smells beautiful, staff are knowledgeable and friendly. My massage was excellent and the therapist really worked out all my knots. I was disappointed with the facial and exfoliating body treatment however. My facial didn't include steaming or extraction, and my skin didn't look or feel remarkably different afterwards, such as with my favourite Cowshed facials. The exfoliating treatment left a nice moisturising residue and the body brushing felt really effective but I did not think the product used to exfoliate was great. I suspect most of the above is due to the salon using Elemis products, which I always find to be quite average. The colour range available for manis and pedis was also not huge, although the OPI products they used were good. The package cost £180 overall, so I probably won't return.

I had a back massage at Cowshed last night (always go on a Monday for the 50% off for under-27s!) and it wasn't as amazing as usual. The previous treatment had run slightly over, so I was waiting quite a while and I'm pretty sure my treatment was rushed through. Despite telling the therapist I liked quite hard pressure, she just didn't seem to be able to give the same effect as the usual male therapist. I wasn't given a choice of oils, or asked how I was feeling - she just slathered on the 'horny cow' as 'most people choose this one'. Having said all this, it was still pretty good. She got all the knots out of my shoulders, could tell I wasn't in the mood to chat and recommended exercises I could do to improve the condition of my shoulders between massages. I'll still go back, as it is so convenient, but don't go with any huge expectations of luxury relaxation.

I've been to the London Esthetique quite a lot since I discovered its existence - in the months leading up to my wedding I had a monthly course of facials, which were fantastic. The 'salon', if it can be described as such, is very very basic. A mini reception leads into a corridor of beds with curtains to protect your privacy. Seriously no-frills stuff, but you wouldn't come here for luxury. The treatments are shockingly cheap, and the trainee therapists are well supervised. They are young, keen and eager to please, tend to be thoroughly charming and their training is still fresh in their minds! My pedicure was fab and lasted for weeks untouched. My massage wasn't hard enough for my liking, the therapist talked too much and then tried to give me her card as a sideline! I really can't complain about the facials though - every time I've been the therapist talked in good detail about my skin, gave well-reasoned recommendations and I've left with deeply cleansed skin. The popularity of the salon means that it is nigh on impossible to get an after-work appointment, but persistence pays off.

The Cowshed Spa at Shoreditch House is nothing short of a godsend if you are a member of the House - and even more so if you happen to be under 27, thus qualifying for the famed 'half price Monday' discount which is valid throughout the different facilities. I visited tthis time for a much-needed Salt Scrub (£50 for 45mins, or £25 for U27) in preparation for a winter sun break in an attempt to slough off that dry, rough 'central heating' skin that often appears this time of year. The spa requires a credit card to secure your booking, and staff handily call a day ahead to confirm your visit.
The spa area is surprisingly quiet and peaceful considering the gym is adjoining but it really must be noted that this is not a spa in its own right, as such, but more of a convenient outpost of the Cowshed spas - you could be sorely disappointed if planning an entire day's visit. With that in mind though, the treatment rooms are well equipped; they smell gorgeous thanks to the Cowshed candles, and the decor is calming and rustic tones of woody brown and green. My treatment began with a request to don some fetching disposable knickers, then the therapist got to work with a stiff bristled dry body brush - not painful, but rigorous upward motions certainly aren't relaxing - but pain is beauty, after all. Coarse salt crystals in peppermint oil were then used to buff me all over. As there was no shower facility I had to pull on a robe and use the changing room showers to rinse myself off with the appropriately named 'Grumpy Cow' shower gel. Super-soft contouring cream finishes off the treatment with a cheeky massage across the neck, shoulders and facial pressure points so you leave feeling thoroughly pampered with utterly smooth skin. Already counting down to my next visit.