The Spa Spies get to try an awful lot of spa goodies as part of the job (I know, it’s a hard life). But there are some things that we have found particularly shiny. We decided to write these up as a Christmas Wish List, and hope that Santa decided we had been good enough to include them in our stockings.
Some of us have chosen a spa experience that we would love to repeat. Others have gone for our favourite products of 2019. We hope you enjoy our wish list and find inspiration for your own yuletide desires. And please do forward it to your nearest and dearest as a subtle hint.
Top of my Dear Santa list is Caudalie Premier Cru The Precious Oil (£52), pictured right. I first tried this miraculous serum at Les Sources de Caudalie in Bordeaux and realised why older French women have such great skin. Each drop is so rich, it soaks into my dry skin and plumps it up. Perfect for those times I am not feeling at my best but need to look it. My very own rescue remedy! It would go perfectly with the Premier Cru Gift Set.
Another gift that would bring me much comfort and joy, especially as a sensual sybarite, is a new spa robe. The Spa Spies get to try a whole range of towelling robes on our travels, but my favourite and the one I use at home is a very soft and fluffy robe from Towelsoft. It is made from polyester rather than cotton which means it stays soft even after many washes. I already have one in white (which has managed to stay white after many years) but there’s something so glamorous about the deep grey version.
I love the light and uplifting scents from Elemental Herbology and would be very happy to receive anything by them under my tree. Their Christmas Seasons Rituals Duo for £35 (pictured left) is a triple hit of delicious grapefruit, mandarin and geranium, and the pure, natural ingredients are so nourishing - perfect for winter skin.
I’d also be thrilled if someone could buy me a magical Christmas spa day at The Coach House Spa at Beaverbrook near Leatherhead, Surrey. The stunning floral glass mosaics throughout the spa and beautiful poppy tiles would lift even The Grinch’s mood.
The most precious gift of all is time and as the mother of a toddler, this rings especially true, and is one of the many reasons I am drawn to ESPA's Precious Moments gift sets. Although my son is sleeping through, my own sleep routine has been radically altered, so if my special someone could buy me the Ultimate Sleep Collection (£50), pictured below, I would shower them with gratitude. The gift contains £100 worth of products, including a Soothing Bath Oil, Overnight Hydration Therapy and Tri-Active Advance Night Booster, a candle and a particularly luxurious looking Silk Sleep Mask. Heaven.
If Santa could also deliver a spa day at the Mandarin Oriental, I may start to believe in Christmas miracles – especially if he throws in an after-spa supper at Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner. The spa is a jewel-like cocoon where you can find your Zen, ideally while my other half entertains the small person at the nearby museums.
This year I would love to be treated to a tranquil wellness retreat at The Swinton Country Club and Spa (pictured below). It’s £360 for a decadent day filled with access to the spa facilities, a massage ritual, therapy treatment, yoga, Pilates or guided mindfulness, lunches, dinners and cocktails included. The mere idea of unwinding in a bespoke luxury bedroom stay with wellness elements is sending me to dreamland already.
Father Christmas, if you’re reading this, I think I’ve been really good this year and deserve a product from a brand I’ve been eyeing for ages – Osea Malibu. Specifically, the Atmosphere Protection Cream (£45) would be a dream. I need its organic algae and avocado oil to deeply hydrate my skin and protect my dry skin from environmental stressors.
I want, I want, I want…* The Natura Bissé Essential Shock Intense Line collection, please (£102 from various online sellers). This is one of my favourite spa ranges, so to open a gift containing anything by NB would give my face an instant Christmas glow.
I’m nearly at the end of my Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Face Serum, which has transformed my normally parched winter skin into a glowing landscape of joy. Therefore, I would love to expand further into the world of serums with this rather confident sounding and beautifully packaged gift set, The Expert Serums (£99). Hyaluronic acid for plumping a moisture, Vitamin C for everything, Retinol night serum, and the rather hardcore sounding Four Acid Peel. Hallelujah!
*I'm quoting Saul Bellow's Henderson The Rain King, not being petulant, honest.
The Spa Spy
4th November 2019
Spy Likes:
Intuitive masseurs, inspired or outlandish treatments and design, posh products and celeb spotting.
Spy Dislikes:
Anyone po-faced (guests and therapists) or stupid, boring design and treatments.
