From pumpkin picking and Strictly to pub roasts and crackling fires, there's already a lot to love about autumn. When it comes to health and beauty, we asked the Spa Spies to tell us what they are loving, too.
Stylish Spy meets Lola
As a single working parent, I’m always on the run - running after my child, running to the shops for yet more food (how much do these kids eat?) or running on the treadmill. This summer, Achilles Tendinitis hit, and I was forced to slow down. Then I was introduced to Lola, a lightweight portable massage device with four different heads and three speeds designed to prevent exercise soreness, relax tight muscles and improve circulation. Available in six colours (I love my Pamper Pink version), this is the essential Christmas gift for those friends and family who – like me – are always on the go.
Serene Spy looks sharp
Whilst enjoying a facial last month, my therapist highlighted one important missing ingredient from my daily beauty routine: eye cream. Whilst wrinkles aren’t visible around my eyes (yet) it’s apparently only a matter of time - a startling revelation that had me reaching for OTO’s Rejuvenating Eye Cream (15ml, £49) containing CBD oil, plant extracts and chaga mushroom. Light-weight and silky, the cream is said to brighten tired-looking eyes, reduce the appearance of dark circles and prevent puffiness. Does it work? It does, particularly if - like me - you keep it in the fridge for a delicious cooling sensation on application.
Summer Spy finds her inner glow
I’ve been a fan of Natura Bissé products since the brand came to the UK market back in 2015. Somehow, the ranges work just as well for my combi/imperfection-prone skin as they do for other Spa Spies at GSG HQ (who have dry and dehydrated skin). Their Diamond Luminous Glowing Mask (100ml, £85) is all about brightening and hydrating. I use it as part of my weekly skincare routine, applying a deeper cleansing/exfoliating mask first followed by the Glowing Mask. Time after time, it rehydrates and leave my skin looking glowing and dewy. It works a treat in the colder months, too.
Scarlet Spy embraces autumn skincare
ishga’s new Hydra+ Marine Cream (40ml, £125) has pride of place on my dressing table this autumn, after discovering it during an Ishga Five Senses Ritual at Seaham Hall. The north-of-the-border ingredients include: Fucus Serratus Seaweed extract, purest Scottish water and Lus Nan Laogh (Bogbean) – an aquatic perennial bloom and ancient Hebridean remedy, known for its anti-inflammatory. Throw in hydration-boosting Hyaluronic acid, prickly pear oil - to stimulate collagen - and a combo of shea butter, argan oil, rose, geranium and frankincense oil, and you’re left with silky smooth, plump and hydrated skin. It feels like hygge for the skin.
Serene Spy goes back to basics
A pesky shift in the behaviour of my aggravated skin has forced me to go back to basics this season, stripping out the usual ‘in between’ products I use in favour of just cleansing and moisturising. To help me in my quest, I’ve enlisted the help of Oskia Rest Day Comfort Cream (55ml, £60), a medium weight barrier support cream that’s packed with amino acid and vitamins to restore and support the skin’s all-important acid mantle. This I am using day and night after a thorough cleanse – and it appears to be working. So do your worst, winter, this Spa Spy will be ready.
Stylish Spy
16th October 2023
Spy Likes:
Minimalist lines; organic products; facial massage; tranquillity; interesting people-watching.
Spy Dislikes:
Discarded towels on loungers; steam rooms that aren't steamy; mobile phones.
