Spa Find – Christmas Gift Set Review

SORRY THIS IS SO LATE !!! BEEN SO BUSY LATELY, BUT ENJOY THE POST,

Jess xx

If you guys check my Instagram  and/or Twitter I’m sure you have seen that I won an Instagram giveaway competition! Hosted by Spa Find all I had to do was like and comment on their post (seen below) and follow their account! Simple ! I didn’t think I’d win but I did. Instead of jumping straight into using the new products; I thought I’d review them for you.

But first of all a little bit about them; Spa Find uses dead sea minerals and organic plant extracts to offer a spa experience both in salons, spas, health clubs and at home. Spa Find do not test on animals and their products contain allergen free fragrance, no parabens, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or animal ingredients.

The brand believes that almost all skin conditions/ complaints are partly caused by the lack of a mineral or vitamin in the body. Any imbalances in these minerals/ vitamins can cause a variety of conditions and complaints within the human body.

Spa Find use seven main minerals in their products which helps to rebalance the body. MAGNESIUM is good for anti stress, POTASSIUM and SODIUM are purifying and rehydrating minerals. CALCIUM for its anti ageing benefits, BROMIDE for relaxation, SULPHUR for healing and IODINE for its detoxifying properties.

To find out more about Spa Find, their products, treatments and history click here.

To BUY their products click here or to FIND A STOCKIST near you click here.

Ok here we go……

The gift set that I chose is Amethyst ; their ultimate pamper collection, containing FIVE full size products and priced at £35 but would come to a grand total of £87 if you bought them individually!!! So really worth the money buying them in a gift set. And a really nice present to give for Christmas too (or treat yourself with!)

The gift set contains (pictured above, named left to right) ;

• Heavenly Hydration Foot Care Cream (100ml)
• Heavenly Hydration Mineralizing Body Lotion (400ml)
• Heavenly Hydration Dead Sea Bath Salts (1kg)
• Heavenly Hydration Mineralizing Bath Shower Gel (400ml)
• Heavenly Hydration Hand Care Cream (100ml)

All of the packaging, from the box it came in to the products themselves is beautiful and of high quality. The box for the gift set (pictured below) is a lovely deep purple with a gold peacock feather design; fitted with a black sleeve which details the products and on the back has a handy spa regime description of how to create the perfect spa pamper experience at home.

I have to say the packaging alone screams luxury to me and I have to say it looks nice in the bathroom, and the products leaves it smelling heavenly after use. To ensure a fair review I followed the regime (pictured above) once a week for two weeks. I also used the shower gel, body lotion, hand and foot creams every day.

Spa Regime

The spa regime was brilliant, after using the products individually it was great to be able to create a spa environment at home to pamper myself. Loved the fact that the products all have a similar smell, I would definitely recommend doing the spa regime, and using candles as well, very relaxing !

Heavenly Hydration Foot Care Cream

Wow! I love this foot cream, it’s a thicker consistency than the hand cream and smells more fruity and feels cooling on the skin. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a sticky or slippery feeling so I could get dressed and walk on tiled floors straight away, with its mineral age nanoplex  it is a great anti aging product and promises youthful and baby soft feet which I can definitely agree with!

My feet have never felt or looked so soft! It’s deeply nourishing formula ensures to repair cracked heels and deodorises too! Plus you need the tiniest amounts as the product goes a long way! And at £19.36 (individual price) it is a higher end price but it works so I would definitely buy again!

Heavenly Hydration Mineralizing Body Lotion

OMG !! This is by far my favourite product in this set; I used one pump of lotion per limb (leg/ arm) and two pumps for stomach & chest/ and back. The lotion isn’t to heavy and smells divine! After working it in it dried within 30 seconds so I could easily put clothes on afterwards. It didn’t leave a sticky feeling and my sister commented on several different occasions that I smelt amazing! PLUS I had a client ask me what perfume I was wearing!! I had to tell her it was the body lotion as I hadn’t put perfume on that morning!

The smell isn’t strong or overpowering but quite subtle and you can smell it easily if you are close enough to someone. I think I can mainly smell the rose and Cameilia but my sister said it smelt of jasmine. Overall a really good product and for the individual price of £24.35 it is expensive so I think I would only purchase this in a gift/ or Christmas set.

Heavenly Hydration Dead Sea Bath Salts

First of all they are only £7.96 for a massive 1kg bag (individually priced) !!! These are amazing !!! It says two handfuls per bath on the bag for relaxation and toning purposes but I went for two heaped tea spoons and I have to say the bath smelt divine!

I love that it also gives you directions for concentrated use and for aching or cracked hand and feet. PLUS you can reheat the solution for hands/ feet for up to two weeks and use everyday which is ideal so you aren’t steaming through product everyday! The only con to this was finding somewhere to store and reheat the water but it did work really well!

The water goes sort of silky and softer but I have to say as part of the spa regime I loved this! I have also used them separately for hand/foot soaks and this just creates a spa like treatment at home. I usually soak them and then do a manicure/ pedicure as well as use the lotion and foot/hand cream to really deeply nourish my skin!

Really helped some small patches of eczema on my back and wrists after just one bath, and with using the body lotion and hand/foot creams I noticed a dramatic difference in my skin in a week!

So easy to use with a re-sealable pouch so no worries when it comes to spilling them. I would say that the bottom of the bath is slippery after use so if you are having a shower the following morning just give the bath a rinse down. Other than that a perfect price and product!

Heavenly Hydration Mineralizing Bath Shower Gel

OMG this smells amazing ! If you don’t believe me you just have to try this, foams up really well with little effort and water. I would say that it doesn’t smell like anything else I have used and this made it a very unique product to use in a daily routine. Lovely deep blue colour and actually nourishes skin instead of drying it out like your general soaps do, very refreshing scent. A bit expensive at £18.90 but worth the price as I still have over half a bottle left and its good for your skin !

Heavenly Hydration Hand Care Cream

Okay expensive at £17.00 but I am nowhere near half way through the tube, because of the richness of the product I haven’t needed to use as much as I normally would with a hand cream. I’ve generally been using about a five pence piece size whereas I would normally go for a ten pence piece. A MASSIVE PRO FOR ME it helped to combat my eczema that I get, soothed the general itchiness as well as helped the dry and flaky patches. PLUS anti aging benefits also. A good all-rounder.

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Overall great products from Spa Find, would definitely buy again for myself or as a gift for others. Would most likely buy the gifts sets as they save you so much money than buying them individually. I am looking forward to trying more of their products in the future.

I would definitely advise you to check out their instagram account (@spafind) as they host their FREEBIE FRIDAY competitions, you guessed it every Friday. Plus you can check out their amazing products and learn more about them as a brand. Don’t forget to check their website for more information and follow the links throughout this post direct to the products.

Finally I would like to finally say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Spa Find for gifting me this incredible gift set and for introducing me to a new product range !!!

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If you enjoyed this post then please follow me on my other social media sites;
Instagram: mylifeasjessthebeautytherapist 
Twitter: @MLAJessTBT
Don’t forget to leave a comment on this post and on my other social media platforms or email me @ mylifeasjessthebeautytherapist@hotmail.com with ideas for new posts, requests, thoughts or questions !
J

 

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My Skincare Routine

Hi guys ! Back again I see. So this week I’ll be talking about my skincare routine and what products I use.

If you haven’t read my skincare story click here and give that a read first. It explains a little bit of my history and how my skin has got to where it is today.

Sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin.

Okay so it might sound ridiculous but I kinda love cleansing my face! Especially to get rid of any makeup I’ve had on for the day. When I’ve been at work all day and listened to clients stories of their lives; some happy and some sad. It’s kind of a way for me to strip myself back and just become me again. The me when I’m not at work.

I mean I’ve had clients in for facials and they’ve broken down because a pet has died or a woman for a bikini wax whose sister is cheating on her boyfriend and she feels guilty for not telling him, but feels loyalty to her sister! I get told all sorts of things! I’m basically a therapist as well. Taking off my makeup is a way to remove all those things that I’ve had in some small way experienced with them.

The routine started off simple, but it’s evolved and grown from simply cleaning and moisturising.

My Daily Skincare Routine:

• Cleanse
• Tone
• Moisturise
• Eye Cream

Both morning and night I follow this routine, I will generally use the same products each day but I will sometimes use samples that I have been given at work, or what I have gotten from magazines.

My Weekly Skincare Routine:

• Exfoliating once or twice a week depending on what my skin needs
• Use a mask to target different issues. I will multi-mask (use two or more masks at once to get the best results) if needed.

I ensure to remove dead skin cells at least once a week, if I didn’t I would basically be using my moisturiser for no reason. What is the point in moisturising already dry and dead skin cells when you can have fresh regenerated ones from underneath !

My Miscellaneous Skincare Routine:

• Have a facial at least once every 4 months (I basically do my own every day so I don’t need them as often, but I always recommend a facial every 4 -6 weeks to clients!)
• Clean my face sponges and replace regularly so that bacteria, dirt and makeup doesn’t build up over time (This can cause spots, eye infections etc.)
• Clean my make up brushes every day with a sanitising spray to prevent spot causing bacteria from building up on the brushes
• Deep clean make up brushes once a week to really get the ingrained make up and bacteria off them !

I do these ‘extra bits’ because it ensures that I keep my tools/equipment as sterile and as clean as possible, using dirty tools and make up applicators can make spots worse !

Now yes this may seem a lot, but it is truly worth it. My skin has never been as good as it is now and it also helps to plan for the future. After all the quicker you start to look after your skin the less wrinkles you’ll have when you get older, BONUS !!! (Check out this article if you don’t believe me!)

Our skin is the largest organ in the body; cleansing ensures that make up, dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria are removed. And when using certain products cleansing can also help to fight the first signs of ageing, adult acne, rosacea, redness and many more… It’s all about finding a routine that works for you.

I always try new products, mainly because its part of my job to know what’s on the market and what works and what doesn’t. But I love trying new things, especially if I find a new product that I simply cannot live without! But listed below are my staple products that I return to again and again.

My Holy Grail of Skincare Products:

• Eye Make-Up Remover Lotion – Boots Essentials (£1.50 each or 3 for £3.00 across the range)
• Pre Cleanse – Dermalogica (£34.35 for 150ml)
• Essential Cleansing Solution – Dermalogica (£49.00 for 500ml)
• Balancing Lavender Toner – Elemis (£22.50 for 200ml)
• Skin Prep Scrub – Dermalogica (£28.50 for 75ml)
• Skin Smoothing Cream – Dermalogica ( £47.70 for 100ml)
• Herbal Lavender Repair Mask – Elemis (£31.00)
• Radiance Face Mask – Balance Me (£18.00)

 

Check out Dermalogica here !

 Check out Elemis here !

Check out Boots here !

Check out Balance Me here !

YES I KNOW ITS AN EXPENSIVE HABIT !! (£210.05) But I did not start out on the higher end products, I started on Boots, then Simple etc. I worked my way up and found what worked for me and trust me it was worth the money (Plus I get 20% Dermalogica at work !), and they last for ever ! With the higher end more professional skincare brands a little product goes a long way. They roughly last me anywhere between 8-12 months !!! Plus I ask for a lot of this stuff for birthdays and Christmas so I wont be buying it constantly, the thing is I know it works, it works for me its worth the money !

Thanks for reading this far STAY TUNED next week for another post !

J

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If you enjoyed this post then please follow me on my other social media sites:

Instagram: mylifeasjessthebeautytherapist

Twitter: @MLAJessTBT

Don’t forget to leave a comment on this post and on my other social media platforms or email me at: mylifeasjessthebeautytherapist@hotmail.com with ideas for new posts, requests, thoughts or questions !

J

x

Tropic Skincare Party !

Hi all, I told you that I’d get something up on Thursday didn’t I?

Just last week my cousin hosted a Tropic Skincare Party and I thought i’d just give you a little write up about the experience I had.

But first of all…

 

At just fifteen Susan Ma (founder of Tropic)  was in her mother’s kitchen making the products and later selling them at Greenwich Market, London.

‘The Apprentice’ 2010 contestant then went on to prove her business to Lord Alan Sugar. She put forward her vision for a vegan friendly, all natural and cruelty free skincare and makeup brand and later became a 50/50 partner with Lord Alan Sugar! The company has grown from strength to strength and offers ‘pamper experiences’ at people’s homes. I’m imaging something like the Virgin Vie parties that used to happen (Is Virgin Vie still a thing?)
The range consists of makeup, skin and body care which all come with a 30 day money back guarantee – something not many beauty/skincare brands offer!

The Party Experience…

To start the night the host, let’s call her Sue* introduced herself and explained why she had started to host the Tropic parties. She was very bubbly and friendly and explained what products she would be talking through with us. She asked each of us our names and generally welcomed everyone to the evening.

She explained the history of the company which I had already looked at online. To begin she used my cousin to demo a mini facial on using the cleansing products from the range. Whilst doing this Sue* then went around the room with the product to each guest and applied a small trial amount to the back of our hands. This allowed us to feel and smell the products; as well as feel the benefits the products gave.

When smelling each of these products Sue* explained that different people will be able to smell different ingredients that the products have; from lemon, cherry, shea, cucumber and citrus there was always something each of us smelt differently. Being able to smell and feel the products before potentially buying them was a big plus for me!

Sue* went through each of the products she had in the collection from the foot spa to the deluxe collection to make up and body care; there was so much to look at, feel and smell !

At the end of the product demos and questions, Sue* then explained that there wasn’t any pressure to buy anything and that she was plenty happy that we had shared the experience with her.

Although Sue* was enthusiastic about the products I think she did need a little more training and background knowledge of the products and their ingredients. Instead of Sue* saying that the products had “really good things in them” it would have been more beneficial if she had known just a couple of the ingredients; this would have shown more knowledge and professionalism with the products.

Before we left we were advised that if we wanted to place an order that we would need to fill in a order form which Sue* helped us individually fill out. My cousin was the last to place her order; as the host she would get 15% of the final total sales to use against products for free!!! I do feel that this is the main lure and attraction of hosting a party to begin with as many people and clients I know are not aware of the amount of products that are not cruelty free.

 

I bought the body smooth refreshing polish (£24.00), sculpting palette in coral blush (£24.00) and the organic nail nectar (£8.00). I will be doing a review of these products in the coming weeks once I’ve had chance to use them. I would say that the price is mid range but for the quality and the cruelty free and vegan friendly products they are worth paying extra for if you want to support the ethics of the company.

Overall I think that the party was a good experience and I have mentioned the company to my family, friends and clients and they seemed interested. the ethics of the company is definitely  something that I will be looking out for in other companies and brands. It makes you so much more aware of what goes into skincare, body care and make up products.

STAY TUNED for a review of the products that I bought at the party within the coming weeks. And if you are interested in Tropic just click here and go visit their site !

If you enjoyed this post then please follow me on my other social media sites:

Instagram: mylifeasjessthebeautytherapist

Twitter: @MLAJessTBT

Don’t forget to leave a comment on this post and my other social media platforms or email me at: mylifeasjessthebeautytherapist@hotmail.com with ideas for new posts, requests, thoughts or questions.

J

xx

*The name of the party host was changed for confidentiality purposes.

Back again?

Hi everyone, I’m back and now have the freedom to use this blog as a creative outlet.

Previously this blog was used as a means of assessment criteria for my HND course which I will now be graduating from in November 😊 !

I’ve had to wait for the examining board to mark everything so that explains the silence from me and the lack of posts; as of late.

I want to take this blog in a different route compared to your general beauty bloggers. Yes I might do certain posts like reviews or how to’s etc. But I want this blog to be more than that.

I’ve had some ideas of things to address from what to expect from a massage to how to act in a spa environment to Q&A’s on skincare and spa and many more…

If you have any suggestions for posts or any questions just comment below and I will get back to you ASAP !

Thanks

J

Positivity !

Unit 25 – Working with and Leading People

Last week we had a session on positivity and attitude with the challenge that for the next week at work we would stay positive even when things might be harder or more challenging than we hoped for.

Saturday 13th February

A typical day for me; crystal clear facial, full body massage , crystal clear facial, lunch, lunch cover for reception, back massage, pool test, back massage, clear up. Nothing out of the ordinary apart, from a client that is known for being a bit of a handful sometimes.

So I stayed positive and prepared myself for little comments and suggestions on how to carry out the treatment the way she/he would do it (Even though she/ he has had no training within the beauty industry).

I welcome the client to the salon and take her/ him through to the treatment room, I ask how she/ he is, chat about the weather the usual things. She/ he seems happy, chatty and ready for a “well deserved treat” she/he states.

I leave the room for her/him to get changed and then the treatment begins. She/he talks a little and then becomes quiet, unusual for her/him. She/ he has fallen asleep. I carry on with the treatment cleanse, tone, massage, scalp massage and pressure points, mask, arm massage, and moisturiser. And then wash my hands I place my hand on her/ his shoulder and say that I will get her/him a glass of water if they would like to take their time and get changed.

Once back with water in hand she/he compliments and thanks me on a wonderful treatment and gives me a small tip. We make our way back to reception and he/she raves to the receptionist how relaxed she/he is and asks for me to do her treatment again next time. I say goodbye to the client and continue with my day feeling more positive and energised knowing that I have made the client’s day by relaxing her/him and giving them a well-deserved treat.

The next day however doesn’t go quite according to plan;

Sunday 14th February 

Valentine’s Day is packed; facials and massages are in my column completely back-to-back and neither me nor Carly have got a lunch. I will be completely shattered after this shift. And then I start to feel the negativity coming in, but I stop myself I think “No I’m not going to let this get to me. Think positive at least the day will go quick”.

I have a galvanic facial booked in first thing followed by a Dermalogica facial straight afterwards. Then a full body massage and a back massage then my dinner. Then two full body massages back to back and then two back massages at the end of the day. I know that with all this massage my hands will definitely ache tonight but I stay positive. It’s Valentine’s Day after all and people have booked in to see me and want a relaxing spa treat.

I go to the treatment room and set up my day, I gather all the products that I need and then fetch my first client who is waiting patiently in reception. She is a regular who I haven’t seen for a while so we chat and catch up on what we both been up to. When we sit down in the treatment room to go to the consultation she tells me that she’s meant to be booked in for a crystal clear facial. I say that this is not a problem and whilst she gets changed, I gather the products I need for a crystal clear facial. The treatment goes wonderfully and we end up chatting about what she’s doing this evening with her husband. I take her to reception she pays and books in for a further three treatments with me.

My next clients are booked in for a Dermalogica facial and a full body massage back to back. I go back to the treatment room, tidy my trolley and reset the couch. I make my way back to reception to find that they have has cancelled these treatments and have now replaced it with two back massages. I hurry back to the treatment room and change the bed around ready for the back massages. I now have a 15 minute wait until the back massage is in as they are both in the spa beforehand.

I do both massages and because it’s Valentine’s Day I also use a body brush and conditioning body wash on the back before the massage begins using warms mitts to remove any excess product. Both clients are very pleased with the massage and then go back into the spa for another half an hour.

The third back massage of the day cancels, so I now have a full body massage and a back massage until the end of my shift, I enjoy a full half an hour for my lunch; and then come back ready to cover reception whilst Carly gets hers. Whilst I am sat on reception a client comes out of the spa and asks for some lavender as he has burnt his foot within the Rasul, I have done first aid training in the past but my certificate is out of date and I call down to the office so that Carly can apply first aid. However it becomes apparent that she isn’t there, so I ask the client to sit and I go in search of her. She has left a note and gone to Tesco to get something for dinner and a phone number to call if I need her. I ring her and say that I need her quickly but she doesn’t answer so I leave a message.

I go back to the client with a glass of water and say that Carly will be back shortly as she is not on site. I then get him the Dermalogica Ultracalming toner but advise him that I cannot administer it and he can do but at his own risk. I then sit on reception and wait for Carly to come back in the meantime my next client has arrived but I cannot leave reception until Carly is back and she has dealt with the first aid.

I advise my client of this and get her a coffee so she doesn’t have to just sit and wait. Once I bring her the coffee Carly is back and is attending to the first aid. I let her know that I will take my client through once she has finished the first aid and in the meantime I will clean the locker rooms and Rasul ready for the next clients.

Once I have replaced the lockers with new robes and cleaned down the Rasul, Carly is finished with the first aid so I bring my next client through for her massage; I explain what has happened and apologise for being ten minutes late, she is understanding and says that she quite enjoyed sitting with a coffee and magazine before her massage. I do the massage and she thanks me, offering me a small tip at the end and going on her way.

Lastly the back massage arrives which is a new client so I go through all the forms and consultation questions that I need which he questions and I explain that they must be carried out due to health and safety and he agrees. He enjoys the treatment and falls asleep half way through. I take him to reception and he pays and books another treatment with me after following my aftercare advice.

Overall a really busy day and quite stressful at times but as I stayed positive and calm the day went smoothly and I also got £3.00 in my pocket in tips 🙂 plus comments from happy and relaxed clients.

J