Beauty therapy

May 6 2008 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

JUST having your hair cut and blow dried sounds like a wasted opportunity for pampering when you know what the Sassoon Spa experience is within Earl Grey House on Grey Street, Newcastle. Firstly a consultation and something from the luxury hair treatment menu… then the head massage for well-being. Forget tea or coffee, you’ll be offered a special natural and holistic drink called Sip, a complex of natural vitamins, antioxidants and botanical extracts to hydrate and cleanse the system. Then you get your unique Sassoon cut. Prices from £65 (0191) 232-3607.

A NEW shade, ‘Gilded’, in the Baked Bronzer range by Urban Decay, £14, has just arrived in Boots, Debenhams and House of Fraser. The baked formula gives a streak free effect when used wet or dry. Our tester put too much on her face initially. “I dry applied with the enclosed sponge and because you don’t easily see how much you’re applying, I was very orange.” She now recommends a light application!

ANATOMICALS is one of those fun ranges; for under £2 you can have a change from your normal luxury bath products. Could We Be More Pacific marine bath gel for £1.97 (250ml) smells of the sea and seaweed and promises an experience as inviting as the “warm waters of the Pacific”. We like the sound of I Should Be So Mucky (Mucky Mucky Mucky) for £1.70, an anti bacterial hand wash which will encourage everyone in the family to scrub up, from Boots.

TWO of our testers tried a French Tip Pen Kit by Nailene, £8.99, which includes a special white pen/applicator, a base coat and a top coat polish. “The bright white almost neon colour was a little too bright to look natural.” They preferred the silver pearl effect, £4.99, which was “much more sophisticated and subtle”. From Boots and Asda.

THE new Flower Princess eau de toilette fragrance by Vera Wang in this glass heart bottle with a tiara top is full of flowery notes, some recognisable like Waterlily, Blooming Peonies, Moroccan Roses and Jasmine and some we haven’t heard of which sound equally delicious: “Nuzzly apricot skin? Yes!” Our tester reports. “It just smells full of summer, can’t wait for it to start!” Available at £40 for 100ml at Fenwick, Newcastle.