Pure Spa & Beauty - Reflexology treatment (review): Aberdeen

As far as rest and relaxation goes, I am no ambassador. Not the type to pamper myself, or look after my skin that much, its a rare treat when I find myself at a spa or indulging in any beauty regimes. Thankfully for me, PURE Spa & Beauty were on hand to answer all my r&r prayers, and I couldn't have been more grateful.

I was only last week that I was invited to come in and try out PURE Spa & Beauty Aberdeen's new reflexology treatment. I've only had reflexology once - a very brief treatment - and I didn't receive much feedback on the experience, so I was looking forward to finding out much more about the treatment and how reflexology really works. Located in Aberdeen's largest shopping centre, Union Square, I headed along earlier this week to put their masseuses hands to the test...

Reflexology is all about using massage techniques to relive tension and potentially treat illness based on the theory that our body boasts reflex points on our feet, hands and head linked to every part of the body. For example, the big toe is usually associated with the head. Reflexology is all about having an open-mind, and some believe by manipulating and applying pressure to these specific areas on the feet, that it can effect the rest of the body.

Getting into my robe, I was greeted by Monica, my spa therapist for the day, and taken from the relaxation room to one of the treatment rooms. Massaging my feet with an Elemis scrub -  the main product brand the spa uses in most of its treatments - in warm, soapy water, she talked me through the treatment and what benefits I could expect from the treatment.

Lying face up on the comfortable, warn bed, she started off massaging my head, easing me into a relaxing trance with the assistance of soothing music. Slowly, she made her way down to my feet and began the treatment. Starting on my toes, she worked her way down, around and across my feet, getting right into the nooks and crannies of my muscles and ligaments. She concentrated on the spine of my foot,  the heel, the arch and the topsides of my feet too. Working her way around, I found the treatment rather relaxing. There was a few moments I was a little apprehensive and felt sharp pains in my feet with her manipulating and manoeuvring the tissue, however, I embraced the tiny bursts of pain as I wanted to get the most out of the treatment.

There was a real sense of an oriental atmosphere in the spa area, with oriental towels, decorations and music played throughout my treatment. This theme carried through into the relaxation room, where I had ended up before and after my treatment.

A good half an hour later, my treatment came to an end. Monica left me to get dressed and invited me to sit down so she could chat me me through what she had picked up from my reflexology treatment.

She initially touched on the balls of my feet. Ever since I was a dancer (all those years ago), I've always been prone to having harder skin on the ball of my foot. Monica mentioned how this could be causing strain on my lungs, and how I may not be using them to their full capacity due to the unnecessary tension put on them. She talked about how I may be more prone to coughs and chest infections as a result of this. It was weird she had mentioned this, as I've had a cough for over one month now, but I put this more down to coincidence than the balls of my feet, although, it's definitely been playing on my mind since.

Next, she chatted to me about the middle of my foot, discussing how she had thought that my digestive system/stomach needed nurturing. She mentioned that I would benefit from eating healthier foods and introducing more smoothies into my diet, and also drinking more water to help with digestion. She said it was important for me to cleanse my digestive system and encouraged me to stay away from bad foods.

She has also mentioned the v word. Yes, I know I should be mature enough to discuss this matter, however, I feel this is best left as is.

Monica also advised me to reevaluate into the shoes I've been wearing and potentially try and find some new, comfier shoes to wear day-to-day. She had picked up a lot of tension in my feet and thought this could be down to some of the shoes I was wearing, as she felt my feet were also a little swollen.

After we had discussed the treatment, Monica showed me to the relaxation room where I lounged around for an extra 30 minutes or so. Never far away from my phone, I was chilling out sorting my emails before heading to a meeting an hour later.

The spa was lovely, and some r&r was exactly what I needed to set me up for the week ahead. I felt totally relaxed and wasn't ready to leave the spa, but alas, reality was calling and I had a busy day ahead of me.

I would definitely recommend the reflexology treatment, and it was rather interesting to get such in-depth feedback about my body - especially when the information had been devised from my feet! I was very intrigued to hear what Monica has picked up from the tensions in my feet and I am going to keep an eye out for the different things she had mentioned. I'll report back to let you know if my body feels any different and if I think there truly is something in reflexology. And for those who aren't believers, the treatment is delightfully relaxing, and your feet will thank you for it anyway.

A big thanks to the team at PURE Spa & Beauty for inviting me along to try out the new treatment, and to Monica for her outstanding customer service. She made me feel totally comfortable throughout the whole experience and the front of house staff were very charming too.

Have you tried reflexology before? Ddi you benefit from the feedback you received? Or id reflexology something you are keen to try out? I'm keen to hear everyone's thoughts on this treatment and if they do or don't believe in it!

p.s - I was a little in love with the robes too.

  For Now...

Just Julia

The scrub of your life: Teal Anchor (Review)

Pampering and relaxation has never been high on the priority list for me. Gone are the days I would lather my skin in my grandma’s Nivea cream, or mix every bath and shower gel she had together to create my own special beauty remedy.

I'm the one that still use makeup wipes and soap to take my makeup off. And yes, I can hear you screaming from here...

When Teal Anchor, a new Aberdeen body scrub company approached me to try out their products, I was really excited to try get myself back into a routine pampering my skin with high quality products, the way it should be treated.

Ok yes, I’ll admit it, the first few times I had set out to try the scrubs I kept forgetting to take the darn things in with me. I’m a 100mph kind of gal, and it wasn’t until I had soaked my hair, that I’d remember about the scrubs. Pre-planning the morning ahead one night, scrub in place on the shower shelf, I was ready.

With six core scents in the range, featuring mint, lavender, black pepper, grapefruit, vanilla and tea tree, I had asked for a few different samples to try out to ensure I was getting to full Teal Anchor experience.  The scrubs all smelled very strong, and it was very easy to distinguish which smell was which. The jars the scrubs were presented in were lovely, and would make the perfect jars for holding trinkets or even homemade jams/marmalades – providing you washed them out thoroughly enough. They also came with a cute wee wooden spoon. As there is coconut oil in the mixture, it has the tendency to harden. The wooden spoon allows you to mix up the scrub, ensuring you can use it time and time again.

I decided the best way to apply the scrubs would be after I’d wet my skin. Scooping out a small handful of the mint scrub I began to scrub away. The sugar and oil based scrub was very gritty initially, as you would expect, and took a wee bit to take to my skin properly. I don’t know if it was because I was a ‘scrubbing’ beginner, but a little bit did not seem to go a long way.

On the second time sampling the scrubs, I decided to wet the product a little ahead of using it for the rest of my body, again I used the mint scrub. I found it to go on much easier this time and I didn’t waste so much of the product. It was easier to apply and was overall a much more pleasant experience. I spent time really massaging the product into my skin to ensure it could benefit from the natural ingredients within the scrub.

I'm not going to lie, I made a bit of a mess in the shower with the product, but it was fun to use and was easy to wash away.

With different variations of fine or thicker sugar available on request, and the ability to customise any of the scents to different colours, the team at Teal Anchor goes the extra mile for their customers.

I found that pat drying my skin with a towel left my skin feeling smooth and allowed my skin to absorb the products moisturising elements. As the scrub is oil based, my skin was a little oily afterwards, however, it wasn't bad and I knew it would be soaked up in no time.

I was also told that I could eat the scrubs, however, I wouldn't recommend it. Organic the scrubs may be, if you're going to eat one, or at least try tasting one, steer well clear of the lavender flavour...

The scrubs feature all natural ingredients, are vegan, and are homemade. With the core ingredients featuring sugar, coconut oil, green tea, sweet almond oil, and natural colouring, these scrubs are perfect for all skin types. If you have sensitive skin, I would definitely recommend getting the fine grain sugar for your scrubs, as this is less likely to irritate your skin.

I’m still a little unsure about the whole ‘scrubbing’ etiquette thing, but overall the products seem pretty cool. The brand’s ethos is nice and the two owners, Gillian Paterson and Sarah Marwick really seem to know their shit. They even handed me an information pack, showcasing promising plans for the business. I’m excited to see how they get on and look forward to seeing new scents and new products hitting their online shops shelves.

All of the scrubs are handmade to order. They are also available in refill packs for £9, meaning you can recycle your scrub jars too. All of the refill packs also come in recyclable paper packs. It is recommended to apply the scrubs 2-3 times a week for optimum results.

Teal Anchor was established in May 2016, and is available online from http://www.tealanchor.com/

Fancy trying the scrubs out for yourself? Use my 20% discount code for your first purchase. Enter 'JUST JULIA' at the checkout.

   For Now...

Just Julia

James Dun's House Aveda Lifestyle Salon: Aveda body massage

Luxurious back massages, manicures, pedicures and fabulous facials are every girls dream. Well, for those who are into spoiling themselves in their spare time, which traditionally isn't me at all.

Looking back, I've never really been one to visit spa's, not because I don't like them, but purely because I never seem to have  time, sorry, make time to spoil myself, and more importantly, spoil my body. My job in PR can be pretty stressful and getting a good night's sleep is pretty rare for me, especially during the week. So when Anna from James Dun's House invited me to try out their new bespoke Aveda body treatments, my body screamed yes. A spa virgin, this was set to be an exciting new experience...

Arriving at the Aberdeen city centre salon on Schoolhill, (they also have a salon in Glasgow) I was surprised at the size of the establishment, which consists of four floors and boasts an open-plan set up. The interiors of the salon are very soothing welcoming you with open arms, and I instantaneously felt at ease with myself. With natural, earthy tones throughout, it was clear that nature had been a big inspiration for the salons decor. After registering at reception I was left to chill out in the lounge, eagerly awaiting my spa treatment.

Lizette, one of the salon therapists and quite frankly miracle worker in my opinion, greeted me and instantly made me feel relaxed - she could probably see the fear in my eyes of not having a clue what I was doing. She led me down the grand staircase to the spa where I was left to change into a luxuriously soft, cotton robe in the serene, private spa treatment room. Lizette had urged me to take my time and really enjoy the experience. Feet placed in the warm foot bath, I patiently awaited Lizette's return. As she caressed my exhausted feet, with foot reflexology,  she explained the ethos of the salon and the purpose of the customised massage menu. Everyone's bodies react differently to stress and individuals experience stress in different ways. For me it was my upper body and my shoulders, as well as my neck which seemed to be the problem areas. Lizette was great at recommending which massage would be best for me, and felt the de-stressed therapy exactly what I needed. It's not very often I think about the effects stress has on my body, so it was extremely interesting to learn about it in such a chilled out environment.

Self-care and relaxation is important, and looking after our bodies can really influence how you feel about yourself, and how your body copes with stress.

The room smelled beautiful and was tranquil, exactly what I needed after a busy day at work. The music was soothing,  almost rocking me slowly to sleep. Lizette softly talked me through everything she was doing, ensuring not to disturb me too much. Holding a lavender scent in front of my face (which at this point I was face down on the bed) and guiding my breathing, she then got to work on my back. Now my treatment was in full swing...

After a good 45 minute stress-fix body massage, I definitely could have fallen asleep on that bed. Lizette performed a Swedish and deep tissue massage on my arms, legs, back, neck and shoulders, and even concentrated on acupressure points, guiding me through a calm meditation in rejuvenating my body. The massage itself was heavenly. Accompanied by the smells and the music, it truly was a magical experience. The serene ambiance of the room took me back to a beach somewhere nice and warm, and if I could have, I wouldn't have left.

Obviously I couldn't leave without taking a #robeselfie now could I!?

The new Aveda Body Wise treatments truly do leave you feeling divine and with a bespoke range tailored to your body's needs, the therapists can ensure you get the most out of your massage. The experience is a personal sensory journey, and is completely unique to everyone's individual tastes.

The spa aims to focus on recovery of the body, mind, and skin from negative stress, and all of the spa treatments at James Dun's House incorporate aroma, breath, and touch which Lizette mentioned had been proven to lower stress levels and place the body in a state where it is relaxed so it can repair is itself. The products Lizette used were beautiful, and left my skin feeling very fresh, not oily as I had originally imagined.

There are four Aveda Aromas to choose from including; Stress-Fix, infused with lavender, lavender and clary sage, Beautifying, infused with lavender, rosemary, and bergamot, Shampure, infused with a unique blend of 25 pure plant and flower essences, and Rosemary Mint, infused with essences of organic peppermint, rosemary, lavender and marjoram.

After my treatment, Lizette advised me how to continue to look after myself, reiterating about my stressed upper body she told me the products and treatments which would be best suited to my body if I wanted to return. Mental stress is something I can relate to a lot, however, physical stress isn't something I would say I had ever really considered thinking about until now. I'm much more educated on how to take care of my body and I now know that I enjoy a medium-strong massage pressure. As they say...you learn something new everyday!

If you're looking to book yourself in for a bespoke body treatment (which I highly recommend) then visit http://www.jdhlifestyle.co.uk. A huge thank you to the team at James Dun's House in Aberdeen for this amazing experience, Aveda's new body wise treatments really do deliver, especially when you're in the right hands!

For Now...

Just Julia