All wrapped up in luxury

That I most certainly was when I finally booked an appointment at Beauty at the Tannery to use the very generous voucher my brother and sister in-law gave me for my birthday.

As soon as you walk in you immediately feel like an A-Lister; the modern, fresh interior oozes style and sophistication and the staff are genuinely kind and very professional. After being checked in I was led through to the lounge area before being shown to the changing area where I was given a locker and changed into a lush white robe and spa slippers. There is a shower for clients to use before or after a treatment which is a great idea, especially if you have somewhere to be after a massage that leaves you a little oily.

While waiting for my treatment (after filling in the obligatory new client paperwork) I enjoyed a glass of water infused with mint, orange and raspberries while catching up on the latest and best fashion and lifestyle mags in the lounge area – you’d be forgiven for thinking you were actually in someones plush living room. After a short wait – I could have quite happily sat there for longer! – I was introduced to the lovely Sarah who would be completing my treatment. I was lucky enough to be enjoying Beauty at the Tannery’s signature treatment, Grace Yourself. This was 90 minutes of pure bliss! A full body massage with exfoliation as well as a facial where I was wrapped up a little like a mummy.

Once my treatment was complete I enjoyed a delicious herbal tea (you can choose from a variety of flavours) and special fortune telling chocolate! My skin felt AMAZING and I was incredibly relaxed and rejuvenated. So much so that I am now cheating on my regular beautician and going to Beauty at the Tannery for facials every two months!!

I have been lucky enough to experience some beautiful spas in the UK and Beauty at the Tannery is right up there with the best of them. It is by far the most impressive in Christchurch and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

Images borrowed from Beauty at the Tannery website.

Beauty Prep School

Beauty Prep School is a section on Refinery29 where they have a number of DIY video tutorials focusing on hair, nails and makeup.

They are simple, easy to follow and include some fab tricks to make life easier – like the glitter nail polish removal tutorial!

Definitely worth checking out… follow this link.

Link to love

Refinery29 has a great post on three top knot variations. A top knot is definitely my go to when my hair won’t cooperate or I’m in a hurry to race out the door. I’m sure I can stretch the extra few minutes it would take to vamp up my top knot based on these photo tutorials.

Kitsch or Cool?!

Imagine you’re at an outdoor festival, the sun goes down and through the darkness you see ten small neon beacons stabbing away in the sky…. Fireflies coming to an untimely death? Nope, try glow in the dark nail polish!

Along with the dungaree / denim overall trend that I am yet to support (I’m having horror flashbacks of 90’s fashion crimes) I just don’t know whether glowing nails are cool or not!

Hmmm… I’m definitely more likely to experiment with the nail polish than a pair of dungarees (although this look is pretty cool)… How about you?

image via

Glow in the dark nail polish is available in NZ here.

Lip Service

I have a confession to make. I have a fear of lipstick. I currently own 14 lip glosses in a variety of colours, finishes and flavours yet I don’t own a lipstick. Not one. Nada.

However, I think I’m ready to take the plunge and might even just jump right in at the deep end with a shade of red. There’s a reason why red lipstick has been around since the Ancient Egyptians – it looks hot! Nothing looks sexier than simple black liquid liner flicked out at the edge of the eye and a bright red lip.

Red lipstick hit list:

1.

M.A.C – Ruby Woo – photo via

2.

Dolce and Gabbana – Iconic – photo via

3.

NARS – Heatwave – photo via