Skip to main content

sarah-kilcourse
30th January 2017

A post exam treat

Our Fashion and Beauty editor talks you through one of Manchester’s best spa locations and how to recreate the magic at home
Categories:
TLDR

Our exams are over, we’ve partied to celebrate, time to start the term with a bit of relaxation. A beauty treat day can be fabulous whether at home or in a spa, what counts is taking the time out to pamper tired, revision weary you.

One fabulous part of writing for The Mancunion is the occasional freebie — and this week I got a goodie — a reinvigorating spa package at the QMS spa in The Lowry Hotel. An hour long facial and an hour long pedicure that included: masks, creams, massages, hot stone massages and red shellac toe polish. My version of beauty heaven.

Initially I wasn’t wowed by the spa, it has a clean, white, almost clinical feel that I wasn’t sure I would find relaxing — however, I was wrong. Sandra, my beauty therapist for the day, was lovely and chatty, the experience was all about what I wanted, and I left feeling like a very lucky gal indeed.

The package I enjoyed was definitely one of the more expensive deals available at QMS  but prices for a basic manicure start at £25 and from there go up depending on the treatment. One of the best value treatments is the No Time To Prep package, £60, 90 minutes 4 treatments.

However, unless you have a birthday/kind acquaintance/valentine/healthy bank account to fund luxury spa days, the DIY method may have to do. If I were to attempt to recreate my QMS experience a sheet mask would be a definite must, Garnier’s moisture bomb sheet mask is 99p and works a dream. Pop it on for 15 minutes while you sit and relax, or terrorise housemates — you will look ridiculous and they will want a photo of it.  Afterwards your face will be left feeling soft and rejuvenated.

moisture bomb. Photo: garnier.co.uk

The second easy update to take your beauty regime up a notch would be to introduce foot cream to your pedicure. I can’t claim to be the best when it comes to pedicure up keep, in winter I generally paint my toe nails red and leave that on until it’s nearly all chipped away, come summer I maintain the red polish to higher standard. However, I loved the foot rub part of my pedicure, so have treated myself to a foot cream to recreate my silky soft feet.

For now my DIY substitutes will have to fill in for luxury spa days… until the next offer comes along.


More Coverage

Decoding the phenomenon: What lies behind celebrities launching beauty brands?

Why are so many celebs leaving the spotlight and reaching into the realm of cosmetics to launch their own beauty brands?

Celebrity style guide #3: Sabrina Carpenter

If you’re looking to recreate Sabrina’s feminine, pop-star style then look no further because we have a guide just for you

On screen style report #6: Charlotte York

What would Park Avenue princess Charlotte York’s style be around the streets of the Upper East Side in 2024? Enter Ralph Lauren, Burberry, and Chanel…

Influencing goes deeper than we think

We think of influencing as simple: someone you like online tells you to buy something, and you do, like the good little consumer that you are. Maybe it’s not that straightforward