DIY Getting the home fires burning CHRISTMAS GIFTS Are you a ...

November 2003 Online: www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk15beauty IN ASSOCIATION WITHA day spa is theperfect way torecharge yourbatteries, asCHRISTENPEARS finds outwhen she visitsthe Academy SpaTotalindulgence...WITH all the stresses andstrains of modern life, itis becoming increasinglydifficult to find timefor relaxation. Even along soak in a hot bath can be trickywhen the kids are demanding attentionand you have a huge pile of ironing to getthrough for the next day.One way to guarantee some time toyourself is to visit a day spa. With all thefacilities of a residential spa, day spasoffer the opportunity for a whole day, oreven just a couple of hours, of health andbeauty treatments.The Academy Spa in Harrogate wasopened in 1994 and has won numerousawards. It was voted Best Day Spa in theBritish Beauty Awards 2000 and is onceagain competing for the award this year.The spa is housed in an enormousstone building with soaring glass windows.It is beautifully designed, withslate floors, natural timbers, zen pictures,aromatherapy oils and gentle new agemusic all combining to create a tranquilatmosphere.The choice of treatments is vast, includingfacials and massages, manicuresand pedicures and famous names includeElemis and Matis for face and body andJessica for hands and nails.But the Academy Spa is much morethan somewhere to simply relax and bepampered. It has merged the philosophiesof East and West to offer an holisticapproach to health and beauty that inducesa sense of total wellbeing onseveral different levels – physical, emotionaland spiritual. Alternative therapies,such as shiatsu massage, reiki andkinesiology, are offered alongside themore traditional face and bodytreatments.Clients can book single treatments orcombine them into day or half day programmes.The best way to sample the spais to try one of its day packages, which includelunch plus use of the facilities –swimming pool, sauna, steam room andgym.The personalised programmes blendhigh technology with traditional techniquesand luxury products made fromorganically and wild grown plants, marineextracts and essential oils to protect,purify and relax.New packages include Pure Indulgence,Luxury Spa, Detox and Invigorate,and Health and Fitness. For the men,there are both Energiser and Chill Outpackages.I opted for Ultimate Relaxation, whichincluded a dry float, facial, massage andpedicure, and really did live up to itsname.I started off with a dry float. It’s an ingeniousidea. You lie on a water-filled bed,separated from the water by a platformand a plastic skin. The platform dropsaway, leaving you floating It’s an incrediblyrelaxing sensation (so relaxing I fellasleep) and, when the platform comes upunderneath your back at the end, you realisejust how comfortable you havebeen.This was followed by an Elemis facial,tailored for my skin, an aromatherapymassage, and the day ended with a pedicure.I didn’t feel quite energetic enoughto try the gym and swimming pool but Idid feel totally relaxed.It’s an incredibly indulgent experience,and the perfect opportunity to escape astressful job or busy home life. Treatyourself – or better still, get someone elseto treat you.● Academy Spa day packages start at£90. For more information, call (01423)524060 or visit the website atwww.academyspa.comDiary of a hair andmake-up artistALLISON McKAYHE beautyindustry isT bombardedwith new andtechnically scientificproducts every day. Iam often sentproducts to try out onshoots. A lot of thescientific jargon goesstraight over my head. What I want to knowis: what does it claim to do and does it work?You only have to look at the back of amoisturising cream… It takes someone with adegree in chemistry to understand fully whatthese AHAs and avobenzones mean. Maybethat is why we are increasingly turning tonatural, organic skin care products.Sometimes there is a danger of peopletaking this whole organic thing too literally – avery beautiful, but slightly bohemian model Iused to work with regularly claimed she kepther skin looking good by splashing her facewith her urine every morning. Yuk! The factthat she was only 21 years old probablyaccounted more for her good skin. I am sureafter a while splashing a form of acid on theface would not be beneficial, and thefragrance certainly wouldn’t be verybecoming.Now we are hearing about “organic makeup”.Not so long ago I was working backstageat the High Street Fashion Awards with ateam of hair and make-up artists when wewere given a range of mineral make-up bybareEcsentuals, which claimed to be theonly range in the world that was “100 percent pure”. This slightly unnerved me, as timedoesn’t allow for mistakes made by notknowing a product. We were given a briefexplanation of how the product worked andgot on with it and I have to say the resultswere fab. bareEscetuals say they usemicronised (very tiny) minerals with nothingadded, no preservatives, oil, fragrance andother chemicals.When I picked up the tub of powderedfoundation to use on one of my models shesaid she needed a cream foundation base,but after swirling the brush around a smallamount of bareEscetuals powder, thentapping it on the side followed by a buffingaction of the brush onto the skin, hercomplexion looked flawless and glowing. Wewere impressed. Apparently you can evensleep with this make-up on and you won’tbreak out in spots, as it doesn’t clog pores.The range consists of lipsticks, blushers,eye shadows and mascaras. The onlydownside is they can get a bit messy becausethe powder is so light and fine. You can getthe range from leading salons nationwide. Forfurther information call 0870 850 6655.TOP TIPS● If you’re considering a hair dye, alwayshave a skin test first. Toni & Guy, and I amsure many other reputable salons, will notapply a hair dye where skin contact ismade if the client has not had a skin testwithin the last three months.Collagen – the secretof softer skinYOUR skin says so much about you. Itsappearance gives away your age and yourhealth. Imagine a product that enhances thecondition and appearance of your skin andreduces the telltale signs of ageing. Localcompany, Firmaskin, now supplies 100 percent natural collagen and the company saystaking it regularly will smooth out lines andwrinkles, firm and tone the skin, and reducecellulite. They say benefits also includemajor reduction of the painful effects ofarthritis and the general aches and pains ofageing. For more information contactFirmaskin on 07810 010479. See advert inNE Directory on page 23.