Sisterhood of Travelling Spas: Alqvimia Barcelona

Spa-ing, is it actually a verb? I think it should be...

In my case it has been a while since I had a relaxing treatment so I decided to make it a verb again. Also, in the beginning of 2014 I made a couple of resolutions that included to try out more french products. Now, Alqvimia is as Spanish as you can find, or a gorgeous brand that sells divinely, aromatherapeutically infused products for face and body. But the idea was there and going to it's spa would combine a couple of elements:

• getting familiar with their brand without buying the full monthy (bottle)
• Time out being in a hectic city like Barcelona
• mmm, soothing massages and masks that will draw out city impurities

I decided to go for the Facial Absolute Beauty Express. It is one of their facial treatments in a relatively shorter timespan. I like long treatments but as it had been my 1st time I wanted to know if the therapists would be really skilled. I think a longer treatment with someone who isn't really skilled, dedicated or not really connected is often ackward and not really relaxing. In this case, I could have spend hours with her because her way of bringing relaxation was total bliss. 

40 minutes is often not enough to experience that spa-drownsiness that you can get in good hands. But Beatrice quickly got me into a lulling state of being with the exotic music, synchronising massage, the aromatherapeutic blend of the rose water mist, and later some other divine mixtures personalised for my skin. Their slogan 'total relaxation is paradise' never been more fitting.

Some other quirky elements from the treatment:

• Massage and scrub is elaborate, a fabulous plumping method when done right
• the mask is a custom made blend
• the mask covers eyes and ( if not too claustophobic/ having a cold) lips as well 
• The spa is in the centre of Barcelona, just 2 minutes from Placa de Catalunya
• a lovely tea-infusion afterwards

I really liked this introduction to Spanish brand Alqvimia: the shorter treatment totally gets you zoned out.

And results, ofcourse we want them too! I left the place without a smidge of makeup and felt totally confident about the radiance of my skin: that happens so seldom I cannot even remember (a woman who prioritizes her compact makeup before the mobile).

I think it's a gorgeous perk up being on a hectic citytrip or when working in Barcelona without much time on hands. I'd like to have a longer treatment in the future that includes both body and face.

The Alqvimia spa is situated on Ramblas Catalunya 24 in Barcelona and you can read about them over here.

Rituals Fortune shower Oil

I feel it is time for a good old review with too much talk and with a bit of sense.

I like Rituals as it is one of the few Dutch Cosmetic brands that gotten big outside Holland. They started out in 2000 and I loved them instantly. They had this Eastern (sorry about being vague) holistic feel with shops that were/are decorated in rustic colours & with wash-n-water departments to try out your products immediately.

I have liked washing oils a lot and an because I have been into various Japanese products that work with this concept. Face-oil cleansers came first and the body followed up. I have tried l'Occitane Almond cleansing oil for body too. They often feel much softer on the skin during winter-showers.

I feel like this person in the shower:

Hehehe, not really but I loved the oiled up quality of her skin. Actually with the studs on her back she reminds me of that Aston Kucher "Dude, Where's My Car?" movie.

Storyline: Geeky Aston & friend meet a supergorgeous woman and get into a night partying with other model-types. They turned out to be aliens. (Youtub)

 

I like how this film

1. has a pre-Demi-divorced Aston in it...cuuuuute
2. plays with the idea that women who are "too pretty", "too tall", "size 0" etc cannot be human.
3. hilarious in that 2000-something kinda way.

My shower-oil is actually aimed at making you feel human again:

Laughing Buddha: Bringer of Happiness. Symbol of good luck and Prosperity

 It works as simple as the face oils for cleansing:

1. Put the oil on either dry or wet skin 
   
2. Add water
3. Lather into a milky cleansing substance
   

4. Rinse

Verdict:

• Scent: a high fraganced, slightly artificial orange with the hint of a Cedar note
• Scent: Thus a wonderful concoction to get going in the morning (awakening orange) but feel warmer as well (Cedar)
• Substance: Thinner, slightly runny (dry) oil
• Substance: A little goes a longer way
• Afterfeel: more moisturizing than shower-gels etc
• Afterfeel: fragance stays on for quite long
• Price:  Quite affordable for € 8.50 for 200 ml/6.7 fl.oz

Conclusion: Affordable way to cleanse yourself in a Haute-Spa way but try before to see it the fragance agrees with you.

Availability: At the rituals site (here) for € 8.50 for 200 ml

Borghese Fango Soap

I got this phrase "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" connected to old-fashioned soap, but the initial reason I bought this piece of soap was for the gift with purchase.

 It's just one of those moments the GWP draws you in (a generous set of 4 mud-masks): I already have this gorgeously frangant Portuguese Claus Porto soap, so why would I be tempted by the Italian Fango?

Well, this soap captured me for its properties and the idea of the mud/spa treatment, especially on the "absorbing action [that] helps to remove impurities and unclog pores":

The french description got overlighted, but you can read it in English and Italian

The ingredients:

A simple list with ingredients minimises the chances on senstivity issues. The Fuller's Earth is the main worker in this soap for the part that helps to draw out impurities.

When you open the package you get a beautiful green soap that already smells spa-like: slightly minty and a hint of algs or muds...

This is one of the soaps I feel best about using after exercise: It has that minty freshness and I love the idea of drawing the extra impurities out.

The packaging tells that you can use it on the face, and I do that every now and then when I feel that my skin could benefit from the Fuller's earth and other Fango-based properties. I don't think it dries out the skin on my face (or not anything more than the Nuxe 3 Micellaire mousse I described over here). I don't use it as my main makeup cleanser because for that I need a different arsenal, but if my skin is relatively clean it helps to remove sweat or some superficial dust.

I think it somewhat clears up impurities, but the best result on the face (and body) is when you combine this soap with one of their masks (that I got with the GWP)...that quite draws some yuckies out.

I bought my soap on cultbeauty over here and you can read some more sophisticated claims/properties over there too.

Coconut Hut Beauty haul: bit of Hawaiian-ness bodycare

Before I became a beautyblogger I was an avid visitor or makeupalley.com. The different boards lured me into various excellent brands and ways of pampering.

One of my favourites for a while was the bath and body board, and from that board I came to enjoy one of my favourite brands: Coconut Hut Beauty.

Made in Hawaii by Lena they radiated the idea of tropical paradise. I first ordered from them in 2006 or 2007 and, even though there were lots of new etailers, I returned to them for their lovely formulas.

I hadn't ordered from them for a couple of years, but I really felt like ordering something tropical in some kind of escapism against the winter. I really like the bloggers fave of the moment, Haus of Gloi, too, but their scents really have been too wintery for me and I just wanted some plain Hawaiian zest that I used to love.

So do I still like the products?

Yeh, absolutely. Let me introduce their Hawaiian Icing Whipped Sugar Scrub first:

I talked about scrub last week. Actually, about Rituals Hot Hammam scrub (here).

This is something entirely different. Uh, not so different that it isn't scrub but the effect is different.

On Coconuthutbeauty's site:

A Coconut Hut Best Seller and Lena's Favorite Scrub! A luscious blend of Organic Cane Sugar, Golden Brown Cane Sugar, Granulated Cane Sugar, skin nourishing Cocoa Butter, and precious oils of Coconut and Jojoba. This scrub is truly unique in texture[...]When applied this amazing sugar scrub turns into a creamy lotion, rinsing clean without any greasy residue.

Indeed, it looks like a Whipped Icing blend:

So it is a smaller grain scrub made from SUGAR which turns milky when applied to moist skin. It really is wonderful for parts of the body that need a bit of exfoliation, but not the large (and somewhat scary) grains of seasalt that is present in the Rituals Hammam scrub.

So yeh, it is just for what aim you decided to put it for. I like the salty grains of Rituals Hammam on the 'wobbly bits' and the rest can be pampered with the TLC scrub or Hawaiian icing.

The scent is delightful: I love how the lemon is zesty enough to remind me of a warmer climate but the ginger is still wonderful for feeling warm and that bit of spice. Such a delicious combination.

You can find more info on the scrub over here

Coconut Oil in Blood Orange (travel size)

 Something new I missed on the last couple of years: their 100% Coconut Oil in liquid form.

I picked their travel-size in 1 oz, which was still rather big and economic in use. 

Coconut everything has been really hyped lately, in beverages, cooking oils, ect. On the skin it is a real treat as well. I often use oils for nourishing my hair, but I really liked the thin-ness of this oil and the fact it rinsed out really good (unlike the pesky olive oil). 

My hair looked sleeker and less frizz-prone afterwards.

It was also a real treat on the skin and thin enough to keep you from being a greaseball but nourishing enough against winter cold and central heating.

Love and a repurchase too (more info and the product itself over here)

I also got a little freebie in the form of a Cocoa Cabana Whipped Body Souffle. Yummm, I love mango and Mango Madness really whisked me away into a tropical vacation (for a couple of seconds). Their formula of body cream is still really good.

Rituals Hammam Hot Scrub: mini-spa-ness...

For today I thought it would be good to look at a 'spa-at-home' product.

Most of us are in that pre-christmas haze that we do not have that much time (and money) to spend in a real spa, but still do not want to resemble a lizard in that dreadful moment we have to present ourselves in our christmas dresses (or perhaps a cute Tux like Bianca Jagger ;D).

Overal, the combination of the body-showing event and the midst of winter is not the best combination, so time to look at some scrubbies...

Rituals Hammam Hot Scrub: Ginger & Eucalyptus & sea salt

Rituals has been a Dutch brand around since approximately a decade, and it is that good (and well marketed I believe) that they have been branching out their products outside the country as well.

Their main cities are displayed on the shopping bag, but I have them seeing mentioned in the British Glossy magazines as well, so I know they are available in the UK.

I picked the Hammam warming scrub because I didn't have any scrub available at my home (mostly from etailers from the US) and they were the weekly deal: €10 instead of € 14,90.

But most importantly, I have been interested in the Hammam scrub for some time because it smells really good and is incredibly grainy and warming.

And the instructions on the back mention that is is aimed to relieve fatigue and to lift the mood...yep, I need that!

Rituals Hammam scrub: instructions in various languages.

The Ritual stores are quite inviting to try out their product. They have these luxury water basements and most of their line ready to use at the side. Afterwards, they have these fresh hand-towelettes to dry your hands in a luxurious style and the interior of their shops is quite luxe. Some Dutch train-stations have these Ritual shops and they are so wonderful for waiting commuters who like to scrub their hands and try out some things.

The scrub is quite large and contains a hefty dose of 250 gr or 8.8 oz. But don't be too fooled because that black lid on top is like a high hat and it is not filled to the brim of that black hat.

It's still bigger than my BELOVED CoconutHut Beauty scrub, but I picked their 4 oz size and they have a 8 oz size as well, but I like to vary scent-wise so I picked their smaller one (ooops, that is another review that is up in the making)

Back to the Rituals:

Their scrub is based on SEASALT, so beware of little wounds on the body-parts or you will feel a different feeling of 'invigoration'.

Their other two main ingredients: Ginger and Eucalyptus, are really strong and remind me of those old-fashion spa's or perhaps those cough-rubbing balms.

But it sure wakes you up for a moment.

The large grains are perfect for that last-minute cellulite blasting, although I know I will never blast all of it, but it is all in the effort and the mind that it somewhat looks a bit less ;D.

So this combination makes me feel clean and has a semi-spa-like experience.

It never goes really spa-like, unless you have a willing partner with good hands and patience who likes to perform the 'therapist'-role for you (that is a different kind of role-play, think of it, the kind of role-play women would prefer, teeeheee)

It doesn't really get warming as some of these warming-scrubs do, but the ginger/eucalyptus and invigorate scrubbing of the large grains get the blood flowing, so I do not have to complain that often (see post yesterday) about the cold.

Rituals has an online shop over here and the Hammam Scrub is over here  € 14,90

Oh, and for the people remembering the glorious 1990s, I wanna put up some other TLC (the fab girl-group) and their idea on scubs ;D