Agua. In my mother tongue, something I cannot live without and if I had my way, I wouldn’t go without the agua Spa, at the newly renamed Sea Containers London hotel in London.
Beside the fact it’s my favourite hotel – it has a great restaurant, an amazing growing floor bar facing the river, a cracking rooftop bar and a gorgeous cinema, the agua Spa really lives up to the rest of the family.
Delighted does not even describe when I was invite to sample one of their treatments and their delightful spa menu.
I experienced the hot oil manicure which is great to help improve the condition of nail that may have been a bit neglected.
The 55-minute treatment combines nourishing organic oils from Dr. Jackson’s which soften the cuticle and moisturise nails. Then, using Japanese techniques, nails are buffed so the nutrients go deep into the nail bed.
It is great for nails that have been damaged by gel application, polish changes, health conditions or medical treatment, as it helps restore them to health and no polish is needed for up to two weeks.
This picture was taken 5 days after the mani and it still looks perfect – shiny and pink!
The hot oil treatment is available for pedicures too (I am tempted to have one as my toe nails are indeed in need of post-winter hibernation TLC), and is priced from £50 (off peak, £55 peak).
Treatments take place at the fabulous Glamour Room within the spa, an area that can also be hired for pamper parties – birthdays, hen do and other celebrations. They offer a great range of treatments and packages.
Which leads me to the menu. What a fab food and drink menu to help take relaxation to another level!
I tried the delicious Immunity (£10) and Energy (£15) booster bowls and could not have enough of the tasty, fresh goodness in them. However, the star was the scrumptious salmon tartare, avocado mousse and oscietta canape cone (£12). The flavour was off the charts! I could’ve eaten 10.
The also have a range of snacks, fresh juices, sundaes and of course, champagne for celebration or well, just champagne. Definitely check out the impressive menu on offer.
And you can have afternoon tea there (from £38pp).
Last, but not least, the spa itself. What a gorgeous haven or tranquility. I had a terrible day that Tuesday and very quickly it all got wiped away by such a great environment and people – service was professional, attentive, personal, warm and overall lovely; the people are the real assets there!
The lounge is an (insta) dream, the steam room is superb with a great shower, and the showers are amazing. And the toiletries are Malin+Goetz, so… Love.
You can check out all the spa treatments available, including massages, facials and body, including maternity specific ones. The range of products they use is also carefully curated to offer really bespoke, quality treatments. Well worth a visit.
For more info, visit the agua Spa website.
You know the drill, but I’ll say anyway: I as invited to the spa, so this post contains some PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.
As Christmas approaches, and the parties are in full swing, why not go for on your mistletoes, a dense oxford blue with a hint of green – looking like a dark, funky teal to the untrained eye.
So it’s Christmas! Yay! For the oh-so-festive fourth week, ring in the bling: a gorgeous metallic ruby red, tinged with a little bit of cobalt making it magically hot, cold and pearly.
My favourite will have to see the new year in. The fifth week begs for social-lights, a fabulous pearl slate grey with a subtle, glistening amber warmth.
There was a time in my life I was all about the nail art. Not elaborate drawings, but details and ombrés were my favourites.
The finish is not glossy, but not totally matte, with a discreet metallic sheen. Some shades even have a slight texture that can barely be seen.
My favourite has to be the super pale grey lilac Push The Envelope. It’s super versatile, so close to white with a silver glimmer but not harsh. And easy to apply. Love.
Then there is the lavender shining mauve Cross-Body Heat, blood red Tote-ally In Love and indigo blue In Hot Purse-uit.
You will all know how much I love essie nail polishes: the formula, the fabulous brush, the great colours, limited edition collections and even the quirky names, so no surprise I have used each polish for a whole week!
There no secret I am a 90s person (late 90s, I’m not that old). I’m secretly unashamed of the terrible fashion sense and even worse – makeup habits I had at the time.
For the more discreet out there, Saved by the Belle is a lovely baby pink, creamy and a slight blue undertone and Mixtaupe is a fabulous warm ivory with a tiny dash of pink.
Of course, I cannot rave enough about the essie brush, which delivers a perfect at home mani so effortlessly. Lately, that is all you see on my nails.
The collection has barely launched but being the lucky bitch I am, I was one of the first to get my talons all over it and I’ve already wore four of the six shades to near exhaustion. Nah, not really, I can’t get enough.
Nails nail nails. I went from a through and through red nail polish gal who could never picture a nude on her nails to a lover of all colours, shades, finishes and art.
First of all, I feel I have to explain the month long absence: I have moved houses. Bought a flat and been like a maniac between closing the deal, moving and furnishing and now I’m starting to settle. Although I have no wifi yet, tethering to my mobile has been useful. And the means to this post!
Second, I cannot see a better way of going to back to blogging than essie‘s retro revival 2nd edition limited collection nail polishes. The six shades embody the flawless chic vibe from the beginning of the brand in 1981 Las Vegas – in fact the caps have the original Stardust Casino gold star sign.
My favourite has to be the stunning sweet tart (oh how appropriate!) a pearlescent nude with mauve undertones. Just gorgeous.
That doesn’t mean I am not in love with the other shades: pure chiffon is the perfect warm beige which will suit most skin tones; flawless is a delicate pink that feels quite neutral; chastity is a lively cherry blossom pink and bold beauty is a fabulous and seductive mid-century deep red. All sorts of love for this collection.
Apart from the neutrals and a killer red, that never goes out of fashion, pinks were all over the catwalk for the new season.
Golden nails. I’ve always had a penchant for them. Finding the right shade is a bit tricky, as I don’t like it glittery, but the new Nails Inc Paint Can in Good as Gold comes as close to golden perfection as possible.
Feelings towards the product remain the same as when I did my original review: love the novelty, the colour is great, pigmentation on the gold seem a bit more scatty then the silver (I went over twice) and the durability is good.
*Maybe* I over sprayed onto my fingers on purpose. There’s no denying I wish I could se the pre-tidying up version and sport fingers dipped in gold, but that wouldn’t go well in the office, I am sure. But, oh, it’s so tempting!
Advantages include the fun (seriously!), the act you can quickly apply on top of any nail polish you’re wearing for a quick change, and of course, I made a meal out of it, but you can be much more targeted with the application to make clean up easier.
Nails Inc Paint Can now comes in eight shades with 
After the Olympics opening ceremony last night, the essie Rio Collection makes even more sense: and explosion of colour and shine to get you well into the mood of the wonderful city.
Not only that: apart from essie’s six boldest shades, the collection counts with essie’s 1000th VIP shade: a Brazilian charged bright metallic yellow called aim to misbehave. Quite a scandalous colour, it looks so hot on the nail.
The vibrant tangerine coral, sunday funday also has a lovely shimmer; aruba blue is a frosty metallic sapphire; bahama mama a deep, creamy and warm plum; naughty nautical a gorgeous shimmery blue-green, pure pearlfection, a delicate topcoat the create instant iridescence and jazzy jubilant, another topcoat with hexagonal blue and pink glitter in various sizes, that looks like carnival confetti!
And because it has green, yellow, blue and white, it matches the country’s flag! Being Brazilian myself, I approve!
You can get essie nail polish from major retailers nationwide.
I am a huge fan of colour and my nails are usually the place this love manifest itself fully.
To be in with a chance, just enter the competition by the 28 April – it’s easy:
Now, let’s take a minute to admire the beauty of this colour: a holographic white technicolor dreams are made of.
Now I just want to wear them all the time. There are so many amazing designs and finishes, from your super classic mani to the out there fab fashion designs (House of Holland, I’m looking at you).
So Many Lovely Things 