My fabulous cupcake mug

I work in an office with a seven other people and we have a vast amount of mugs, many of which have been donated by companies wanting to sell us something over the years. One member of the team decided she was bored of using a mug that everyone else had and promptly went and bought one for herself that has become her mug, if you use it, you are in trouble.

When I was asked if I would like my own mug in the shape of a Cupcake, obviously I said yes and it is this one is from Hawkins Bazaar, how cute is it? I absolutely love the design and what I like about it even more is that when it is on my desk of waiting to be washed, everyone notices it and now knows it is my mug. It also has this cute little lid which comes with it.

The Cupcake mug costs just £3.49 which is actually a bargain, if this isn't quite your cup of tea (see what I did there) then you can find a few more designs on the Hawkins Bazaar website along with a wide selection of gifts, toys and gadgets.

Do you have a mug that you call your own?

Micro Mist Hair Treatment at Easton Regal Salon

Last week I was very lucky to go be invited along to the Easton Regal Salon Clerkenwell to try out a treatment called 'The Micro Mist'.   The salon itself is rather quirky from the outside as it sits right on the edge of St John's square it is both tranquil yet manic all in one go.  

Inside the salon it was nothing at all like I expected it to be.  I was expecting to find a nice quaint little salon but in its place was a huge gallery like space with the most amazing decor and the cutest little dog called Teddy, I have ever seen.  All of the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming and really attentive, which for me is a huge plus because there is nothing worse than going into a salon for the first time and being told to simply sit and wait.

So the treatment, The Micro Mist comes all the way from Japan and the machine used is said to have taken over to years to develop and perfect!  Slightly different to any other treatment that I have ever had in salon, where a lotion or potion is applied to the hair, some clingfilm put over the top and then you are put under a heater for 5-10 minutes wondering whether or not it has melted into your hair (I can't be the only one??). Instead the machine under which you are placed, looks totally space age which you can see below:

So what is it and how does it work? It uses the power of water to penetrate deep into your hair, in doing so it swells your hair and allows the treatment to work much better by locking it into your hair, instead of just sitting on it.  A treatment is applied to your hair once it has been separated into sections and then you are placed under the machine for around 6 minutes, during those 6 minutes this happens:

Convenient steamers boil water at 100 degrees to create steam. However the height of this temperature often causes more damage to the hair than it repairs. The micro mist system is different as it doesn't steam water; it uses ultra sound to generate mist and warms it in accordance to your hair type; keeping the temperature far below 100 degrees.

The micro mist treatment main functions are:

• Hot wind - for warming up
• Hot fog - for helping hair absorb nutriments via utilizing the energy generated through cavitations effect.
• Cold fog - for helping the hair cortex absorb nutriments by adapting the quantum technique
• Ozone - for sterilizing and disinfecting
• Aromatic remedy - purifying the hair with water

I was told that it will make my hair silky, stronger and give it an amazing gloss, all of which it most definitely did and that the affects will last for 7-10 days.  Well after 8 days I can still see a huge difference in the silkiness of my hair and when I have washed it, left it to dry and then straightened it, the ease of doing that is amazing. No flyaway hair, just lovely straight hair with a bit of volume and a lot of shine.

I would highly recommend this treatment to everyone, it is like nothing I have ever had before, it is fun to watch and the results are as long lasting as you are told they would be.  You can read more about Easton Regal Salon and their treatments by going to their Website.

Have you ever tried anything like this or have you had this treatment?

Mia by Ted Baker

 If you haven't guessed by now, I am a huge fan of the Ted Baker beauty range and have featured some of the products on my blog which you can see here, here, here, here, here and here. The handbag sized perfumes are simply brilliant and I was lucky enough to be sent Mia to try out.

I am a huge fan of perfume, though I can be quite picky about which ones I like and I tend to loathe ones which are really popular. Mia by Ted Baker** is one of those scents that I adored from the very first spritz. Like similar products from the range, Mia is housed inside this funky triangle shaped box which is the lightest of pink shades with pretty rose gold edging which matches the logo in the centre. Inside the box is a lovely slimline bottle of the fragrance which has a spray applicator. The bottle for me mirrors the packaging really well and it has a dusky pink shading to it with the lid mirroring the rose gold colour and you can clearly see the TB logo.

Written on the packaging Mia is described as being:

'Sassy, stylish and sophisticated, Mia lights up the room effortlessly. With an irresistible blend of warmth, charm and allure, she is every girl's best friend.'

For me this is a perfect description of Mia, it is a really lovely scent which I prefer to use for daytime wear, perfect for these lovely warm sunny days. It has top notes of fresh lemon, raspberry, blackcurrant, freesia and rose blooms are combined with a seductive base of warm patchouli and golden amber which make this scent subtly sweet and for me the floral ingredients are really noticeable. Once I have spritzed it onto my skin, I find that the scent lasts on average between 4-6 hours before I need to re-apply.

It is a convenient size for having in your handbag and if you like the sound of Ma and want to try can find Mia available at Ted Baker and Boots for jut £15.00 which is worth every penny.

What is your favourite Summer fragrance? Have you tried any from the Ted Baker range?

Re:Spa Hot Stone Massage

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to the Reebok Spa or Re:Spa as it is known in Canary Wharf for a massage, not just any massage, it is called the Reebok Muscle Melt Massage, so I was quite excited to see what it would be like and I was delighted to get the chance to go back to Canary Wharf where I used to live when I first moved to London.

The spa itself is situated right in the heart of Canary Wharf, you cannot miss it and they describe themselves as follows:

"Our tranquil spa offers a full range of beauty treatments, therapies and sports rehabilitation. An express treatment bar, eight luxurious treatment rooms and a dedicated relaxation area create a haven for you to unwind and re-energise, all ideally situated within London’s most prestigious health and fitness club- the Reebok Sports Club".

As I got the lift to the right floor, again it is all helpfully signposted, I was greeted by a really lovely receptionist who took me to the actual spa itself where I was introduced to a further receptionist.  Having had a very brief but thorough tour of the reception area where I could pick up, smell and test some of the products on shelves, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire which included questions such as whether or not I was pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or had allergies.  Whilst doing that I was given a glass of water which had some fresh lemon in it, totally thirst quenching, on what was a rather warm afternoon.  Once my form was completed, I was handed a towel, robe and some slippers and taken to a private area where I could sit back and relax until my therapist arrived.    

Sitting here, I was so relaxed, the lights are dimmed so it is almost dark and there are candles flickering on every surface, along with more lemon or lime water for you to drink.  I sat back on one of the chairs, put my feet up and went off into a world of my own, so much so that I almost missed saying hello to my therapist, who was probably standing there for some time waiting for me to notice her (oops) and when I did managed to bring myself back to earth, I was taken to my treatment room.

Once inside the treatment room, I was told all about the massage which is described as follows:

"Reebok Muscle Melt Massage - A super charged heat treatment with hot stones, this is our Aromatherapy Associates signature treatment.  Using stimulating ginger and black pepper, along with deep cross frictions to melt away knots, tension and pain.  Incorporating the face and body to give the ultimate treatment experience".

What I really liked was how at ease I was made to feel and how friendly everyone that I met was.  I was able to ask as many questions as I felt I needed too and each one was answered properly.  Before my massage began, obviously I had to take clothes off, leave my knickers on and then, lie on my front on the massage table with my head in the specially designed hold and it was actually really comfortable and I probably nodded off a few times because i was so relaxed.

The massage itself was absolutely amazing and not at all like I was expecting it to be.  I had told my therapist that I had a dull ache in my right shoulder and it was given a thorough massaging and as this happened, I could feel all the tension literally melt away.  My shoulders were worked, my back was worked and even my legs and feet had a good massage.  The feeling of the hot stones, which are not just placed on your back, they are used as part of the massage, was a phenomenal feeling, that extra little bit of pressure and the warm feeling that came from the stones was just amazing, I can't describe to you just how nice it was to feel all that tension and stress that had clearly built up, disappeared.

After the massage which took 60 minutes, I was given as much time as was needed to gather myself together and I was told to drink plenty of fluids to ensure I remained hydrated and given a little goody bag which was so very sweet.  

Now a whole week after my massage, I am still pain free in my shoulders and my lower back, which is the first time in a long time I have felt comfortable carrying my handbag.

If you are thinking of visiting the Re:Spa then I cannot recommend it highly enough to you, it is absolutely brilliant and I loved it.  You can see the vitual tour  so you can see for yourself how lovely the whole place is.