Mandara Spa Oriental Retreat Collection

The latest bathing collection from Mandara Spa puts the treat into retreat. Called Oriental Retreat , it's the most delicious smelling range - with Cedarwood and Sweet Orange, it really is the most perfect blend of sweet and spice. Personally I find it to be quite a unisex scent and the husband happily agrees with me.

Mandara Spa are renowned for bringing the spa experience into your home and this new collection does not disappoint, it feels and smells far more luxurious than the price tag suggests. Oriental Retreat transports your mind and body to exotic Eastern Climes, a gorgeously sensual experience, the scent is warming, sweet and calming. All the range has been created to pamper, relax and unwind.

The Shower Gel £4 200ml  

is gentle and leaves skin feeling soft and smelling of the delicious scent inside the tube. Containing soothing aloe vera, indulgent Oriental orchid extract, and fragrant cedarwood oil, sweet orange and cumin.

The Honey Bath £10 500ml

smells slightly sweeter than the shower gel thanks to the inclusion of the honey, is really conditioning on the skin and imparts the scent across the bathroom so giving your senses the Oriental experience too. You won't want to leave the bath once you have immersed yourself in the warm, bubble filled water! Contains Moisturising acacia honey, softening rice oil, indulgent Oriental orchid extract, and fragrant cedarwood oil, sweet orange and cumin.

The Beauty Oil £7.50ml

is a multi-purpose body oil with the same delicious scent, the scent is long lasting, the oil fast drying. Can be used as a moisturiser, massage oil or bath oil for silky smooth skin. For nourished, shiny hair apply to ends of hair overnight, shampoo and rinse. I haven't yet tried to use it on my hair, but I will be.
Contains wonderful ingredients of moisturising sweet almond oil, softening macadamia nut oil, indulgent Oriental orchid extract, nourishing rosehip oil and fragrant cedarwood oil, sweet orange and cumin.

A lovely way to end a day.

Mandara Spa products are available to purchase in Sainsbury's stores.

*PR Samples

Mandara Spa Bali Santi Collection - Home Pampering For Just £20!

I have fallen in love with Mandara Spa's latest bath and body collection - Bali Santi. Taking inspiration from the exotic spa rituals of Indonesia, Mandara Spa have selected naturally pampering ingredients which are used in the traditional spa rituals of Bali.

The delicious key ingredients in this collection are - Coconut Oil, Yoghurt, Lotus Flower Milk, Sweet Almond Oil, Rose Flower Petals, Aloe and Cocoa. 

Coconut Oil is a buzz word right now, the benefits being exalted whether used in health, beauty or food so this is a timely release.

There are 3 products in the Bali Santi collection -

Mandara Spa Bali Santi Indulgent Bath & Shower Cream With Coconut Oil & Yoghurt £7 

Mandara Spa say

An indulgent blend of coconut oil, yoghurt and lotus flower milk to help leave skin feeling soft and smooth after bathing.

My thoughts

This bath & shower cream is rich and creamy. It has a lovely pearly sheen to it and is perfect to swirl in the bath for some soft bubbles and luxurious bathing or used as a shower cream. It has a gorgeous coconut scent and leaves skin feeling beautifully soft and smooth as it promises.

Mandara Spa Bali Santi Energising Body Scrub £8 

Mandara Spa say

A traditional blend of energising coffee granules and comforting coconut oil awakens the senses and stimulates the body.

My Thoughts 

The body scrub is my favourite product from the Bali Santi collection. It smells so incredibly delectable! Smelling of delicious chocolate mousse, with a soft, silky texture which is then blended with exfoliating coffee granules, it leaves skin wonderfully smooth. However, as it is the colour of chocolate too, bath water is left looking dirty and murky. Fabulous.

Mandara Spa Bali Santi Nurturing Body Milk With Coconut Oil and Lotus Flower Milk £5

Mandara Spa say

A soothing blend of coconut and sweet almond oils, blended with  lotus flower milk and yoghurt, work to deeply moisturise the skin leaving it calm and nourished.

My thoughts 

As expected this body milk is scented with coconut but has a slight spicy after-note to it which stops it from being too sweet and heavy. A light, fluid body moisturiser than leaves skin feeling soft. A nice finish to body pampering.

Final thoughts - 

Exotic print, bright packaging that add a splash of colour to the bathroom shelf, the real treat however are the contents inside. Lock the bathroom door and allow yourself to be transported to Bali with Bali Santi. A great, indulgent and inexpensive pamper in the comfort of your own home.

*PR Sample

Win 1 of 10 Mandara Spa Honeymilk Dream Spa Escape Travel Bags!

Fancy a lovely pampering New Year body treat ? Then you have come to the right place!

The very lovely people from one of my favourite brands Mandara Spa have got in touch to offer a fantastic prize for BeautySwot.com readers. We are giving away not one but TEN Honeymilk Dream Spa Escape Travel Bags which includes; a softening body cream, conditioning shower cream, softening bath milk and a nourishing hand cream. Each prize is worth £19.50.

Honeymilk Dream : The Comforting Collection

Inspired by the comforting fragrance of Hawaii. Acacia honey and kukui nut oil cocoon you in a magical spa where the mind and body will be soothed and enriched.

Key ingredients:

acacia honey
cocoa butter 

kukui nut oil 

mango butter 

shea butter 

sweet almond oil 

wheat germ oil

How To Enter -

• You must be a follower of this blog - Please leave a comment stating how you are following the blog 
• You can gain an extra entry by tweeting about this giveaway. Just tag your tweet with @BeautySwot at the end so I can see it. 

The (not so) Small Print -

• Maximum entries per person is 2.
• Open only to UK residents.
• All entries will be logged and numbered, and the 10 winners will be selected by www.random.org
• Entries close at 23.59pm, Friday 31st January 2014.
• The winners and instructions on to how to claim your prize will appear on the blog on Saturday 1st Feb. You will have 48 hours to get in touch before any unclaimed prizes will be put back in the draw to be reselected.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

Bettina x

Mandara Spa Island Paradise Revitalising Leg Treatment - Summer Ready Legs

I was recently invited to experience a new Mandara Spa Treatment - The Island Paradise Revitalising leg Treatment. I popped along to the divine Spa based at the Park Plaza Hotel Westminster Bridge for the 50 minute treatment and allowed myself to drift away to paradise.

Developed exclusively for Mandara Spa this detoxifying and contouring treatment for the legs combine hero
products from the Island Paradise bath & body spa collection.

Treatment claims

Inspired by the Maldives, the potent benefits of grapefruit, lemon and white tea combined with an intensive lymphatic drainage treatment using traditional bamboo massage techniques, will help stimulate a sluggish circulation, reduce fluid retention and smooth the appearance of cellulite. Tired, heavy legs will feel energised whilst the skin will feel beautifully smooth and look healthy and toned – the perfect preparation for summer.

What it involves

• To help kick-start poor circulation, an intensive dual-action treatment of dry-brushing, followed by exfoliation will have an invigorating effect on the legs. The Island Paradise Intensive Body Scrub combines crushed peach stone granules and coconut shells to thoroughly exfoliate the skin in preparation for the massage.

• Next the Island Paradise Cooling Gel is generously applied and massaged into the legs and thighs. The cooling,menthol action will further help stimulate blood flow and refresh tired legs.

• Legs are then wrapped, a technique that enhances the benefits of the cooling gel by restricting blood flow in the capillaries and helps to reduce any puffiness. Feet then receive a massage with the Island Paradise Foot Butter and placed into cotton socks for an intense nourishing treatment.

• Whilst your feet and legs undergo their transformation,enjoy a wonderfully relaxing head and shoulder massage.

• The treatment is finished with a traditional warm bamboo massage. Designed to stimulate the lymphatic drainage, it will help flush away the build up of toxins and fatty deposits that can lead to the appearance of cellulite. The legs will appear more toned and contoured whilst feeling revitalised and beautifully soft to the touch.

My thoughts and a mini review of the products used.

The treatment from start to finish was sublime. The room was warm and inviting, the music calm and relaxing. my therapist had a wonderfully soothing voice. The scrub was harsh but pleasant for a real exfoliating and invigorating feeling that woke up the legs.  The cooling gel's icy cool effects were really rather pleasurable as it gained momentum having been wrapped. I normally dislike my feet being massaged but the foot massage was gentle and non tickly which made it bearable.. I absolutely loved the head and shoulder massage which identified tense areas and my therapist recommended that I had regular massages to ease this. The highlight of the treatment was the warm bamboo massage on my legs. This was a delightful contrast to the iciness that had preceded it.

At the end of the treatment my legs felt extremely light and the softest and smoothest I have ever felt them to be. I felt ready to bare them.

Bringing the spa to your home... You can replicate the spa treatment at home.. sadly minus the professional massage, with the affordable products that are used during the treatment.

Product reviews - products available to purchase from Sainsbury's.

Island Paradise Intensive Body Scrub £8.00 - Slightly lemony and citrus in scent this is a grainy and highly effective exfoliator.

Island Paradise Refreshing Cooling Gel £5.00 - Containing menthol the scent is very similar to Tunes, which I find really quite appealing and cannot help inhaling. The cooling effect is fab and would be highly enjoyable on a hot sunny day!

Island Paradise Softening Foot Butter £4.00 - This also has a citrus lemon scent, resembling a lemon cream. This foot butter is semi thick, absorbs fast and leaves feet smelling wonderful and super soft and silky.

Mandara Spa Island Paradise Revitalising Leg Treatment 

Price: £85.00 for 50 minutes

*PR Samples

Perfect Spa Inspired Christmas Gifts - Mandara Spa at Sainsbury's

When I saw the Mandara Spa Christmas range earlier in the year it made me almost wish I was working in an office so that I could give something from the collection as a Secret Santa gift!

There is something at every price range, the products are great quality and they all come beautifully packaged.

Below is just a small selection of the products available from Sainbury's

Lip Butters / Soap Stacks - £5

Lip Butter - Contains 3 lip butters in Passion Fruit, Coconut and Shea Butter

Tropical Soap Stack - 

2 x Tropical Blooms Soap
1 x Honeymilk Dream Soap

Exotic Soap Stack -

2 x Amber Heaven Soaps
1 x Honeymilk Dream Soap

Bath Indulgence - £10

An indulgent collection of bath essences and milks from each Mandara Spa signature fragrance.

Amber Heaven Bath Essence 50ml
Tropical Blooms Bath Milk 50ml
Honeymilk Dream Bath Milk 50ml
Citrus Spice Bath Essence 50ml
Island Paradise Bath Essence 50ml

Ultimate Escape Weekend Bag - £20

Amazing Value Gift featuring these products - 

Amber Heaven Moisturising Bath Essence 300ml  

Amber Heaven Conditioning Shower Cream 150ml
Honeymilk Dream Nourishing Body Butter 200ml 

Honeymilk Dream Nourishing Hand Cream 75ml
Spa Getaway Gentle Cleansing Wipes 

Body Polisher

Happy Shopping!

Balinese Massage - Mandara Spa At Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge

One of my regrets on my honeymoon was not having a his and hers massage in Hawaii. I think it would have been lovely to have massaged away all the stresses of planning the wedding. So, when the opportunity arose for my husband and I to try the Balinese Massage at the Mandara Spa, Park Plaza we gladly accepted.

So a few hot Saturday's ago we hopped onto the train and found ourselves in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Westminster Bridge, where mime artists, human statues and hot dog vendors mingle with tourists. Having navigated out of the maze of people we walked a short distance to our destination, The Park Plaza. The hotel is in an excellent location for lots of tourist attractions but for once we were heading in the opposite direction.

 The building is a huge modern building, contemporary in design and pretty much impossible to miss. As we were early we sat down in the Espressamente illy coffee bar for a drink and a read of the papers (I managed to resist the gorgeously tempting cakes). Fifteen minutes before our massage appointment we took the designated 'spa lift' to the Mandara Spa located in the basement of the Hotel.

The Mandara Spa is the first Mandara Spa in the UK. The decor takes its inspiration from Asia with dark wood, bamboo and cream colour scheme and completes the feel with a wonderful black stone water fountain. This was in such contrast to the outside world that we had come from that it was a welcome escape and we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the Bali experience.

Having tried the Mandara Spa Honeymilk Dream Body Butter and loving it, I was looking forward to having the Balinese Massage. This is one of the Spa's signature services and described as 'Our most relaxing massage, harnessing the therapeutic properties of 100% pure essential oils. Used for centuries to renew, strengthen and heal both body and mind, this traditional therapy combines stretching, long strokes, skin rolling and palm and thumb pressure techniques to relieve tension, improve blood flow, ease stress and calm the mind. It can also help to improve the circulatory, lymphatic, muscular and nervous systems.'

We completed the obligatory health questionnaire and waited for our therapists to arrive. We were having our massages in the sole double therapy room.

Once shown to the room we were asked to remove our clothing and lie on the bed, a slight awkward moment occurred when I asked whether we should be completely naked or keep our pants on... the therapist replied that it was up to us, whichever made us more comfortable. The last time I had a massage the therapist had provided paper pants to wear and as this offer was not forthcoming on this occasion, I had to ask the question! We opted to keep our underwear on...However, had I read the PDF on the website a bit more closely I would have seen a section on what to wear and spared our blushes.

The room was warm, welcoming and extremely calming. The decor echoed what was outside, the lighting subdued and the music authentic. Once the therapists set to work my eyes were closed and I just drifted away while they performed their magic. The Balinese Massage was incredible as it combines different techniques of massage which really do work on all the senses. Just as you get comfortable with one style like rolling the therapist changes to another technique which felt really nice. As I was lying there I could smell essential oils being used on my body which was a sensory experience of its own, though I could not identify them.  Apparently you have the option of choosing from four aromatherapy oils depending on your requirements - Calming, Comforting, Sensual and Energising. We were not asked what we would like used on us but I 'think' that my husband had Citrus Spice oil used on him as he came away feeling energised and invigorated. I felt calm and relaxed after my massage so I may have had Tropical Blooms oil used on me, I cannot be sure but what I do know was that I smelt lovely and my skin was left soft and conditioned.

Once the massage was over we headed back to the waiting lounge and enjoyed the cold drinks of fresh lemon, orange and water on offer. There was also a selection of herbal teas. To eat, a choice of fresh fruit and tasty 'healthy' cakes.

We then headed to the Health Centre for a dip in the pool and use of the Sauna and Steam room. This belongs to the hotel so it is possible there will be other guests in there, which being a Saturday afternoon was full of boisterous youths

We left the Mandara Spa with a wonderful sense of contentment. My husband had a real spring in his step and for me, what made my day. was my mum saying that the massage must have done us a world of good as we both looked so well and ten years younger!

We had the 50 minute Mandara Spa Balinese Massage which costs £85 per person. For more details on this and other treatments visit Mandara Spa 

I feel like Cleopatra! Mandara Spa Honeymilk Dream Body Butter

Legend has it that Cleopatra bathed in honey and milk. Sadly, I haven't bathed in milk and honey yet but I hope to experience some variation of this very soon ... I am however using this lovely product after my baths.

Mandara Spa Honeymilk Dream nourishing body butter - £9 for 350ml

This body butter has become my favourite body moisturiser.  A super moisturising and luxurious enough to feel pampered body butter. It is thick but non greasy and massages in easily, drying quickly. Honeymilk Dream leaves no residue just smooth, silky soft skin. As it is thick a little will go far.

The scent is sweet, not sickly, so delicate and subtle that it doesn't overpower as some scents can do, but just gently lingers on the skin.

The ingredients include three natural butters; cocoa, mango and shea. This is blended with sweet almond oil and acacia honey. Vitamin E is also there in the ingredients. All fab stuff and my favourite honey! 

As this is a sister brand to Elemis it also leaves out the nasties so it is free from SLS, SLES, Parabens, Mineral Oil and DEA. I am making a real effort to seek out products that avoid these so this is a real bonus for me.

Mandara Spa Honeymilk Dream is available from Sainsburys.