Thursday, March 4, 2010

Spa luxury!

Liberating luxury
at Liberty Spa

I don’t know about you, but whenever I indulge in the luxury
of a body massage and facial all I want to do afterwards
is sleep. Unfortunately was not possible however after my
recent visit to Liberty Spa in Navan because I had to drive
home afterwards! I was pretty much in need of pampering after
driving from the hustle and bustle of Dublin, with nothing but
doom and gloom on the radio.
Liberty Spa is an old house in Trimgate Street, Navan, with 3
treatment rooms, a full mani pedi room and a dedicated spray
tanning room. I loved the whole atmosphere of the place, the
rooms are candle lit which is instantly calming and the house
itself is full of character.
Nicola Bohane who owns the spa met me on arrival with
a hugely welcome coffee (I could have had juice either) and
goodies. We then chatted about the various treatments available.
I opted for the Oxygen Skin Calm Facial as it sounded so
wonderful and I’ve heard and read so much about the benefits
of oxygenating the skin. I have to say it was pure unadulterated
bliss! My therapist Noreen told me exactly what she would be
putting on my skin ,which was an Elemis treatment using a
gentle rose exfoliator (I could actually smell the rose), a ginseng
toner and a procollegen cream. At my age every bit of collagen
helps! This facial can be tailored to suit any age and skin type
and is one of the nicest and best I’ve ever experienced. It was
gentle and luxurious. I adored it.
All of this was followed by a Well Being body massage. No
better girl than Noreen for this, she has the greatest pair of hands!
My back and neck had knots in them because I seem to gather
all my tension in these areas. She kneaded and worked on them
and I could feel them responding to her pressure, she seemed to
know exactly where to focus and I swear I could feel all tensions
dispersing under her touch. Of course that’s the whole purpose
of the exercise. Again, this massage is always tailored specifically
to the client’s needs.
This is going to be a fantastic year for Liberty customers as
they are offering all kind of ‘specials’. In these recession bound
times we all love a bargain so here are some of the treats available;
you can avail of an Eye Trio (lash tint, brow shape and brow
tint) and a Taster Facial all for €50. This means you’re really
getting your facial for €18, which has to be one of the best offers
around. The ladies here were telling me about the popularity of
their brow shaping and believe this particular treatment gives an
overall ‘lifted’ effect. When I saw some of the ladies who’d had
it done I have to say I agree. Cheap facelift girls?
If you buy 2 products from the Murad range you will get a
free Murad cleanser. As well as these offers they will also mix
and match packages to suit your skin and your pocket. They
have 3 for 1, six facials for the price of five and many more, all
you have to do is ask!
I’m not surprised that the ladies have built and retained a
strong, loyal customer base. They believe in offering personalized
customer service. So why not take a couple of hours out of your
stress filled day and treat yourself to one of the many treatments
available, maybe treat someone you love. Valentines day may be
over but sure what’s wrong with being ‘loved up’ every day of
the year! – Maggie Gibbons
Liberty Spa, 8 Trimgate Street, Navan
Tel 046 9076161
www.liberty-spa.com
PS. Don’t miss the Elemis Event at Liberty Spa on Friday, 5 March
and Saturday, 6 March. You can treat yourself to a fantastically
rejuvenating Visible Brilliance Facial and get a Limited Edition
Elemis Pro Collagen Collection worth €287 all for just €150, that’s
a saving of €135!
must
By Maggie Gibbons
Inspire

Finding the perfect dress!

style beauty by Maggie
Finding the Perfect dress

How often have you stood in front
of the shop mirror sucking in your
stomach and/or bottom, kidding
yourself that the dress will look great once
you lose that couple of pounds? Go on
admit it, we’ve all done it. But guess what?
If it doesn’t fit you in the changing room
girls, it won’t fit you any better when you
get home!
It’s time to get used to the idea once and
for all that no matter how expensive your
clothes are, or what label is on them, if you
don’t know how to dress your body shape
you will never achieve a stylish look. You
will keep on buying because (a) you can’t
resist a bargain, (b) it’s a size 12 and you
normally take 14 or (c) your friend has it
and it looks fantastic on her.
Well guess what will happen to all these
buys? That’s right, they’ll become orphans!
Yes, they will hang alone in your wardrobe
like little orphans because they don’t suit
your particular body shape. Once you learn
and begin to follow a few simple tips you
can start to play up all your great assets and
downplay the not so good bits.
How to choose the perfect dress
for your body type
Ever know anyone with the ‘perfect’
body? Does it even exist? The answer is no,
it doesn’t. Although with all the trash that’s
being shoved in our faces about size 0 and
‘thin’ being perfection then it’s no wonder
we feel freakish at times! Every woman
has figure flaws, in all my years running
workshops, styling, and personal shopping
I have never come across a woman who was
totally happy with her body. The trick is to
learn to adorn it with clothes that flatter. So
let’s get cracking…
Pear shapes: The pear shaped woman
carries her weight on her bottom half, her
hips and thighs will be wider than her top
half and she will take a bigger size on the
bottom. The key here is to play up the
top half, anything decorative should be
worn here. If the knees are not good don’t
wear minis. An A line to the dress is very
flattering as it creates balance. The pear
shaped woman usually has a great waist
so take advantage of this by wearing belts.
Draw attention upwards with details like
frills, shawl collars, on top half. Wide set
straps will also help you balance out your
top half with your bottom. Also, avoid
wearing clingy fabrics on bottom as they
will draw unwanted attention.
Curvy: You have a full bust and hips
and will wear anything from size 14
upwards. Choose a wrap dress that you can
tailor to fit your shape. And remember to
choose dresses that aren’t too tight, while
still maintaining a smart shape. Wearing a
shapeless dress will make you look bigger
than you are, while choosing a too tight
dress will show off every bulge and ripple
of fat. The curvy woman should also avoid
shiny fabrics as they are very unforgiving.
Plus size: Dawn French is living proof
that you don’t need to be a size 10 to look
gorgeous and feminine. She wears her
Caftan dresses with style and panache. Look
for dresses in bold patterns, and wear v necks
to draw the attention upwards to the face.
And of course, accessorise with fabulous
jewellery. The plus size woman looks
wonderful in layers.
Big bust: Halter tops and deep Vs are
very attractive for women who want to
show off their assets. If you have a curvy
figure on top, wear dresses that cling to
those curves. If however you like to cover
up a bit then the wrap dress is a wonderful
choice. Avoid detail on top if you want
to draw attention away from bust. Before
buying a dress, make sure you have a good
well fitting bra, and get fitted for one if you
don’t.
Rectangle: This is a straight up and
down shape, often times with no defined
waist. The shift dress looks wonderful on
this shape as it hangs straight from the
shoulder, it might even be slightly fitted.
It skims your body nicely, but won’t cling.
Jackie Kennedy made them famous and
latterly Princess Diana. An empire line is
also a fab way of giving the illusion of a
waist as it cinches in just under the bust
which is the narrowest part of your body.
Hourglass: Often considered to be
the ideal shape, this woman has a narrow
waist and curvy bust and hips. Think
Nigella Lawson. Skim those curves and
wear fitted dresses with plunging necklines.
Femininity and hourglass go hand in hand.
She’s all about figure hugging dresses.
Petite: For all you petite ladies (5’
3” and under) the rules are simple and
unstructured. Don’t bury yourself in masses
of fabric and don’t swamp yourself in ankle
length clothes, they will only make you
look smaller. Avoid long dresses, simplicity
is the key here. I love a knee length dress
and coat on petites. Vertical lines work
brilliantly also as they create a longer
silhouette.
So there you have it ladies. Next time you
see a dress you love take time to figure out
what it will do for you. Think about your
particular shape first before you splurge.
Just remember there is a dress for everyone.
Enjoy yours.
You can find a beautiful dress that will
flatter your figure no matter what your
body type is. Just be sure you study your
image from all angles when you try one
on. From now on learn to highlight the
positive. If you know you look beautiful I
guarantee you will feel beautiful too.
Maggie Gibbons is an Image Coach and can
be contacted on 087 6782406 or
email maggiegibbons@iol.ie
maggie-gibbons.blogspot.com
Meath Chronicle inspire