Rest & Relaxation at Vanilla Browns

December has been a very hectic month between work, finishing up my course and just life in general. I decided I really needed a spa day Christmas week so I booked in to Vanilla Browns at The Absolute Hotel in Limerick. Just what the doctor ordered! I headed in on my day off  and was stressed up to my eyeballs as I was also handing up my final course assignment that day. The girls in Vanilla Browns somehow managed to get me to forget about life for a few hours. I left feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and ready for Christmas! For my treatments I chose to have a hot stone back massage, a facial and also visited their hair salon where I was treated to a hair treatment and a curly blow dry.

Escape Spa @ Vanilla Browns

The spa is located on the first floor of The Absolute hotel which is situated in Limerick city centre. 

The Absolute Hotel, Limerick

Upon entering it is not like your typical day spa. Both the spa and the hair salon have a shared reception area so it is a bit more bustling then you would expect. I was seated while I filled out a form regarding my health, skin condition etc. I was also given a heated cloth to warm my hands which was a lovely touch on a chilly day! 

The spa manager Kelly introduced me to my therapist and I was guided to the treatment room. The spa itself is actually a lot bigger than I had expected and the treatment room was gorgeous. The therapist gave me a few minutes to settle in before returning for my hot stone massage. It was absolutely heavenly! I was able to completely zone out and enjoy the experience. I had some tenderness in my shoulders for a couple days after but I feel like a new woman now! Would definitely recommend this treatment for those who carry tension around their shoulders and also for pure relaxation. 

Hot stone massage

My second treatment of the day was a facial. Firstly my therapist assessed my skin and chose products accordingly. To be quite honest with you I am unsure what steps were to follow as I dozed off! My skin was glowing afterwards and felt so hydrated. 

After my beauty treatments I spent some time in the relaxation room. I was presented with a little dessert and fresh water while I continued to unwind in the candle lit suite. Just as I was on the verge of snoozing again my hair stylist for the day, Rachael, guided me to the salon. She first started by shampooing my hair before applying a treatment. I was then seated under a dryer for a few minutes while the solution got to work. She then worked her magic! My hair is quite dry and gets knotty quite easily but Rachael managed to give me a lovely soft and smooth finish with plenty of volume and bounce.

 This salon also has one of the best views in Limerick by far! You are literally suspended above the river while getting your blow dry and it definitely beats staring at a blank wall any day! The spa manager Kelly, informed me that the group were at the early stages of rebranding and were very excited for the coming months. I cannot wait for my next visit to Vanilla Browns and I'm sure that following their rebrand the spa and salon will be absolutely fabulous. If you are planning a girly break or perhaps a valentines getaway why not have a look at their website http://vanillabrowns.com Also, anyone planning a night out over the remainder of the festive period, Vanilla Browns are currently offering an up style and makeup application for just €35.

Vogue Gold Fashion Night Out

Those of you who follow me on social media will know that on my recent visit to London I had the opportunity of attending Vogue's Gold Fashion Night Out. Vogue run a few of these nights each year and it is pretty much a huge shopping party! The Gold event took place in The Village at Westfield, London City which is the designer wing of the shopping centre. I can honestly say the night was amazing! Even my boyfriend, who had been sceptical to begin with, really enjoyed himself. 

The event was due to kick off at 6.30 pm sharp. Despite arriving ahead of time and queuing for around half an hour I unfortunately didn't manage to get a goody bag but I still received my Vogue Gold Card which meant I could gain entry to the various events and avail of the fantastic discounts on offer. As soon as we entered The Village we were greeted by lots of very glamorous fashionistas waiting to register for the event. The registration desks were even set up beautifully and adorned with large vases of fresh flowers. A DJ was playing live in the centre of the mall and the atmosphere was fantastic, it really put me in the Christmas spirit! 

After registration we decided to check out the luxury goods on offer. Stores such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Ted Baker, House of Fraser and Kurt Geiger all participated. Our first port of call was Kurt Geiger. There was a waiter handing out complimentary Bellinis and little miniature cupcakes to all of the fashionistas in attendance. You could also have your footwear fortune told, yes really!!! There was also a manicurist on hand, see what I did there?! After a browse around I decided to pick up a Christmas gift and was delighted to receive my discount with my Vogue Gold Card. 

Our next stop was House of Fraser who also happened to be in the middle of a 3 day event, so the reductions here were fantastic. Absolut Vodka had a bar set up at the rear of the store and one of their mixologists prepared us a delicious cocktail, it tasted like those really sour cherry sweets from when you were a kid! There was also staff handing out oeurs d'oeuvres as the live dj set took place. You could also get your face on your very own Vogue cover here! Every store really participated and encouraged the customer to spend with them. Some of British Vogue's editors in beauty and fashion were also pressent on the night to pass on their knowledge to curious readers. The evening also marked the launch of Naomi Campbell's Fashion For Relief pop up shop. The shop was open for one week only and filled with goods from designers and celebrities. 100% of all profits were going towards fighting Ebola. The woman herself even attended on the night! After browsing the shops for a couple of hours we decided to have a little treat at Searcy's Champagne bar before returning to our hotel. 

The night itself was very well organised and appeared to run very smoothly. I will definitely be attending a Vogue event again but next time I'll be arriving super early to make sure I get a goodie bag!