Spring Spa Wellington Review

Spring Spa Wellington reception area.

On a cold, rainy Monday night I was tired, stressed, a bit achy and just wanted to go straight home to bed after work, but then I remembered I had booked into Spring Spa Wellington for a much needed 30 minute neck, back and shoulder massage and suddenly my evening was looking up.

I had previously been to Spring Spa for a Bliss Instant Radiance Oxygen Pod & Facial which was amazing. My skin literally glowed for days (highly recommend) but this was the first time I had gone for a massage here. I like to think of Spring Spa as East Day Spa’s younger, more minimalistic sister. It was created by the owner of East Day Spa and is more affordable, which I love. You instantly feel at ease when you walk in due to the Scandinavian type interior styling with open plan spaces (for pedicures with your friends) polished concrete floors, natural wood and pops of colour. They also sell Bliss products which can be pretty hard to get your hands on in New Zealand so another big tick from me.

Spring Spa Bliss Products

When I arrived my beauty therapist was running a little late so after I was greeted I was given a glass of chilled water and waited with the latest copy of Cuisine Magazine (I love it when places have the current issue of magazines, small thing but it impresses me!) After about 10 minutes my therapist Maria arrived and greeted me with a big smile and led me up the stairs to one of the pods. The rooms are quite small but they carry that minimalistic theme and make you feel very calm. They have a cute wooden block to put your bag/coat/scarf/millions of layers and a mirror to make sure you don’t leave the spa looking like a hot mess after your treatment.

Spring Spa treatment room

Maria left the room while I undressed and got under the blankets. When she returned the lights were dimmed and relaxing music piped through the speakers. Maria started to work her magic starting with a pressure point type massage on my spine/shoulders – I felt my tense muscles instantly start to relax. The next 25 minutes were a bit of a blur as I totally blissed out but I do remember Maria working on my tense neck muscles (ouch!) and the knots in my shoulders (double ouch) yes it hurt, but it had to be done. By the time she had finished working on those areas it wasn’t painful anymore and I felt a million times better and she kept checking the pressure was ok which was lovely. I also remember hot towels being pressed down on my back at the end of the massage (to help remove the excess massage oil possibly?) and it was the most comforting, warming thing ever- such a nice way to finish a massage. I was disappointed when Maria announced the massage was over (could it not go on forever?) but at the same time I knew I felt way better than when I had walked in. Maria encouraged me to drink some water and take my time getting up.

I left the spa in a blissed out state, went home, drunk a bunch of water, went to bed early and had the most amazing deep sleep. I know my body was very thankful for the magical massage from Maria! I am eyeing up the Bliss Peeling Groovy Pod Facial as my next treatment to try.

Spring Spa is located in Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Bali. I visited Spring Spa Wellington Corner Tory and Jessie Street. For a 30 minute Spring Signature Pod Massage it was $50.

 

Krystle’s May Empties

I am shocking at using up my beauty products. I seem to have so many things on the go at any one time that it can take ages to actually finish a product. But I finally amassed a little selection and surprise, surprise it’s pretty much all products that I love and will most likely purchase again!

Here’s a little run down of each of them

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Parfum

My favourite perfume. It is perfect for any occasion day or night and just brings me so much happiness when I wear it. It has notes of Strawberry, Violet Leaves, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Gardenia, Violet Petals and is a fresh floral which is my favourite kind of scent. I already purchased a back up one of these last time I went through duty free as I just can’t like without it. I always go for the EDP as the fragrance lasts a lot longer.

L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Silver Shampoo

I had a love/hate attitude toward this product. It was really good at toning my hair and getting rid of those yellow tones every blonde hates. However it made my hair so super dry! I usually use a treatment conditioner once a week so I timed it to use with this shampoo but even then I felt like I needed lots of hair oil/serum through my ends to tame the frizz. I am currently using the Fudge violet shampoo and liking it a lot more than this one so I would not repurchase.

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo

Can’t live without this stuff. It is a lifesaver on those mornings when you sleep through your alarm and you don’t have time to wash your hair or even when you want to give it some volume and lift at the end of the day. The tropical one is my favourite scent.

Covergirl Outlast 3-in-1 Foundation Ivory

I remember first trying this when I was low on funds and just wanted a cheaper foundation – I am so glad I tried it! I have gone through about 3 bottles of this already. Its a primer, concealer and foundation in one, it looks really natural on but I can build it up if I am having a bad skin day. I still set it with powder as I can get shiny in my T-zone. The other thing I love is the colour. As a very pale girl it can be super hard to find the right shade of foundation and this is the perfect mix of pale with pink tones. Will definitely be repurchasing this.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

I thought I would love this, I read so many rave reviews that said it makes your hair feel like you have had an expensive salon treatment…but no! I followed the directions- only used it once a week, on towel dried hair but it just didn’t impress me. It’s pretty expensive and I just think there are better hair masques out there as it didn’t even leave my hair feeling silky smooth, but it did leave the shower super slippery! Keen to try some other conditioning treatments so I won’t be repurchasing this one.

Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator

This is a hydrating mask from the famous Joico K-Pak range. I did like it, but I wasn’t wowed by it. The fragrance is quite intense and the product feels quite thick on but when you wash it away the hair doesn’t feel super soft. I think it did help tame my frizzy ends and made my hair a bit shinier but I haven’t added it to my ‘must purchase again’ list just yet.

Michael Todd Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant

This was a great scrub but it seemed to last forever and I started to get sick of it! It did have a lovely fragrance and I loved that the it uses Papaya and Pineapple enzymes to exfoliate the skin. I will probably end up using this scrub again but at the moment I have other ones I want to try.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

I purchased this while I was still living in the UK (but you can order it from many international sites that will ship to NZ) It is a cult product and I can see why. I rationed this product as it is pricey but utterly gorgeous. It’s basically a hydrating mist that you can use to refresh your make-up, use as a base, or use as a serum before moisturiser. It tightens your pores, refreshes, and helps with dull skin. It is so nice in summer or even when you are just tired. The fragrance is sort of fresh and herb like- totally addictive. Even Victoria Beckham loves it. If you ever get a chance to try it I guarantee you will love it! I ordered a mini bottle as I couldn’t afford the full size but I can’t live without it now.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost

I use this product every morning and thankfully have a back up already. It is a zesty, silky smooth serum that I apply before my SPF moisturiser. It also provides a great smooth base for my make up and I love the fresh citrus scent- it helps me to wake up in the mornings! Like all Vitamin C products it helps to promote radiance and smooth skin. I notice a real difference in my skin when I don’t use this product so I think it will be included in my skincare regime for many more years to come.

What’s something you have used up this month?

 

 

A Winning Kiwi Eye Combo

Eye creams- they can be an annoying extra step in your skincare routine but they are so important! I have been using eye creams since I was about 18, when I found out that the skin around your eyes is as thin as tissue paper and gets dehydrated easily which leads to wrinkles. That made me paranoid and I have been dabbing on the eye cream for many years now. I could get away with a light eye cream until my mid 20’s and now I find I need something a little richer and also need to use it twice a day otherwise I start to notice the skin under my eyes gets very dry and red.

I have found a winning eye cream combo that has been working so well for me. They are Kiwi products, they de-puff my eyes in the morning and nourish at night without being too rich. They are slightly pricer products but they really make a difference.

Introducing…Linden Leaves Eye Rescue Serum & Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream

 

Linden Leaves Eye Rescue Serum with Organic White Tea $49.99

The thing I love most about this serum is the metal rollerball applicator. It is absolute bliss on my puffy eyes in the morning. It is a clear, super light serum that applies smoothly around the eye area and I find it absorbs quickly so I can apply my make up on top with no worries. The serum contains rose to tone and nourish and grapeseed oil to hydrate and balance the eye area. It contains a white tea fragrance but nothing too strong – I prefer my eye products to have minimal fragrance to lessen the chance of irritation and this ticks that box.

I find that in the winter months this rollerball is cold enough in the morning anyway but I love to put it in the fridge during summer to keep it extra cool and refreshing. Another bonus of Linden Leaves products is that they are cruelty free, have no chemical nasties and they use top quality organic and natural ingredients, fruit and flower oils and unique scent and essential oil blends. I really feel like Linden Leaves have upped their skincare game in the last couple of years and this eye serum is a winner.

Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream $52

This product is fragrance free which is great for the sensitive under eye area. However I tend to find fragrance free products can have a weird smell so I wish it had a light refreshing scent instead. This eye cream is very moisturising but still feels light when I apply it (dabbing with the pinky finger of course!) In this magical pot which seems to last forever there is; carrot seed oil, aloe gel and 100% pure avocado oil plus Vitamin C from kiwifruit which helps to repair damaged tissue. The cream itself melts into the skin so easily, so no tugging at the eye. It comes in a dark glass jar which does help to protect the product but it can be a bit hard to get out when it’s near the bottom. I definitely prefer squeezy tubes for eye creams, much less messy and germy.

Antipodes claims that this eye cream is “Scientifically shown to stimulate synthesis of collagen production in human skin cells by up to 82%”  I am not 100% sure on this claim but since using this eye cream the bags under my eyes have lightened and the skin around my eyes does feel a bit firmer. I’m actually a bit scared to stop using this cream as I have been looking a lot more awake since using this!

 

Do you use more than one eye cream…or is it just me?

 

iHerb Haul

Oh iHerb, how I love thee!

In some ways I wish I had never found out about this website but it is oh so good. Maybe not so good for my credit card though! Basically it is an American website that ships to NZ for a reasonable price and they have so many health, beauty and food products. If I hear someone rave about a product I add it to my wish list and about every 3 months I cave and place an order. The best thing about this website is you can easily find products which are not commonly sold in NZ and the prices are really good.

Here’s what I had in my order this time:

Bdellium Tools, Eyes 776 Blending Brush

Morgan from Hyacinth Girl talked about this brush in a blog post and I knew I had to try it. It’s comparable to the MAC 217 brush which I love. So far I’m pretty impressed it as it blends out eye shadow smoothly and is really soft. Will it replace my 217?  probably not, but always good to have extra blending brushes.

Heritage Products, Rosewater & Glycerin, Atomizer Mist Sprayer

Kiriana & Toni had raved about this spray so of course I had to get it. I can tell it’s going to get a lot of use over Summer as it is so cooling and refreshing, especially when kept in the fridge. It has the scent of fresh roses (not a Nana rose smell!) Officially addicted.

Nantucket Off-Shore, Renaissance Rub, Italian Seasoning for Grilling

I had been eyeing up the seasonings on iHerb for awhile, they have a huge selection. I went with this Italian one and it is delicious. I grilled some chicken breast with this seasoning and I look forward to trying it on different things like flatbreads and roast vegetables. It has the usual Italian flavours but is quite punchy due to the lemon zest and red pepper bits.

Queen Helene, Batherapy, Natural Mineral Bath Salts, Lavender Aromatherapy

One of the awesome things about iHerb is that they have a ‘product trial’ section where you can pick up samples or products for a low price (the idea being that you review them) In the past I have had face & foot masks, teas and vitamins but this time I went with some bath salts as they sound soothing and I love a good bath.

NOW Evening Primrose Oil
This was the main reason I actually made my order. I can’t live without Evening Primrose Oil now. I started taking it about three months ago as I had heard it was good for hormonal skin and general PMS hideousness. It took a good couple of months but I have definitely noticed a change in my skin and my GP even told me to keep taking them so I must be on to a good thing. For a massive tub of these soft gels its $15.93 (US) which is way cheaper than I could get them in NZ.

Alter Eco, Organic Salted Caramel Truffles, Dark Chocolate

I always try to add a food treat to my orders as they have amazing snacks, chocolates and health food. I am obsessed with anything Salted Caramel so these truffles caught my eye. Because they are dark chocolate I find I only need one to satisfy my cravings, definitely going to try some of the other truffles in this range.

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman, Miracle Complexion Sponge

I purchased this for a Christmas present as I already own one. I do love my Beauty Blender but this is a great, cheaper alternative. It can be used wet or dry and helps to apply your foundation smoothly.

Hurraw! Balm, Lip Balm in  Chai Spice, Coconut Mint Lemongrass & Night Treatment Balm.

Two of these were for Christmas presents and one for me. These are my favourite lip balms, they are vegan, cruelty free and use organic ingredients. I want to try all of them eventually. They are so creamy and just glide on the lips.

So that’s my little haul. If you haven’t made an iHerb order before you can use the discount code BHV636 to get $10 off orders over $40. (or $5  if under $40)

They recently changed their shipping costs which is a shame. However DHL is still the best option, gets to NZ in about 5 days and has tracking. The airmail option can take up to 4 weeks.

If you need any advice on other great iHerb products just let me know in the comments below or tweet me @KrystleF.

Krystle | Pick 5: Makeup items

I am not the master of packing lightly or only having a few key make up items. I am the girl who has the suitcase they attach the bright orange ‘HEAVY’ sticker to at the airport (mostly due to beauty products) My handbag is not dainty and cute. It is large, has my whole life in it and weighs as much as a small child. I truly do aspire to be like Toni and only take carry on luggage whenever I travel but my fear of being without something I need terrifies me. This is why I found it hard to pick just my top 5 make up products, however I have given it a go.

#1: MAC Lipstick in Crosswires

This is my current favourite lipstick. It is a pinky coral colour in the cremesheen formulation so it is hydrating and smooth on the lips. I feel like when I apply this colour it instantly brightens my complexion and mood. It is quite a bright colour for everyday wear but as I am so pale I find nudes/light pinks can wash me out so I love a pop of colour.

#2: Urban Decay Naked Palette

Toni loves the Naked 2 palette and I love the original. I have Naked 3 also but I find myself reaching for this one more often. It has such great neutral colours to create lots of different looks and as you can see I completely destroyed the ‘Sin’ colour as I loved it so much. When I travel I can take this palette and create daytime looks and easily make them more dramatic with the darker colours. I get so much inspiration on using this palette from other bloggers and YouTube. Shaaanxo recently posted a smokey eye look using it that I loved here.

#3: Eye of Horus Liquid Define

I heard so many people rave about this liquid eyeliner – it’s totally worth the hype. It is so easy to use, dries instantly, doesn’t smudge at all during the day, is opaque black and is easy to remove at the end of the day. It’s in pen form so you have a lot of control when applying it. I find myself reaching for this over my pencil eyeliners even just for an everyday look, but you can definitely make it more dramatic and wing it out/make it bolder if you want. A major plus for me is when the tip dries out/loses the fine point you can pull it out, flip it around and it’s like a new one! This video explains how to do it.

#4: MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

Last year my Mum was lucky enough to have her make up done by the amazing Hil Cook. The eye look she created on her was incredible and I noticed she used the Bare Study Paint Pot as an eye primer. I decided I needed to have it in my life and haven’t looked back. When I apply this underneath my eye shadow I get no creasing at all, the colours are more vibrant and it lasts longer. It has soft gold pearl reflects in it so it brightens the eye area, especially the inner corner. I even wear this on its own if I am applying make up quickly in the morning or just want a natural look.

#5: theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

The ultimate highlighter in my opinion, it gives you that nice glow that isn’t too over the top. I use it on my brow bone, cheekbones and cupids bow, plus it can double as an eye shadow if need be. I like to apply it lightly with a fan brush so it’s not a big stripe of shimmer on my cheek but you can build this up for more of a night time look. It is such a flattering champagne shade that suits so many skin tones and really brightens up your look.

If I really had to pack just a few make up items for a trip away it would probably be what is listed above with a few extras as shown in the picture below. However I did leave out my favourite mascara – Maybelline The Falsies!

 

What I really wanted to include in this post! L-R Eye of Horus Liquid Define, MAC Crosswires lipstick, Covergirl 3 in 1 foundation in Ivory, Mary-Lou Manizer, Pro Longwear Concealer NW15, NARS Orgasm Blusher, Sigma Clean Cut Brow Pencil, Naked Palette, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study.

 

Are you a light packer or do you take lots of make up away with you?

 

 

Krystle | Seche Vite

My well loved Seche Vite bottle.

I am the girl that always smudges my nail polish no matter how dry my nails ‘seem’ to be. It annoys me so much to spend ages with base coat, colour & top coat to then go and ruin it by smudging it all. I have tried quite a few quick dry top coats and drops and some of them have been ok but my life has been changed since discovering Seche Vite – no more ugly smudged nails for me!

Seche Vite is a clear top coat specially formulated to penetrate through nail colours to the base coat so there is a single solid coating over the nail plate which gives a really durable finish. It dries your nails so fast, makes them super glossy and more resistant to chipping.

I usually do a base coat, 2 coats of a polish and then apply the Seche Vite straight on over the top, no need to let your polish dry first. The consistency is like water when it goes on but don’t apply it too thickly, just a thin coat is needed and after about two minutes your nails are completely dry, nothing will smudge them. Seche Vite is awesome to use when you want to do your nails in a rush or if you just don’t want to sit around for hours waiting for your nails to dry thoroughly. I really like using it on top of textured polishes (like OPI Sand) as I hate the feeling of rough nails but I like the way they look. Seche Vite just makes your nails so smooth and shiny.

There are a couple of downsides to this product. The smell is intense, you definitely need to use it in a well-ventilated room and over time the product gets quite thick in the bottle and doesn’t go onto your nails as well. Apparently you can buy Seche Restore and add it to the product when it gets too thick but I haven’t tried that yet. I usually get about ¾ through a bottle and then I just buy a new one. I wish they just made it in smaller bottles.

I get mine from Beyond Beauty for $13 as most overseas websites will not ship nail polish.

Have you tried Seche Vite? What’s your favourite top coat?

 

Krystle | Kirkcaldies Haul

I have had a Kirkcaldie & Stains gift card burning a hole in my wallet ever since my birthday in December. Yup, nearly a whole year. Being the beauty addict that I am, I knew that it was going to be spent on makeup but then I became paralysed by the choice and overwhelming amount of products on my wish list. So after months of pondering (and a Mecca price drop) I decided on these items that I had been lusting after for a long time.

 

NARS Laguna Bronzing Powder

This really is the perfect bronzer. I am so pale and most bronzers look muddy/orange weird on me, but not this one. The diffused powder is really light with a subtle shimmer so you can build it up if you want a more bronzed look without looking like an orange disco ball. Great for contouring too. Utter perfection.

Stila In the Light Palette

I have heard so many good things about this palette, as well as hearing rumours that they are discontinuing all the ‘In the’ palettes in the near future so wanted to get my hands on this while I still could. The colours are gorgeous. I immediately gravitated towards ‘kitten’ it is so gorgeous & shimmery, I can tell that will be the first colour I hit pan on. There is a good mix of mattes and shimmers and it will be especially handy to have a matte black as that is something missing in my other palettes. It also comes with a smudge stick waterproof eyeliner in damsel (dark brown) which is great – it’s so much better than getting a poor quality brush with the palette. Top tip: Apparently the smudge sticks are hard to wind up; the trick is turning the bottom half anti clockwise while holding the top part with your thumb and index finger.

This was 5 days after I applied the polish – still looking pretty good!

Essie Splash of Grenadine Nail Polish

I love the formulation and brush that Essie polishes have. This colour has been on my wish list ever since it launched. It is the perfect summer colour. I have a weakness for pink/purple nail polishes and this is a beautiful mix of both. Essie describes this colour as sweet & sassy which I love; I can’t stop staring at my nails when I have this on.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #12

These lipsticks are a TOTAL indulgence but as I was buying it with the birthday gift card I thought I could justify it. I own one other Rouge Volupte that I purchased in the UK and I love it. These lipsticks have the most gorgeous packaging and the formulation is incredible. It’s almost like a glossy stain with lots of shine and it smells like juicy mangoes. I knew I wanted a coral shade as my other one is pink and I am so happy I went with Corail Incandescent, it is bright but super hydrating so I know it will become one of my favourites.

 

These items have already been welcomed with loving arms into my makeup collection and it feels amazing to be able to tick off a few things on my wish list. Kirkcaldies is one of my favourite stores for makeup and beauty in Wellington, plus they have an awesome Jo Malone pop up store that is worth checking out at the moment.

Krystle | The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

When I use a scrub on my face I want it to really feel like its scrubbing away all my sins (so to speak!) I have tried so many average face scrubs, most with questionable exfoliating particles and have always been disappointed. A few years ago I was introduced to the magic that is the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion from The Body Shop and have repurchased quite a few tubes over the years. This is the scrub I tell everyone to try, so I thought it was only right that I make this my first post for The Fab List.

Texture of the scrub (on my very pale hand!)

This scrub is one of those products that you know will always leave your skin looking & feeling amazing. It has a zesty fragrance and I love using it while in the shower once or twice a week to really wake me up. You only need a tiny bit for each use so I find it lasts for ages. I just rub it onto my face using small circular motions concentrating on problem areas like my nose, forehead and chin. It really polishes with the ultra-fine particles but it doesn’t irritate or dry out your skin like some scrubs can. It has a creamy texture with grainy particles through it that feel like tiny bits of sand.

The Body Shop describes this as a ‘home spa exfoliation’ which is so true; I have never tried another scrub or treatment that leaves your skin feeling like you just left the spa. It contains Amazonian camu camu berry – which has one of the highest contents of vitamin C in nature to help brighten your skin and make it glow. Plus it has shea butter & sweet almond oil to really nourish the skin as well so it isn’t too drying. You definitely want to apply a nourishing moisturiser after using this to keep your skin feeling smooth. I usually use a couple of drops of Rosehip oil and follow it up with an SPF moisturiser.

I highly recommend this scrub to everyone except those with sensitive skin. Just don’t have the water too hot when you rinse it off as the skin can be quite sensitive after such intense exfoliation. Use lukewarm water instead & finish with a splash of cold water to refresh the skin. I love how much brighter and smoother my skin is after I use this, my make up just seems to apply so much better once those pesky dead skin cells are out of the way. You can purchase this for $42 from The Body Shop stores in NZ.

What’s your holy grail scrub? Have you tried the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion before?