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ESPA
Who and what are ESPA?
The ESPA brand was created by spa guru Susan Harmsworth. She "believes that as our world increases in speed there is a powerful and deep need to stop, consider and rediscover our natural balance". ESPA's philosophy is "focused upon enhancing an individual's lifestyle in a way that is both holistic and versatile".
ESPA's spa products and spa treatments use elements of aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, thalassotherapy, and phytotherapy. The essential oils used in their products are of a "clinical standard".
ESPA are a "total spa company". They don't just make products and create treatments. They provide therapist training, spa management consultancy, and a spa design service. The spa at Four Seasons was designed by ESPA, as was the new uber-stylish Gleneagles spa.
They Say:
"ESPA is many things -- it is not dominated by one single element but is a fusion of many. Deep within our philosophy is the determination to combine the best of ancient and modern therapies with the finest quality ingredients and skin care advances."
We Say:
"A top-end spa brand, as you'd expect from one of the big spa players. Choose the products you remember from an ESPA spa treatment and you'll be in for a treat."
ESPA products - What have we tried?
Swedish Spy:
This is a beautiful soap (oops, sorry, Cleansing Bar) with a gorgeous, creamy texture. It is hard to describe exactly why the texture of the ESPA Energising Cleansing Bar is so good when compared to other creamy bars, but there is something very classically appealing in the snow-white, perfectly balanced creamy/cleansing feel.
The fragrance of the ESPA Energising Cleansing Bar is anything but classical, though. No soapy/powdery floral aroma here, but a quite robust fragrance that I am sure appeals equally to both genders. It is bracing and citrusy-resinous, yet strangely sensual with none of the sweetness that usually comes under that description.
A little gift to the man in your life, perhaps? If he's the grooming type, I am sure it will be very much appreciated.
RRP £6.00
Swedish Spy:
A tall, frosted glass bottle with a mock-granite top. Pleasantly weighted in your hand, as you slip it out of the long maroon-purple box. There's a useful drop-dispensing insert so you don't end up with oil where it's not intended. A promise of non-silly pampering, if I read the intentions of this product right.
Once opened, a quick sniff of the contents confirm this view. Mmm, that citrus top scent again, with an underpinning of woods and herbs. Like it means business.
And indeed it does. The ingredient list reveals a nourishing base oil blend including sweet almond and avocado, souped up with detoxifying essential oils of sage, citrus, eucalyptus, juniper and cypress -- to assist circulation, aid slimming, help the body rid itself of toxins and tone the skin.
According to the little leaflet in the box, ESPA would like to see you apply this regularly with circular, lymph draining strokes towards the heart. This of course makes eminent sense, and at the very least you will end up with soft and toned skin. If the lymph drainage theory is anything to go by, you will also support your immune system and skin health by doing so.
ESPA avoid making slimming claims, but I have a hunch that "detoxifying" is modern marketing speech for "slimming". The ingredients certainly support that view, although the essential oils themselves, stimulating as they are, are unlikely to have that effect unless supported by lifestyle changes.
A very nice body oil, whether you have those expectations or not.
RRP £17.00 - 50ml
Sensitive Spy:
This sweetly scented bath oil makes a relaxing bath even more relaxing. Run a deep, warm bath and recline in a fragrant haze of sweet orange, lavender, rose geranium, and myrrh. It's not too strongly scented. ESPA recommend that you add an inner capful to your bath -- I was happier with two or three inner capfuls.
The instructions recommend that you "lie back and soak in the bath for at least 20 minutes" which are the sort of instructions I like. This ESPA bath oil is great if you like to wallow in the bath for an eternity. You won't go wrinkly, and you'll emerge with softly scented skin.
RRP £23.00 - 100ml
ESPA Balancing Face Treatment Oil
Sensitive Spy:
I certainly have a face that needs balancing, with my classic combination skin woes of oily forehead and dry cheeks. I was a little dubious about dabbing even more oil on my already shiny forehead but I needn't have worried.
ESPA Balancing Face Treatment Oil is a blend of sweet almond, macadamia, jojoba, evening primrose and coconut oil, boosted by a veritable shopping list of essential oils to "naturally calm, nourish and renew". There's carrot root oil, lemon peel oil, rose, orange, neroli, frankincense...
You're instructed to massage four or five drops between your palms, press the oil over your face, and "breathe in the deeply fragrant aromas". The oil smells gorgeously "spa" thanks to the essential oils, so this little ritual is well worth the effort. My only gripe is that the oil is packaged in a trademark tall, thin ESPA bottle without a drop dispenser. You tend to dispense too much at a time and the bottle is quite easy to knock over.
Over a matter of days my oily forehead lost its shine and my cheeks were smoothed and plumped. I was sad when I shook the last fragrant drops out of the bottle. If you have combination skin, buy this. It works.
RRP £46.00 - 28ml
Sweet Spy:
I had lots of questions when I received ESPA's Essential Cleansing Gel to try. Is it a cleanser? Is it a shower gel? Is it a shampoo? Isn't a multi-purpose product a bit too much like Wash 'n' Go and not very decadent at all?
This "superbly versatile" product isn't very clear on just how versatile it really is. So, confused by the packaging, I began by using it on my face. It's a soap free gel with lavender, rose geranium, rosewood and coconut oils in it -- nothing that sounds too harsh. I found that, as a facial cleanser, the Essential Cleansing Gel is fine for a day or two but after that my skin started to feel a bit dry. I am guessing now that it was probably not meant for use as a facial cleanser, and I do wish it was a bit clearer on the packaging what the product is actually for.
So, disappointed with its merits as a facial cleanser, I tried using the Essential Cleansing Gel in the shower. At £16.50, it's got to be the most expensive shower gel I've ever used -- but it met my shower gel requirements perfectly. It cleaned my skin, and as a bonus, it smelled lovely. The Gel doesn't hold up so well as a bath product. It's not quite up to the moisturising standard of a bath oil or to the bubbly standard of other bath products, but it does a better job than other shower gels would.
In the spirit of finding out just how versatile the ESPA Essential Cleansing Gel is, I also tried it as a shampoo, as suggested by the ESPA website. It wasn't great on my prone-to-becoming-tangled hair and I needed to use a lot of conditioner afterwards.
All in all, the Essential Cleansing Gel does a lot of things, but not especially well. Although I wouldn't use it at home, I would consider it if I was on a short trip and needed to travel light, or if I wanted something to through into my gym bag and use every now and then.
RRP £16.50 - 250ml
Sweet Spy:
I took the ESPA Body Silk Spray away with me on holiday. I knew I'd be baring my legs more than usual and would be grateful for the "silky, smooth sheen without oiliness" that the product claims to give.
ESPA Body Silk Spray promises "immediate radiance", along with softened and moisturised skin. This is down to the ivy, mallow, and jojoba oil. I assume the same ingredients can also be held responsible for the lovely scent, which does a good job of keeping you smelling fresh and nice on a hot day.
I must admit that this product is something I would never ordinarily invest in. I never wander the streets thinking "Oh, I really need a sheen on my legs right now" and I like to keep my bathroom clutter to a minimum. But, in defence of the Body Silk Spray, it did leave a nice sheen to my skin at times when moisturiser had worn off. It didn't, however, moisturise enough for me to forego my after-shower moisturiser altogether. Also, for something that is intended to be used throughout the day, "avoid contact with clothes" is probably not an ideal guideline.
RRP £23.00 - 100ml
Shy Spy:
Although I am too lazy to use toner on a day-to-day basis, I was tempted back into the routine by this fresh-smelling ESPA version (yes, it is that dastardly spa speak -- for "Spafresh" read "toner").
With rosemary, tea tree, lavender and English peppermint, this toner is healing and astringent without smelling like an antiseptic, and manages to freshen without drying. I have combination skin, and it seemed to have just about the right balance between hydration and cleansing for my skin type. The toner is packaged in a glass bottle, and to apply you dab the liquid onto damp cotton wool after cleansing. A "spritzer" version is available too. The bottle isn't exactly exciting to look at, but it's easy to use. While I'm not sure that I'll stick to this routine, ESPA's Spafresh did make me consider converting to the cleanse-tone-moisturise mantra...
RRP £23.00 - 100ml
Shy Spy:
Packaged in a squeezable tube in the signature ESPA burgundy, this body polish is a minty clear gel to be applied to dry skin. The Exfoliating Body Polish has a fresh spearmint scent, and smoothes on easily on dry skin. There's no abrasive chunks to damage sensitive skin - there's some flat-ish bits in the gel, but they don't have much of a scrubbing effect.
After massaging the gel onto my limbs, I rinsed it off under the shower. The polish left my skin silky, without any annoying chunks of scrub still attached. The product did leave my skin feeling slightly softer, but as the product is quite gentle, it didn't have as noticeable an effect as other body exfoliators I've tried.
ESPA Exfoliating Body Polish is perfect if you want a gentle exfoliator, and its fresh smell is hard to dislike too.
RRP £27.00 - 200ml
Single Spy:
Quite often when doing my blind sensory test before an ESPA spa treatment, I choose this appealing oil. The Fitness oil is a blend of pure essential oils including clove buds, rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender. I love its deep, spicy tang and the warm, woody atmosphere that it generates. Sitting in a bath brimming with this oil calms my stress, replenishes and energises. The oil is meant to ease aching muscles, but it can also ease an aching mind. I love it, and have ordered fifty crates.
RRP £23.00 - 100ml
Where can I try ESPA products?
You can try ESPA products at these spas:
- Gleneagles, Perthshire
- K Spa at K West, London
- Lansdowne Place Hotel, East Sussex
- Rookery Hall, Cheshire
- Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire
Where can I buy ESPA products?
See also:
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