Retreats have never been more popular from, beauty to health there’s a retreat to suit all tastes. If I have a head ache I reach for the aspirin, if I can’t sleep I take a sip of night nurse, If my back hurts I’m in the medicine cabinet before I’ve even considered the cause of the problem. Or at least that was the old me.  The most positive aspect of the Vital Detox Retreat was the awareness the program instilled  into me. The realisation that what I’m putting in my body and the emotional stresses I experience  have a result directly on my well being and health, it all seems so obvious now. I would 100% recommend a detox for anyone who wants to look and feel better.

The Vital Detox Retreat is a weeklong residential detox course set against the backdrop of the stunning Welsh countryside. The retreat offers a friendly and safe environment to cleanse both the body and the mind. The retreat champions fasting in order to give your body an opportunity to clean out the toxins that you have accumulated throughout your life. The intake of everyday items, coffee, wine, cleaning  products and cosmetics can all effect the body negatively. The Vital team  also work on understanding the role stress can play on the body and how this in turn can leave the body exhausted and upset the delicate hormonal balance.

The Vital Detox Retreat offers the usual deprivation of food and endless juices but they also offer some much more appealing and unusual courses aimed at helping you reclaim your sense of inner peace and stillness

Emotional Detox

The emotional Detox is the” transformatory “part of the retreat or so they say. Within the retreat package you are offered a session with their resident homeopath  ‘Anna.’ She believes there is a direct link between emotions and the physical efficiently of the body . Healthy mind healthy body is her philosophy and it is certainly a philosophy well worth opening up to.

Coaching and Astrology

A particularly useful aspect of the detox course was the focus on how to maintain and implement what you have learned. Not satisfied in sending you back out into the big bad world to relapse into bad habits the Vital team use a combination of coaching and astrology to help you integrate what you have been taught into your home life.

Raw Food Feast

At the end of the week you are rewarded with a so called feast of raw foods to welcome you back into a world of solids. I’m only too aware that as your sitting reading this you may well be thinking raw food and feast are not two words synonymous with one another.  However let me tell you after a week long fast, solid, real food will have you positively salivating. Sure it’s still no bacon sandwich but by this point in your detox your be armed with the facts behind what happens when you put the wrong things into your body and trust me you won’t want anything else.

For £9.95 a month, you can get your hands on a beautiful box with 5 deluxe beauty products inside which will be delivered free to your door, every 4 weeks.

Beauty boxes like Glossy Box and Boudoir Prive have taken the cosmetic world by storm and are regularly reviewed by bloggers and YouTube gurus. So far, Feel Unique subscribers have received sample sizes of a number of luxury products such as Redken Hairspray, Xen-Tan and a Burberry Body fragrance tester.

The packaging and the box itself look very grown up, with a sleek black exterior and purple writing, there’s even a cute little ribbon so that you can pull out the draw!

According to the official website, if you fall in love with any of the samples “you’ll be able to access all the products you’ve tried in the ‘Beauty Box’ area of ‘Your Account’. This is your instant reference to the products you’ve been sent and makes purchasing the full-size quick and easy. You’ll also receive special reward discounts along the way so you can really stock up!”

The box contents are worth approximately £40 in total which is incredible seeing as you’re paying under £10.00 each month.

In my opinion, this is an excellent way to discover new products and is also a good New Year’s treat so that you’re motivated to stick with your resolutions!

Natalie Lerer

This year don’t get the January blues instead get the January rainbow on your nails!!!

After all the partying all the food and all the Christmas joy, January can feel like a rather long, sad, and blue month so you can turn your frown upside down by adding some colour into your nails.

Nail Rock is a range of nail wraps that stay on for up to7 days on nails and up to 8 weeks on the toes. It takes about 15 minutes to apply and they are just Fan-tabulous they come in so many different colours it is almost uncountable. The quickest up lift I’ve ever gotten, nail rock can work wonders on your not so good nails after a much celebrated Christmas and New Year without breaking the bank.

Here are 10 easy steps to get your nails in order with Nail Rock:

1. Push back your cuticles.
2. Shape and file the nail edge.
3. Remove shine on nails with nail buffer.
4. Clean the nail using some polish remover.
5. Take the Nail Rock wrap nearest to your nail size or trim if you need to.
6. Do not touch the adhesive side of the wrap.
7. Place at the cuticle edge and press down on to the nail and smoothing the wrap from the middle to the outside edges of the nail.
8. If you have any creases apply pressure and smooth again.
9. Stretch firmly over the free edge of your nail and use your nail.
10. Taking a smooth nail file, remove excess wrap by running file under the nail.

If you are eager to accentuate your curves but have no clue how to do so…simply read on. All it takes is a simple trick to bring all attention to the tiniest part of your waist. If you wear clothes that nip in at the waistline it creates the illusion of an hourglass figure and curvy attire. Peplum is the perfect option as they are made perfectly to do so. I warn this trend does not suit everyone but there are one or more options to find the perfect peplum for you.

At MACS we will break down the most popular peplums that have been featured on the runway this year ready for next year spring. Call this an exclusive sneak preview…

Mini Peplum

Still current, the larger than life ladylike peplum has now been transformed into a minimalist mini peplum which provides a cleaner, volumised light ruffle around the waist. The larger ruffle is harder to pull off than the mini ruffle which is why this is more suitable and kinder to the everyday retail shopper.

Drop-waist Peplum

1920’s is a definite inspiration for spring 2012 which has been incorporated into creating this drop-waist peplum. They are usually placed upon the waist but this is unexpected and subtle to the eye. Bonus if you don’t feel comfortable with your tummy area equals an instant disguise.

Peplum Top

This trend is perfect for those situations when you get told to arrive at a celebration “dressy casual”. Personally I find it hard to find items that aren’t too dressy for casual events and vice versa. Problems have now been solved with the peplum top; in many shapes and forms from blouses to simple t shirts they add immediate feminine flared flow to any outfit.

Christmas is the perfect time to shop not just for presents for the family but for that all important indulgent treat. This is the perfect time for cosmetic lovers because of all the Christmas offers and special gift boxes!

Estee lauder, Olay, Nivea, N7, Soap & Glory…these are some of the amazing brands that have Christmas gift ideas in beautiful packages specially made for this time of year. There is nothing more satisfying to me than a bag from MAC with my present inside. I’m absolutely in love with all things make up and beauty.

Christmas is approaching and some shoppers have already started to look around for that perfect present. Here are some of the perfect Christmas gifts and ideas for Christmas fun.

Lancôme Christmas crackers are a festive addition to the family fun in Christmas day. They are the only crackers that I’ve ever found useful, the gifts you get are phenomenal and they are a girly treat that would go down great in my house. They cost £38.00 in Selfridges, but they are definitely worth every penny.

This Estee Lauder gift set may break the bank a bit, but we are all entitled to indulge ourselves or our significant lovers in this magnificent piece of heaven in our beauty collection.

You get a fantastic red cosmetics bag, along with brushes, an endless amount of colours, eye shadows, bronzers and anything your pre packed heart of beauty desires.

This is a definite stocking filler for me. I’ll write on the card ‘from the Cows to you’. I love Cowshed and Selfridges is offering this gift set for £52.00 and it is heavenly. It has bath and shower gel, two candles, a body lotion, and more. This is purrr-fect for those winter nights in just you candle light, music and the cows.