OK Magazine - May 2004

BEAUTY

An exhausted Emma jets off to Ireland to rest up and enjoy one of their finest spas.

There's something wonderfully decadent about taking yourself off for a weekend of fund and pampering in a fabulous hotel. If for no other reason it's the fact that at some point during the day - hopefully while you're lying somewhere with cucumbers on your eyes having a foot massage - someone will come and make your bed.

I whisked myself off to the amazing Wells Spa at the BrookLodge Hotel, in Country Wicklow. Set in the heart of the Emerald Isle, the spa is an oasis of peace, tranquillity and calm providing some of the most scrumptious spa menus I've ever had the pleasure of indulging in. I simply had to try the Float Therapy, £53, which involved floating on top of a 30cm deep pool of saltwater in a tank built to eliminate all light and sound. The experience promotes deep relaxation but also treats fatigue and stress and can boost the immune system. The one hour treat will have you feeling like a new person.

I'm never one to stop at just one treatment and my second felt as though it had been custom-made for me. The Decleor Aroma Nutrival, £66, is a soothing, calming treatment for dry and dehydrated skin. It increases the skin's resistance to the harmful effects of the environment while hydrating to diminish fine lines caused by dry skin. After treatments you can enjoy the swimming pool, steam room and Jacuzzi whose water is sourced from the wells in the grounds of the hotel.

Away from the sap I retired to the divine comfort of my kingsize bed for an afternoon nap before tarting myself up for spot of dinner at the Strawberry Tree restaurant. And I felt entirely saintly about it because all the food, which for the most part is grown on the grounds, is completely organic.

By: Emma Gunavardhana