CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS – now where did that idea come from?

As I’ve been recuperating from my hip replacement op, I’ve had great fun conjuring up this year’s Christmas special therapies.

The theme for these has been bubbling (if you’ll pardon the pun) for a few years, so having the time to finally bring them to fruition (also sorry!) has been thoroughly enjoyable.

I’m delighted to bring to you My Retreat’s Christmas Cocktails! Now, many of you know that I don’t drink alcohol so this is the best way I can think of to enjoy a cocktail or two, as a pampering treat. I don’t think you’d enjoy the real thing any better than these!

As usual I start with an idea, and as I’ve said I’ve had this one on the list of themes for a while, so truth be told, I can’t really remember when I first thought to do it. I think it may well have been when I did a hand and foot therapy several years ago called Winter Wassail, and it got me thinking about other Christmas drinks.

The next phase is always research, which involves trawling the internet for lots of potential contenders. There were some that I felt naturally lined up to be included like mulled wine and buck’s fizz, but others were a little more of a challenge. Some I really like the idea of but don’t make the final cut, like Plum Pudding Punch, but I’ll keep that in reserve should I ever revisit this theme, so all is never lost.

Once I had selected my favourites, I then had to research possible products that would allow me to create the aromas and ideas behind the cocktails. Usually, I go to my core ranges first. These are the product houses that I know, love, and trust the most so I will always try to keep within their ranges wherever possible. But obviously with such unique and specific smells and ‘tastes’ to recreate I’ve had to look further afield for some. I always look for high-quality spa products whenever possible, and other criteria around animal cruelty, vegan, organic also are involved. At the end of the day, if I wouldn’t use it on myself, I wouldn’t use it on my clients.

So let me take you through each therapy and explain the treats waiting for you and how they’ve been created.

The Mulled Wine Spiced Hand Ritual.

Well, no Christmas drinks list could omit a mulled wine and the aromas of orange, cinnamon, and clove are quintessential at this time of year. Many salons and spas will use a similar blend for seasonal massages, I have myself, so this time I wanted to do something a little different and decided on the hands and lower arms.

These are areas that are often overlooked when it comes to real pampering, although we may get our nails done, when was the last time you had a hand massage? We hold so much tension in our arms and hands, especially using technology. But also, in the winter our hands often suffer from the cold, so they really deserve an extra treat. I blend the oil myself from essential oils and a base oil. In this case I chose pomegranate seed oil for its intense moisturising properties, and to maintain the theme. I use it for the massage of hands and lower arms, plus neck and shoulders when the hands are in their heated mittens. I supplement with luscious Temple Spa products that layer the aromas further with bergamot, fig and pomegranate. The products I’m using for this hand ritual are the hand wash and lotion duo and ever-popular Sugar Buff for the scrub.

The Buck’s Fizz.

As many people treat themselves to one on a Christmas morning and with such a lovely orange aroma and the fizziness it is great for any celebration.

This therapy came together easily as Temple Spa’s premium range has champagne extract, and they have an orange fizzing exfoliator, orange concentrate and glycolic toner – so I had to look no further. The facial I’ve created is ideal for this time of year as these products all contain Vitamin C which rejuvenates and smooths the skin. The truffle also infuses luminosity which will help to give the skin a glow that’s perfect for party-time.

The Eggnog.

Made with eggs, milk and various spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla with bourbon or rum usually. I really felt it should be included in my list, but the spices were too similar to the mulled spices, so when I discovered a chocolate version I was thrilled! I mean, chocolate at Christmas… of course!

I have some wooden massage eggs, so knew I’d want to include those, so did consider this for the back massage until I discovered a fantastic range of professional pedicure products that had a chocolate line. Made with clean, vegan, paraben-free and gluten-free formulas they’re up to My Retreat’s standards, smell deliciously of chocolate and I’ve added a further touch of fragrance which has hints of rum, vanilla, and cloves. Enjoy a four-step foot treat, with soak, scrub, masque and massage – not forgetting the eggs which help knead into those calf muscles to promote relaxation. Perfect after a day’s Christmas Shopping.

The Espresso Martini.

I felt I needed something extra special for the back, that was more than just a massage. In previous years I have done a candle massage so that was in the back of my mind when I was looking through the potential cocktails. When my research threw up an espresso martini – I thought aha! And then I discovered a coffee and vodka fragranced massage candle – the joy! This is a hand-poured vegan and cruelty-free candle that uses only the most natural ingredients, including a cotton, lead-free wick. 100% natural emollients, no paraffin, no petroleum products, no chemical dyes. Only the best for us!

But even then, I felt I wanted to go further and as I know that coffee is a fantastic exfoliant, it lends itself to a great back scrub. By exfoliating first, the skin nourishing ingredients of soybean oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and vitamin E are better absorbed into the skin to leave your back scented, smooth, and soft.
Coffee is also a great stimulant as we know, the aroma is fresh and energising, so whilst you will very well relax during this therapy, you’ll feel invigorated afterwards.

The Mojito.

And last, but not least, is the mojito! Mint, lime, soda, sugar… and usually white rum, such a delicious fragrance combination, it lent itself with being close to the nose! I decided to use this as inspiration for a hair treatment and incorporate the face and neck and shoulders while the treatment is doing its thing.

For this I decided to create the hair treatment myself with fresh mint and lime, as well as the essential oils, steeped in jojoba oil which is the best hair oil. After applying and wrapping the head in warm towels, I use a foaming lime cleanser on the face before massaging with ice globes to represent the ice in the drink. Some people are put off by the idea of cold massage, but don’t be! It’s so refreshing, has fantastic benefits for the skin in terms of circulation and lifting, and is not so cold you can’t relax and enjoy it. Finishing off with a soothing mint moisturiser before massaging neck, shoulders and up into the scalp. The massage is deeply relaxing and stretching for tight muscles and works the treatment deeper into the hair.

The facial products are from a professional range called Naturally Thinking, and are vegan, cruelty and paraben-free.

Each of the therapies begin with a little aperitif. Well, it is Christmas! This helps bring you into the space, grounds you and starts the relaxation process. It’s also a little bit of fun as I’ll be cleansing your feet and hands with a sparkling and cooling fizz. At the close, I’ll also stimulate reflexes on the head, hands and feet to begin to awaken the senses.

It’s often difficult to know how long each of the therapies will take, and to create a package, it’s usually best to have them the same length. Obviously with experience you get a feel of what the general timings will be, but I never know for sure, so I usually run a trial first. My lucky Elite members get to be the recipients of these trials as one of the perks of their membership, and it gives me great feedback. However, with being incapacitated at the moment, I’ve had to go with my gut instinct that they will take around 45 minutes each. I will still trial them once I’m up and about to practice the flow and check all the products are doing what I would expect, but in order start to market I had to pin down a timing and price. I can adapt to manage the timings, especially as they are shorter therapies.

As it’s Christmas and to allow myself some flexibility on my phased return I have decided to offer these individually as well as in combinations, which you can choose. I don’t often do shorter therapies, especially less than an hour, so do take advantage to come and have a treat for yourself. I’d love to know which ones you’d like to try and also your feedback on the creative process I’ve described.

With love,
Julia x.