Spa treatments from home

23rd January 2021

By Katie Daly

Image courtesy of Unsplash

In light of lockdown 3.0, it’s looking like beauty salons won’t be open for a considerable amount of time. Lockdown is a really unfortunate mixture of stress and boredom, which is why we’re coming to you with inspiration for salon treatments at home that make for a DIY pamper evening to spice up the monotony of being stuck at home, whilst also helping you to unwind and de-stress in this worrying time.

1. Nails

It may be a while since we’ve seen the inside of our favourite nail salon, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still have beautiful nails. If you want to achieve pretty nails on a budget, you can purchase affordable nail varnishes online from Boots, Superdrug or LookFantastic. My favourite budget nail polishes are Rimmel’s 60 Second formula which comes in an array of colours, as well as offering glitter formulas. If you want to make a long-term investment in your nails, why not invest in a gel nail kit? You can buy the Mylee Gel Nail kit, retailing for £60 from FeelUnique that comes with the lamp, a gel base coat, a gel top coat, gel remover and a prep and polish wipe liquid. From there you can buy gel polishes and the necessary accessories such as a buffer, a nail file and lint free wipes, to achieve a salon grade manicure at home! This doesn’t have to be a difficult process either. On clean nails, gently buff the top surface, prep the nails with the base coat, colour layer and top coat, curing under the lamp after each layer for 30 seconds. Finish with a coin sized amount of hand cream and by moisturising your cuticles with cuticle oil, which can be bought from Boots for as little as £6.95 for the Sally Hansen Nail Care Vitamin E Cuticle and Nail Oil. You could also push the boat out and treat yourself to a pedicure too!

2. Face masks

Applying a face mask is a really relaxing treatment that your skin can reap the rewards from. You can buy one online, my favourite is the Body Shop Rose Fresh Plumping Face Mask (£6 for 15ml or £18 for 75ml) or the Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Mask which both leave your skin feeling smooth and looking radiant. The Body Shop is also a great brand as their products contain natural products and are cruelty free. Why not treat yourself and run a hot bath, light some tea lights and enjoy a soak whilst you leave your mask on? If you’re not a fan of a shop bought mask, it can be fun to make your own! Of course, if your skin is particularly sensitive, it may be worth testing your homemade mask on your hand before applying to your face. To make your mask, mix together:

1 tsp honey

1 tsp coconut oil

¼ ripe avocado

2 drops of lavender oil

You can apply the mask with either your fingers or a brush. This is an activity which can also be fun to do with your friends. The current situation makes it really difficult to socialise but if you’re missing girls’ night, why not all buy the face mask ingredients, connect over FaceTime and enjoy a pamper night together over a glass of wine!

3. Hair care

Having silky smooth hair that smells amazing can make you feel a lot better if you’re feeling a bit low. We recommend slathering your freshly washed damp hair in a hair mask and letting it sit for 15 minutes and then rinsing out and styling using a hair oil to create silky locks. We love the Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food Papaya Hair Mask which can be purchased from Superdrug for £6.99 and the Pantene Repair and Protect hair oil which retails for less than £3.50. If you’re feeling particularly luxurious, you could get out your roller brush and hairdryer and blow dry your hair. There are tutorials on YouTube which can teach you how to achieve a professional looking blow dry at home. This is a fun idea for when you’re feeling particularly bored, and if you nail it, it could be something you take forward when we’re able to go on nights out again, that may save you a few pennies!

4. Lashes and brows

If you’re feeling that little bit more adventurous, why not give your lashes and brows a little TLC? You can buy kits like the Eylure Dybrow brow tinting kit to add some definition back to your brows. You can also find lash tint and lift kits on Amazon. Luscious lashes can make you feel like a whole new person and is similarly something fun to try over FaceTime with your friends. Of course, always do a patch test before applying these products to ensure you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients.

It’s really important that we all look after ourselves at the moment and a self-care evening can be a really rewarding way of having some ‘me’ time.