This is a new and uniquely personalised hot stone massage that gently releases tension, soothes aching muscles, eliminates toxins, rebalances energy levels and calms mind and body.

The secret is in the intuitive way the therapist uses her hands in harmony with nine smooth, individually shaped, heat releasing marble and slate stones. It is a sensorial journey in which the therapist uses first her hands, and then the stones as an extension of her hands to rebalance the body’s energy flow and relax muscles. The effect is intensified by a melting gel, rich in deeply relaxing or invigorating aromatic essential oils.

Simply blissful!

Price £63.00

Treatment Time 75 minutes

If you have booked a spa day or spa break and need to choose some treatments, why not request the Clarins Melting Honey Hot Stone Massage online.  To help you make up your mind here’s some reviews from people who have recently experienced the treatment.

“Wow! A really blissful treat.  I felt totally restored and at peace with the world afterwards.”

“Lovely treatment, very hands on and attentive, stones were perfect pressure wise and the heat was wonderful.  I felt totally relaxed throughout the treatment and this was carried through for the rest of the day which resulted in the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.”

It is therefore extremely prestigious to be listed in their annual awards….. as they are compiled from the results of consumers’ reviews.

Ragdale Hall is listed 4th in the Top 25 Relaxation/Spa Hotels in the UK. The listing is based wholly on the ratings given by travellers on their visit and experience of spas and spa hotels.

We are extremely grateful for all the feedback and lovely reviews posted on tripadvisor.co.uk by our guests.

]]> http://spabeauty-news.ragdalehall.co.uk/ragdale-hall-news/ragdale-hall-listed-in-prestigious-tripadvisor-co-uk-awards-2012/feed/ 0 http://spabeauty-news.ragdalehall.co.uk/health-beauty-news/glamorous-new-you-week/ http://spabeauty-news.ragdalehall.co.uk/health-beauty-news/glamorous-new-you-week/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 13:53:09 +0000 Anna http://spabeauty-news.ragdalehall.co.uk/?p=1217 Ever wanted to reinvent yourself in to a new, more glamorous self, but never had the time to do it? Then Ragdale Hall’s Glamorous New You Week (7th – 14th May) is the perfect opportunity to do so. Now girls, every time we hear Mr Jones belting out ‘She’s a Lady’ we all have images of ourselves glammed up in a beautiful cream dress, turning heads whilst we strut down Rodeo Drive! Wouldn’t that be lovely? All that wonderful shopping and pampering? Come along to Ragdale Hall during this special week and you too can be a Pretty Woman! From head to toe there’s something to suit everyone!

The Boutique have a wide range of beautiful clothing to suit every shape and size. After the Fashion Showcase there’s a Personal Shopping morning and our experts will rally round after you suggesting styles, colours and accessories to suit any occasion (from the Polo to the Opera!). They also stock the superb Not Your Daughter’s Jeans range, these fantastic jeans will lift and smooth in all the right places to make you look like you’ve dropped a dress size with those extra feminine curves. However, it’s always good to start with the foundations so why not take a look at the beautiful new Lejaby lingerie range from the demure to the daring, almost 70% of women are wearing the wrong size bra join our experts for a fitting and see a brand new you – after all ‘the less you wear, the more it matters!’

If you’re a fitness fanatic or a fitness phobe there’s classes to get you all on your feet! The ‘Warning, Curves Ahead!’ class is perfect for work on your chest, waist, bum and thighs for those all important killer curves. Belly Dancing is also part of the programme; a great way to keep you fit and healthy whilst toning, this fabulously feminine workout is a giggle-a-minute! Chair Dance is also on offer, this ultra sexy routine is quite simply the sassiest way to work up a sweat and get your pulse racing! No strip, just tease…working out has never been this much naughty fun!

Now Ragdale Hall have your curves in place and underwear to accentuate them, partnered with the perfect outfit – your glamorous self is ready and raring to go! Well, not quite yet, in between all these fabulous activities you haven’t even explored the fantastic facilities Ragdale Hall have to offer including the Thermal Spa a luxury adult playground with several heat and water experiences, perfect for bringing out the true glamour puss in you! There’s also the incredible special treatments that are on offer and our skincare workshops where you can ask our experts for all their hints and tips for the best skincare and body care routines along with a few little beauty secrets for that special touch of glamour.

If you’re pushed for time and need a few final glamour fixes,why not visit our Beauty Bar for a Minx nail treatment, these fabulous designs are a quick, easy and effective alternative to nail polish – with no drying time!! Alternatively there’s the Sparkle and Shine package which is a wash and blow dry or set in our luxurious Hair Studio with our experienced stylists and a Leighton Denny Custom Manicure. For those final touches, make a quick trip to the Beauty Shop for a glamorous make-over with our skincare specialists who will tailor it specifically to colours and products that suit your skin.

Before you leave Ragdale Hall, you must indulge in champagne and canapés whilst you ponder how on earth you’re ever going to fit your usual hectic schedule around your glamorous new self! You never know Richard Gere could be stood on the helicopter pad waiting to whisk you off your feet!

Susan Posnick herself was, and still is a very busy career woman and working mum, and after painting faces of models and celebrities in her previous role, has now put this aside to focus on developing her range that promises to offer substantial sun protection and healthy foundation coverage.

As well as us everyday women, Susan also has a long line of celebrities who adore her ‘simple modern beauty’ approach to the range she delivers, Alexandra Burke’s must have product is the COLORFOREVER® lip gloss and her favourite colour is Rod because of its rosy pink tones.

Top make-up artist Kenneth Soh highly recommends and calls it; “an intense colour that blends out to a beautiful stain that smells great and acts as a great multitasker; just buff it onto cheeks and lips and you are good to go.”

Susan Posnick products available in Ragdale Hall’s Beauty Shop are listed below – call 01664 434411 ext 303 to purchase via mail order:

Colorflo Foundation £44.95

Colorflo Refill £22.50

Colorme Blusher £22.50

Colorcorrect Concealer £13.50

ColorEyedefine £25.50

Color Essential Lipstick £18.50

ColourDuo Lip Liner £18.50

Sharpener £4.50

For the full range of Susan Posnick products visit her website at www.susanposnick.com or visit Susan Posnick’s blog make beauty simple – a must for all you everyday women.

Perhaps you’re looking at booking a relaxing hen party for you and your girls, a spa day is the perfect way to enjoy your hen party and everyone will love it…even your mother-in-law!!! Ragdale has plenty to offer and there’s heaps to do with the wide range of spa treatments and facilities including use of the Thermal Spa, a luxury playground for adults with a series of different heat and water experiences. If you want to have a real giggle with your girls, why not join in one of our dance or exercise classes such as Zumba or Legs, Bums and Tums in the studio and Wild Woggles or Aqua Dance in our Exercise Pool? After a full day of relaxing and unwinding, you’ll be exhausted! – and you won’t have caught up with half of the gossip, so why not treat yourselves to champagne and canapés to round off your day? Don’t forget if you’re off into town after a visit to Ragdale Hall, we can do your nails, hair and make-up for you – there’s no need for you to lift a finger! If you and your hens want to stay over at the Hall and make it a hen weekend to remember, you could always stay in The Lodge. The Lodge is a country cottage that sits separately to the Hall, with 4 bedrooms it’s the perfect pad for your lively hens and you won’t need to worry about disturbing the other guests at the Hall!!

Our beauty and spa experts have also designed some treatment packages especially designed for the Bride-to-Be:

Bride to Be De-stress Package

On your big day, we all know you want to look good and feel your best but we also know how stressful a wedding can be for all those involved. The Bride to Be De-stress package, which includes the treatments listed below, is the perfect preparation for your dream day.

Decleor Aromatic Body Massage
Clarins Tri Active Facial – choose from The Detox and Shine Stopper, The Skin Healer, The Radiance Reviver, The Lifting Line Smoother, The Youth Activator or The Moisture Replenisher
Clarins Pampering Foot Treatment plus a complimentary nail paint
Complimentary make-up advice in the Beauty Shop
Price £171.00

Bride to Be Finishing Touches

Expect all eyes to be on you on your big day so invest in a spot of pre-wedding pampering to add those finishing touches.

Shellac Hands
Shellac Feet
Fake Bake
Complimentary make-up advice in the Beauty Shop
Price £108.00

Alternatively, if you’re the bride (or bridezilla – it happens to everyone!) and the ‘W’ word sends shivers down your spine, then perhaps you and your chap should spend some quality pre-wedding time together. With all the organising and dashing around trying make everything perfect, tempers and patience can begin to fray…but at Ragdale Hall, a day is all it takes! There’s a huge selection of spa treatments for him and her, from facials to feet, all needs are catered for. Why not have a Shellac Long Lasting Nail Colour applied, it lasts 14 days (dependant on nail types) it will take you to your wedding day, through to your honeymoon and it’s one less thing to worry about!

Also, if you’ve got 2012 fever and are celebrating how fabulous it is to be British, why not look at having your honeymoon at Ragdale Hall too? With a vast range of spa breaks available from The Great British Summer Break to The Luxury Break and even the seven night Unwind and Relax Week Away, there’s no better way to celebrate your love than in the surroundings of a beautiful English country house! For those little added luxuries take a look at the package enhancements the Hall can offer – don’t forget Ragdale can also mark out a space for a helicopter to land, so why not be whisked away from you’re wedding reception in style!

This winter has been very cold, which has an ageing affect on the skin.

Just as people have to change their wardrobes from winter to spring, skin habits have to be altered to ensure healthy, glowing skin. Some of the main problems we see in the spring are related to as spending more time outside, this may have a drying effect on our skin. It is a MUST to take care of your skin whilst entering into spring, so that you will have no problems adjusting to summer.

I recommend the following skin care measures to ensure a smooth change-over between winter and spring:

Women should consider re-evaluating your makeup. You should switch to a lighter textured foundation preferably one with a built-in sun screen.

Susan Posnick Colorflo is the finest milled mineral foundation with a spf 26. You simply just brush and go. This product will not clog the pores or irritate sensitive skin. In fact, the ingredients are so gentle, you can apply immediately after all skin treatments. Once you have purchased your Colorflo at £44.95 you only need to replace with a refill at £22.50, you could even replace with a darker shade for the summer. It’s amazing so give it a go!!

Clarins Everlasting Foundation SPF 15 £24.00

This amazing foundation will stay on dusk ‘til dawn, with it’s light optimising complex this product delivers a luminous and flawless complexion, you have to try it to believe and with its spf 15 this is an ideal foundation to take you from spring to summer.

Clarins Generation 6 £56.00

If your skin feels it needs some attention then this is the product for you. Generation 6 is the secret to youthful looking skin. It will restore the freshness, tone and radiance you thought your skin had lost during winter. Apply every evening by gently patting into the skin. This method of application brings moisture to the skin surface inhancing the delivery of nutrients, TRUST ME it’s like a multi vitamin for your face!

Clarins Extra Comfort Cleansing Cream £24.50

This cleansing cream is ideal to restore softness as you come out of the winter months. As well as preparing your skin for spring, this product will remove make-up and impurities leaving the skin luminous and radiant. Just warm a small amount of cleanser in the palm of your hands to bring skin temperature, gently massage over the face five to six times them simply remove with water or tissue off.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm £28.00

This is the ideal beauty pick-me-up. Something we all need at this time of the year. Clarins Beauty Flash will help to minimize signs of fatigue and/or stress. Perfect to use before going out or whenever you want to refresh the appearance of your skin. This product will instantly firm and reduce the appearance of fine lines, your complexion will appear luminous and radiant. This instant radiant booster is every girl’s make-up-bag MUST HAVE.

Spa Find Eye and Neck Rejuvenator £20.20

This exquisite two-in-one product will nourish and refresh two area’s which easily show signs of ageing. Apply to the eye and neck area morning and evening and see for yourself how it hydrates and firms. This velvety textured cream is a pleasure to use and will give instant results. At this time of year certain parts of skin become very dehydrated especially your eyes and neck area. This exquisite two in one product is a rich cream, which has a gorgeous velvety texture, just apply a small amount into your finger tips and gently apply to the eye and neck area, this will leave your skin silky smooth and plump, use morning and night and you will see the results for yourself.

Elemis Pro Radiance Cleanser £27.60

This luxurious deep cleansing cream, full of anti-oxidants, will leave your complexion looking radiant and youthful – and yes, it even takes your eye make up off! Massage a small amount of Pro-Radiance Cleanser neat onto the skin until it has warmed and loosened, leave for one minute then remove with the mitt. Your skin will feel fresh and so clean!

Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Serum £46.00

As we age, collagen and elastin degenerate and cell cohesion loosens, resulting in a loss of firmness and slackened skin. Elemis has developed new Micro-Lattice Technology specifically for the body, which provides an instant feeling of firmness and lift creating an invisible “body stocking” effect.

Spa Find Cranberry Salt Brushing £18.90

All winter we cover our skin up, now as the winter months draw to a close, we need to start preparing the skin on our body for the warmer months ahead by using this Spa Find anti ageing Cranberry Salt Brushing. This cranberry seed and dead sea salt exfoliation mix really gives you an intense body buff treatment to remove all your dead skin cells leaving tired skin glowing and youthful. Use once or twice per week to achieve silky soft skin.

And a bit of relaxation is also important so I recommend:

Neom Luxury Organic Candle £37.50

With English Lavender, Sweet Basil and Jasmine.

A peaceful de-stressing scent that helps you gently relax and refocus. The perfect accompaniment for quiet times or the pre-bedtime wind-down.

Also perfect for: Mummy and baby time and those who are frazzled.

Winner of the Cosmopolitan Beauty Award for Best Candle!

NEOM Luxury Organics candles (previously known as Natural Magic) are made using only vegetable wax and pure essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances so they burn without releasing harmful pollutants, toxins or soot. Remember, they work as well as powerful holistic treatments as you breather in the scented air so it is best to burn them for 4 hours at a time. Each candle weighs one kilogramme and has 3 wicks and burns for up to 55 hours (30% longer that standard premium candles).

Rose Recommends – Your anti ageing tool kit.

Target tell-tale signs of ageing by selecting products that can actively regenerate the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Elemis’ Resurfacing Programme is perfect for this time of year – it involves just three easy steps to give your skin the ultimate treat.

STEP 1: Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Face Wash £27.60. This morning and evening face wash stimulates the skin’s natural cell renewal, sloughing away dead skin cells which dull the complexion.

STEP 2: Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum £97.10. A clinically proven serum that smoothes the skin’s surface to reclaim a stunning complexion. Imperfections appear diminished. To be used morning and evening before moisturising.

STEP 3: Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Night Cream £81.70. This nightly treatment stimulates the cell renewal cycle, smoothing and enhancing the skin whilst cellular respiration is at its optimum.

This anti ageing tool kit is essential for this time of year. As proven in independent clinical trails this system will deliver smoother, more even, younger looking skin giving up to 91% increase in skin smoothness and texture in just 28 days!

Click here to purchase products recommended by Rose. 

I’ve found a great new Italian restaurant in Gunthorpe called Pontefino’s. The food is great and the service is excellent. There’s a fabulous outdoor seating area and the views are lovely. If you over-do it on the food you can always go for a quick stroll along the river to burn off a few calories!

The Early Bird menu is good value – 2 courses for £14.50 or 3 courses for £17.50. Monday – Thursday 5.30 pm – 9.45 pm, Friday 5.30 pm – 7.00 pm and Sunday 12.00 to 5.30 pm.

So to keep with the Italian feel I have done a simple risotto recipe which works every time!

King prawn, wild roquette and caramelised red onion risotto

150g washed risotto rice

1 shallot (finely diced)

1 garlic clove (finely diced)

2 tbsp sun blushed tomato (finely diced)

2 tbsp caramelised red onion chutney

50g wild rocket (finely chopped)

6 peeled king prawns

1 tbsp crème fraiche

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 glass of white wine

1-2 glasses of fish stock or water

Thyme and Olive oil

Sweat the shallot, garlic and thyme in a little olive oil until translucent then add the white wine and lemon zest. Reduce this down until about one tablespoon of liquid is left. Add the risotto into the pan and stir until well coated with the olive oil.

Stir in the chutney and sun-blushed tomato. Slowly, while stirring, add the stock until rice is cooked. Add the rocket and crème fraiche then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Sear the king prawns in a smoking hot pan, squeeze over juice from half a lemon, and serve with the risotto (or pre cook the king prawns and fold through the hot risotto). For a luxury taste a little grated parmesan.

Glenda Gardner (centre), who has run the staff Dining Room for many years now originally worked as a waitress and remembers fondly (or not!) the days when guests were allowed 500 calories per day and 750 on their day of departure.

When she took on the mantle of chef of the staff bistro twenty odd years ago she catered for 40 lunches per day. Today Glenda along with her team of six (including her daughter) prepare 175 lunches per day, seven days a week, as well as breakfast and tea for early and late shifts.

Throughout the year she plans themed days and this year is looking forward to preparing some really special Diamond Jubilee treats for the staff.

Knowing that a happy ship is a well fed ship, Glenda’s role is vital to the smooth running of the business. This winter she played a huge part in the ‘stay healthy’ campaign, helping to make sure that everyone got their 5 a day to help keep colds and flu at bay! Since the way to most people’s hearts is through their stomachs, it’s no surprise that Glenda is one of our most popular members of the team!

Glenda lives on Stirling Road in Melton and enjoys gardening and cooking in her own kitchen.

Alongside Glenda, one member of the team will be celebrating 25 years, two celebrating 20 years, nine celebrating 15 years and a further twenty one people achieving 10 years service this year!

Pietra black is back at a new lower price of £45.

Frou, with a funky ruffle top and one of last summer’s biggest sellers, is available in a versatile Maple Sugar and a very vibrant Cosmic Purple.

There’s also Lunetta in Bronze with glamourous crystals and favourites Rokkit (with Rhinestones) now in Navy and again in Pewter. Back by popular demand is the adjustable Hooper in Toffee Tan.

Arriving soon are new styles Fleur in white and for those not keen on a toe post, Walkstar slide is the perfect answer.

Click here for FitFlop prices and pictures - call Ragdale Hall Boutique on 01664 433089 to purchase via mail order.

The range promises to boost radiance and vitality for glowing, healthy-looking skin.

It’s energising formulas hydrate, protect and minimise minor imperfections.

It neutralises the effects of pollution, late nights, fatigue and stress.

It’s created for young women leading active lives — in aromatic formulas for all skin types.

Stacey, one of Ragdale Hall’s Senior Beauty Therapists talks you through and demonstrates application and use.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Lottie who recently did a little bit of writing for our blog is within the perfect age range to test out the products, here is what she had to say about them:

“The Clarins’ Daily Energiser Range, comprising of a Wake-up Booster, Cleansing Gel, Cream, Cream Gel and Lotion was introduced to me and I was asked to test the Cleansing Gel.  Although only having used the cleanser for a matter of days, it is already fulfilling its promise to “recharge skin energy and revive a healthy glow”.  Falling just short of the targeted 18 to late 20s age range, I am still susceptible to the typical youthful facial issues the range aims to combat, and have in fact noticed an improved decrease in small spots and signs of fatigue. With only a very small amount of the gel required to produce a good lather, zingy morning extract and a stimulating scent which leaves skin feeling invigorated and revitalised, this is definately going to continue to be a firm favourite in my bathroom cabinet.”

For more information on the range visit www.clarins.co.uk