For many of us, getting ready for an event or a night out can be an absolute pain in the backside. To put it politely, it's stressful, and it takes absolutely ages if you're striving for perfection.
But now there are an increasing number of companies offering at home services - including hair, make-up, spray tans, manicures and massages. One of those companies is Secret Spa.
Some of Secret Spa's most notable celebrity clients include Amanda Holden, Tommy Fury, Vogue Williams, Michelle Visage and Radio 1 presenter Molly King. Secret Spa launched into Manchester and Altrincham in 2021, so if you want to try it out for yourself, you can. You can see the full range of Secret Spa services available in your area here.
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Speaking about the expansion, Annie Ramrachia, general manager of Secret Spa, said: “We are hugely excited to be bringing our luxury services to Cheshire, Manchester and Brighton with our newly expanded team of experts. We used lockdown to ensure everything would be perfect in the new locations and it was vital that the marketing around this would be the same standard."
I tried the service out for myself, and it left me feeling like one of the Real Housewives of Cheshire. Ahead of Oh Polly's fashion show earlier this year, I travelled down to London.
The weather was awful, meaning my train was quite drastically delayed, and I arrived at my hotel windswept (that's putting it politely), and with only an hour to go before the show started. It's safe to say I was STRESSED.
Luckily, my Secret Spa hair and make-up team were waiting in the lobby for me, and when I explained the situation, they were ready to spring into action and make things happen. Unfortunately, because my train had been so delayed the MUA who had been assigned to do my nails had to dash off to another appointment. It was disappointing, but totally understandable.
As soon as we got up into my bedroom we laid out all the tools necessary and got cracking. My team worked together to consult me on the best and most time-efficient look we could achieve given the time constraints we were facing.
I showed my make-up artist and hair stylist my outfit, and we decided on a Hollywood glam look. Both artists got to work on the same time, and I felt like I was living a scene from the Real Housewives franchise (that's my dream, so I was very happy).
The whole process took around 45 minutes. My hair was done within 20 minutes, and my make-up was complete 20 minutes later.
Throughout the process my MUA asked me if there were any particular products or brands I preferred, and catered to my preferences as much as possible. She had a good selection of products, and I was impressed to see brands like B.Perfect, Fenty Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury and Kevin Aucoin in her bag of tricks.
The overall experience wasn't as relaxing as I'd have liked, but given the circumstances, it got the job done. It's not the cheapest thing in the world, but you do get more of a VIP service in the comfort of your own home (or hotel) if that's what you're after.
And if you're stuck for time or can't get away from the kids, it's ideal. You can see the full range of Secret Spa services available in your area here.
Prices for a blow dry in Manchester start at £27. Prices for glam makeup in Manchester start at £40.
