Post-Abu Dhabi Film Festival I'm starting to feel the strain. After 10 days of celeb spotting, gala dinners and endless cocktail receptions, exhaustion has set in. So I find there's nothing quite like the lure of a warm, soapy bubble bath to soothe away aches and pains.
Bubbles - for the bath and for your glass - are obviously essential when it comes to luxurious bathing, and there are plenty of tempting ones to choose from. After popping into Bloomingdale's recently I discovered to my utter delight thatElemis has just unveiled its new Sp@Home range. Few home treatments are as satisfying as a proper cleanse and moisturise, and its new shower gels, bubble baths and bath oils are as beautiful as its ruby red packaging. The natural oils and delicate scent of frangipani flowers will melt away any tension to give you a feel-good glow from top to toe.
A good nourishing bath oil or milk is essential to soothe and hydrate dry skin. Egyptian queens were known for their luxurious milk baths and Molton Brown's Sensual Orchid Bathing Milk allows you to reap the skin-smoothing benefits of proteins and vitamins without having to milk an entire herd. Claiming to "arouse the spirit and free inhibitions", this revitalising and restorative blend also contains tangerine and ylang ylang for an all-round mind and body soother. For non-lactose fans, there's nothing quite like the Jo Malone range for a true sensory experience. Try the Amber & Lavender Bath Oil or Nectarine Blossom & Honey Bath Oil to moisturise skin.
While you are steaming in bubbles, don't forget to make friends with your body brush or loofah. They help to improve circulation, tackle cellulite and are your secret weapon for exfoliating tough patches on knees and elbows. The Body Shop and WBath & Body Works offer a thorough range of body brushes to revitalise rough, dreary surfaces.
Moisturising after a warm bath will reveal a glowing, plump complexion. If your favourite fragrance has a matching body lotion, you might like to try that. I'm totally in love with Guerlain's Shalimar Parfum Initial Delicate Body Lotion. Following on from the divine Shalimar fragrance, rose, jasmine and iris relax the mind while the scent leaves you smelling seriously expensive. Slather on generously to give yourself a delicate sheen and lightweight feel, leaving you ready to drift off for some well-earned beauty sleep.
3 of the best
Beauty with bling
LIMITED EDITION JET GOLD ARCANCIL MASCARA, DH75 Enriched with black carbon pigments for an ultra-black effect, this lash-lengthening mascara will give you dramatic eyes to die for.
MIRIAM QUEVEDO ULTRA BRILLIANT GOLD, DH230 A conditioning spray containing caviar, argan oil and 24-karat gold to give your hair a glamorous finish.
TWEEZERMAN EYELASH CURLERS, DH125 Promising to create effortless maximum lash curl, these rose gold curlers belong in every stylish make-up bag.
M loves
Best way to bag a bathrobe
It may not be the cheapest way to get your hands on a monogrammed bathrobe, but we have heard that the Romantic Moonlight Swim at the Burj Al Arab's Assawan Spa is pure heaven. You start with a massage for two and then you enjoy a moonlit swim in its private infinity pool followed by a couple of glasses of bubbly after donning your complimentary bathrobes.
The Romantic Moonlight Swim, Dh 7,000, for more info go to www.jumeirah.com, email BAAassawan@jumeirah.com or call 04 301 7480
