Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Lush Spa in Edinburgh for their epic The Planets treatment. If you are a fan of Lush Cosmetics products, then a visit to a Lush Spa should be top of your ‘to do’ list. The Planets is their longest (3 to 4 hours) and most expensive (£285) treatment.
I really enjoyed my treatment, but I can’t in all honesty say that it’s worth £285. It’s a great treatment and superfans of the brand or those who really need some headspace and self-reflection will love it, but if you can’t afford to spend that amount of money, I think you’ll get just as worthwhile and enjoyable an experience by having one of Lush Spa’s 75 minute treatments such as Hard Day’s Night (reviewed by me here) for £95. The Lush Spa itself is an amazing experience whatever treatment you choose to have.
When I arrived at the spa, I was met by my therapist Chris who sat me down in the cosy kitchen to tell me more about what was going to happen during my time there. I filled out a form about my medical conditions and allergies and was then presented with some tarot-style cards featuring the planets of the solar system and several emotive words such as ’empathy’ and ‘control’. I was asked to pick the card which I felt most drawn to and it was the planet Mars and the word ‘control’. My treatment was then tailored around this.
The treatment is made up of three phases- the past (a 1hr 30 minute invigorating full-body massage), the present (a 30 minute hand and arm massage with palm reading) and the future (an hour long relaxing facial). Throughout the treatment, spellbinding and emotional music plays that resembles the drama of a film score.
The treatment began with me undressing to just my pants and lying face down. The therapist then used a beautiful zesty lemon-scented massage bar to give me a full-body deep tissue massage. Whenever the therapist came across a knot in one of my muscles, he stopped the massage, held on to the knot and told me what this part of my body relates to in my life- i.e. what blockage in my life this knot refers to. I had knots in both my shoulders, in my lower back and on both my thighs. I was told what these mean, e.g. a lack of emotional support in my life and having too many work ‘plates’ spinning at once, and was asked if I wanted to discuss any of these to release the burden of them. I opted to stay silent and just think about my life in my head- you are under no obligation to share anything.
During the second phase I was asked to put on a huge fluffy dressing gown and slippers and take a seat in the corner of my treatment room at a small table. There was a huge bowl with a Lush bath bomb on it. My therapist brought me some herbal tea and a chocolate truffle and asked me to put my hands over the bowl. When he poured a jug of warm water over my hands, billows of beautiful fragrant smoke emerged and filled the air. It was a real spectacle! I then had a hand and arm massage with another zesty massage bar before I had my palms read. This is nothing to be scared of with the palm reading- it doesn’t predict the future, but instead focusses on the present only and tells you what the lines on your hands say about your personality and the type of person you are. I found this interesting as it was quite accurate. This stage was my least favourite of the treatment however as I felt it was an unnecessary addition that had no real benefit to my wellbeing.
It was now time for my treatment to progress to the third stage- a relaxing facial. My therapist introduced me to the exclusive products he would be using on my face. There is an olive oil facial soap bar and a Rose & Lemon Face Mask that is exclusive to The Planets treatment. You can’t get them anywhere else and you get to take them and your massage bars home with you after the treatment. I’d say that the facial is more of a massage and relaxation session than the type of facial that has any real skin benefits- don’t expect your face to be transformed from anything that happens here. I really enjoyed it however, and it consists of a lot of massage, some dry skin brushing, a face mask and a cleanse, tone and moisturise element.
After my treatment, my therapist settled me back into the spa’s kitchen area with some water so that I coud unwind and prepare to return to the cold January day that was calling outside.
Have you had this treatment before?
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