A couple of weeks ago, I treated myself to two days of ‘self-care’, where I gave my body and mind all the things they like, to comfort it and calm it. The reason was that it was my last week working from home until July, as I was about to start work on a short film and a television series. I wanted to treat myself, as from that point on, I was going to be incredibly busy and stressed. I wanted to share with you what I did during my two self-care days, in case you would like some ideas for amazing places in Scotland for yourself.
First of all, I headed to one of my favourite shops in the world – Homesense. The only one we have in Scotland is at Fort Kinnaird – a retail park on the outskirts of Edinburgh. I love to get candles from here, stylish seasonal decorations e.g. for Easter, as well as other little trinkets for my home. Fort Kinnaird also has another one of my favourite stores, and it’s a giant store too – Primark. I love hunting for bargains here and this branch has lots to explore. Afterwards, I popped for lunch to Pizza Express with my Mum there, and then went and had a little bit of pampering at a beauty salon that’s actually in the retail park next to all the restaurants.
Elegance* is a small beauty and hair salon that’s housed in cute pimped-out hut. They do nails, eyebrows and lashes, and hair. Haircuts and colours are only available on a Friday; but the other treatments are available all week round. They invited me in for a haircut and LVL lashes. With my hair I just got a trim to tidy it up as I’m enjoying having it long at the moment, as I can do more with it. However, I think that the LVL lash lift treatment made a huge different to my long but poker straight lashes that point forwards not upwards. They now have a lovely curl in them that will stop me having to wear mascara for this next month or two.
The LVL lash lift treatment (meaning length, volume and lift) is a treatment that makes your lashes look longer, more defined and curled upwards. It last for up to 6 weeks. It takes around 45 minutes, and your lashes are tinted, then straightened and curled at the root with a special serum around a plastic shield. This makes them point upwards and look curled. It works by applying serums that break down the bonds in your hairs in order to change their structure and shape, moulding them around the plastic shield in a curl at the root.
After lunch and having my beauty treatments, my Mum and I went to an M&S to buy lots of yummy food and then headed to our home for the night – Dundas Castle*. It’s not far from South Queensferry. We checked in to The Boathouse in the Dundas Castle Estate – it’s a lovely little bolthole that has a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom/living room studio and a balcony, all overlooking the lake full of swans. The estate has been the home of the Stewart-Clark family since the 1800s, and Sir Stewart-Clark and Lady Stewart-Clark currently live in the main castle (which can also be rented exclusively for weddings and other events).
It’s a very romantic place so it’s definitely designed for couples; but you need a car to get there and David hasn’t passed his test yet. It was fun spending the night here with my Mum, and we went for a long country walk, and then cooked all of the delicious food that we bought.
The estate is stunning to walk around, and I put on my new Fabletics leggings* and hoodie* for the jaunt. I’ve never had expensive fitness leggings before, but OMG, I am converted. These leggings are the comfiest things on the planet, and you feel really confident in them as they suck in your tummy, bum and thighs. The hoodie has a thick fluffy lining that makes it so warm and cosy. These are definitely both clothing items that are worth every penny of their £72 price tag, as you can feel and see the quality of the fabrics immediately.
In the Boathouse, you get chilled soft drinks waiting for you on arrival, and there is whiskey and gin provided for a night cap. I loved that the kitchen had a Tassimo machine too, as it meant I could have a nice hot chocolate before bed. I had an amazing sleep, even although it was my first night away from David in 5 months.
This would be a great place for a bride and groom to stay if they are getting married in the main castle, or just looking for a weekend away somewhere lausecluded and peaceful. I spent my stay there eating and reading my book. The book I’m reading at the moment is actually not available to buy until May, so I got a preview copy. It’s called The Girl Before You by Nicola Rayner *. It’s a psychological thriller that’s so gripping – a wife becomes obsessed by one of her husband’s exes from college, as this girl died and she has always felt uneasy about it. She begins investigating the incident and when she sees someone who looks just like this dead girl, she can’t shake the feeling that her husband knows more than he’s letting on about what happened. If you like gripping thrillers that play mind games, this is definitely one to look out for when it’s released in May.
The next morning, I headed back to Glasgow and went to an appointment at the Bobbi Brown counter in John Lewis. They invited me in to get shade-matched for their new range of Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundations, and for a makeup session at the same time. I love getting my makeup done and we went for a very glass skin look. Look out here on the blog or on my social media channels to find out how I got on with the foundation.
This post contains some experiences that were complimentary for review, but all opinions are my own.
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