The ultimate indulgence, without the guilt!
Champneys Tunbridge Wells is located within the beautiful setting of the Pantiles, a fashionable 17th-century spa hotspot for royals, gentry and the like.
And me - just your average commuter and workaholic but equally deserving, in my opinion, of a little relaxation and pampering.
Christmas is fast approaching and while I will admit to a little - OK, let's be honest, a lot - of chocolate indulgence around this time of year, it would quite simply be rude to say no to the tub of Quality Street passing through the office. So why not take the opportunity to go one step further, I thought, and be fully immersed in a chocolate body wrap to become my very own version of the Nestle treat.
THE TREATMENT
Designed for chocolate lovers, the treatment promised a full-body exfoliation to prepare the skin, followed by the wrap itself, a relaxing scalp massage and a body butter coating to leave you feeling intensively moisturised.
The spa itself is just a stone's throw from the station - perfect. And I was welcomed with a choice of herbal teas and a little talk through my impending treatment. After being taken to my room and left to get ready, the technician talked me though each stage of the experience to come.
First, she applied a deep exfoliation scrub to my body, gently but firmly massaging it in to prepare my skin. I was then led to my own shower and given a lovely shower gel to use with the same aromas as the scrub.
Once back in the room, I hopped back onto the comfy table, readjusting my head into the pillow that was now sculpted to my favourite position and relaxed, taking in the aroma from the scented candles scattered about the room. A foil blanket had been carefully positioned and was gently warming up. It crackled when I moved, which did make me feel like I was wrapped up in tin foil but I soon settled and enjoyed the warmth.
I could smell the chocolate delight that was being prepared - similar to walking past a chocolate shop, alluring, tempting and welcoming. The technician gently began rubbing the wrap over my back and onto my arms. Once applied fully, she wrapped each of my arms and legs in foil. I then had a blanket placed on top to keep the heat in and let the body mask do its magic. Lights dimmed, she began a head massage. Absolute bliss!
Once I had unwrapped and showered to remove the mask, which was quite thick so took a lot of scrubbing, I could immediately feel the difference to my skin.
To finish, a lovely rich body butter was massaged into my skin to lock in the moisture.
THE VERDICT
I left the spa feeling fully relaxed and smelling wonderful.
The technician was calming, attentive and made me feel at ease through the entire treatment. My skin was indeed nourished and soft, a feeling which lasted even after my shower the next morning.
A fantastic and, not-to-be-forgotten, guilt-free treat for chocolate lovers - that can be enjoyed as many times as you fancy…
THE INFO
Champneys Chocolate Wrapper costs £45 for 55 minutes. Visit wish.co.uk for more info.
