Pampered Paws

With the Honeymoon just around the corner (YAY!) I thought a bit of pampering was warranted, so yesterday afternoon I bundled myself up and braved the chilly air to visit Sophie Gass

I had a pretty poor experience in Harrods Urban Retreat recently, so when it came time to book a pre-honeymoon mani-pedi, I wanted to make sure that it would not only go well, but that I would receive a professional, yet fun experience out of it.

After a little research online, Sophie’s place kept cropping up, so it was without hesitation that I booked myself in for a shellac manicure (£42) and an express pedicure (£16)

(I never like the idea of shellac on my tootsies, although I know some of you swear by it!)

I arrived far too early – 30mins too early to be exact – I popped in and offered to go get a coffee if they weren’t ready for me, but just like a dear friend would, Sophie kindly hushed me and told me to come in out of the cold. I have to say, I’m so used to the name sake of a store being somewhat of a non present ethereal being, that I was quite (pleasantly) shocked to realise that I was in the “Sophie Gass” store and my coat and scarf had just been taken by Sophie Gass.

I was bustled around the corner and deposited into a pedicure armchair, which was super comfy by the way!

I was offered a hot drink and it arrived speedily with an extremely tasty biscotti. Two technicians worked simultaneously, they were both very sweet and chatty and extremely good at what they do, helping me choose colours and offering advice on what would work well together seeing as I wasn’t getting shellac on both hands and feet. Once they finished, I was invited to stay for as long as I wanted to give my tootsies a good oul whack of time to dry – lets face it, I wasn’t about to head out in flip flops!

There were some great magazines to flick through, my pampered paws wandered through Condé Nast Traveller, this months Vogue and a bit of Tatler, but should none of them take your fancy, there are also two ipad’s available for guests to use to catch up on your very favourite sites…

After my tootsies were good and dry (for those of you who haven’t had shellac before, my hands were already good to go because once shellac is applied and dried under a UV light, they’re done – and practically bullet proof to boot!), I took a little wander around.

Not content to just specialise in mani’s and pedi’s, Sophie Gass is a brand that also has home, clothing and accessory lines. A lot of the decorative embellishments around the store are actually for sale

And there are beautiful flower arrangements throughout the store too. I don’t know if it was the flowers or someones perfume, but the whole place smelled gorgeous!

The store is beautifully designed and is quite the safe haven nestled in amongst beautifully tall trees, townhouses and shop fronts and due to the pedicure chairs being at the back of the shop, there isn’t much by way of noise pollution, so it’s all very serene

Sophie’s style is clear, concise, well thought out and utterly chic – and I don’t even really use that word – but it is!

The pieces designed here are only available in store, which adds that special somthing to your visit. In my mind, Sophie has created a space that is really unique and exciting because of that fact

I fell more than a little bit in love with her necklaces, they’re delicate and feminine yet totally striking without any of the ridiculous price tags we’ve come to know in some stores. I know I’ll be visiting Sophie’s again in the future and I might just be taking one of her masterpieces home with me!

I didn’t trust myself to go anywhere near the clothing rail for fear of buying something, but I’ll definitely be having a good look through it when I’m back from the Honeymoon

How great is this mirror frame? The detail!

After my appointment, I spent another 20mins having a good old fashioned chin-wag with Sophie, she is such a personable woman with a very open and honest sense of self. Sophie told me “when I described to others what I wanted the store to be, they thought I was mad and that it sounded like a jumble sale”, but she’s showed them all what a brilliant concept it was and just how sound her business mind is. She’s three years into “Sophie Gass the brand” and I truly hope it all continues to go from strength to strength for her.

I said my thank yous and goodbyes and headed back out into the chilly air, the sun was setting and lighting the sky ablaze in the process. I genuinely headed home feeling refreshed and even more excited about the Honeymoon – if that’s possible!

If you’re looking for a top quality manicure, or a special gift for someone dear, do yourself a favour and go see Sophie.

Rxx