Where do we start? Well first of all they want the gadget driven lads pad, then the 200 mph Ferrari, then a beautiful blonde, a Rolex but most of all they just want to look good. Looks to the modern man are everything. You only have to look at what guys are wearing today to notice the difference. Compare a man and his collection of clothes and accessories from the 80’s to today then you would be amazed. We are truly in the age of the metro sexual.

In particular men are paying a lot of attention to the appearance of their hair. You will see guys with all types of wacky hair cuts and strangely shaped beards these days. Guys are also paying more frequent visits to the barbers to keep themselves looking sharp. This is where we come in as we have taken on a range of male grooming products which are used in all the top barbers. You may have come across them but there range is called Men-U.

Men-U male grooming range products are at the premium end of the market and are for guys looking for that something extra. If you want smoother feeling skin and fantastic looking hair then these are the products for you. Men-u products make a statement. They say that I have style and dress to impress. At Heaven Spa we stock Men-u shaving, Men-u face and body and Men-u hair products.

Your current pair of straighteners has just died and you’re left with the life changing dilemma of which straighteners to buy next. This difficult decision would ruffle anyone’s feathers so at Heaven Spa we have decided to give you a little helping hand in making your decision. To gain an insight into what brand people love best and where people are getting the best experiences we ran a poll on Facebook. The poll asked 97 women what are your favourite hair straighteners?

The results in someway are fairly surprising. We expected the GHD’s to come up highly as they have an excellent product and the marketing for the product is quite staggering. Despite the early safety worries with GHD’s they have gone on to create high quality and reliable straighteners. The biggest surprise from the results is the performance of She. At Heaven Spa we see She Hair straighteners as an up and coming product and many of our customers have been asking about them. At our salons we like to let customers try out different straighteners.

The other surprise was how close Remington and Babyliss came together. We thought that people would either favour one or the other as they both offer quite similar products and at reasonable prices. It maybe the case that people test both brands and that the difference between the two is minimal.

Other things to consider include budget and usage. GHD’s for example are expensive but you are paying for the unrivalled quality. Whereas if you are on a budget then you may wish to consider Remington or Babyliss straighteners. From the poll we can see these products are popular with people and they are known for their sturdiness. If you are really flash then you may want to consider purchasing a pair of GHD straighteners for everyday use and then a secondary cheap pair of straighteners for travelling. This seems to be a popular option at the moment.

Whichever straighteners you decide to buy Heaven Spa can help. We sell a range of straighteners including GHD straighteners and She Hair straighteners.

Heaven Spa’s YouTube venture has so far been very successful. Not only did our videos attract the interest, we also received some very enlightening and encouraging comments from the viewers.

One of such comments came from Alex who was looking for advice on how to improve the condition of his hair, damaged by chemical straightening and blow-drying. “I have medium-length hair which has been chemically straightened, as it is naturally curly, then cut and layered”, he wrote, “but every time I wash my hair and go to blow-dry it, as I have always been suggested to do to make my hair go straight, then while a lot of my hair is healthy-looking and going straight and dry with the heat of the blow-dryer, some places are not, they go brittle and dry, and really dead-looking. I guess the problem is there even before I start blow-drying”.

In spite of using some repairing products (namely, Redken Extreme Shampoo and a few others), Alex was yet unable to solve his problem. His situation was aggravated by the fact that for a period of time prior to chemical straightening he did not take good care of his hair.

We forwarded Alex’s message to Josh Lowe who has spent over 20 years in hairdressing industry, is a platform artist for Redken and one of the UK’s Redken-certified colourists, and is our Creative Director. This is Josh’s response:

“The root cause of the problem has been the chemical relaxer. It has nearly the same PH and active ingredients as hair removal cream, so it needs some ER care. Firstly, if your conditioner is not the best for the problem you will not lock in all the benefits of the shampoo and protect the hair from further damage. Your best buy would be the Redken Extreme Conditioner. This product will maintain the strength of the hair.

The effect of the relaxer on your hair is that it has damaged the outer structure of the hair – the cuticle – which the Extreme will help reinforce and repair. The damaged cuticle is causing the hair a serious moisture loss, so the next step is to treat your hair every 2 to 3 wash with a moisture treatment. The best for this would be Redken All Soft Silk Fuel. Follow the instructions on the box, you may decrease the frequency of this treatment when you observe noticeable results. Finally, keep using your other redken products . When it comes to styling, you should use a heat protector – Redken Smooth Down Sleek Obedience – worked in to damp hair before styling, and reapply before straightening.
Best of luck and happy styling. Josh”

We hope that Alex and anyone of you who experience the same problem will find the above advice useful. You will notice the links in the post to our new shop where you can purchase the products. As we have recently redeveloped the site, there is a slim possibility that you may encounter problems using it. Please be patient and remember that you can always contact us by email or by phone on 0161 448 8786.

Resist as he may, your dad is in for some proper preening

If your dad believes that his twice weekly scrub with Imperial Leather constitutes as an acceptable skincare routine, then he really ought to catch up with the times.

The rugged, unkempt Neanderthal, partial to his own smell has now been replaced by the preened, super-smooth, glowing 21 century man.

Men’s grooming is now big business and worth a total of £1.3 billion a year on products alone, which would explain why many traditional women’s beauty and skincare brands have launched male grooming ranges.

So for Father’s Day, keep daddy dearest up to speed with the world of beauty by booking him an appointment at the multi-award winning Heaven Spa in both Manchester and Didsbury. Heaven Spa has a range of offerings to help dad feel fabulous including the ‘Executive Express’ at £130 which gives maximum results in the minimum time – one hour – and includes: facial, manicure, pedicure and Vibro-tone massage. Other Father’s Day packages include:

1. Reviver Facial & Manicure £60 (30mins)
2. Aromatic Moor Mud Back Wrap, Reviver Facial with VibroTone bed £80 (1 hour)
3. Full Body Massage and SkinFit Facial £100 (2 hours)

Should non-resident guests want to access the Living Well Health Club, facilities including pool, they can do so for an additional £10.00.

The modern spa setting is completely man-friendly. By that we don’t mean there’s beer and football available but they do offer the best in male grooming treatments, including waxing, manicures and pedicures as well as facials for all skin types and problems including: in-growing hairs, sun damage, age management and acne. For the body, Heaven Spa offers back masks, wraps, massages and hot stone therapy.

Owner Catherine Murphy is delighted, yet not surprised, at how her men-specific treatments have been greeted by the spa’s clientele:

“Just like women, men now recognise the benefits of looking after themselves and ensuring they look their best. They enjoy the spa experience as much as women.”

As well as offering a huge range of male-orientated products and packages for Father’s Day, Heaven Spa is also offering effortless body beautiful treatments including detoxifying wraps and treatments for those who want to really see as well as feel the results. One of the most popular fat-fighting remedies is the self-explanatory Vibro-tone bed, one of only three in the UK.

So give dad a treat and give mum and even bigger one, by sending home her newly buffed hubby.

As the countdown to Father’s Day begins, why not leave the socks on the shelf and consider a gift that’s a little more, well, metrosexual?

A spa treatment is ideal, if not for your father, then for your husband or other half, who will realise the time to chill out and the VIP treatment offered at the UK’s swish spas.
We like the aptly named Heaven spa at the new Hilton Manchester Deansgate. Consider the Executive Express package, (£130), which includes facial, manicure, pedicure and Vibro-tone massage on the spa’s luxurious vibrating bed, one of only three in the UK. Or buy a voicher for a Reiviver Facial and Manicure, at just £60.

Owner Catherine Murphy said:

“Just like women, men now recognise the benefits of looking after themselves and ensuring they look their best. They enjoy the spa experience as much as women”