A couple of weeks ago, Grace and I were invited along to Adamina Spa* in Kensington for a bit of evening pampering. Grace went for a massage and a manicure, whereas I went for a leg and bikini wax plus a pedicure. Adamina Spa is situated on Kensington High Street nearer the Olympia end. It’s easy to find and thankfully easy to park near too.
Interestingly, the spa itself is housed in a converted bank, so from the outside it still looks exactly like a bank, whereas internally it’s much more spa-like. It’s fairly open-planned on entry, although the waiting area is housed behind the main reception area. Then there are individual treatment rooms all leading off the main part of the salon. I didn’t venture downstairs on my visit, but from what Grace says it’s quite amazing so it’s worth keeping an eye out for her blog post to check that out.
I realise it’s quite tricky to wax lyrical (boom, boom) about a waxing treatment as really it’s only a case of whether they successfully removed hair, or not (to a point) but the main theme that to me makes Adamina so special is the extreme attention to detail. Pampering and beauty treatments are not cheap, so you want to feel like you’re being truly indulged and in the hands of a pro for the duration of your experience, and Adamina get that exactly right.
There were two different types of wax used for my treatments; standard strip wax for my legs and a type of wax I haven’t experienced before (although I have heard of) for my bikini line. The wax used is applied, left to set and then removed without the need for strips of cotton. This might seem like a weird thing to focus on but it made *such* a difference to level of pain I experienced during the procedure. Obviously it was still uncomfortable, but I’m used to finding bikini waxes absolute agony, whereas this treatment was very bearable. Once all my waxing was complete, my therapist then went over all the waxed areas with a bright light and tweezed any remaining hairs which were no more than about five, but this ensured I was completely hair-free with no annoying strays.
After my wax, I was taken to the nail room and this is where Adamina get full marks as the nail room is fantastic. Firstly, it’s extremely comfortable; you’re in supportive chairs with lots of cushions, plenty of warmth and, most importantly….a TV and DVD player! Do you not think that every salon should have this? Consider how long you spend firstly getting your nails done and then waiting for them to dry and it makes total sense that you have something to watch whilst you’re waiting. My choices at the time of visiting were either Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives. I opted for the latter as I watch a lot of Sex and the City at home, so I thought it’d make a nice change.
Once seated in the comfy chair, I was offered a drink and I went for a latte to sip whilst I settled in for a bit of telly and pampering. The pedicure was fairly standard in the sense that it followed the usual steps: varnish removal, soak, cuticle treatment, file etc but each foot was given a loooong and indulgent massage which was so incredibly soothing and took the treatment up a notch on the relaxation levels. There were a large selection of Essie varnishes available, and I went for Forever Young.
Once the treatment was complete, I was free to hang around, watching telly and drinking coffee until my nails were dry. I had a wonderful experience at Adamina Spa and it’s definitely something I will treat myself to regularly. The bikini wax was the least-painful one I’ve ever had, but the show-stealer for me was the TV/DVD set-up in the nail room which really made the experience fly by, and I left feeling like I’d taken some proper ‘me time’. I happily and heartily recommend Adamina and I’ll be heading there again the next time my feet need doing!
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Sadly Adamina Spa is no more 🙁
