insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 20 - October 2016 | Page 72

HEALTH + WELLNESS

A beautiful location , contemporary salon and spa , gorgeous Aveda products and fantastic staff to boot ; Samantha Ready relished an afternoon of pampering at The Rye Retreat .

It was a beautiful , sunny autumn afternoon as I made the pleasant journey to the ancient Cinque Port town of Rye in East Sussex . As well as offering a glimpse to into its historic past by way of quaint cobbled streets , medieval buildings and a pretty harbour , the town also has another little treasure - located in the heart of Cinque Port Street is a beautiful double-fronted building ; the exterior is a nod to its historical architecture , but beyond the arched entrance lies the sleek , contemporary and fabulously executed , Rye Retreat .
The Rye Retreat prides itself on its plentiful Aveda products and has been offering its services for over three decades , but rather than resting on their ( clearly very effective ) laurels , the evidently passionate team behind this salon and spa are always striving to improve and refresh . Their most recent project ? A slick refurbishment of the main ground floor salon ; and while my eye was drawn to the freshly painted , industrialinspired , hub of hairstyling , I was actually beginning my visit in a somewhat more tranquil setting : the lower ground floor spa .
Set beneath the main salon area is a calming , warm and welcoming garden spa and I needed no encouragement to take up residence on one of the Moroccan-inspired loungers that look out through the French doors to the pretty courtyard terrace ; its gentle water feature providing the only sound as I awaited the arrival of my therapist . It wasn ’ t long before I met the lovely Emily , who , after going through my skin type and beauty regime , led me to the gorgeous garden therapy room to begin my treatment - an Elemental Nature Facial .
Now , I have long confessed that facials are not always my thing - I know , I know - but there are valid reasons : a combination of sensitive skin , some awful previous experiences , and now the absolute horror of revealing my toddler-induced , sleep-deprived dark circles when being makeup free , but not only were my worries completely unfounded here ... I may now be a facial convert !
The Elemental Nature Facial wasn ’ t simply a facial , but instead , like all the treatments offered here , a ritual ; a pure , bliss-inspired 75 minutes of uninterrupted ‘ me time ’. It began with my choosing one of three signature scented oils , which then influenced my ritual journey of deep breathing , foot cleansing and a facial treatment . The facial element itself was a hands-on , gentle and soothing combination of cleansing , exfoliation , clay-whipped mask and moisturiser applied with massaging strokes so relaxing that i ’ ll admit , I did have a gentle snooze . Roused back to the world to the sound of the trickling water feature and the final cooling finish to my treatment , Emily explained how she had tailored the Aveda products used to calm my sensitive skin and aid dryness , and also provided helpful recommendations for products I could use at home too - the result was fantastic ; fresh dewy skin that still felt fabulous days later .
Led back to those cosy loungers , I was reenergised with a refreshing lemon sorbet and a glass of water before being escorted back up to the renovated salon for the next part of my Rye Retreat pamper session - an indulgent blowdry .
The salon itself is made up of two styling stations that both lead to the basins at the rear , and although it has just had a makeover to a deep shade of grey , the space is light and bright with a sense of calm and clear organisation , although constantly active .
Chelsea , my friendly stylist , went through various styling options before explaining that all treatments begin with a head , neck and shoulder massage - what an amazing and relaxing start ! From the massage station , it was only a couple of steps to the basins where chairs come with footstools ( finally a hair wash that didn ’ t lead to dreaded neck ache !), where Chelsea tailored the Aveda products to work best for my scalp and hair to provide not only fresh , clean locks , but locks that looked healthy and restored too .
With my bouncy blowdry ( that lasted for a good three days ) and freshly pampered skin not only did I feel and look great , I had also been given the chance to see firsthand just why this place is considered such a go-to destination salon . The professional , seamless army of staff clearly love where they work and this is evident in their work , which leads to fantastic results and happy smiles on the faces of each and every other customer I saw that day .
I doubt it ’ ll be long before I join the ranks of their impressive repeat client list .
The Rye Retreat 36-38 Cinque Ports Street , Rye , East Sussex , TN31 7AN
01797 222 211 www . theryeretreat . co . uk
@ TheRyeRetreat
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