Style and Beauty: Vanity Fare

1 Dress to impress Bathrobe ***** £60, Elemis (www.timetospa.co.uk). A mainstay of a proper luxury spa experience is the huge fluffy bathrobe, and Elemis's 100 per cent cotton unisex robe is perfect for an indulgent home pampering session. Only available in large, the snow-white robe not only looks the business but will keep you cosy no matter what the weather outside.

2 Messy job 2-in-1 Purifying Mint Mask ** 20, Essential Care (www.essential-care.co.uk).

If you're looking for an organic face mask this should fit the bill – it's even certified by the Soil Association. But our tester wasn't impressed. The mask has to be mixed with water to form a paste, but it was virtually impossible to get it to the right consistency. It didn't feel pleasant to apply and wasn't particularly soothing while on. The colour was also an unattractive shade of green. However, it washed off easily and the tester's skin did feel smoother, with more of a glow afterwards. Unfortunately, though, despite the results, it didn't seem worth the hassle.

3 Fresh-faced DIY Facial Ritual, Elemental Herbology *** 39.15, at SpaceNK (www.spacenk.co.uk).

This cute kit features three of the brand's best-selling masks – Facial Detox, Facial Glow and Biodynamic Facial Souffl (3 x 30ml) – plus a muslin cloth, perfect for an evening's pampering. The Souffl is especially good for this time of year; it's an overnight cream mask that will boost parched winter skin and leave it nicely moisturised in the morning.

4 Soft skin Hip and thigh massage brush **** 4.89, The Sanctuary (www.thesanctuary.co.uk).

Body brushing is a great way to keep skin looking tip-top. Not only does it help brush off dry skin cells, it evens skin tone and improves circulation. This one has rubber nodules as well as bristles to ensure a deeper massage.

5 Going with the grain Aqua Therapy Detox Salt Scrub **** 8.50, Champneys (www.champneys.com).

If you can't make it to one of their thalassotherapy spa resorts, this is an excellent DIY option. The scrub's fine granules smoothed over the body instantly, leaving the tester's skin soft as a cloud (watch your step coming out of the bath!). As for its claim to draw out grizzly toxins, our tester's not sure, but it's an absolute bargain.

6 Detoxifying dip White Gold Detoxifying Crystal Salt *** 45 for 1kg, INA Crystals, at SpaceNK (www.spacenk.co.uk).

As suggested, our tester used the contents of this drum in one go to give a deep penetrating detox bath – also a great hangover cure. Initially she found it a bit dusty, making her sneeze. Once the salts had melted in the bath, however, it was wonderfully relaxing, and left her skin silky soft afterwards.

7 Feat of clay SeaSource Detox Spa Sea Mud Face & Body Mask * 27.40, Arbonne (www.katherine goodwin.myarbonne.co.uk).

It was clear that some time and locked- door investment would be required for this treatment, which also suggested wrapping yourself in towelling afterwards while being very careful not to make contact with furniture etc. However, the tester's personal experience was not a success on any front. While the consistency of the mask was pleasant enough, the hot sensation it gave within minutes of being applied, particularly around the neck and upper back areas, made for a rather uncomfortable – and unrepeatable – experience.

• This article first appeared in Scotland on Sunday on 3 January, 2010