Treatments to get you ready to party

The Christmas party season is finally upon us, and there's no time to lose.

But if you're not feeling quite ready for your close-up, and frankly, who is, what with seasonal coughs and colds, pasty winter skin and a general sense of having too much to do before the 25th, then here's the ideal treatment to sort you out.

The Scotsman Spa and Health Club at The Scotsman hotel has come up with the ideal quick fix to see you through all your festive engagements.

The Get Ready to Party package includes a file and polish of hands and feet, a blast of fake tan, plus a glass of bubbly to get you in the mood for your Christmas night out.

This is a pretty sociable treatment - apart from the spray tan part - so if you've got a friend who also needs to get party-ready, book in together. You can use the club's facilities, including the gym, or have a swim in Scotland's first stainless steel pool, before trying the sauna and steam room ahead of your treatments, so you could easily make a day of it.

Fingers and toes are seen to first so you can choose a suitably vibrant shade - I went for a super shiny purple called Rio - from the spectrum of colours from Orly, a French Polynesian range selected by The Scotsman Spa for its hydrating properties.

You'll be sent to the relaxation area to - carefully, without smudging your therapist's handiwork - leaf through magazines for about 20 minutes until it's time to head for the tanning booth.

As those Hollywood A-listers learn on their first day on the job - if you can't tone it, tan it. Who doesn't feel better with a light tan? The problem appears to be finding a way to fake it that looks natural.

Tangerines are for the Christmas stocking, after all. The spa manager at The Scotsman, Rachel Mashford, assures me that the Xen Tan used here guarantees a subtle olive colour without the common side effects of streaking, or biscuit odours. Rachel also stressed the spa's low-key approach to tanning; if you're uncomfortable with the thought of striking a pose in paper pants, you can wear a swimsuit for the treatment.

I'm all set to put it to the test, but unfortunately have failed in my basic skin prep. As a spray-tan virgin I didn't know that you have to arrive without make-up, and with your body scrubbed clean of deodorant or body lotion.

Also, your skin will be a bit tacky after the treatment so you're not going to want to go back to work or out with friends afterwards. And you need to wait eight hours before you have a shower to ensure the best results. This was a good lesson, so I'll be better prepared for the next party.

The Scotsman Spa and Health Club, 1 Market Street, Edinburgh, tel: [phone], www.scotsmanspa.com

As those Hollywood A-listers learn on their first day on the job - if you can't tone it, tan it. The Get Ready to Party package, 50 for 70 minutes, is available throughout December (excluding Saturdays)

This article was first published in The Scotsman, 11 December, 2010