Boosh salon is mighty one-stop beauty shop

Established for 11 years, the hairdressers has just acquired the shop next door and is now operating a beauty and nail salon, making Boosh a one-stop shop for a head-to-toe overhaul. Friends have been raving about this salon for ages so I was expecting good things.

I’m very fussy about my hair. It’s thick, long and layered and depending on how it’s cut and styled can look like Janis Joplin’s mop or Barbarella’s luxurious pelt – obviously, I prefer the latter. Proprietress Mary is an exceptionally stylish woman and close to my age – elements that put me at ease when I’m about to let someone loose on me with their scissors. She’s also a great listener. I tell her how I usually like to wear my hair, but also seek and accept her advice regarding updating my layers a bit.

“I hate straightening irons!” she says emphatically as she’s styling me up after the cut. I could hug her. My heart sinks whenever a stylist plugs in the GHDs to “finish me off”, as nothing makes your hair look better for longer than a stellar blow dry ... which is exactly what I get. Delighted with my do, I nip next door for a much needed pedicure and manicure.

Like the hairdressing wing, the interior of the new beauty shop is chic and minimalist, bright and pristine. Centre-stage is an antique barber’s chair, which I climb into to get my pedicure from beautician Ashleigh. After my paws are soaked, scrubbed, filed, oiled and massaged, they’re coated in paraffin wax and wrapped up in warm booties while the wax works its magic. My feet don’t know what’s hit them. They have never been so silky soft. As my polish dries, I get my hands seen to by nail technician Gillian.

I opt for a Shellac manicure – the polish is “cured” under a UV light for an exceptionally lasting finish. Gillian doesn’t take any shortcuts. In total, six coats of polish are applied and the result is harder wearing than the bodywork of Missy Elliot’s Lamborghini. My black nails will stay glossy and chip-free through all manner of rough treatment and I can’t stop staring at them -– they are so shiny.

It took most of a morning, but after my indulgent beauty fix, I feel brand-new. Boosh – I like the way you work it.

Fab facts for a beautiful life

Doctor feelgood

Healthy eating and fast food are two completely different things, right? Not any more, if The Food Doctor’s new Wholesome Pots are anything to go by. These snacks, which are free from added salt, sugar, preservatives and colouring, come in three varieties – Bulgar Wheat and Quinoa with Tomato, Black Olive and Basil; Bulgar Wheat and Quinoa with Asparagus, Leek and a Hint of Mint, and Couscous and Lentils with Tomato, Red Pepper and Cumin. In the style of a Pot Noodle, you just add boiling water, then stir.

£1.39, Tesco (www.tesco.com), and all good health food stores

Bop till you drop

If you fancy a boogie then get along to Dancebase (14-16 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, 0131-225 5525, www.dancebase.co.uk) as they’re holding a disco evening tonight, from 8pm. Freestyling is permitted, but the evening will be hosted by choreographer Chris Stuart-Wilson, who will be teaching participants how to do the Saturday Night Fever Bus Stop dance. Expect live music, a DJ and various performances, as well as the opportunity to burn baby burn (some calories).

Tickets £15, age 18 and upwards only (there will be a bar)

Save our skins

Looking for the perfect cream to pep up your complexion? Then the technologically advanced Truth Creme Advanced Hydration moisturiser from celebrity cosmetician Ole Henriksen could be worth a shot. As the zesty orange packaging suggests, this new potion is packed with Vitamin C, which is said to support the production of collagen. It also includes a special Advanced Hydration Complex, with ingredients including ceramides and essential fats from sunflower and jojoba, to plump up the epidermis and increase cell turnover.

£52, Harvey Nichols (www.harveynichols.com), www.olehenriksen.com