Making supermums smile (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Making supermums smile

7:00am Saturday 9th March 2013 in Lifestyle

Wrap up a pampering surprise for Mother's Day. Lisa Haynes looks at the beauty gifts to make mums smile.

By Lisa Haynes

Hide the marigolds, ban the oven and make the vacuum out of bounds. Sunday, March 10, is officially the day that mums should take a breather from the chores and be spoilt rotten.

And what better way to say 'relax' than with a beauty offering? Bestow the gift of me-time with a well-earned excuse to pamper herself silly.

Celebrate Mothering Sunday with a cuppa, a big kiss and a beautifying treat to suit her lifestyle...

Glamour puss Decorate your mum's treasured dressing table with beauty products that look almost too pretty to use.

Reward her angelic behaviour with Thierry Mugler's limited edition Angel Aqua Chic. The classic is infused with juicy raspberry blossom and green apple for a sparkling twist, £40 (0207 307 6760).

Put a spring in mum's step with Steamcream's new Mademoiselle tin. The multi-tasking moisturising cream will look fabulous in her favourite handbag, £12.95 (www.steamcream.co.uk).

Compensate for the sadness of beauty products running out with Baylis & Harding's gorgeous vanity case for your mum to keep afterwards. Indulge her with the Moonlight Lavender Ultimate Drawer Set, £35 (baylisandharding.com).

Spa addict Forget professional facials, manis and pedis and make it easy for mum to indulge in some at-home pampering instead.

Add a 'Do Not Disturb' sign and allow her to recreate the serene spa environment behind her own bathroom door. Sanctuary Spa's Deluxe Sanctuary Hamper has enough kit to make even a professional therapist envious, £19 (Boots).

Give mum a valid excuse to take the weight off her feet with Ragdale Hall's Relax Fabulous Feet Spa Rituals. If you're feeling extra generous you could throw in a foot massage too, £12 (www.marksandspencer.com).

Give her an even brighter glow on Mother's Day with a facial in a box. NSPA's Beauty Box delivers a cleanse, tone, hydration and serum treat as well as handy muslin cloths, £10 (ASDA).

Green-fingered goddess If she's more at home in the great outdoors than indoors, make her spring a blooming marvellous one.

Nourish her hard-working hands with Marks & Spencer's Floral Collection Gardeners Watering Can gift set. She can even give thirsty flower beds a sprinkling once she's emptied out the beauty treats, £12 (www.marksandspencer.com).

If her buds are still looking a little shy, present her with a faux flower that she can use to fragrance her bath instead. Lush's The Mum (short for Chrysanthemum) should do the trick, £5.25 each (www.lush.co.uk).

Whether it's a hand fix or muscle soak that's required after a hard day fending off weeds, Crabtree & Evelyn's Gardeners Collection comes up smelling of roses. The 13-piece botanical range should complement your mum's garden tool kit, from £3.50 (www.crabtree-evelyn.co.uk).

Busy bee A mum with a timetable to rival a superhero needs some downtime every so often but she might need some encouragement...

Help your mum kick-start her hectic day with Origins zingy kit. The Great Starts box set includes three award-winning anti-ageing products, £48 (House of Fraser).

Stop the clock and help create some me-time for your mum with Elemis's new Time For You Spa and Skincare Collection. The Quiet Mind Relaxing Bath Elixir should be a good wind-down catalyst, £39 (www.timetospa.co.uk).

Add some calm to your mum's crazy routine with Dr Hauschka's Serenity box set. The Lavender Bath and Hand Cream are ideal pre-bedtime treats, £25.95 (www.drhauschka.co.uk).

Tried & tested Lisa Haynes detoxes with a difference using thalossotherapy techniques.

With a special occasion approaching and a new dress to squeeze into, I decided to detox - the five-star way. We're talking Sardinian sunshine for extra glow, specially cooked Dukan meals to slim down, and a thalasso spa to flush out toxins. I packed my suitcase for the 'Silhouette in Sardinia' package, a unique programme offered at the five-star Resort Valle Dell' Erica Thalasso & Spa in the northernmost tip of Sardinia. The package combines the Dukan Diet with regular thalassotherapy treatments - the therapeutic use of seawater to heal the body. As a regular spa goer, thalasso is a completely different experience that feels more targeted and effective rather than relaxing or pampering. Thalassotherapy is often used to aid weight loss and tone the body by stimulating the body's lymphatic circulation, eliminating stubborn fats and liquids stuck between the connective tissue. I begin my spa experience sitting in a bubbling hydro bath filled with micronised seaweed. But this is no bubble bath - the pong is overwhelming but my skin feels amazing afterwards. Next, I'm treated to an anti-cellulite draining massage that focuses on problem areas where circulation tends to be sluggish, like the thighs and bottom. There's also blasting jet showers available for the brave as well as detoxifying seaweed body wraps and slimming/firming body treatments. To make the most of the experience thalasso circuits are recommended to wake up your body with different temperatures. As well as the hammam and sauna, there are four outdoor sea water pools at varying temperatures ranging from dip-your-toe-in freezing to foamy and warm with jets that shoot onto aching shoulders and backs. I'm not sure whether it's the sun, the healthy diet or the thalassotherapy spa experience but I leave the resort feeling lighter, revitalised and ready to zip up that new dress.

:: A full-board stay with 18 thalasso and spa treatments at Resort Valle Dell' Erica Thalasso & Spa, Sardinia, starts from £1,875 for seven nights (www.delphina.it).

:: For more information on the Dukan Diet method visit www.dukandiet.co.uk :: To find a thalassotherapy treatment near you visit http://www.wahanda.com/treatment/thalassotherapy/ Buy it now Fresh from Burberry's 'Trench Kisses' collection at London Fashion Week, the brand have gone all romantic with their new scent. Burberry Body Tender EDT is available from March 1, from £39 for 35ml (www.burberry.com).

Beauty bulletin :: Body shop beauty Singer Leona Lewis will be using her award-winning voice in a different way as brand activist for The Body Shop. Animal lover and long-time vegetarian, Leona is the perfect partner for The Body Shop's vision of cruelty-free beauty. The partnership sees the X Factor star launch a cruelty-free make-up and fragrance collection, the Limited Edition Collection by Leona Lewis. Featuring 100% vegetarian cosmetics in fashion-forward shades, the collection has a floral deer motif. Available at selected stores from March 26.

:: Recessionista alert Celebrate Mother's Day amongst the fragrant smells at Lush. Treat her to complimentary tea, cake and in-store pampering on Sunday, March 10 from 11am. Staff will be offering skin and hair consultations, hand massages and present advice. For Sunday opening times and details of your nearest Lush store call 01202 668 545 or visit www.lush.co.uk.