My main issue with this place is, surprise surprise, the price. The actual salon is quite…read morebeautiful, laid out in that relaxed, slightly new-age, high-market way you would expect from a salon. I only went to get my nails done but I definitely won't be going back regularly. The cheapest manicure treatment that they offer is £17.50, for a standard nail shape or cuticle fixer. To be fair, it's not as though you don't get your money's worth with regards to time. The longest treatment that they offer for your nails lasts for something crazy like an hour and a half. Salons, in general, scare me a little bit. I was recommended this one by a friend and was put off for a little while by the pictures of strange electronic machines all over the website. They seem to be used for slimming. I'll just eat less, thanks.

I would not recommend this place. I was kept waiting half an hour for a 930 am appt - the excuse…read morefor this was that they had to get the room ready!! I was the first appt so thought that was shoddy. Decided to give it another go and was telephoned the day before informing me that my appt had to be cancelled as they had double booked. Very poor customer service.

Rebalance is nice enough in itself, and I'm sure that a lot of people appreciate the services that…read morethey offer, but I've been to a fair number of spa's in my time, and have had to conclude that the ones that seem to focus on superficial treatments just aren't my thing. That's not to say that Rebalance isn't heading in the right direction... it offers treatments like Reflexology and deep tissue massage that have a profound impact on the condition of the body... but it's just the way that the whole thing is marketed that makes me uneasy. Much of the fanfare is reserved for the superficial treatments like fake tanning and false nails, which is just a little too plastic-fantastic for my liking. It's not that I'm averse to faking it either... I own a bottle of St Tropez, and have used this product pretty consistently over a five year period, up until about a couple of years ago. These days I feel disinclined to bother with the faff, and probably won't invest in another bottle once my current one is spent. I've always been acutely aware of the perils of the objectification of people, and grew increasingly concerned when men became firmly at the centre of this kind of attention, alongside the women... to my mind two wrongs don't make a right! With boys now suffering from bulimia and other low self-esteem and low self image related conditions, I feel more inclined to veer away from endorsing businesses that trade in the promise of bodily perfection, and the maintenance of youth everlasting. Rebalance is nowhere near the likes of the clinics that offer cosmetic surgery... quite the opposite. It is moving more toward an holistic approach to beauty and wellbeing. But the fact that they use gorgeous girls with pursed lips and fake tans to market themselves doesn't sit well with me. It is neither representative of their client base, nor a realisable reality for most women. And even if I were personally able to conform to the appearances of these beauties, I certainly wouldn't be adopting any of the expressions that they all seem to sport in the publicity posters... sun drenched sex kitten isn't a look that would suit me!

This is a spa and a beauty salon combo, offering a range of treatments including many using water…read moreas their base - such as the hydro dermabrasion (water jet peel), and aqua blitz body treatment. I haven't tried either of these, but I have enjoyed a Dermalogica facial here, which was very relaxing and made my skin feel fantastic. The therapist even gave me a hand and arm massage, which I wasn't expecting. She was very professional, going through the proper Dermalogica 'face mapping' process before deciding on the best treatment - and although the effects may be short-lived, it's great for a quick boost, and a relaxation treat in itself! I'll be back sometime to try some of their other treats, such as their deep tissue massage (£30 for 30 mins, £45 for 60 mins) - as they're more reasonably priced than most hotel-based beauty salons.

This is a natural health centre based in Penarth, where there are beauty treatments and salon type…read moremassages available, as well as a shop for all you natural health and beauty needs. Slightly off the main road, it took me a while to realise that this place was here. In direct competition with other salons on Windsor Road, Ener-chi offers something a little bit more unusual. Once upon a time Penarth was, and still is if we're honest, full of middle-aged women wearing flax and smelling of sandalwood. This is the type of audience Ener-chi seems to be catering for; people with a taste for the relaxing with a bit too much money on their hands. With lots of treatments to choose from, including massage and 'beauty treatments', whatever that might mean. In their shop, they have a good range of beauty, health and aromatherapy products, but with quite high price tags. I don't know. There's just something a little not right about this place; something a little off kilter which stops it becoming a 4 or 5 star business. It might have something to do with the super-white smiles of the staff.

Selling a broad range of natural health products, as well as providing a range of treatments and…read moreservices, Ener-chi caters specifically to those interested in maintaining a healthy and beautiful body. Friendly staff will greet customers with a beaming smile, with the smells and warmth of the shop almost enough to sooth customers alone. The range of goods on offer is of the high quality, natural produce variety, with various moisturisers and hair care likely to appeal to women in search of eternal youth. Apart from just being a well-stocked shop, the range of treatments offered is also fairly extensive. The treatments on offer range from massages to pedicures, with a high quality service guaranteed. This is a great little place to go and have some attention paid to your aesthetics, with the reasonably priced services sure to go down well.

Thai Beauty & Massage is a peaceful haven on Clifton Street. It's modern interior exudes comfort…read moreand peace. They offer a range of beauty treatments including manicures and pedicures, acrylic nails, waxing and facials, but it's the Thai massage that always brings me here. I was a complete convert to the joys of Thai massage when I ended up staying in Thailand for about two months about twenty years ago. Before arriving in Thailand I had spent a month in Rishikeshi, in North India, undergoing a rigorous course in Hatha Yoga, and so I was utterly thrilled to discover that Thai massage offered me the same kind of health benefits that can be achieved with Yoga, but without all of the discipline and hard work! I'm nothing if not pragmatic! In Bangkok I used to visit a temple for my treatments, which was an amazing experience. All the temples have gardens and the area where the massages took place was in a massive room with vaulted ceilings that were held aloft by a series of soaring pillars. This meant that there was no need for walls, and so the gardens were in full view with the scents of the flowers hanging heavy in the humid air. Visiting Thai Beauty & Massage is not quite the same kind of experience, but what it lacks in grandeur it makes up for in style. They provide a number of different Thai massage options. The full body massage is really inexpensive at £30.00, and an aroma massage is £35.00. Both last for one hour, as does the Thai steamed herbal massage (£40.00). There are two half hour treatments, both costing £20.00.

i have had back pain for over eight years now and i would normaly visit a spa in newport for a…read moremassage once every two weeks. my mum told me about this place and had alot of good things to say about them. she perchesed a gift voucher for me so i went and tried it. it is well located and there is street parking out side. i felt very wellcomed by the staff. it was very different to a brirtish style spa becaes the massage is done on a thin soft materess on the floor. this is so that the therapist can put her full weight in to the massage witch was very strong as i asked for and all of my body was worked on and streched. it was fantastic i have to say it was the best massage i have ever had. the room was well decorated and had a warm light and soothing sounds of thai spa music. it lasted for one hour and the time flew by. after that i was offered a cup of tea and sat and talked to the staff. now i go there every two weeks and it has helped me alot. it takes out the tention in my shoulders and back and the next morning i feel great. the price is so good i pay 30pounds for one hour. i paid almost twise that at outher spa's and had half the service. i have to thank my mum for that first time. i have recomended all my friends and they all enjoy the great massage they have. one of my friends lee has a two hour massage every time he goes. i know they do aroma oil massage and herbal massage as well. but i prefer a strong thai massage. my only comlaint is i didnt know about it sooner.

I'm so lucky to have a place like this right on my door step as I'm a huge fan of quick fix beauty…read moresolutions and pampering. Balance may be small, but it's mighty and has an absolutely huge range of treatments and services as well as great packages which are value for money. The girls are so friendly and put you at ease, even when they're tearing wax strips off your skin. They'll also do their best to fit you in if you're busy (perfect for last minute date preparations) It can get a little pricey, the spray tanning costs more than their rivals up the road, but they offer a top up service for £7 which is an absolute godsend if you want to sprolong your tan without the hefty price tag.

I am a last minute person and was thrilled when a member of staff fitted me in for waxing,…read moreproviding I could get there straight away. There was a friendly approach that made me feel relaxed, sensitive skin was taking into account and treated appropriately with the correct based wax. In fact, I have only just returned home and I am not feeling the affects of waxing at all and sore free. I would definitely recommend "Balance the Body" as they genuinely care for their clients and will go that extra mile to provide you with top quality treatment. Thank you Balance the Body! Nicola

1. I hate my feet 2. I am a wimp…read more In the weeks running up to my birthday last year, I mentioned to my mom that my feet were looking like particularly ugly alligator feet and I really ought to get a pedicure. I also mentioned to my sister that I wanted to try out the Heaven Sent Day Spa that had just opened by her house. I wasn't dropping hints... So on my birthday, I was presented with a gift voucher for £40 for the Spa from my sister and her family and it was suggested I could take my best mate and we could both get a little treatment. Yeah, well. My feet need extra special attention. It took a bit of effort to book in to begin with. I wanted to get the Ultimate Pedicure and called last Saturday to book in. I was advised that I would need to speak to the chiropodist to make the appointment as I would need to see her first and then I would transfer to the beauty side. I was told someone would call back on Monday. No one did. If I had not had the voucher, I would have just given up at this point and gone elsewhere. Instead I called again Tuesday and was able to book in for the following Thursday. The actual place is very nice. The car park was a bit ropey at the time but they have since had that repaired... Nice inside though. I was wondering if I could peel off a few sheets of the wallpaper in reception without being noticed for my upstairs bathroom... I have seriously ucky foot issues - I have hammer toes, thick toenails, slightly webbed toes (gross, I know... my whole family has them), claws instead of little toe nails, very dry skin, scars (from mosquito bites due to my stupid skeeter syndrome), stubby, weird-shaped feet, hard skin on my heels, and arthritic pain. Therefore, I force my feet into cute little Betsey Johnson shoes that are most definitely not made for walking because they look pretty. I hate having my feet looked at or touched and I especially don't like having anything done to my toenails. However, this is my issue and I need to deal with it. First I saw Jacquie, the chiropodist. She masterfully hacked away at my tough old nails (that have broken TWO pairs of clippers in the last year) and she whipped out a blade and sliced off my hard skin. It was pretty disgusting to see what was removed but also rather satisfying. She's very nice and I was not scared at all. The only discomfort was when my leg went dead for a moment but I waved it about and was fine again. The actual treatment was surprisingly painless. Then I went to have the pedicure side of it. Andrea (the manager) did that and was also very nice. I started off in a foot bath that had something in it that went all frothy. It was great! She filed my nails, did that cuticle thing, and generally tidied them up. Then a salt scrub, a foot mask, and heated booties while I "relaxed" in the massage chair for 15 minutes (it was like getting beaten up by my cute little Chinese guy in Alhambra all over again). Then a long foot massage. It was much more relaxing than usual - the guys in the SGV literally leave us bleeding... Nails painted and done. I took my own nail polish - the Absolutely Alice from OPI's Alice in Wonderland range. They do have a really good range of OPI but the colours are slightly more subdued than I normally go for (though there was a nice pink I had to scour ebay for). My feet were very pretty afterwards. But I never went back... Here's why... A few months later, my mother decided to go see Jacquie to have her own feet done. She called and was again told she would be called back. She wasn't. Mom would have again given up at that point but I called again and made the appointment for her. She went off and had her feet done and it was fine. But then me and my best mate decided we wanted a spa day... Their website was being modified at the time so there were no descriptions or prices for treatments. I asked on Facebook when the website was likely to be up and running as we wanted to book a spa day and wanted to make some choices before hand. No response. Nothing. Not even a "it might be a while so feel free to drop in for a treatment list". That was it for me. No amount of good treatments makes up for poor customer service. So it is a great place to go if you have lots of money to spend and don't mind slightly shoddy service. But obviously make your own decisions about the place as a few of my sister's friends have had bad experiences there...

This is a wonderful Spa! The staff are excellent, extremely…read moreprofessional, very friendly and polite. The spa itself is beautifully decorated, light, airy and has a lovely, calm, atmosphere. There are loads of treatments to choose from (see their webpage for a full list). I enjoyed a wonderful deep tissue massage. Family and friends have also had a variety of treatments and all have been extremely happy with their chosen treatments and have gone back again. I will certainly be going back.

Please don't let the name of this place fool you. Yes, they can help relax and soften you feet and…read moreyou face, but that's not all. Oh no, they also provide health, beauty and relaxation treatments on pretty much the rest of you too. This is a small and comfortable spa/salon situated in the swish Pontcanna area of Cardiff, under a mile from the centre of town. It's a bit of a one-stop-shop for all your salon needs, as they have a massive variety of treatments to choose from. Facials, manicures, chiropody, reflexology, Indian head massage, ear piercing, hot stone massage, seaweed treatments, waxing... The staff here are very lovely and, importantly, well qualified in their fields of expertise. You really get the impression that they know what they're talking about, and that was only when I went in for a price list. They also have a range of products and gifts on sale, as well as vouchers available if you wanted to treat someone to a relaxing afternoon (or if you know someone with an uno-brow, who just won't take the hint.)

The Feet and Face Place has always struck me as a little bit odd. Even more so now that they have…read more'before and after' shots of some kind of tummy treatment gracing their windows! Makes you wonder whether your feet and face are in all the right places! But, of course, they offer a comprehensive beauty spa range including; facials and anti aging treatments right through to massage, inch loss and hair removal. To be honest this is not my kind of place. I'm all for health and beauty, don't get me wrong, but I'd prefer a different start point than is offered here. I like to begin at the beginning, starting with the inside before I attempt to do anything superficial. I find it saves money! For this reason I'm more likely to go to Gaia around the corner. It's not as flash as The Feet and Face Place, but it offers curative treatments as well as the purely cosmetic. It also provides Ayurvedic nutrition and lifestyle consultations, which deal with health and beauty on an essential level. One thing in their favour is that the The Feet and Face Place offer Reflexology, which certainly does work on a more profound level than their other treatments.

I've never really been one to pamper myself, but I find this salon a real godsend. I can come here…read moreto escape the rest of the world for a little while. They offer a range of treatments and services - waxing (male and female), nails, facials, tanning, massages etc. On the plus side: The staff are really friendly and the manager Karen is really sweet. Prices are very reasonable. they are also one of the few places that offer proper brazilian waxing (i.e. hard wax applied directly to the skin, which gives a much better finish) On the not so plus size: It's a very small space.