So far my shopping guide has been very West End based, but taking a saunter in to something a little bit closer to home I thought I’d share one of my favourite hidden gems in Glasgow – The Beauty Kitchen. Based in the Salt Market (a hop from the Merchant City…and a very quick saunter from Argyle Street) The Beauty Kitchen is pretty much my go to place for fancy bath facilities. With a strong ethos in keeping in natural, ethically sourced and local the Beauty Kitchen is one of those guilt free pleasures. No hidden nasties and nearly all the packaging is pre-cycled. My mother also is a fan of the executive bath – and while she’s usually a fan of the Molton Brown variety – I believe The Beauty Kitchen is the kind of place to tickle her fancy with it’s natural ingredients.
The bespoke body scrub is perfect if you want to create something a bit more personal. First you choose your base (British brown sugar, British white sugar, Epsom salt or fine sea salt) and then your ingredients. The choices include bitter orange, heather buds, stinging nettles (great for skin) and marigold rose. After this you get to choose your oils and the pattern for your label. Pretty fancy? You can build your scrub online although if you’re Glasgow based (or bound for Christmas shopping) I’d say go in. The expertise of the staff is unbelievable and can advice you on what scents and ingredients blend well together and what everything does.
I’m a fan of the shower gel – it lasts for ages. I go for the brighter scents of either citrus or mints (got to get up some how) and find the essential oils are prominent without being overwhelming. The lip balms are great at only £2.95 and make brilliant stocking fillers. I’m yet to try the bath oil BUT it’s something that would not go amiss in the stocking boyfriend. It sounds very luxurious and if my experience with the other products are anything to go by I think it’s a perfect bit of affordable luxury.
Vegetarian and environmentally friendly – gifts for those who like a bit of luxury, without having to break the bank.
The Beauty Kitchen is open Thursday and Friday 11.30am – 6.00pm and Saturday 10.00am – 5.30pm.