Some guys have all the luck - Belfast’s metrosexual males have a fabulous new place to hang out and be pampered.
It’s the Man at Partners male grooming salon adjoining the fab Partners Hair salon on Castlereagh Street in the east of the city - and it has local ladies green with grooming envy! Its owner, Paul Meekin, spotted a gap in the market and realised that there was a huge potential for a new, exclusive male grooming salon, offering everything from massages and facials to hot shaves and haircuts.
Paul says it has already proved to be a hit with shy guys who prefer the atmosphere in traditional male barbers, where there are no women around, as well as with blokes of all ages who are keen to try out some of the new pampering treatments on offer. One of the most talked about treatment on the Man menu is the Mankini wax - also called a ‘Boyzilian’ and it’s the male equivalent of the female Brazilian or bikini wax. And despite what you may think, it turns out that several local guys are keen to try it out and have already booked in for their Boyzilian - but I'm naming no names!
The salon itself has been gorgeously designed with style-conscious males in mind and features lots of masculine dark woods and chrome fittings. But if you’re one of the female of the species, don’t worry, just pop next door into Partners for an equally luxurious time. I nipped in recently for a wash and blow dry and was treated to a manicure while I was getting my new look from the salon’s owner and master cutter, Paul Meekin, himself. Next time I go I plan to try a massage in one of the calm treatment rooms.
I'm not long back from my Alaska cruise and I'd thoroughly recommend it! We breezed through Terminal 5 at Heathrow on the way there and back and enjoyed really comfortable flights with British Airways to and from Vancouver, where the cruise departed from, even bagging seats with extra legroom, which made the flight even better. The food was top-notch, the cabin crew were friendly and when we weren't eating we watched back-to-back movies - bliss! Usually I dread long-haul flights but these were comfy and quick - we'll definitely be flying BA again!
Our trip took in a cruise around Alaska’s Inside Passage with the brilliant cruise company Holland America Line, onboard its elegant and superbly-equipped ship, the MS Ryndam. The ship offered all the facilities you’d find in a five-star hotel, including a gym, several high-class restaurants, a library, a coffee shop, several bars, a shopping gallery and a spa, where I treated myself to a pampering facial.
All the stops along the route were amazing too and I really fell for the wide open spaces, fresh air, friendly locals and awe-inspiring scenery of Alaskan towns and cities such as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. The tour excursions were awesome too - my hubby and I went on a helicopter ride and walked across a glacier, hired a Harley Davidson and went on a motorcycle tour around Ketchikan, winding between sea and forest on Alaska State Highway 7. Ray, our leader on the Harley tour, told us all about the history of the area and we made new friends in the form of the other riders in our multi-cultural tour group - Peter from Yorkshire and seasoned American bikers, Doug and V. My other half and I were the only Irish people to take the tour that summer, so at least we’ll be remembered.
I was tempted to stow away and stay onboard for another week but duty called back home, in the form of work. One treat to look forward to though - and it’s all in the name of research, of course! - is the Marks & Spencer autumn/winter fashion show that’s taking place in Dublin at the end of September. A group of Northern Irish fashion writers will be heading down with the chic PR girls from Anderson Spratt to check out the hottest looks for the coming season - and stylishly showing those Dublin gals what fashion is all about!
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Monday, 15 September 2008
THE event season - By Andrea McVeigh
THE event season has started up again, with the re-launch of Canvas art gallery on Belfast's Stranmillis Road and the Raspberry Beret relocation party (the fab vintage fashion store has moved from the city centre to Bloomfield Avenue in east Belfast) both taking place recently.
But the highlight of September has to be the Ulster Tatler's own People of the Year awards.
This is the inaugural year of the awards ceremony, which is being held in association with House of Fraser, and which has been launched to celebrate and reward inspirational local people - of which there are many!
There's an abundance of brilliant, talented people in Northern Ireland, as I found out recently when I was asked to be one of the judges for the awards.
There are numerous trophies up for grabs, covering everyone from brides to businessmen, sportsmen to chefs, and all the shortlisted nominees really deserve their place in the final.
I was on the judging panel for two of the categories - and the consensus among the judges was that everyone who had made it onto the shortlist deserves a prize.
Unfortunately, there can only be one winner in each category but I know that I, along with the rest of the judges, had a hard time debating the merits of each nominee.
The beauty of the awards, which will be handed out in Belfast's Waterfront Hall in September, is that it was down to Ulster Tatler's own readers to send in their nominees, so this really is an awards ceremony 'for the people'.
Along with the Canvas and Raspberry Beret parties, another highlight of the month was the catwalk preview for the Autumn/Winter collections at House of Fraser.
The clothes were all gorgeous and, thanks to House of Fraser and the gorgeous clothes on show, I've already planned my new season wardrobe, which will be full of tartans, purples and luxurious fabrics.
Style-spotter Katrina Doran was making lots of notes at the fashion show too. She's the Editor of www.sugahfix.com, which bills itself as a guide to life and style in Belfast and beyond.
The site recently marked its one millionth hit, just three months after it launched, and Katrina told me how thrilled she is that local women are logging on to find out the latest fashion, shopping, beauty, travel, style spotting and entertainment news.
Sugahfix was responsible for the recent poll that gained so much attention in the Press recently, in which UTV's own silver fox Frank Mitchell was in the top three of the most attractive grey-haired men in the world, as voted for by Sugahfix readers, after George Clooney and James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan!
I must confess to especially liking the travel section of Sugahfix.com - because I contribute to it! And, being the inveterate traveller that I am, I'm currently planning my Christmas getaway. I know it seems like Christmas is a long-time away, but there are actually only around four months to go until the big day, and those months will fly by!
My hubby and I try to get away every year at Christmas because there's nothing like spending the festive season soaking up a different culture - in the past we've eaten noodles in Tokyo on 25 December and counted down to New Year's Day in San Francisco.
This year we'll be spending Christmas Day onboard one of the fabulous Star Clipper tall sailing ships on a cruise around the islands of Tahiti. It's our dream holiday, and when we looked into it, it proved to be very accessible, once you fly to LA, all you have to do is head on to Tahiti (not exactly a hardship!), where the Star Clipper ship sails from.
We've been on Star Clipper ships before and loved the fact that they're more intimate than those mega-ships that carry thousands of people. And the prospect of spending Christmas Day onboard a masted clipper ship in one of the most beautiful areas on earth was one we couldn’t resist. Apparently, the cruise is popular with honeymooners, but since I'm already hitched, we'll turn it into a second honeymoon!
Before that though, we're off on a very different trip - an Alaskan cruise. From Alaska to Tahiti via Northern Ireland - we vowed to make 2008 our year of travel and we're certainly sticking to our resolution!
But the highlight of September has to be the Ulster Tatler's own People of the Year awards.
This is the inaugural year of the awards ceremony, which is being held in association with House of Fraser, and which has been launched to celebrate and reward inspirational local people - of which there are many!
There's an abundance of brilliant, talented people in Northern Ireland, as I found out recently when I was asked to be one of the judges for the awards.
There are numerous trophies up for grabs, covering everyone from brides to businessmen, sportsmen to chefs, and all the shortlisted nominees really deserve their place in the final.
I was on the judging panel for two of the categories - and the consensus among the judges was that everyone who had made it onto the shortlist deserves a prize.
Unfortunately, there can only be one winner in each category but I know that I, along with the rest of the judges, had a hard time debating the merits of each nominee.
The beauty of the awards, which will be handed out in Belfast's Waterfront Hall in September, is that it was down to Ulster Tatler's own readers to send in their nominees, so this really is an awards ceremony 'for the people'.
Along with the Canvas and Raspberry Beret parties, another highlight of the month was the catwalk preview for the Autumn/Winter collections at House of Fraser.
The clothes were all gorgeous and, thanks to House of Fraser and the gorgeous clothes on show, I've already planned my new season wardrobe, which will be full of tartans, purples and luxurious fabrics.
Style-spotter Katrina Doran was making lots of notes at the fashion show too. She's the Editor of www.sugahfix.com, which bills itself as a guide to life and style in Belfast and beyond.
The site recently marked its one millionth hit, just three months after it launched, and Katrina told me how thrilled she is that local women are logging on to find out the latest fashion, shopping, beauty, travel, style spotting and entertainment news.
Sugahfix was responsible for the recent poll that gained so much attention in the Press recently, in which UTV's own silver fox Frank Mitchell was in the top three of the most attractive grey-haired men in the world, as voted for by Sugahfix readers, after George Clooney and James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan!
I must confess to especially liking the travel section of Sugahfix.com - because I contribute to it! And, being the inveterate traveller that I am, I'm currently planning my Christmas getaway. I know it seems like Christmas is a long-time away, but there are actually only around four months to go until the big day, and those months will fly by!
My hubby and I try to get away every year at Christmas because there's nothing like spending the festive season soaking up a different culture - in the past we've eaten noodles in Tokyo on 25 December and counted down to New Year's Day in San Francisco.
This year we'll be spending Christmas Day onboard one of the fabulous Star Clipper tall sailing ships on a cruise around the islands of Tahiti. It's our dream holiday, and when we looked into it, it proved to be very accessible, once you fly to LA, all you have to do is head on to Tahiti (not exactly a hardship!), where the Star Clipper ship sails from.
We've been on Star Clipper ships before and loved the fact that they're more intimate than those mega-ships that carry thousands of people. And the prospect of spending Christmas Day onboard a masted clipper ship in one of the most beautiful areas on earth was one we couldn’t resist. Apparently, the cruise is popular with honeymooners, but since I'm already hitched, we'll turn it into a second honeymoon!
Before that though, we're off on a very different trip - an Alaskan cruise. From Alaska to Tahiti via Northern Ireland - we vowed to make 2008 our year of travel and we're certainly sticking to our resolution!
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