GOING TO GREATER LENGTHS FOR BEAUTY

I rarely travel further than the city centre or south Dublin for a beauty treatment but with my mum in tow and a sunny drive through the Wicklow hills, I made an exception. Rathwood is nestled on the border of Carlow and Wicklow, and when we arrived, owner Patrick greeted us with coffee and cake before the staff in the Beauty Boutique got to work. It’s a quiet, less hurried salon – the kind you struggle to find in Dublin – where all the little things make such a huge difference. Fluffy robes, fresh water with lemon, and background music that doesn’t get under your skin (whale music personally hinders my relaxation). My therapist was friendly but she let me sink myself into the bed without forced conversation and honestly if I could go back once a month for her shouldler technique, I would. A girl can dream. See rathwood.com.