"I was blissfully relaxed" - Angela Mason ‘Retreat’ Spa, Didsbury, Reviewed

Saturday lunchtime on Burton Road can only be described as buzzing. Groups of chirpy young professionals swell in the outdoor seating areas of Instagramable coffee shops whilst others window shop the boutiques, obedient pups in tow. Come nightfall, the road flips its façade to a host of popular bars. If you’re a young professional on the brink of success, then Burton Road offers everything you need for a stylish lifestyle.  

So, the fashionable road is the perfect spot for the Angela Mason salon. The venue launched in November last year as Manchester’s first hair extensions salon, as well as offering the increasingly popular treatments of express blow dries (£35). Since then, the venue has opened its doors to massages, manicures and beautician services - something that the successful residents of West Didsbury would not doubt find a use for. 

Entering the salon past a wall of plants, you can’t help but notice the details of the design. Fluffy sheepskin cushions adorn gold chairs beneath rows of hanging ivy at the blow dry station, hexagons in muted greys line the floor and a neon sign hangs above the washing station teasing “if these walls could talk”. The effect is a subtle elegance that wouldn’t be out of place on the feed of your favourite influencer. The thoughtful finishing touches add personality to the boutique venue, as well as aspirational wonder at where salon owner Angela shops. 

The spa room is nestled at the back of the salon, a cosy yet calming room tucked away from the buzz of the blow bar.  A masseuse bed, a velvet grey chair set before a foot sink and a marble-print nail station hint at the variety of treatments on offer at the AM Retreat room, all with the salon’s signature style flowing through. Though the treatment room is small, the experience has a personal, boutique feel, with a single customer booking out the space rather than hordes of clients passing through. 

I’m introduced to my masseuse Dionne, who heads up the holistic therapy services at the salon. Dionne is schooled in the herbal treatments, explaining that essential oils can work wonders on a range of ailments from anxiety to insomnia. I’m introduced to the concept of the AromaTouch massage (£50) which I’ll be having today and assured that all the oils used will be 100% essential oils – not the diluted 1% versions you can find at most supermarkets. As a stressed, sleep-deprived millennial, the treatment is set to work wonders. And so the treatment begins. 

Eight essential oils are delicately applied along energy lines on my back and reflexology points on my feet, to stimulate balance in the body and promote wellness. Familiar scents of Lavender, Wild Orange and Tea Tree fill the air, alongside other bespoke blends of therapeutic oils designed for the massage. For 60 minutes, the oils are gently worked into the skin in waves along the back, up the neck and lower head before addressing the feet. As a medley of oceanic flute music played out over the speakers, I dozed straight off. 

Though in the past I’ve often been skeptical of the more holistic treatments, the AromaTouch massage was undeniably relaxing. I left the salon in somewhat of a daze, completely zenned out by the array of oils fumigating on my back (and smelling distinctly like a herb garden). I was blissfully relaxed. 

The Aroma Touch massage costs £50 at Angela Mason. Prices for beauty treatments range from £10 to £60. For more information, visit the website.

Find Angela Mason salon at 218 Burton Road, West Didsbury, M20 2LW