Sally Foran: I tried a head-to-toe menopause spa treatment

Our beauty editor heads to No. 1 Pery Square in Limerick to experience its new treatment created in partnership with Voya

The Spa at No. 1 Pery Square, Limerick. Picture: Keith Wiseman

Thu, 20 Aug, 2026 - 01:00

Sally Foran

At 50, I’m well into my menopause journey, and with it has come a myriad of unpleasant symptoms I’d rather be without. So, I was thrilled when an invite from No. 1 Pery Square in Limerick landed in my inbox.

Created in partnership with Voya, the boutique hotel’s spa now offers The Nourishing Journey and The Balancing Journey, two treatments designed specifically for women navigating the often challenging periods of perimenopause and menopause.

Both promise to transport you away to a place of serenity and calm. I opted for The Balancing Journey — and can attest it did just that.

The treatment takes place in No. 1’s newly redesigned underground spa, a beautifully atmospheric space. Some of the gorgeous amenities available in the thermal suite include The Herbal Cocoon, a herbal basin containing fresh herbs in a water bath; a coal bunker Finnish-style sauna; an aroma steam room; mist showers, sole pool foot baths and The Snooze Room (exactly what it sounds like!).

I opted for the 90-minute Balancing Journey treatment. It began with an aromatic massage to the back of my body, designed to alleviate stress and anxiety and help me unwind. My therapist, Monique, worked with medium pressure, which is my preference, paying particular attention to areas where I carry tension.

Monique noticed I had a lot of tension on my right lower back, which she noted can be common with people with desk jobs, and can also affect one’s digestion. With that in mind, she moved forward with a lymphatic- focused massage and worked on my abdomen and pelvis, with a soothing stomach massage I found particularly relaxing. Rather than using deep pressure, my therapist adjusted her touch to my tolerance, explaining that if your body is resisting the massage, it’s difficult to properly relax.

The use of Voya’s Mindful Dreams, one of the loveliest scents I’ve encountered in a body oil, made it all that easier to unwind.

Next came the grounding foot reflex massage, designed to help anchor you to the present moment. Monique worked on several reflexology points, including areas she associated with the pituitary and adrenal glands, as well as the solar plexus, which she said can encourage deeper breathing.

A hydration-boosting facial to help cool and calm the skin was next in the journey, making use of Voya’s signature nourishing seaweed eye patches. I learned these, and all other seaweed used are repurposed for compost at a local vegetable farm, which is a lovely circular touch. My combination skin meant I received a bespoke mask combination — the Get Glowing Mask on my T-zone and Masquerade on my more sensitive cheeks.

The journey ended with a deep scalp massage using rosemary essential oil to help clear the mind.

I floated out of the treatment room, relieved of bloating and tension and with a glowing complexion to boot.

If you’re navigating menopause and want to treat yourself to a truly head-to-toe treatment, I absolutely recommend booking in. If you can, stay overnight to experience the gorgeous food and oh so comfortable beds too.

The Balancing Journey at No. 1 Pery Square costs €185. Sally received a complimentary treatment in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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No7 Pro Artist Silk Glaze Skin Tint

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Glowing skin illuminators are hardly new. While No7 might be late to the party, my goodness, they’ve made up for it with their version.

Part of No7’s Pro Artist range – which I adore for its mature-skin-friendly formulas – this can be used in a myriad of ways; alone as a glowy skin tint, under foundation for a lit-from-within glow, mixed with foundation for added luminosity, dabbed onto the high points of your face for extra radiance. My preference is mixing it with foundation (being prone to redness, I need more coverage than it offers alone).

The finish is beautiful. It gives skin a gorgeous glazed effect, while still looking natural, with a radiant, soft-focus finish. Think your skin but better. It has buildable coverage, doesn’t cling to dry patches, blends like a dream and lasts remarkably well, even during the latest spell of hot weather. It doesn’t settle into my lines or emphasise my pores (it actually helps blur them). My one gripe? The doe-foot applicator. Like many other skin illuminators on the market, very little product comes out with each swipe.