A little beauty haven tucked away in charming Żoliborz, Yonelle offers absolutely everything I can imagine a woman would need to stay fit at all stages of life: younger, older, pregnant, even frazzled mommy. There’s a spa here, a salon, a medical spa that offers some of those more techno-savvy “rejuvenating” treatments, fitness classes and even baby bonding classes. I think the pick of the lot is definitely the CPR for babies course that teaches parents everything there is to know about providing first aid to the littlest folk (zł. 220 for 4-hour course).

But back to the matter in hand: beauty. With spring finally here, most of us need a beauty pick-me-up to chase away the drudgery of winter. Whether it’s a mani-pedi, a facial or a “Venus Freeze” slimming treatment to get that beach body on its way. The trouble with this place is that you’ve got so many tempting options it’s really hard to just settle on one. They’ve even got that weird blood platelet facial that Kim Kardashian was raving about recently. But for the time being, I’ve had to set most of my vanity aside as my body swells and changes like never before – yes, it’s my first pregnancy. 

In the end I had the “Tsuboki” (1 hour 15 minutes – zł. 250) that promises to lift, firm, revitalize and relax simply through a facial massage that stimulates major points in the face. I wish I could provide details on the treatment itself, but I’d zoned out within seconds. There were a series of lotions – all quite soothing and pleasant-smelling and, at the end, some sort of intensive mask that purified and nourished as it made me into something of a mummy – no complaints on my end, I was happy to lay back and indulge in the exotic chimes playing in the background. I don’t know if it was the much-deserved nap or the treatment itself, but my eyes were brighter and my skin fresher when the treatment was up. My husband definitely noticed a change. And I realized the valuable truth that as a mommy-to-be I have to indulge in a few items of self-gratification while I still have the chance. (AL)