Hello, OLD FRIEND!

Beauty editor Hélène Ravlich crosses the ditch for some me time with old mate Sydney

So close but so often unavailable for the past year or so, the city of Sydney feels like an old friend – a super-fun one that always encourages all sorts of bad behaviour! I’ve visited as a teenager with family, as a 20something entranced by its big-city vibes, and many years since for both work and play. On every visit, I discover something new about my old friend and always leave promising to come back before another year is out.

Sleep easy

In Sydney, it’s all about location: do you want to be in the thick of the CBD, embracing the slower pace of Bondi or right by the water? This trip, I opted for Ovolo Woolloomooloo on the wharf, which proved to be a great spot for sea views and morning walks into the city. Here I tried Australasia’s first “Sleep Deep Experience”, a collaboration between the hotel, The Body Shop and Aussie sleep expert Olivia Arezzolo. My experience included The Body Shop’s new four-step sleep routine, which is clinically proven by the European Sleep Centre to help you wake more energised, a one-on-one sleep consultation, a sleep-inducing sound-bath meditation and a sleep-enhancing dinner. And yep, I slept like a baby!

Beauty lover’s must-do