After a draining day there is nothing I love more than taking some time to look after myself with a little pamper.
It's been a tough time for me recently, hence the lack of blog posts the last couple of weeks (sorry). I've been really having to focus on just surviving. When you are someone that craves certainty the world is an extra scary place at the moment. So, today I thought I would share my self-care evening routine, because everyone needs a little bit of self-care once in awhile!
Bath time!
For me the only way to kick off my chill out sesh is with a nice hot bath. When I am tense a bath can really make a huge difference to my mood, relaxing my muscles and giving me 30 minutes of guilt free chill. If I have one to hand I will chuck in a bath bomb from Lush, stick my hair up, grab a cup of tea and just relax.
As soon as I'm in I will wash my face, currently I'm using the Garnier Detox Gel Wash; it's key ingredient is lemongrass, so it gives your face feeling a really fresh feeling but I've found it sometimes leaves my face feeling a little dry if I use it on it's own though, so bear this in mind if you want to try it.
Having said that, it does clean my face really well and has a super lovely smell, plus its organic! Twice a week I also use the Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator which, as you might have guessed, smells of uplifting rose and is very gentle on skin, great for those with sensitive skin or that just want something a little lighter.
Face mask frenzy
After cleansing my face I like to put on a face mask and I have a couple of favourites at the moment. The Give Me Cosmetics Bubble Mask is great for both the skin and a good laugh. Simply smooth this over your face and leave for 5-10 minutes and in that time it bubbles up, creating a deep layer of foam over your face! Massage in the foam before rinsing off for soft, detoxed skin.
My other favourite to use at the moment is the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel face mask. It is a little pricier than the Give Me Cosmetics one, but it is SO lovely. It claims to purify, revitalise and smooth and I would agree with all that. I tend to use this relatively sparingly, but it smells so good and my skin is left so much smoother. Out of a lot of face masks I've tried, I really do rate this one highly.
A couple of other products worth mentioning are Lush's Grease Lightening, which is a spot treatment. I just whack this on when I get the odd breakout. Also The Body Shop's Aloe Soothing Rescue Cream Mask which claims to 'soothe discomfort and helps build skin's natural defences to irritation'. You simply apply a generous amount and leave on over night! I couldn't find this on the Body Shop website, but I picked it up at Clarks Village at the outlet store.
PJ's & chill...literally
After my bath it's moisturiser time! I would be nowhere without Lush's Sleepy body lotion. Yes, it's pretty pricey BUT, it lasts a long time (for me anyway) and it is the most gorgeous consistency and beautiful scent ever! With it's main ingredient being Lavender I find it is the just the thing to calm my anxiety and get me ready for a good nights sleep. It is also never feels too heavy on my skin, but is highly moisturising. Would definitely recommend!
With this it is time for the comfy clothes, whether that be pyjamas or a baggy t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, it has to be comfy and it has to be cosy! Now that I'm all relaxed, I like to round off my pamper with an activity. Below I've listed my three favourite ways to unwind and chill out at the moment.
Bullet Journalling
I currently use bullet journaling as a way to plan my blog posts, but it also doubles as a fun and relaxing thing to do which keeps my fingers busy (no pulling at my hair!) and lets me express myself creatively. I can do it from my bed with the TV on in the background and this is currently one of my favourite ways to spend a quiet hour.
Violin
If I'm feeling a bit more active and motivated I will get my violin out. I am loving playing the violin and I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking of buying my own (maybe as a birthday present?). As much as it is something you have to really focus on it, it keeps my mind busy on something positive rather than anything negative. I'll pick up my violin and before I know it, an hour or more has passed by!
Netflix & Animal Crossing
Of course, sometimes, I just want to curl up in bed and whack on some Netflix and play Animal Crossing, and that is fine too! We all need to mentally recharge sometimes and this is a valid option.
I hope you enjoyed this little insight into how I spend an evening when I just need a little pick me up. The moral of this post is, it's okay to take some time for yourself. It's okay to need to recharge. And of course, it's okay to not be okay.
Much love,
Lucy x