Cold blasts are a must

This advice is as old as the hills - but oldies are goodies...

Finish your shower with a blast on the cold setting. This closes pores and assists with circulation (for silky skin) and shuts down the hair shaft for a glossy mane. You can blast your hair with the cold setting on the dryer for the same reason.

This week I heart...

Neal's Yard Garden Mint and Bergamot Hand Lotion via

I'm getting into Neal's Yard in a biiig way. I think the appeal is that for a chain, they've managed to create a sense of being your local little healthy skincare store. I love that experience. The staff are knowledgeable, which is so important. I've been shopping in Neal's Yard for essential oils, Bach remedies (blog post coming up on that) and many gifts for myself (and others! But start with self love, right?). 

I totally heart this hand cream. I've dotted them around the house - in the bathroom, the living room, bedroom...because I'm actually quite naughty when it comes to moisturising my hands. I don't like to feel greasy because I'm always touching things (isn't it annoying when you pick up, say, a notebook and then mark it with a newly moisturised paw?). The advantage with this is 1) the pump bottle - soooo much more practical, 2) it looks pretty in a professional 'I know my hand lotions' way, 3) it smells a bit pretty but also a bit homeopathic/natural pharmacy/but not too lentil-soaking....perfect for me, 4) it leaves my hands feeling soft and smelling gorgeous, 5) do we need a 5? Guests always leave my bathroom moisturising their hands with a self satisfied glow in their eyes and say 'aaaah, great hand cream'. Point made. 

Weleda's Body Oil Essentials Kit (limited edition) Via

I bought this limited edition Weleda body oil set on a whim whilst shopping for essential oils and thought 'ooh, lovely gift to have in stock'. I like to have a few 'will please everybody' gifts in my gift drawer and it occurred to me that put into (bigger) gifts individually, these add a little colour. 

Anyway, in the interests of research I ended up using them myself. I think these are a good skin treat for a self-pamper night - I got them for about £10, so we're not talking about dusting yourself down in gold leaves, but we are talking about giving skin that extra moisture boost after a long soak. I tend to apply these generously after exfoliation. Because I've got back into fake tan after a looong tan-sabbatical I have to time tan applications very carefully with when I can exfoliate, body brush, use oils etc...tedious. Pale and interesting wasn't worth it, btw. Fresh white bed linen? Yes. Happy girl? No. 


I think these oils are well worth a try. My fave was the Citrus Refreshing body oil and my least fave, Wild Rose, only because I sometimes find that Wild Rose smells a bit like tobacco...more info here. 

Earth's Wisdom's Ultimate Indulgence Day Cream Via

I've been using this little beauty on my face during the day and I can report back very favourably. I've got to know the lovely owners of this skincare brand, Earth's Wisdom. Anna lovingly creates her potions by hand with the best ingredients she can get her mitts on. Wherever possible the ingredients are organic. The price tag is very generous considering the quality - the largest size is £13 (you're not paying for a big marketing machine here - this is totally hand made). There is a rich texture to this Ultimate Indulgence Day Cream. It's not too thick, not too thin and feels luxurious. Applying this cream is a vital part of my morning pampering ritual. Instantly absorbed and light reflecting, this is an absolute bargain in natural beauty terms. It just feels 'right'. 

Reason to look after yourself

Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Birdsong

Via

Other than the occasional moment of admiration, I've never taken a huge interest in birds. If I'm honest I was rather bemused by my granny's fascination as she watched them feed and drink in her garden. I thought birdwatching was best left to serious nature nerds and the elderly. 

I take it all back. I've started feeding the birds daily and I now delight in them. I love the robin, who I think may have left to escape the summer. The dove is my favourite, so pretty. The birds wait for me (well, for food), on the garden wall each morning, turning their heads quizzically. The wood pigeons and even sometimes common pigeons (somehow more charming in isolation) try to intimidate the smaller birds away from the feed. That's hard to watch. 

The blackbirds are nesting in a tree in our garden and I feel an almost maternal pride that they've chosen such a great spot to bring new life into the world. I see them darting back and forth with bundles of twigs in their beaks. Bird feeding is the new cool, I say. It links you to nature; to the world which exists just outside the window. 

This leads me onto my latest Amazon purchase; Dawn Chorus. I wanted an incredibly calming soundtrack to play whilst relaxing or meditating. I find creativity can be aided by the right sounds, as long as they're not too distracting. Dawn Chorus is a continuous sequence of various birdsong captured on a spring morning not far from the North Sea coast. At the beginning you'll hear moisture from overnight mists dripping through the trees. Even a lamb makes an appearance. It's just beautiful. I am hoping that the sound of my birdsong CD (yes, I still use CDs - totally old school) won't confuse the nesting birds outside. The makers of this soundtrack say 'the woods and gardens of Britain are a riot of sound, whilst most humans are still wrapped in dreams'. How lovely. 

“Birdsong is a sound which most people find reassuring. There is a reason for that. Over hundreds of thousands of years we’ve learned that when the birds are singing, things are safe. It’s when they stop you need to be worried.”

Julian Treasure, Sound Consultant

Versatile Blogger Award

I'm touched to have received the Versatile Blogger Award from Mademoiselle Nature (and what a great blog name). Thank you very much! 

Rules of Honour:

1. Thank the person that nominated you with a link back.
2. Tell 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass this on to newly discovered blogs & let them know they received the award.

Before I award some of the versatile bloggers I've discovered, a few things about me:

1. I'm left handed (and therefore a genius).

2. My guilty pleasure is Come Dine With Me.

3. I have a habit of writing many, many lists - I have a folder for them! 

4. I'm named after a beautiful and quiet island in the Hebrides. 

5. I have had a bad pink habit for years and I'm slowly breaking it. I got rid of a lot of pink clothes and now constrain my pink urges to a few interior touches.

6. I dream of having a dog (I have yet to persuade the boyfriend who finds himself rescue-dog free for the first time in his life).

7. I swear by having some professional nutritional advice. It has honestly changed my life. 

So, on to awarding some fabulously versatile bloggers who have my admiration...

1. Carlee of deliciously organized is a little genius! I love that her blog goes from topic to topic but there's a clear narrative of healthy living balanced with having fun and being decadent. This is my go-to for interiors, recipes (even gluten free) and personal organisation, which I can't get enough of. 

2. I met the charming author of Buff Beauty just the other day. Gemma is a Bath based natural beauty expert. I love Gemma's dexterity when it comes to writing about all manner of products and fascinating interviews with fashion and beauty models. In the flesh, by the way, Gemma herself looks like she has just walked out of Vogue. One to watch.

3. Jen Ramos at Made By Girl is talented and hard working. Jen just doesn't stop - her creativity is endless. Jen is the poster girl for where confidence and a can-do attitude can get you. Jen fuses her love for interiors with her other loves: that of fashion, cupcakes, recipes and snippets of her life. I love the versatility of this uber popular blog. 

4. Love Maegen is adorable - this ticks every box for me. Hot lady crush with plenty of style know how? Tick. Cute dogs to coo over? Tick. A super versatile approach to blogging? Tick again. Maegen does all of the styling/fashion/interior stuff but as she says in her own words, by her thirties she hopes she has more to offer than just pretty things, so she shares intimate details from her life with touching honesty. 

It's been great fun doing this. xox

Moving into Stillness

Via

It's taken me a long time to find my yoga style, having started with Ashtanga and then wandered into random yoga classes over the years. Ashtanga is really, brutally hard to do well. I often find that I am uncomfortable in certain postures and I can't reasonably expect the teacher to help me out with each movement, so I can end up frustrated. 

In my twenties, I wanted sweat and blood from a class or I couldn't see the point. But now, being physically still and connecting within is higher as a priority. Therefore, Hatha yoga, which I thought of as a complete waste of time 12 years ago, is now without doubt my fave yoga style. Of course, different teachers teach differently, but I've found a teacher who makes this challenging enough that I can feel it afterwards, but also all about being grounded and in the now. I love her reminders to let thoughts go and really feel each movement. 

I asked my teacher for a book recommendation to deepen my practice and Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness, didn't disappoint. If you are a cynic, it won't be for you. There's a lot about connecting to your higher self; seeing your beautiful true self, at peaceful moments in meditation and practice. Well, all the connecting stuff is very much for me and I love the directions on different types of mediation. 

Erich Schiffmann waxes lyrical about the virtues attached to daily meditation practice and explains that level one is finding that peace, whilst at home and making time for yourself. Level two is managing to connect to that peace when you're at work, talking to someone, eating, driving etc. 

This is a great read if you want to remind yourself about what you'll get from committing to meditation and yoga, and if you're completely new to the concept of meditation and have no clue how to do it, the book will help for that too. Highly recommended!

Namaste.

I heart my orgasm

Coy part of me thinking 'did I just choose that post title? Cringe'. But still, it's naturally beautiful.


I have long been a believer that orgasms can help us to relax and reduce pain (great for period aches), but I think I underestimated just how good for our health they can be. 

Heard of Coregasms? No, me neither, but many women are reporting an orgasm stemming from exercise (more here on the fab Well & Good NYC site)...apparently a good old sesh on a spin bike can do the job. 

So, exercise and orgasms seem to be merging fields...but that's not all. The good old NHS produced a Pleasure leaflet for university students. The message was clear. Regular (safe) sex and/or masturbation is considered as important to health as getting your 5 a day. 

Orgasms can boost the immune system, flood the brain with feel good hormones and stop a migraine in its tracks (masturbate as soon as the migraine kicks in). 

Bring on the oxytocin...that love hormone has got to be worth squeezing into a busy day. 

Golden showers

That got your attention. Now, for me, a golden shower is almost always a natural one. From Jo Malone to Nivea basics, I often find that a regular shower gels leave my skin feeling tight and dry. 

For daily use I like something which won't break the bank. Preferring to spend my pennies on my face over my butt as a general rule, I like something I can use generously and frivolously. A big bottle of Jason shower gel works well for me. I like the professional look of oversized products in the bathroom. I wouldn't say this is a decadent cleansing experience, but my skin feels fine afterwards, not out of this world radiant, but fine. Healthy and clean, which is really all that is required from my daily shower. 

Image via

This Korres shower gel was a birthday gift and this is a brand I hadn't heard of (not sure where I've been as their distribution is huge). I love this Mango product as the scent is so uplifting. I also find a little goes a long way. Korres is a Greek beauty company. I like the packaging and look forward to trying more from them.

Image via

he Vi

Hangover helper

After a few glasses of red wine last night (hope my nutritionist isn't reading this) I was feeling a little worse for wear this morning. I dipped into my essential oil collection and added some Fennel and Grapefruit to a handful of almond oil. I popped the lot under the hot tap and got into a heavenly bath. I find this really helps me, along with a cup of warm lemon water, to feel human again. Technically speaking, one ought to add a low note to this blend for aromatherapy perfection, but this is a great quick fix and helps a sluggish digestive system when you've eaten things you know your body won't thank you for.


My boyfriend asked me why I do it to myself  - why the wine and dairy when I'm intolerant. I retorted:

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” 

       Alexander Pope (1688-1744)  

Baby hairs - how to tame them

Random beauty tip - ever found that the sweet baby hairs growing around your forehead mess up a smart hair do and make up look? Pop a little bit of hairspray onto a comb and tame them into place. This gives a sleeker look.