Because it’s time to put your feet up…
Ever since I discovered our bath wasn’t the sandpaper-like hell hole that I’d imagined, I’ve been taking full advantage of having a tub to chill out in with a once-a-week Sunday night pamper session. It’s epic, rather long and Mark usually knocks on the door halfway through complaining that he needs to brush his teeth urgently or else the world may end, but I bloomin’ love it. It’s nice to do a hard reset grooming-wise and during this time I tackle everything from my eyebrows to at-home IPL. Yeah, I know – I told you I go in HARD. So today I thought I’d share how I curate the ultimate weekend ‘me-time’ routine just in time for you to set out your own plan for two nights time. Prepare to take on Monday feeling hella’ fine…
Set the mood. The first rule of pamper club is that there are no distractions allowed. So I turn my phone onto silent, shut the door and tell Mark not to talk to me unless there is a Ryan Gosling spotting outside the flat. I make sure the heating is on, so my towel is all nice and toasty for me when I get out the bath, get my dressing gown hung up, line-up my products, dim the light and fire up a candle. I’ve currently got the SoH Melbourne Fig Tree Candle on the go and it smells so fresh; a little clean and soapy, and a little fruity. Sometimes I’ll make sure I have a book to read and leave it there. Other times I get something up on my phone or laptop to watch or listen to and prop it up on the basin. Current favourites include: the High Low podcast, First Dates, Crazy Stupid Love or random clips from old seasons of America’s Next Top Model that I find on YouTube (the makeovers are always THE BEST).
The pre-pamper. I take this pamper thing real seriously and use it as my time to tackle all and any grooming activities. Often this includes taming my brows with a quick tweeze by my Rubis Tweezers and Simple Human Mirror which is ludicrously magnifying to the point of being rather terrifying. I trim and file my nails and get rid of any facial hair with my Sephora Face Razor. I also put my Tweezerman Foot File and Elegant Touch Cuticle Push and Cleaning Tool next to the bath so I can give myself a mini pedi and mani whilst I’m in there too. It’s all about the multi-taking. Right before I’m about to step in I cleanse, then apply the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, which I remove about five minutes after I get in the bath. It’s the one skincare step that I do weekly and I always feel the difference after. It sloughs away any dry patches and leaves my skin feeling even and looking radiant – if I do say so myself.
Time to bathe. SHOW TIME! This is the best bit. Wallow, read, wonder if you would cry if Tyra Banks made you shave your head. I take the first 10 minutes to do all of the above, then I take off my face mask and the real grooming starts. I start from the toes and work my way up; using my cuticle tool and filing my feet, then shaving my legs and everything else until I reach my hairy fingertips and have to stop myself shaving them too. Of course in my bath I sprinkle the Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts because they smell flipping fantastic and I’m convinced that I always have a better night’s sleep after I use them. Whilst in the bath I use whatever shower gel I have hanging around, but I’m currently working my way through Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino Shower Gel (a PR gift that feels extremely outrageous and I won’t be purchasing for myself) or Glossier’s Body Hero Daily Shower Oil, which feels much less outrageous, but equally as luxe (and with a very similar scent).
Moisturise. Moisturise. Moisturise. When I get out it’s all about how much moisture I can get on my body in the quickest amount of time. I firstly address my face as that’s the area that’s the most parched. I usually splash it with some cold water before applying the Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence and then slapping on the Charlotte Tilbury Overnight Bronze & Glow Mask. The combination of the earlier mask and the latter always means that I wake up the next day with a peachy complexion that has a bit of warmth to it. A cracking way to start a Monday if you ask me. With my face done I turn my attention to my body, which I must admit that I’m not the best at hydrating. Sometimes I skip the whole thing, put on my pyjamas and pretend that I’ve completed the step; but other times I do the leg work and apply the Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil all over. It’s an oil but it absorbs quickly and so doesn’t make me feel like a greasy cage fighter when I get into bed.
The post-pamper. If you spend 30 minutes chilling the hell out and then return from your daze to tackle an email reply that you’ve put off all day then WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You’re feeling chill, you’re feeling relaxed, so try and ride that wave until your head hits the pillow. Usually after bathing I clear everything up, do my at-home IPL under my arms (I use this one and have been doing it once a week for the past three months and I barely need to shave my armpits anymore!), apply a foot cream, some cuticle oil and put on some fluffy socks. Then I barge in on my Mark’s TV time to squeeze on the arm chair with him or brush my teeth and get into bed to read my book until I slip off to the world of nod with the help of the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray. Happy pampering all!
Photos by Lauren Shipley
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