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The clocks went back last night, which officially means our evenings are getting colder and darker! At this time of year, I tend to prefer cosying up inside at night, and what better way to spend an evening in than relaxing, having a nice bath, doing a very extra skincare routine and generally indulging in a bit of self-care? This is my current routine...
- SKINCARE -
I like to start my routine by, of course, taking my makeup off and a more luxury first cleanse I've been enjoying has been the Neom Organics Ultimate Calm Face Wash* | £25. This is kind of like an oil-balm cleanser, formulated with natural ingredients (as you'd expect from this brand) like sunflower seed oil, avocado oil and almond oil. It has a definite but very relaxing fragrance, which doesn't bother my skin (plus it's a wash-off product anyway). It melts beautifully onto the skin and feels amazing, easily emulsifies, doesn't irritate my eyes and is really effective at melting down the makeup, so it can be wiped away with a damp cloth. I follow it up with my beloved second cleanse; the Wow You! Zen Cleanser (use code JASMINE15 for 15% off (affiliate)) | £16 | full review. This is a really nourishing but lightweight cream cleanser formulated with calming cucumber, oatmeal and avocado. I can just tell this is going to continue to be my go-to as we head into the colder months because it really softens and moisturises my skin. After my second cleanse I press the Pixi Milky Tonic | £10 (travel size) | full review | into my skin for an extra boost of hydration. This toner contains nourishing jojoba milk and oat extracts, so is perfect for cold weather skin.I was also recently sent the Panasonic EH-XS01 Facial Steamer* | £129.99 | to try by Current Body, and it's been a great addition to my night in skincare routines. Essentially, you fill this up with water to the line that denotes the amount of time you want this treatment to last and the device will blow out steam, so you simply position it a little way away from your face on a solid surface, sit back and relax whilst it does its job. What I like about this is how I just feel like everything I do after it is so much more effective and the products soak in far better. I always advise applying your products to slightly damp skin to get the most mileage out of them, however using a steamer for 10-15 minutes really kicks it up to the next level! After the steamer, I've been enjoying using a sheet mask. This is a great way to almost force yourself to just sit still and chill out for a bit! I've been enjoying the Too Cool for School Egg Sheet Masks in Firming and Hydrating* | £6.50 each | recently. For me; sheet masks all virtually do the same thing and, whilst I guess some are more brightening and others more soothing, by and large they're just very nourishing and the sheet traps that moisture in. After leaving on for up to an hour, I massage the excess into my skin like a serum. Both these sheet masks contain egg extract with Firming also being formulated with collagen and Hydrating with niacinamide and coconut water. I think they have to be some of my best sheet masks I've tried and I'll definitely be repurchasing.
Finally, I finish off my evening routine by locking everything in with a hydrating oil. I personally like to use the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil | £34 | full review. What I love about this oil is that it doesn't feel oily or greasy on the skin, absorbing in easily and quickly to give a 'dry touch' effect. At the same time, it still delivers that deep nourishment so I wake up with soft, smooth, moisturised skin.
- BATH AND BODY -
I love taking a nice, relaxing bath whenever I get the chance and spending a good amount of time just in there with my eyes closed, not really doing a lot, to clear my mind a little and enjoy the experience. I really have been enjoying the new Molton Brown Bizarre Brandy Bath & Shower Gel* | £24. This is getting me feeling festive already, however the 'C' word is banned around me until after Halloween... It can be used on your body as a shower gel and in the bath itself as bubbles. It has an amazing, deep, rich, spicy scent that stays on the skin beautifully. The notes include cardamom, orange, ginger, aged brandy, coffee, maple, incense, cedarwood and tobacco. I think this is going to be one at risk of being adopted by my boyfriend too, as it's so delicious and unisex. I have really dry skin all over my body, so sometimes after a long soak in the bath, I need to replenish those moisture levels. I've found myself reaching for the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale Multipurpose Dry Oil* | £29.50 | so much lately. It has a beautiful floral scent and is deeply nourishing without leaving a greasy excess on the skin. It's also great for the hair - you can apply a good layer to you lengths and ends before bed and rinse it out the following morning for softer, smoother hair.Two other cold weather body essentials are for my lips and hands. The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Vanilla | £10.29 | is a sort of jelly-balm; if you apply a generous layer right before bed, you'll wake up with soft, smooth, nourished lips. My new favourite hand cream is the Jurlique Rose Hand Cream* | £35 (125ml). This is soooo nice and nourishing; it feeds my poor, dry hands and never feels slippery or greasy. It smells amazing and I love how soft it leaves my hands.
- RELAXING RITUALS -
Finally, let's talk about how I create a cosy, relaxed atmosphere and what I like to do during this sort of me-time. I'm a candle obsessive and my favourite right now (though sadly I dropped it and cracked the glass slightly!) is the Nest Candle Co Fireside Soy Candle | £15. It just creates that warm, cindery, cosy feel and has really great throw, especially for a soy formula. I like to use the Lush Sleepy Body Cream | from £9 | on my neck and inner wrists so I get the gorgeous, relaxing lavender and tonka scent throughout my evening. Right before bed I also mist my pillow with the Bramley Sleep Spray | £16. I actually bought this then was sent it a few weeks later, however I'm now pretty glad to have a backup, because this could me my favourite! I like how it smells very natural and outdoorsy as well as having the soothing lavender and chamomile in there.
I always make myself a hot chocolate on cold autumn evenings in - I personally love a proper, creamy indulgent hot chocolate, so I always use milk or oat milk and - if I'm feeling it - I sometimes add a splash of Bailey's into the mix, which is so tasty! I often use the app Simple Habit; you don't just have to use guided meditation, it also has great nature noises - river or forest sounds are just so relaxing to me! I've also mentioned several times on my blog that I love ASMR videos on YouTube. If you don't like looking at screens when you're relaxing; just turn down your brightness all the way, put in your earphones and just focus on the soothing sounds. Some of my favourite channels include Gentle Whispering ASMR and ASMR Magic. Finally, I really enjoy reading fiction to wind down; I tend to get bogged down in really heavy non-fiction reads, but I'm trying to mix that in with more fiction again. I like listening on Audible so I can turn my lights off, put in my earphones, close my eyes and just listen. I recently read the book Circe by Madeline Miller, which I really recommend and reviewed here.
Are you in hibernation this autumn too? What does your perfect night in look like?
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