THE PRE-CHRISTMAS WIND DOWN

 

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Christmas is such a busy time of year, it's important to take a step back for yourself! Work is usually manic, as everyone races towards the year-end finish line, and obviously Christmas and New Year involve a lot of travel, socialising and sometimes stress. So, sandwiched in-between the two, I like to indulge in some self-care. Ideally, I like to get a spa day in on Christmas Eve, but you can also create the same vibe at home before you head out on your travels or have guests over. This is how I like to do it...

Let's start by setting atmosphere with getting some scents going, taking our makeup off and running a bubble bath... If you're happy to use candles, one of my favourites that I come back to time and time again is the Comfort Zone Tranquility Candle | £28. This is just the perfect relaxing, aromatic blend of citrus and woody aromas for me; it fills the room but isn't too much (Sunday of London* also do some wonderful spa-like scents - I know Comfort Zone isn't super-accessible!) If you're not a candle person, I recommend fragrance mists instead; I love the Bath & Body Works Sage & Cedarwood Essential Oil Mist* | £16. I often mist this over my bed before I go to sleep because it's such a calming and soothing scent. It's slightly herbal and woody, it's light and it sticks around for an impressive amount of time, particularly on fabrics. A gorgeous bath time product is the Elemis Mayfair No9 Bath & Shower Milk* | £29 | which I use both in the water to create a nourishing soak and as a rich body wash. This is another light spa-like scent with essential oils like lavender, geranium, eucalyptus and chamomile and it lingers wonderfully on the skin. It's also so nice and nourishing on my dry winter skin for a gentle cleanse. For removing makeup, the Deviant Cleansing Concentrate with Blue Tansy* | £53 | is always a treat! It's an effective balm cleanser that offers an aromatic, sensory treat with soothing blue tansy. It melts down as you massage into the skin to break up sunscreen and makeup, so it can be removed with a damp cloth or plenty of water, as this transforms it into a milk.

When I want a heavy-duty exfoliation, I tend to reach for microparticle + chemical exfoliant formulas in the shower, but for bathtime, I personally find it easier to get my weekly resurfacing with a sugar scrub. I've been a huge fan of the Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish* | from £35. This just smells unreal! It's sugary but citric and the entire formula is doused in nourishing oils so the dissolvable sugar can buff away dead skin cells and the base formulation leaves your skin extra moisturised, so the overall effect is super-soft skin. After I've read, listened to a podcast or sipped on a wine or hot chocolate and am ready to get out of the bath, I pat my skin dry and use the Keys Soulcare Sacred Body Oil with Marula Oil* | £25. This is is from Alicia Keys's skincare line, which is all about aromas, the sensory and self care, but it's actually pretty fairly-priced and if you're familiar with her off-stage personal, it's all very on-brand! This body oil softens skin and helps lock in hydration with ingredients like marula oil, jojoba oil, sea buckthorn oil and manuka honey and it's fragranced with soft oat and sage aromas. It doesn't feel greasy and will give you that 'soft legs against the sheets' feeling we all love in bed after a nice bath!

Then it's time to finish our skincare and head to bed. At the moment, my skin enjoys a simple but nourishing routine that's still enjoyable to use. After my cleansing balm (I double-cleanse if I feel the need to with a water-based cleanser afterwards), I go in with the Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner and Moisturiser* | £29.50 | full review. This is a milky toner that dry winter skin will love; it's hydrating and leaves my skin feeling soft and happy with ceramides, peptides, glycerin and meadowfoam seed oil. It's a great added layer at this time of year. I follow that up with my favourite winter moisturiser, which also happens to feel luxurious and amazing on my skin! The Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream* | £65 | full review | has a butter texture that feels like a hug for my face, and it's packed with ceramides to contribute towards a healthy skin barrier, healing peptides, anti-inflammatory extracts and nourishing ingredients like shea butter. It's just beautiful and leaves my skin so soft and happy after use.

To finish things off, I go in with a facial oil and a lip balm. If you like, you can even use a little facial massage to apply your oil. I love the Summer Fridays Heavenly Sixteen All-in-One Face Oil | £55 | full review. It's a cocktail of oils that leave my skin deeply nourished, soft to the touch and also provide antioxidant benefits. And - at this time of year - that extra moisture when I wake up in the morning is always welcome. And lastly, we need a slather of my all-time favourite, the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm* | £23 | full review. This blend of nourishing plant oils and butters is my antidote for winter lips; it just ensures everything stays soft, smooth and supple. When I forget to apply it before bed, I absolutely notice a difference.

That's how I like to spend a relaxing night in, but how about you? Have a lovely Christmas, and I'll see you on the other side for my year-end round-up!

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