It’s Friday night and I’m staying in.
Yep, there’s totally no shame in the game about having a quiet night in. How many times have you let the opposite of FOMO hit you while you’re out in town trying to make an awkward conversation with a boring stranger? And while you’re pretending to be listening to his #storyofmylife, you flip through your Pinterest feed. “Geez, I could unwind in one of these pampering bath right meow!’. All sounds too familiar? I’m with you, girlfriend. A fun night out or a pampering night in – it’s such an art to strike a balance between the two.
The bottom line? You shouldn’t feel obliged to hang out because all your girlfriend’s are hitting the clubs, nor you should feel ashamed for staying in on Friday night because it’s just seems downright uncool. Follow your own feelings on how you want to spend your time wisely with things that worth your while is all that matters.
FOMO, what FOMO? Frankly, my dear, why give a damn about it?
So whenever I answer the call from my body for a soulful night in, I follow my at-home spa night routine. The products I use might change with the seasons and my mood, but the routine itself doesn’t. And, of course, all pampering products have to get my green tick of approval which means they have to be low in toxins (read more about the common eight toxins found in beauty products here).
Time to switch your phone to flight mode and get a pampering night with this at-home spa routine – you absolutely deserve it, honey!
♠ Melt Away in the Bath with a Mask
A relaxing session in a hot tub is the ultimate way to spend some quality me-time, and it’s no secret that I love a good soak in a glorious bathroom (I’ve dedicated a whole post on jaw-dropping bathtubs here). A good soak using the right natural products can actually improve blood circulation, cleanse your body and drain off toxins. While there are heaps of recipes for DIY natural bath soak, I love mixing epsom salt with a few drops of lavender essential oils for a treat – this particularly works magic if you’re suffering from sore muscles or cold and flu. It’s also broke-girl- friendly with a 1kg pack of epsom salt only costing around $13 (I get mine through iHerbs.com here with my rewards point).
As for the bath products, two of my recent empties are the Uni Organics Lift Me Up body wash and their Hydrating Clay Mask.
Let me tell you girlfriend – this mask smells absolutely divine that you have to make sure your puppy doesn’t lick it off your face! It’s made with a unique blend of Illawarra Flame Tree Extract and Bentonite Clay which gives it a subtly sweet and earthy scent. Its non-chemical and nothing overpowering smell are great signs to begin with (note: it still contains parfum for those who are allergic to any added fragrance). The consistency is quite thick and rich. A fifty cent sized blob of clay is perfect for use all over my face and décolleté. It starts to dry after 5 to 8 minutes. This one is great for use in the bath as you can easily make a mess with any clay mask. It’s been a real treat leaving my skin feeling cleansed and conditioned without drying it too much like most other clay products (I have combination skin and some clay based formula that strip moisture off my skin aren’t my best friends!). Their active organic ingredients include Wild Rosella, Kakadu Plum, Mountain Pepper, Camellia Seed Oil and Bentonite Clay. These bio-active native extracts are hailed as superfood for the skin. I also found their body wash with Blackberry Extract soothing for my flaky skin while leaving it super soft. These are surely my winning bathtime duo.
♠ Glam Up your Fingertips
Here comes the grande finale of our pampering routine! Why don’t treat your fingertips to an at-home manicure followed by a coat of cute polish? It can be as simple as giving your nails a quick buff and file to restore natural shine.
In terms of nail polish, I adore colours so I always change things up a bit on my fingertips. One thing that I won’t change is that the polish I use has to be 5-free and cruelty free. Fancy dipping your fingers into chemical cocktails that could cause allergies, birth defect and disrupt hormones? Yikes! No thanks. You can read more about why you should choose 5-free nail polish and the potential adverse health effects of using conventional toxin-laden nail products here. For my fellow polish junkies, I’ve put together a big fat list of five-free and three-three nail polish brands here. My go-to polish? It has to be this Baby George shade by Julisa which is locally made here in Australia and is vegan-friendly (disclaimer: I’m a co-founder of this 5-free polish range)! If you’re not into polish, why don’t finish off your manicure session by applying a thick coat of hand moisturiser and locking in the moisture by wearing a pair of cotton gloves before you go to bed? I guarantee you’ll wake up happy with hands as silky as babies!
If you’re not into polish, why don’t finish off your manicure session by applying a thick coat of hand moisturiser and locking in the moisture by wearing a pair of cotton gloves before you go to bed? I guarantee you’ll wake up happy with hands as silky as babies!
♠ Grab a Cuppa Positivitea
The old saying of ‘beauty shines from within’ never goes out of vogue. In fact, I’m a big believer of what you put into your body has a massive impact on your mental state of mind. Hence, naturally, I finish off my spa night with a cup of caffeine-free tea that’s nourishing and rejuvenating.
My latest obsession is this Life Of Cha Crystal Blue Tea which is a beautiful natural blend of Butterfly Pea, Pandan and Lemongrass. Seriously, how mesmerising is this aqua shade? This blend is high in antioxidants and collagen which gives you all the reason to feel pretty from within. I simply love its subtle scent of lemongrass which is sense-arousing. Hint: use a generous amount of this tea blend to run a warm bath and it’ll take you right to Santorini!
Now, it’s your turn to create your very private at-home spa sanctuary! Thanks to the lovely team at Uni Organics, we’re giving you the chance to WIN this Uni Organics Replenishing Essentials Set (5 pieces of 10ml to 30ml each) for your next pampering sesh:
Perfectly Clean Cleanser 30ml
Good Day Face Cream 15ml
Restore Anti-age Face Serum
Fresh Focus Exfoliator 30ml
Wonder Balm Lip Conditioner 10ml
RRP $57.25 (full product details here)
Enter here: ⇓⇓
Entries close 12am 16th May 2016 (AEST); open to Australian residents.
So tell me dear fellow home bodies, do you love to create an at-home spa? What are your pampering routines? What products are you loving right now? Share in the comments and let’s chat!
Until next time. Stay beautiful inside & out.
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Disclaimer: Lace n Ruffles was gifted by some of the brands mentioned in the post while all opinions are genuinely our own. We can’t guarantee that all products we recommend will suit you. We only use products we personally think are good having tried them on myself or by our beauty team while everyone’s skin is different and it’s possible to be allergic to anything. Wherever possible, test products out on yourself before purchasing. We always trial products such as moisturiser and serum for at least seven days before reviewing, while some other products like face wash and makeup might only be trialed once.
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