Luxury Bathing Without a Bath

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align your senses, aromatherapy, bed, bedtime, blend, Calming, Elevate, exotic, exotic oils, experience, focus your mind, formulation, Frankincense, home, improve circulation, indulgent, invigorating, lavender, lemongrass, lotus flower, luxurious, massage, mind and body, mind clearing, natural, pampering, petite grains, protective surface oils, reduce stress, relaxation, relaxing aroma, rest, rich infusion, self-indulgent, shower, shower oil, skin friendly, sleep, sleep inducing, sluggish, soothing, Spa, steam, therapeutic, treat, Vetivert, wild chamomile, ylang ylang

Photo by Sora Shimazaki

A trip to a spa can be a fantastic way to treat your mind and body to some rest and relaxation, as well as giving your skin a thorough pampering. However a spa may not be an option right now, for whatever reason, so recreating the experience at home may be the next best thing. You may find, if you only have a shower at home and not a bath, that you don’t feel as though you benefit from the fully relaxing experience of a proper spa, but we’ve put together a list of products which will take your shower to the next level and give you a sensory experience to mimic being professionally pampered.

Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Bath and Shower Oil

This shower oil from Aromatherapy Associates is made from a calming blend of frankincense, petitgrain and wild chamomile which combine to calm the mind and relax the body. To get the full therapeutic experience you should massage the oil all over your body prior to stepping into a warm shower, and this will also enhance the aromatherapy benefits as the heat will spread the fragrance allowing you to deeply inhale the relaxing aroma.

Bloom and Blossom And Breathe Relaxing Shower Oil

This shower oil from Bloom and Blossom is another naturally derived oil which has been created to soothe the mind and body, as well as treating your skin. It contains a blend of frankincense, ylang ylang and lemongrass which combine to create a luxurious and soothing fragrance. Once activated by the heat of the shower, the fragrance will combine with the steam for a relaxing and therapeutic experience.

Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream

Using a truly luxurious body wash is a great way to elevate your everyday shower experience and this Exotic Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream from Elemis is exactly that. This skin-friendly formulation completely cleanses the body without stripping away any of the protective surface oils and contains a rich infusion of exotic oils which have a naturally exotic and indulgent fragrance.

Hayo’u Mineral Shower Wash

This shower wash from Hayo’u is packed with iconic Chinese ingredients such as lotus flower, frankincense and ylang ylang, all of which have been used for thousands of years to improve circulation and reduce stress. The ingredients combine to create an invigorating, mind-clearing fragrance which will make you feel sharper and more energised after every use. It’s perfect if you’re feeling sluggish and want a self-indulgent shower to help focus your mind and align your senses. 

This Works Deep Sleep Shower Gel

If you’re planning to have a spa-experience shower, doing it just before bed is a great idea, especially if you’ve been struggling to sleep. This Deep Sleep Shower Gel from This Works contains a blend of lavender, camomile and vetivert to calm and soothe, whilst softening and protecting the skin. The ingredients are all renowned for their soothing, sleep-inducing properties and will help you to feel as though you’ve been thoroughly pampered before you drift off into a deep, natural sleep. 

Balms, what are they good for?

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100% natural ingredients, acai, adore, balm-to-oil cleanser, balms, body, chilled out, cleanse, Decleor Magnolia Youthful Night Balm, Decleor Nourishing Body Balm, delicate eye contour area, Dermalogica Precleanse Balm, Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm, Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm, eucalyptus, excess oil, face, firmer skin, Frankincense Essential Oil, fresh, healthy, intensely cleansed, lemon, love, luminous glow, luxury formulas, macadamia, make-up, mind, moisturiser, noni, nourished, organic Indian menthol, palm, Patchouli, plumper, powerful vitamin complex, primer, protects, Purple Orchid, radiance booster, relaxation, renewed, rose, salon, samples, senses, Shea butter, skin, soft, stressed out, sunscreen, supple, tone and moisturise, tranquillity, treat, Warming

We know you already cleanse, tone and moisturise morning and night (you do, don’t you?), but you can also add a balm into the mix if you really want to keep your skin soft and supple.

Face and body balms give your skin extra love so why not treat yourself to one of these luxury formulas and see if it works for you.

The Decleor Magnolia Youthful Night Balm is great if you want plumper, firmer skin which has a fresh, luminous glow when you wake in the morning. This slumber specific balm is made from a blend of 100% natural ingredients including Shea Butter, Magnolia Essential Oil and Rose, all of which your skin will love.

At Pure Beauty we are massive fans of the Dermalogica Precleanse Balm. This is a really special deep-cleansing balm-to-oil cleanser that melts into the skin, and as it does, it gently removes excess oil, sunscreen and make-up. Apricot Oil, which is rich in fatty acids, has been mixed with essential oils which come together and not only ensure skin is salon smooth, but also refreshes the senses and clears the mind.

It’s the powerful vitamin complex in the Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, that protects against moisture loss, something we all need from time to time. Purple Orchid, Noni and Acai have been added into the mix and whether you use this as a moisturiser, radiance booster, or primer, we think you will like what you see.

If your body is feeling dry and tight when you come out of the shower, we would suggest letting the Decleor Nourishing Body Balm loose on your limbs. Thanks to Frankincense Essential Oil, Shea Butter, Tamanu and Macadamia Oils, this gorgeous body balm helps soothe dry feeling skin and make it come alive again. Apply once or twice a day by warming the balm in the palm of your hands and your skin will feel nourished in no time.

Whatever skin type you have, we think it will adore the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm as much as we do. This gentle but powerful cleansing balm dissolves make-up, dirt and pollutants as your skin is being intensely cleansed, nourished and renewed. When you pat your face dry, all you are left with is a healthy skin and a big smile.

Harmony, tranquillity and relaxation don’t always come easily in modern-day life, but they can if you use the Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm. Packed with a powerful blend of essential oils, just a few drops, massaged into the temples can take you from stressed out, to chilled out, in minutes. Patchouli, Lemon, Eucalyptus and Organic Indian Menthol come together to enhance feelings of positivity, and we think you will be hooked from the word go.

You might not think a balm would work for your eyes, but we are here to tell you that it really can. The popular Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Eye Balm brightens and refreshes tired eyes. A cooling applicator means that skin soothing Chamomile and Arnica as well as Bird of Paradise Flower and omega-rich Apricot Kernel Oil nourishes the delicate eye contour area and optical blurring powders help reduce the dark circles that can take your confidence away.

For more information, or to try samples, why not get in touch and see how a balm could enhance your beauty routine.

Team Pure Beauty

There’s an app for that

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1Password, 24 hours, access, adore, agility, app, balance, bed, calm, camera, carpets, class, clean, control, cook, easy to use, exercise, flexibility, focus, food discovery app, free, friends, Handpick, hangout, hangover, healthy habits, Houseparty, inspiring, inspiring recipes, jot, journaling, live, love, meditation and mindfulness, mess, mobility, mood, Moodnotes, online banking, own pace, password, physical and mental, question, recipes, relaxation, safe, schedule, screens, secrets, secure, self-aware, shop, Smartphone, snow, socialise, sofa, stickers, strength, tasty meals, teaches, technology, tidy, trending, trending dishes, tube, video app, video messaging app, web, well being, work, work surfaces, world, yoga, Yoga 15

Ever noticed how often you ask someone a question and they tell you ‘there’s an app for that’?

Increasingly people are turning to technology in all parts of their lives and while having some downtime away from screens is a good thing, apps can actually really help with the way you live, work, exercise and socialise.

We’ve had a look at some of our favourite apps that we think you might like too.

If you love journaling, you will adore Moodnotes. This cool app lets you jot down your mood and thoughts in an online journal that is easy to use and look cute. As well as tracking how you are feeling, with this on your phone you can learn healthy habits when it comes to thinking patterns and overtime, you can use it to help feel upbeat, more self-aware and it can be a way of taking control of your well-being.

Ever tried to get into your online banking or order your weekly shop and forgotten your password? Well, there’s an app for that. 1Password is free, easy to use and remembers all your passwords and keeps them safe and secure. All you need to remember is that one password and you’ll never be left scratching your head again.

If you struggle to come up with tasty meals, you need the Handpick app. By putting this ‘food discovery app’ on your phone, you will have access to a tonne of trending dishes and inspiring recipes that have been sourced from around the world, and web, that will change the way you cook forever.

Love yoga but never quite make it to your class, then you need Yoga 15 in your life. As well as a great website, the brilliant app teaches agility, balance, flexibility, focus, mobility, strength and relaxation. The easy to follow videos let you take things at your own pace and each one enhances your physical and mental well-being and means you can check out of your schedule for just a little while.

If you like your carpets to be clean and your work surfaces tidy but still want to hangout with your friends, you need Houseparty in your life and one your phone. This handy app opens in your smartphone’s camera and allows up to seven friends to join you, hang out and party on your own terms but without the mess or hangover.

Want to be down with the kids? Well then you need to download SNOW. This is a creative video messaging app that’s already been snapped up by over 100 million users around the world. You can use this app to send stickers and funny vid’s with live face effects to your friends during calls. You can send notes while chatting and invite friends to a group chat so you can catch up and share your secrets, well for 24 hours at least.

Nothing new about this one but we love the Calm app. Thousands of people around the world are benefitting from meditation and mindfulness thanks to this easy to use app. Listen in bed, on the sofa, even on the tube and learn how to bring your breath into the moment and how to keep a handle on your stressful thoughts.

Got an app you love? Let us know what it is.

Team Pure-Beauty

Replicate Your Spa Experience at Home

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beauty, body, calm, candles, de-stress, dead skin cells, Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush, Elemis De-Stress Massage Oil, Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm, essential oils, face, feet, fragrance, full body, hands, harmony, home, massage, mood, natural, neck, oil, Relax, relaxation, scent, Spa, tranquillity, treatment

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Having a spa day is great for mind and body but not always for your budget and although many people try to do it at home, their experience is often lacking that true spa feel. We’ve been taking a look at what most people love about their spa experiences and have put together a list of tips for you to use to make sure that your home spa experience is as accurate as you can make it.

Lighting

Trying to lay back and enjoy a relaxing face mask is no good if you’ve got bright overhead lighting going on, so adjusting the lighting is essential for a relaxing environment. Candles give the best lighting as it’s natural and calming, but if you don’t fancy having open flames around you you could try some battery-powered tealights which give off a really similar light to proper candles without the risk!

Fragrance

Smell is one of the most powerful senses and as well as being able to evoke strong memories and emotions, it can dictate mood and energy. If your house doesn’t smell fabulous when you indulge in a home spa day then it’s much harder to get yourself into the right head-space. Invest in an oil burner or some wax melts in a fragrance which promotes relaxation and also apply some Elemis Quiet Mind Temple Balm to your temples to promote harmony, tranquillity and relaxation.

Tools

Think about the treatments you intend to give yourself and whether there are any tools that you’ll need to do so. Obviously a fluffy robe and slippers are an absolute must, and you may want to lay an old, clean sheet over your bed to protect your bedding from any oils. Using an Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush to thoroughly remove dead skin cells and improve circulation is a great way to start your home spa experience and will make your skin more receptive to any other products you choose to use.

Treatments

Unless you have a willing spa partner, you’ll have to think about what you’re actually able to achieve by yourself. Obviously it’ll be impossible to give yourself a full body massage (unless you’re SUPER bendy!) but massaging smaller areas such as your own hands and feet, neck, face and calves is much more achievable. Invest in some Elemis De-Stress Massage Oil to help you to release tension and feel thoroughly revitalised.

Pick Your Moment!

Finding time for yourself can often be tricky but planning your home spa day is all about timing. Try to do it when you won’t have people walking in and out of your room asking for pairs of clean socks or where their homework has disappeared to, make sure the dog has been walked and you aren’t waiting for a parcel to be delivered otherwise it will all make it so much harder to get into a relaxed and serene mood.

Which yoga is right for you?

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105 degrees, 40% humidity, 5000-year-old Indian philosophy, a thing, active and athletic, aiding relaxation, ashtanga, B.K.S. Iyengar, basic postures, Bikram, Bikram Choudhury, Bikram class, Blocks, boards, body and soul, brand new, breathing, British Wheel of Yoga Teachers, classical approach, clearer, diet, effort, environment, exercise, flow, GP, harnesses, Hatha, hot yoga, inhale and exhale, Iyengar, meditation, mind, moved, muscles, perfect position, popular, power, power yoga, precise alignment, pregnancy, psychic cleansing, purist form of yoga, rapidly, reflect and mediate, relaxation, restorative, sauna-like conditions, six established poses, specifically adapted poses, straps, strenuous, students, time out, universally popular, vinyasa, workout, yoga

Yoga is a 5000-year-old Indian philosophy that combines breathing, diet, exercise, meditation and relaxation to
give your mind, body and soul a workout.

However, it seems a new ‘type’ of yoga comes on the scene every week so we have decided to have a look at the most popular types to make things a little clearer.

Ashtanga
This yoga practise is faster than many types as you rapidly, flow from one pose to the next with each inhale and exhale. It is based on six established poses that can be pretty strenuous if done correctly. You go from the primary series, second series, third series, and so on with each series of poses linked by the breath. This co-ordinated movement of breath and pose is called a ‘vinyasa’.

Bikram
Also knows as hot yoga, Bikram is all about yoga being practised in a sauna-like conditions and has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Whatever the weather is outside, when you take a Bikram class the temperature is turned up to 105 degrees which in turn tends to create an environment of around 40% humidity. Created by Bikram Choudhury, this practise is made up of a series of 26 basic postures and each one is performed twice.

Hatha
As one of the six original ‘branches’ of yoga, Hatha is a universally popular yoga practise and enjoyed by thousands. Classes tend to take a classical approach with time spent on getting breathing and basic postures right. If you want a balance of effort and relaxation, this could be a good starting point.

Iyengar
Named after the founder B.K.S. Iyengar, this is considered to be a purist form of yoga. Blocks, boards, harnesses and straps are often used in classes to help students get into the perfect position. Practised by people of all ages and abilities, Iyengar yoga focuses on precise alignment and exact sequencing, but do not be fooled, it isn’t an easy option.

Power or Vinyasa
This is a pretty active and athletic style of yoga and is based on Ashtanga. Unlike Ashtanga, power yoga doesn’t follow the exact same sequence of poses and you may find the style changes with the teacher. After the class you will feel like you have moved and worked-out, so remember to take a little time to reflect and mediate afterwards.

Pregnancy
Yoga during pregnancy has become quite ‘a thing’ and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Teachers create classes based on specifically adapted poses that help women in all stages of pregnancy. As well as aiding relaxation and breathing, yoga can help keep muscles strong during pregnancy and give them the strength and energy to return to normal once the baby has been born. Always check the credentials of the teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga Teachers and if you experience any pain during a class, stop and consult your GP or out of hours service.

Restorative
This is less about working out and more about relaxing and taking stock. Time will be spent doing four or five simple poses with blankets, bolsters and lavender oil being used to deepen relaxation levels. Many people feel that this is like a psychic cleansing of the mind and leaves them feeling feel brand new and refreshed afterwards.

Why not try out a class or two and find a yoga that is right for you?

Team Pure-Beauty