Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Post Travel Pamper

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Hello friends! As you know, I'm lucky enough to be able to travel a lot through my blog, which is truly wonderful. Today's post, however, is less about the travelling itself and more on what I like to do in between travelling. Apart from y'know multiple washings, unpacking and catching up on general admin. A pamper post of sorts. So, without further ado.. 

READING
The Little Magpie Pamper Routine The Little Magpie Pamper Routine
I think I've spoken about reading before. I find it incredibly therapeutic - well that reads as a lot more pompous than I meant it to - in that it's the only thing I can do that allows me to switch off. My brain is a busy place that likes to mull over and focus on, as well as real life situations going on in my life, made up scenarios that may or may not (almost always the latter) happen. Reading is my little escape from that. I recently put in an Amazon order for 19 books, which the delivery guy wasn't exactly ecstatic about carrying up the four flights of stairs, on a whim when I was looking for new reads and have slowly been working my way through them. My favourites so far have been The Muse, The Miniaturist (both by Jessie Burton, The Muse had the edge for me), The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes (get ready to sob), How to Stop Time by Matt Haig and, currently, The Course of Love by Alain de Botton. How to Stop Time, I have to say, is one of the best books I've read in a long time, so if you take one from this list make it that. I'm always on the hunt for new reads - despite my recent impressive 19 book haul - so if anyone has any recommendations then please, please let me know!

FACE SCRUBS & MASKS

The Little Magpie Pamper Routine The Little Magpie Pamper Routine The Little Magpie Pamper Routine
I love a face scrub and I love face masks. I really do. I try to do one to two a week and sit and watch TV with it on with a cup of tea feeling self-righteous. Having to answer the door to my neighbour with a bright blue face did taint the experience slightly but that's another story. In all seriousness though, I've really been trying to take care of my skin recently. I think this comes from hitting 25 and realising A) I am now halfway to fifty - excuse me, I need to take another bath to calm myself down - and B) that my eyes have had the bare faced cheek to develop some crows feet. A face mask I've been trialing recently is the new Oatmeal Scrub from St Ives and we've been getting along splendidly. It's infused with a delicious oatmeal scent (don't worry, it's very subtle, you're not going to be walking round smelling like porridge for the rest of the day) and the exfoliating ingredients are completely 100% natural. You can use it as either a mask to nourish you skin and give it its glow back, or as a scrub to gently exfoliate away all that dry skin that we all get from time to time. To use as a scrub, simply squeeze a little onto your fingertips and massage into damp skin in circular motions, making sure you get right into those nitty gritty bits like the sides of your nose. If you'd rather use it as a mask, apply it with either your fingertips or a little brush - I prefer a brush so that it goes on evenly - and leave for 5-7 minutes. After this time just rinse it of, massaging as you go, and hey presto! Baby butt skin is yours. Also in the range is Pink Lemon and Mandarin (to help brighten skin) and the Green Tea Scrub (to help eliminate blackheads).

The Little Magpie Pamper Routine
After using a face mask, I use my go-to winning combo of the Luna Oil by Sunday Riley and the Midnight Radiance Mask from Omorovizca, both of which are amazing. They really, really sink into the skin to give it that extra moisture it needs without clogging up your skin in any way.

BATHS
The Little Magpie Pamper Routine
Baths. I have a funny relationship with baths in that I simultaneously love and hate them. Initially I feel great; 'I have a drink, a book, life is good. I am the Queen of Relaxation' but within five minutes I start getting hotter than the surface of the sun itself and get a bit panicky and need to evacuate immediately. So, yes, baths are something I need to work on.

And there we have it! Books, baths and face masks... A winning relaxation combo.

Amy

Post in collaboration with St Ives