Life moves fast, and if you’re not careful you can get run-down, tired out and all outta whack. But life is jam-pack busy too, so here are my favourite shortcuts to feeling and looking good this New Year… 

Excellent skincare & silk for wrinkle busting…

I have a few new products in my life that are proving to be quite life-changing. The Youth To The People serum and moisturiser are making a marked difference I’m finding – the all important youth-giving Hyaluronic Acid being the key component for returning tone and elasticity to the skin (derived from a non-animal source, the products are no fragrance, no parabens, no animal testing) plus real skin goodies like kale, spinach and Vitamin C. A US brand, but stocked in the UK on A Beautiful World.

Next up is a first for me – a tinted day cream. I’ve always been put off by the foundation looking colour of these, thinking I’m just going to get brown everywhere, but the Dr Hauschka one is totally brilliant, giving a lovely subtle healthy glow; I am a total convert.

Also new for me (as in a Christmas present from my Mum!) is a silk pillow which is meant to help prevent wrinkle as it doesn’t crease into your skin when you sleep on it. Super luxury which is nice, but I’ll let you know how it pans out 😉

Mood-changing, cold busting bathtimes…

I was genuinely bowled over by the efficacy of the Dr Hauschka Spruce Bath Essence – a couple of cap fulls in baths nipped in the bud about four colds between me and Gus. It’s divine smelling and if you’re a fan of Olbas Oil, you’ll love this – it’s one for winding down and planeting out for a little while.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Fortifying Bath Potion from MOA – I was at a bit of a low-ebb in the run-up to Christmas, feeling a bit overwhelmed about getting the house ready, so chucked a capful of this in the bath, went through a momentarily tough peppermint-tingling-on-the-skin phase and then started feeling a lot better – in both mind and body. Reinvigorated and ready to go.

The other thing I’ve got into the habit of doing pre shower and baths, is a quick dry body brush to exfoliate which really does pep up the skin, and once submerged I’ll do a quick pumice on my feet – actually been using this whole Cowshed set which I picked up in Babington House in the summer. Afterwards, I slather on the coconut oil – wondrous stuff, I love the Vita Coco cold-pressed oil,  amazing for hydrating and soothing the skin. But on mornings when I have to get dressed straightaway, I’ve been using this gorgeous coconut-oil-including Malée body cream as a more immediately-absorbing alternative. So good.

Healthy on the inside with veg & fruit smoothies…

So I broke my Breville juicer – been juicing pretty hard with it over the last five years. The motor mechanism broke and doesn’t look like the kind of thing you can get fixed or replaced. So I made a little Christmas purchase from me to me and got me a Nutribullet. About which I have been quite curious, what with all the hype. Also, I wanted a bit of smoothie in my life and was feeling it was time for a change from all the wasted pulp. Well, total win. It’s quick to make something, but more importantly, you just have to rinse out the plastic cup and blade and you’re done cleaning. Which makes the whole process SO much more doable. My juicer would sit unwashed for the rest of the day for the unlucky person who had to wash up after supper, and with five parts was always a pain.

With the Nutribullet (I bought this one for £79, which seems to be the cheapest around) I’ve been experiementing with berries, cucumber, apple, carrots, kale and spinach, always adding a handful of sunflower seeds and almonds and 1/4 pot of yoghurt and 1/2 tbsp of honey. Super delicious. Going to focus more now just on the green ones.

For other quick healthy fixes, I’ve been popping powdered Vitamin C (I like Biocare) into my morning tea to get a 1000 mg hit, which always seems to ward off the colds and I’ve just started swallowing garlic! You can find the teeny tiny cloves right in the middle of a garlic, peel it, squash every so slightly and swallow that with water. No tummy ache and SO good for you.

And finally, some muscle and soul nurturing…

Room ambiance is so important for feeling nurtured and happy I think, which is why I love lighting candles, especially scented ones (this one is by Petits Rituels). I have all sorts dotted around the house… But a lovely new one to me, is a rock salt lamp which cancels out the negative ions to purify indoor air, reduce allergies and improve mood. I can’t testify to all that, as I’ve only just got one, but I have a Himalayan Salt Lamp which is scooped out inside to make room for a little bulb. It gives off a soothing red glow and I’m hoping does all of the above!

Same goes for the crystal which I like to keep in my study to keep them mood chilled and dreamcatcher in my bedroom (both from the Inka Gifting Eclipse Box). Silly stuff maybe, but adds a nice little extra feeling of wellness and harmony somehow.

What really does work though, is this amazing lavender wheat pack, which you pop in the microwave for two minutes and apply to sore muscles. I’ve been placing on my ever-tight shoulders and neck and just sucking up the soothing warmth.

Hope that was useful and do let me know if you’ve got any super easy fix-me-ups to share!