Saturday 12 August 2017

Pretty nails and a relaxing bath - because you're worth it.

One of the things about being a mum on the go is how much it takes out of you. In light of this I've made a commitment to 'self-care' which was one of the strategies on a course I went on recently. I thought I was pretty good at taking care of myself what with swimming regularly and having Saturdays as 'my day' to do with as I please. What I realised was that I was rushing around to fit in a swim and using my free day to do chores while the boys were out. What I'm trying to do now is make proper time for myself. The other week I went to the theatre for pretty much the whole day - by myself - and loved it.

In order to convince you to take this self-care business seriously too I've been looking into some simple ways to help yourself to have a break and look after yourself better. I know I'm all heart.

Mavala Nails: 


One of the things I've treated myself to for a long time is nice nails and a salon brand I love is Mavala. The shades for this season are based on the Hindu festival of Holi with gorgeous bright colours named Pink City, Coral Bay, Blue Mountains, Red River, Rose Hill and Purple Beach.


My nails used to grow really long and loved painting them myself, but in recent years - well since I had my oldest son actually - they've been pretty weak. I've been using a Mavala product called Mava Strong to help strengthen my nails and it really does seem to be helping. With all the swimming I do it's inevitable that my nails will be soft and break, but this has made a big difference to them in the month I've been using it and it's a great base for the colours.


To finish off there is a fantastic top coat with a gel finish to really make the brightness stand out and it also helps the varnish last longer. A must when you are busy and don't lead a life of leisure.

Westlab Pure Mineral Bathing:


I'm not a bath person. I rarely take them and I have never understood the appeal of lying in one when a shower is so much quicker and - to my mind - cleaner. Of course this is fine until you want to actually relax and then a bath comes into its own. In the old days I tried bubbles, bath salts, bath oils and even those baths bombs that are all smell and cleaning up afterwards. Not so much with the relaxation.

The lovely folks at Westlabs, however, have given me a new found respect for baths and the curative effects of their pure mineral bathing range. I have heard of dead sea salt - of course - but hadn't ever tried it before so it was a real eye opener for me. I'm running again - ok I'm jogging, this body was not made for running - and one of the effects of this is that I have tired and aching limbs. A bath with reviving salts after a period of exercise is more likely to interest me than a soak in smelly stuff and I would recommend the Epsom Salt from Westlab. The 1kg bag is a really generous size and even if you are a hardcore exerciser it will last a long while. You don't need to use much and it's effects are gentler than the old school stuff I used to use that smelled medicinal and didn't do much.


I've mentioned before that I'm a very keen swimmer and the consequence of many hours in chlorine is dry skin. As I've got older my skin has become drier anyway and the swimming has added to this. The Dead Sea Salt bath is perfect for this and can be used on skin with conditions such as Psoriasis and Eczma too. It's gentle and healing while also being relaxing.


For total indulgence you can go for Himalayan Salt - which is also detoxifying. I think pink crystal salt is pretty special so you could even give this one as a luxury gift. Pop it in a nice basket with some nice chocolates and fizz with a pretty bow and you've got an indulgent treat right there. If I got that I'd be delighted !!


I'm going to be taking this muscle spray with me tomorrow for after my run. Ok I'm no Mo Farah, but  until I get home and get into a recuperative bath this will help with muscle recovery. It uses the same espom salt that is in the bath products, but with the addition of spearmint and eucalyptus so there is a chance that I will smell like a Koala bear !

If you get the chance to spoil yourself make the most of it. Treat it as you would a gift to someone else. Why not gift wrap something and make it an occasion ? After all, you're worth it.

Disclosure:The nice folks at Mavala and Westlabs sent me some products to try so I could tell you about them. 


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