My Bedside Essentials

An overview of what resides by my bedside. Some beauty and some random things: 

Candle – I prefer soy wax candles with essential oils, they usually burn when I’m getting ready or relaxing in bed reading on my iPad or watching tv.

May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon – the shallow part of me wants to say the scent just allows me to melt and drift away. But in reality, since I do my skincare fairly early in the evening (straight after work, before cooking dinner) by the time I head in bed I feel like slapping on another layer of oil or balm.

SKII Mid Night Essence – whilst this a newer addition to the bedside, I can safely say I will be repurchasing this. It has an incredibly hydrating and refreshing feel (menthol) on skin. Warm, balmy summer nights, my skin would love this. The impact on skin is rather luminous.

Burts Bees Lemon Cuticle Balm – suffer from really bad, dry cuticles and over the years, BBees and I have been steady. It makes an overnight difference.

Body Oil – again dry body skin, that screams for lovely scented relaxing body oil. If I had my way I’d slather blue cocoon all over my body (watch me go broke in a space of 1 week….at this rate).!

Magnifying Mirror – well because I roll out of bed and analyse my skin. Honestly this is one thing I should probably get rid of, because it pushes me in an obsessive zone with my daily skin health. Also greatly beneficial for extracting blackheads and whiteheads.

Papaw Ointment – staple for many many many years. This one is an effortless all rounder, being a lip balm, cuticle balm, moisturizing nails, heels, knees….basically anything.

Hand Cream (2-3 different creams) – usually with different fragrance base to adjust to my mood. One to always be a permanent resident would be some form of a rose fragrance cream (current rose – Grown Alchemist). Also keep Alpha H Glycolic Acid hand cream, La Roche Posay, and Aesop.

Hair Brush and Tie – few strokes through my hair, fine hair is prone to helluva lotta knots therefore having a paddle brush is crucial. Also in theory I should let my hair free, but I hate/despise the feeling of hair on my neck or shoulder when I’m sleeping, so I tie my hair very loosely (basically contain it).

Phone Charging Dock – well no brainer. All facets of my life are scheduled, organized and prioritized in this device. So scary as I write this….eeeeek

Drawer Miscellaneous – scratching stick (incredibly helpful for scratching my back), socks (need em), sleeping mask (don’t even know why I have this because I never use them).
Water – Always, I couldn’t sleep knowing a bottle of water is missing by my bedside.

What are your must have by your bedside? What am I missing?

HHW.com

xx

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Luxury Oils & Balms

My love, admiration and respect for oils and lush balms is known to every shred of living organism on planet earth. Generally the variety and choices of these lush treatments vary between high, mid and low end. Below are my chosen indulgences and absolute treats for my skin. The price points are insane, however the one off feeling they provide is irreplaceable with instant gratification.

May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon would come as no surprise to absolutely any skincare lover. Before trying this product, I heard umpteen number of rave reviews but always held slight skpeticism. Eventually I folded and indulged and much to my surprise (and secret high expctations) all claims, rave reviews, gushes, & hypes stood true.

The balm is a treat for the skin. It smell insanely divine and melts away all the stresses. It helps calm my skin down from any inflammation, irritation, redness, or dryness ($160 50ml – $3.2 per ml).

Mahalo The Rare Indigo Balm is my joy ride. As soon as I open the jar I find myself sniffing the pot like K9 unit at the airport. I take forver doing my routine with this bad boy, because I spend more time sticking my snout in the pot than actual application on skin. Very easily carried away, but a little goes a long way. The texture and consistency of this balm is what make it sooooo unique and delectable ($110 30ml – $3.67 per ml).

Darphin 8 Flower Nectar is a walk in a garden. Slightly different texture to regular oils but good heavens this oil is Flowery Dreaminess… Glorified! Darphin also have individual flower facial elixirs like Chamomile, Rose, Jasmine, Niaouli, Tangerine, and Orange Blossom. Now imagine a congregation of all these lovely florals coming together for an orgasmic union. I reserve this oil for when I truly need a pick me up, when I feel world is crashing down on me (yes hormones I’m referring to you) or when my skin has behaved so darn well it deserves an incredibly euphoric treat ($150 15ml – $10 per ml).

Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Oil was a complete surprise in a 12ml bottle. Picked up with zero expectations and it surpassed everything else. Ingredient wise, possibly the most unique on this list (refer to my review, you’ll know what I mean) and has a certain richness about it. This brand came at my forefront because of this oil and I can unbashedly admit it was “the discovery” of 2015 for me (INR 1,890 Rs157.50 per ml, USD $53 12ml – $4.4 per ml).

MV Organic Skincare Rose Plus Booster Oil is an oldie but always a Goodie!! I’m an old lady at heart and soul and I’m obsessed with anything Rose. But we know rose scents are so awfully plagarised in the market and we’ve all come across hideous, synthetic, nauseating, vile versions of rose. All that….until you come across this unsuspecting bottle of rose heaven. Blended with Camellia, Jojoba, Rosehip, Rose Damascena Oil, Geranium, Rosemary, basically a pinnacle of perfection. Top marks for its versatility in use with a cleanser, mask, oils and creams. Skin is calm, stable and “sensible” the following morning (USD$120 $3.42 per ml, AUD$99 $2.8 per ml, GBP £72.00 35ml -£2.05 per ml).

Hope you’ve enjoyed this read, tell me what are fave oil indulgences? I would love to expand this palette.

HHW.com

xx

May Lindstrom The Blue Cocoon

The Beauty Balm Concentrate – Tranquil, Intoxicating and Deep Calm

May Lindstrom says, Our balmy blue enchantress greets your skin with cool serenity, melting on touch to a fluid potion that tenderly envelops you in the most decadent azure calm. Mystical blue tansy eases feelings of emotional anxiety while releasing heat and providing nourishment and relief to delicate, inflamed and irritable skin conditions.

Ingredients: Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, *** Butyrospermun Parkii (Shea) Butter, *** Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, *** Sclerocarya Birrea (Virgin Marula) Oil, Calodendrum Capense (Yangu) Oil, * Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Oil, * Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Oil, **Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Oil, * Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, ** Boswellia Carteri (Frankincense) Oil, * Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Rose) Oil, * Vanilla Planifolia CO2 Total Essential Oil, Schisandra Sphenanthera CO2 Fruit Extract, * Helichrysum Italicum (Immortelle) Oil, Ravensara Aromatica Oil

* Certified Organic **Wild Harvested  ***Fair Trade, Raw & Unrefined

When I was first intrigued by this product and glanced through the ingredient listing, I saw Shea & Cacao Butter and instantly ruled it out. Then I met May at two separate events and she assured me it wont wreak havoc on my skin. I took a leap of faith, and I’m glad I did!

There is no simple way to explain why Shea & Cacao Butter in this formualtion isnt causing my skin to congest, so I reach out to the Beauty & Brain of this brand, yes May herself. May explains,

The Blue Cocoon’s adaptability to all skin types – including those prone to acne and congestion – has much to do with proper respect to ratios in the blend of beautiful ingredients.  The cult status of Blue Cocoon being skin saviour can be attributed largely to using both of these ingredients in their entirely raw, unbleached and non-deodorized state – rare, even in the natural beauty world. By using ingredients in their raw, unbleached form it ensures the integrity of properties of each ingredient making this balm a potent and effective option on the market without compromising the intended purpose of each ingredient.

Most often, Shea butter is refined, bleached and deodorized. It’s nearly white and practically odorless and incredibly easy to work with. However at May Lindstrom, utmost and gentle care taken is taken in the process of creating each micro batch.

The Blue Cocoon is housed in a heavy black opaque glass pot which can be reused upon completion of product.

In the pot, the aroma exudes the richness of cocoa layered with an edge of distinct sharpness of exotic lands (Myrrh and Frankincense). On my skin upon application, the Lavender and Vanilla note come off stronger in a very good way.

 

 

The texture and consistency is that of a luxurious balm thats melts on contact with skin (due to body heat). Well here, I’ve held the balm on my finger for few seconds and you can see how balm is melting due to my body heat. Plus also give credit to the heater which was on High!

In general, it can be used absolutely any time, however I like to finish my nightly skincare routines with this. Alternatively in the morning, after toner stage and while the skin is still slightly moist I push this balm into the skin (another tip from May). My skin immediately absorbs it with no residue or layer of oil on top of skin.

The Results: Well my skin is left wonderfully hydrated, plump and helps with skin’s resilience. I use this in particular when my skin may have a monthly eruption as it works wonderfully as an anti inflammatory. Calms down angry unsettled skin. On some ruthless winter nights, where the heating takes a toll on my skin I apply double layer of this balm. It almost protects it from any harshness in the environment.

Now, it is no secret, it is prohibitively expensive, and many have complained about why it’s so expensive?! But here’s one lens to this, consider dissecting the ingredients list. The Blue Cocoon has some lush ingredients like Blue Tansy, Frankincense, Myrrh, Immortelle… some of these are by no means cheap ingredients. Now in saying so, these would be bought wholesale, so the cost of these per pot is not as much. Followed by the cost of concocting the product itself, covering any incidentals/ operational overheads, packaging costs, building in shipping costs, and adding a rather generous mark-up for profit.… the final price adds up to $180 (recent price hike from $160). Beyond ridiculous and not justifiable in a market where creative artisans are coming with new formulations which are not only competitively priced but also capable of out performing.

1.69 oz. / 50ml – $180

HHW.com

xx