I’m a pamper at home kind of gal.

Don’t get me wrong. Like any true beauty junkie, I love a luxurious facial that eeks out every toxin, every blackhead, and leaves my skin as soft as a baby’s bottom and glowing embers from within. Or a relaxing spa weekend, spent living in a terrycloth robe, laughing alongside my bestie, cocktails in tow.

But if there’s one thing that’s kept me sane in the chaos also known as my London life — and more recently in the madness that is the year 2020 — it’s my blissful pamper at home routine. Sundays are for self-care, even if all I can manage is a five-minute K-beauty sheet mask before tucking into bed. But the *dream* is an entire evening spent in the bath with my most maximalist of beauty routines.

[All of the details of which are about to be revealed herein. So do stick around.]

One of the greatest perks of a life spent stuck inside, has been the time for many a self pampering day, DIY facial treatments and more. My beauty routine and at-home spa game are peaking.

And given that the juicy deets of my beauty regime are my most requested piece of content, it’s about time I give you the goods. Here’s (literally) every single beauty thing I’ve been up to in lockdown — my ultimate at-home beauty guide.

Hopefully this will inspire you to test out some punchy new beauty goodies or — more importantly — treat yourself to an indulgent DIY pamper night as the nights get longer. Enjoy all the wellness perks without the hefty price tag, or a stressful commute home that bursts your zen bubble way too soon.

Baths, Masks and More:

So let’s set the mood first, shall we? Because a pamper day at home would be nothing without a steamy bath.

Over the years, I’ve perfected my bath-time rituals to a tee, but you — my friend — can do whatever tickles your fancy from the suggestions below.

Of course to really maximise the detoxifying benefits of a bath soak, the water temperature’s got to be just right. I like the water hot enough to ensure I sweat out the toxins and lower my body temperature for the ultimate relaxation perks. This means I last around twenty minutes — thirty at a push. I drop in my favourite Westlab magnesium bath salts to ease my muscles and an aromatic Aromatherapy Associates oil (lavender and peppermint is the best) to ease my mind. Once these have steamed up the bath, I sink into the tub and get my hair spa treatment in motion. I lather my curls in one of my favourite hair masks (Virtue’s Restorative Treatment Mask is f*cking fabulous, as is S+Ava’s 3 in 1 Hair Mask) and then clip my hair up to avoid it dipping into the water. If you want to go extra-luxe, clip it up with this stunning Valet Studio clip, though any Boots variety will also do the trick.

After I’ve soaked for a good few minutes, and my pores are fully open, I apply the first of three face masks — something acid-based to clean out the toxins and rebalance my skin. I start light, with Gallinée’s Face Scrub and Mask, which I follow up with Tata Harper’s Resurfacing Mask or, more recently, Biossance’s Squalane and Glycolic Renewal Facial. I stick to the recommended timings for each, given their strong active ingredients. I finish off with a few hefty swipes of Fresh’s Rose Face Mask for the ultimate hydration boost. My skin quite literally drinks this up for the remainder of the bath. This one’s extra gentle, so I don’t rinse it off until long after I’m out the tub.

But before I exit, I round things off with a full body scrub. I’m a longtime devotee of Frank Body, the playful Australian brand that makes delicious (and effective) coffee-based scrubs. The granules feel suitably coarse but are still quite gentle on your skin. And the grape seed oil leaves your skin supple for days. Of course I still follow this up with a hearty body oil, but more on that in Bodycare below.

However, I’d be remise to not give a shout-out to the latest and greatest bit of beauty kit to grace my bathroom: this glorious little bamboo bathtub caddy. This genius contraption is perfect for any bathtime junkie. Throw on your favourite candle, your mint-infused G&T and your Kindle and make your ordinary bath extra, well, extra.

Skincare:

Truly the most beloved (and elaborate) element of my beauty routine. I’ve developed strict rituals for both my morning and evening applications — which have only been amplified in lockdown. Depending on when you to kick off your pamper day, you can apply the right routine from below. Both will work post-face-masking. Or, in my case, multi-masking.

Morning Skincare

My morning starts with a simple cleanse. I like something light in the am, given that my skin is still relatively clean. I love Forest Essentials’ Delicate Facial Cleanser Kashmiri Saffron & Neem, an uber-gentle ayurvedic cleanser I discovered on my travels through India. Though Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash is also brilliantly gentle for a morning cleanse.

Once my skin feels soft and squeaky clean, I spritz on a rose water — which I use as my toner. I typically stock up in my local Persian corner shop (though you can easily find these on Amazon) and then decant into a simple spray bottle. If I’m feeling luxurious, I’ll sometimes swap this for a fancy face mist, like Omorovicza’s Queen of Hungary Mist.

Whilst my skin is still slightly wet, I lather on my morning serum — typically an ultra-hydrating concoction or something Vitamin C-infused to help release that inner glow. I’m a die-hard devotee of Dr. Jackson’s Face and Eye Essence if I want hydration. And Dr. Obagi’s Vitamin C serum works wonders if I’m looking for glow.

Once both have settled and my skin in dry to the touch, I layer on my daytime moisturiser. Here, I’m really experimental, but I do return to a few regular favourite that never fails me — Dr Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream. In the morning, I steer clear of facial oils (I hate that greasy feeling, especially under make-up) so I finish off with my favourite suncream instead: Kiehl’s Ultra Light Daily Defense SPF50. If I want something with a little tint, then my go-to is La Roche Posay’s Anthelios SPF 50+ Ulta-Light Fluid. Come sun, come rain, come life stuck indoors, I always apply suncream — to prevent wrinkles and keep my skin forever young. Finally, I swipe on a lip salve - something hefty, thick and long-lasting, to sort out my indefinitely parched lips. I’m a big fan of Lanolips 101 Ointment (the mint flavour is divine) and the cult classic, By Terry’s Baume de Rose.

Evening Skincare Routine:

Before bed, I double cleanse. I start with a Micellar water (I’m partial to Garnier’s SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water) and then follow it up with a cleansing oil or cleansing balm to thoroughly wipe away make-up and toxins from the outside world. But given I’ve barely left the perimetre of my flat (or worn makeup) in months, I’ve been single cleansing as of late. But I do always opt for a heavier moisturising (usually oil-based) cleanser at night. Right now, I’m obsessed with S+Ava’s African Black Soap Face Cleanser. Then I splash on more rose water before soaking my skin in all my favourite active ingredients.

Without easy access to my favourite facialists in lockdown, Dr Dennis Gross became my new best friend. I recently invested in the Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel and — oh my word — these bad boys are magic. This two-part skin soak is seriously the sh*t. Wipe one includes a myriad of acids to decongest your skin and clear away dead skin cells. Wipe two contains loads of anti-ageing ingredients to reduce wrinkles, sunspots and scars whilst also boosting your glow. I use these on alternate days (as per the box recommendation) because they pack such as serious punch. But let me assure you — within days of use you’ll notice a difference in your skin. This is your at-home facial sorted.

This treatment has currently replaced all my evening serums. But if you don’t want to commit to the 60-day regime (or admittedly, the hefty price point), I can also recommend my other night saviour, Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum. There is nothing better than an acid-based serum in the evening to slough off those dead skin cells overnight, and leave you looking extra pert in the am.

Once my serum of choice has soaked in, it’s time to apply an evening facial oil. Again, I’m a big fan of Dr Jackson’s Everyday Oil but Pai Skincare’s Rosehip Bioregenerate and the new-to-me brand Biossance’s 100% Squalane Oil, are brilliant too. I massage in my facial oil using my Gua Shu to help my skin absorb the product but also to release tension and stress from my face, improve my circulation, drain my lymph nodes and generally drop ten years from my face.

And last but certainly not least — let me introduce you to the latest addition to the skincare shelfie: Pukka’s castor oil. Suitable for both day and night, this puppy can thank lockdown for its newfound gold star shelfie status. Because I went exactly six months without a single visit to my beloved Blink Brow Bar. Instead, I used this castor oil daily to help my brows grow wild and fill in the gaps from the ghost-of-a-catastrophic-waxing-past. I’ve also applied to my lashes, and things are looking very doll-eyed round these parts. So go on. Give your mascara a break and find out what castor oil can do for you too.

Haircare:

If you’ve landed on this corner of the interwebs before, then you’ll already know I’m a massive Davines fangirl. Their products are simply delicious — and absolute miracle-workers for curls. I’ve already written this Ode to Davines if you want all the fine print on my curly haircare routine, but these are the essential habits I swear by: my daily Davines Love conditioner and a few squirts of Davines Oi Absolute Beautifying Hair Oil and Davines Curl Cream for styling. Though I’ve also recently been loving this Davines Dede Hair Mist too. What can I say? The brand can do no wrong.

I rinse my hair daily but only shampoo with Davines Love Shampoo every few days. And if I’m feeling extra, or I’m about to go on a really good date, I’ll use this Playa New Day Hair Mist so that every time I toss my hair I get a whiff of summer holiday. (Which lets face it, is the closest I got to that holiday feeling this summer).

If you want to include any of the above in your pamper day, I’d recommend washing and conditioning your hair before dipping into hair masks at bath time.

Bodycare:

My body usually doesn’t get nearly as much attention as my face, but I do like to give it a little more TLC when I’m having a spa party at home. So in addition to giving myself a full body scrub, I also like to lather myself up in a body oil post-bath. Whilst my skin is still a little damp, I coat myself in a delicious coconut oil before slipping back into my loungewear. I adore Leahlani Coco Infusion Body Oil (in fact I wrote an entire post in dedication to this brand) though Hei Poa Monoi Oil is also really good fun — and whisks you away to a deserted island too.

On a daily basis, I apply a cooling gel or body cream on days where my skin feels dry. Sol De Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream is playful, smells delicious and claims to sort out cellulite. Though I’m sure my Psycle spin classes deserve most credit for that.

Nails and Feet:

Lockdown has been a good opportunity to give my nails a break. Ever since I got hooked on gel mani / pedis, my nails have taken a beating. So as soon as I realised life indoors was here to stay, I ordered myself an at-home gel removal kit and ran with things au natural. And as I result, my nail beds are pinker than ever, and my toes are practically thanking me. I still coat my nail beds in cuticle oil (I like Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream) on a good pamper day, but that’s as glamorous as it gets. I will soon return to my salon rituals, but with the newfound ability to remove my own shellac and healthy, hearty nails.

But if you want to live your pamper day to the fullest, give yourself an at home pedicure service. I finally tried one of those foot peels in lockdown - and holy sh*t - my feet have never felt so transformed, or so soft. Invest in Patchology’s PoshPeel Pedi Cure Foot Treatment; it’s the best home foot spa hands down. This product comes packed with an AHA and BHA botanical blend and after soaking your toes in this stuff for thirty minutes your feet won’t ever be the same again. In the best way possible. Just consider doing this in winter, when you can hide the descaling process — which can last up to 21 days — and the world, from your shedding feet. A mistake I won’t make again.

DIY beauty treatments:

In my efforts to go more organic / natural across anything and everything I put on or into my body, I’ve used lockdown as an opportunity to experiment with more DIY skincare. So much so that my whisk has had more action with my beauty concoctions than with any baked goods. I’ve created countless beauty treatments for the face, including an avocado-cinnamon mask I wanted to eat, an applesauce acidic blend that left my skin shining as a bright as a diamond and a variety of detoxifying drinks good for both inner and outer beauty. My go-to resource has been Hello Glow, a brilliant book and guide to making beauty goodies from the comfort of your home. If you’re looking for something new to add a little flavour to life stuck inside, I highly recommend it.

And that’s a wrap folks. I hope you’ve found this guide handy and sufficiently detailed. Bookmark and return to it when you’re in need of a treat yo’self (at home) moment. And, as with all my behemouth guides, pick and mix the bits of my beauty tips and spa treatments that work best for your schedule, your habits and your wallet.

Because however you decide to pamper yourself at home, you’ll feel that little bit more refreshed, more zen, simply for taking some time out for you.

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