Smell is a big thing for me. I’m the opposite of a fragrance-free kinda girl. I’m here for the full-fat geranium and lavender self-care experience and like many others, scent has become a sort of olfactory comfort blanket in recent months. Unsurprisingly, it’s also led to a few new product launches. Here are some of my latest aroma-therapy discoveries… (more…)
Long before the no face-touching rule, I was a habitual face-toucher. Not so much eyes, nose, mouth but forehead, jaw, and the area between the brows called the ‘glabella’ (home to two vertical grooves known as the ‘elevens’).
These are all popular face massage spots and giving them a good knead with clean hands is a valued end-of-day bathroom ritual for me. Or in fact, any time of day when I can feel my jaw clenching or brow furrowing. (more…)
Pity any new brand launching right now.
I just received a box of Beauty Pie samples (there are new additions* to the Japanfusion line), extolling its new pop-up at Harvey Nichols, which obviously won’t be experienced now for a while.
But worse is Arfa, a US-based direct-to-consumer holding company, whose first brand is Hiki, a bold bodycare line for ‘everyday sweat needs’ (read: deodorant).
Three things of interest here. Acknowledging the mood of the moment, Hiki decided to give its products for free to hospital and medical workers (they just have to pay for part of the shipping), and to everyone else in exchange for a compassionate message on social to reinforce its brand value of ‘kindness’. It’s a way to make the best of a bad situation and bake that situation into its narrative of body care. (more…)
How is everyone doing? It’s a weird week in London with what feel like the first stages of grief as the C-word-that-must-not-be-spoken takes hold. Denial, anger and bargaining as we try to navigate rather contradictory recommendations from our government, health officials and employers. Trying to make sure we have the required essentials should we wake up one day with a dry cough and fever and can’t leave the house for seven days (or is it 14?). Yet not panic buying as that makes things worse for those who are less able or affluent. (more…)
