November is the month to truly embrace the end of autumn and start of winter. There’s something quite beautiful about the individuality of each month within our calendar year and for me, the whole ritual of waxing the Barbour, scrubbing the Hunter wellies and de-bobbling the sweaters helps me transition and prepare for winter walks in the woods and hills.
As a child, I lived with my parents and brothers on a National Trust property where my dad was the Estate Manager, so we had a lot of open space to enjoy the outdoors. One of his jobs was to organise an annual event that all the villagers of Suffolk came to, called “The Big Night Out”. We just got SO excited as we watched the huge bonfire being built, taking old jackets and trousers to stuff and make our Guy Fawkes and learning all about his downfall in our history lessons. Then there were the gunpowder smell of fireworks and the wonder as they exploded in the sky, eclipsed only by the delicious culinary treats of jacket potatoes, hot chocolate and toffee apples.
It’s so good to have memories, and as we reflect back, take this forward in a refreshed format that works for today. Sadly, most of us can’t build bonfires, but we can invest in a fire pit if we have a garden or patio and these are marvellous for gathering around on a cold night. There’s nothing like flickering flames to soothe the soul and candles are an absolute must in our household, the more the better! Our beautiful TEMPLESPA Siesta Forever and The Good Life fragrant candles are accompanied by tall, short, tea lights and anything that will give us the ambience and warm of winter cosying. There will be an evening gather with friends where we have sausages on the BBQ, baked potatoes cooked in the fire embers with a variety of fillings & toppings, hot spiced apple cider and a good swirl of the hands with sparklers. We have a pile of outdoor blankets and it’s amazing how these rituals bring a smile to everyone.
As we change the season, it’s an opportunity to change up our skincare. This boosts your skin and wakes it up into action, which in winter needs to reverse the dryness, de-hydration and dullness. Whereas the summer is all about sheer formulas, gels and lightweight SPF’s, the winter can take its toll on our skin and lips, especially when we go from the outside to inside so we need some extra nurture. Whereas SPF should be worn 365 days a year (check out Life Defence SPF 30/50) switching your regime to preparations that are a little richer, soothing, that polish off dead skin cells gently, tone with hydration and moisturise in a deeper more targeted way can make all the difference.
This is my routine, and I think you’d like it. I commence with Be Gone, a comforting face & eye cleansing creme with a really clever ‘elastic’ texture so you get the deep cleanse without pulling the skin; I follow this with a swipe of our beautiful milky toner Be Quiet that soothes and refines, preparing it for my trusty Be Still, a luscious lotion moisturiser that we call liquid silk, this aptly describes its texture. Every few days I will pop some Breakfast Smoothie on my face, usually while in the shower, as this keeps the surface polished and refreshed and of course All Talk balm is never far from me, I truly think it’s the best lip balm on the market.
I guess if you haven’t yet started or completed your Christmas Gift Shopping you will be looking for armchair ease. Do pop onto our website and take a look at our gorgeous collection called Delicious Mediterranean Moments. Inspired by the ingredients we use in our products, the design is stunning, the content amazing, and there are price points at every level, our customers called it affordable luxury and if you have friends far and wide, you can even leave the delivery and gift messaging to us and your recipients will be stunned.
Have a wonderful month dear friends and thank you for being part of our world, we’re thrilled to be part of yours
Love, Liz xx