Pamper Yourself Weekly

So, it's the weekend and you've got nothing planned. Or, you really don't feel like going to that party but would rather do that than nothing at all. Or maybe it's just a weekday and you really feel like a pick-me-up! Then Pamper Yourself!!

I don't care what anybody says, there is no better feeling than giving LOVE & APPRECIATION back to yourself. I'll never forget my favourite birthday…it was last year, I was pregnant, and all I wanted to do was spend all day in the Aurora Spa Retreat at the Palazzo Versace Hotel on the Gold Coast getting pampered from head to toe…and I did! :-)
It was a lovely day spent with my mother and followed by a buffet seafood dinner at the Sheraton with my father, sister and husband. I felt like a very happy wagyu cow; just being massaged and fed. But let's face it, a day like that is pricey, and not all of us can afford doing that weekly, including me! 

Pampering oneself does not need to be an expensive affair, however. Below, I have compiled some various ways you can relax and indulge without breaking the budget. In fact, this is a good way to use up all those old moisturisers, face masks, hair treatments, nail polishes and any other impulse bought beauty products that is just collecting dust on them. No need to buy new, just use up the old!

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The Mood

Creating the mood is a sensual activity which is so naturally included in the DNA of a woman. Most men I know just don't get it and it's why Rom-Coms were truly invented, so they could learn (bless their clueless cotton socks!) Whatever your mood may be on your special night in, relish it! Back-to-back episodes of your favourite TV show? Line them up! Guilty-pleasure music which may include Taylor Swift or Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe'…blast it! Take-out from your favourite cheap-eats joint? Order it! Scented candles and fresh flowers? Light them up and buy a bunch of blooms on your way home from work! Whatever takes your fancy, just do it. This is your night to give back to yourself. You deserve it. And there's no need to apologise for it. 

The Shower/Bath

If you're going to give yourself a night in to pamper, then it's probably best to start with a nice, long shower or relaxing bath. Try to include aromatic scents to awaken your sense of smell which is connected to your root chakra - Muladhara. Lavender, Rose, and Ylang Ylang are great for stress relief. (For more information on various essential oils, click here)

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Like the director of The Devil Wears Prada, David Frankel, I always like to start from the feet up. A nice way to give your skin an extra buff-up after your regular loofah encounter, is with a body scrub. Gently rub your chosen scrub all over your body including your hands, feet and décolletage. (Avoid the face as the granules in most body scrubs tend to be too harsh for the delicate skin on your dial.) Give your body a good rinse-over making sure you thoroughly wash in between all the cracks, if you know what I mean…We don't want any possible irritations now, do we? Next, move onto an exfoliate for your face. Concentrate on using circular motions particularly in your T-zone and try not to overdo it on your more sensitive areas like your cheeks and neck. Exfoliation should be done at least once to twice a week depending on your skin type. Delegate a day in which you make your night to exfoliate, that way you'll never forget. My day is Wednesday. 

Lastly, a hair treatment with scalp massage. I love this! You're suppose to leave hair treatments in for 1-3 minutes, which is more than enough time to let your fingers meet your head and massage it. The amount of relief a quick head rub can give you will make you want to do it on a daily basis! I do it every second night when I apply my conditioner. Let your mind release any negative or stressful thoughts, breath deeply and surrender yourself to the sense of touch. 

The Facial

After you've removed all the dead skin from your face and opened up its pores, it's important to replenish all the good and extract all the bad. A face mask is ideal for this! There are many benefits including to moisturise, detoxify, increase circulation and replenish nutrients. But above all, they add an extra dimension to the skin-care routine, and they are truly pampering. "It's something [people] can do at home that will give them the effect they would get at a spa," says Joshua Onysko, CEO and founder of Pangea Organics in Boulder, Colo. I personally switch between a clay mask and a hydration mask depending on what I think my face needs that week. Clay masks are great for unclogging pores and hydration masks give tired skin a good drink, making it look plush and dewy again. Your skin is unique to you, therefore the mask that will best suit you will be unique too. Figure out your skin type (in my next blog post) and choose a product that will enhance your glowing skin rather than dull it. 

* After you have rinsed off your mask, don't neglect your usual skin care routine of toning and moisturising! :-)

Moisturising and massage

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Face masks take about 15 minutes to dry and go to work on your face. Whilst you're waiting, why not give your body a treat too! 
Moisturising is a great place to start. But instead of the generic application, incorporate a little calf and foot massage into your routine. Our poor feet constantly get restricted in shoes and we're on them all day. It's time to give them a break and massage the daily tension out of them. Adjusting the pressure to how you like it, use circular, pressing motions all down your calves and along the souls of your feet. Your feet are connected to many vital organs within your body and the release of any tension in your feet will ultimately resonate to those parts of your body also. Not forgetting the rest of your leg, rub some moisturiser using circular motions on both your inside and outer thighs, and don't neglect your butt!! For those of you who are pregnant, postnatal or just want to improve your digestion, give yourself a belly rub using either a specific belly moisturiser or the moisturiser you already have. 
If pregnant, try to use a product that is organic, natural and free from any nasty chemicals as you do not want those harsh, unnatural additives being near your growing baby.
With the moisturiser that is already on your hands, give them a mini-reflexology massage. Take both your hands, join your fingers together and rotate inwards so that your palms are facing the ceiling. Gently place the back of one hand on top of the inside of the fingers of the other. This will be your supporting hand. Using the thumb of your supporting hand to make large, circular motions across the palm of the other hand. This should feel so good! Then- after you've enjoyed that- use the index finger and thumb of your supporting hand to create a squeezing 'clamp' for the hand you just massaged. Jump your pressurised 'clamp' up and down each, individual finger including your thumb to release any tension you may be holding between those petite joints of yours. 
This hand massage can be done anytime, anywhere, whenever you're feeling anxious or stressed and just need to release any negativity. Breath deeply whilst doing it. Moisturiser not necessary. 

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There you have it! A simple, relaxing way to pamper yourself with minimal expenses. Feel like livening the mood a little? Then add an adult beverage and invite a good friend over. If straight-edged is how you roll, then there's always herbal tea with honey. Yummy!!

Embrace the perks of being a woman with happy pampering, Ladies!!

With Love and Positive Karma...