A Simple Sunday Pamper with Neom

Sunday for me is the epitome of a chill out day. I like to take it easy and get myself mentally prepared for the week ahead and nothing does this better than treating yourself to a Sunday pamper. I've gone into more depth in my previous Sunday Series with some no messing about hardcore preening, but sometimes it's nice to take a more simple approach.

Towards the end of the afternoon when the Monday blues are already beginning to settle in I run a nice hot bath and jump right in. This weeks pamper goodies are from Neom's Scent With Love Gift Set*, full of beautifully fragranced products designed to relax. Having everything you need to unwind all wrapped up in a neat little box is definitely the way to go for some stress free bathing.

I start by pouring a cap full of the Tranquillity Organic Bath Oil into the water which immediately fills the room and your peace craving nostrils with a heavenly mix of Lavender, Sweet Basil and Jasmine. Next its onto the Sensous Organic Body Wash, a little more invigorating with it's mix of Ylang Ylang, Frankincense & Patchouli, this luxurious foam softens and prepares the skin ready for moisture. After a good long soak preferably with a glass vino (if you're old enough!) I hop out and liberally apply the Sensuous Organic Body Lotion which is fragranced with the same spicy scent as the Body Wash, infusing it into the skin for even longer and locking in moisture with it's hydrating formula full of Shea Butter and Argan oil.

It's then straight on with the pyjamas and a cosy up on the sofa. I find this is always a good time to get my nails prepped for the week while I sit with either a good read or something preferably starring Ryan Gosling. After a good file, buff and a careful selected nail polish I like to round it all off with a nice thick layer of the Complete Bliss Moroccan Blush Rose Organic Hand Cream which melts in beautifully and leaving hands incredibly softened and non-greasy.

There's nothing like a good pamper to clear your mind and relax your body so take half an hour or so just to yourself and you'll feel unstoppable once that 7:00am alarm rings on Monday morning!

* Gifted PR Sample

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The Sunday Pamper Part 2: The Facial

I had some really great feedback from my first Sunday Pamper post, so as promised here's the second in the series and tonight it's all about skincare. It's not all that often that I give myself a full on facial, but when the time comes I get down to some serious business. I really love to run a hot bath, pop in a Butterball (my all time favourite from Lush, but that's another Sunday post altogether!) and let the steam work some extra magic.

I make sure I've thoroughly removed all makeup with a good micellair lotion and then take a palm full of Philosophy's Purity Cleansing Oil evenly all over my face. I spend a few extra minutes working this into the skin gently with my fingertips, ensuring that every scrap of make up is gone and also boosting circulation to help flush out any nasty toxins lurking away. The great thing about using a cleansing oil for this is that unlike regular massage oils, once splashed off with some warm water it doesn't leave any residue on the skin.

After that it's on to exfoliation. I like to use a good deep scrub and No7's Total Renewal Micro-dermabrasion is great for this. It's made up of tiny rough crystals which are quite abrasive. I'll only use this once every couple of weeks but that's really all it takes to see the benefits. Not only does this slough away every scrap of dead skin it also stimulates cell renewal to work against fine lines and uneven tone, just make sure you're wearing a good SPF the day after you use this!

I make sure I give my skin a quick rest after exfoliating so I take a trusty muslin cloth, soak it in warm water and lay it over my face for a few minutes. Not only is this super relaxing it also opens up the pores ready for a good deep cleansing mask. At the moment my favourite is the Super Facialist by Úna Brennan Tea Flower Clay Mask (isn't that a mouthful) which you can see a full review of here. This takes every drop of excess oil out of clogged up pores and leaves skin feeling zingy fresh.

The last part of the in-bathroom routine involves another of my all time favourite products, the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel which I paint on with an old foundation brush (an odd tool you may be thinking but believe me using one will change your life) and leave on for about fifteen minutes (this is when I usually hop out of the bath and get those cosy jammies on). I find this mask works best at getting rid of any really dry patches so I concentrate it on my forehead and nose. It uses fruit enzymes to exfoliate without the need for abrasive beads and I always notice how well my make up goes on after using this!

Once that's all wiped off, again using the muslin cloth, I pat my skin dry and move on to the final part of my mini facial: hydration. For that I use a recently discovered wonder combination of Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask and Bio Oil. The Overnight Mask is like an intensely rich night cream that keeps on working even into the morning. On top of that I pat a few drops of the Bio Oil and gently work them together on the skin. I have quite a few facial oil's rattling around in my draws but recently I've been choosing Bio Oil over them every time. This unlikely beauty product gives my skin the most amazing glow and once washed of in the morning leaves it plumped up and moisturised. I let that sink in for about half an hour before going to bed, just enough time to snuggle up with a good book (or in my case a good blog or two) and a few relaxing candles!


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The Sunday Pamper: Part 1

I've started making it a bit of a habit to spend an hour or so on a Sunday evening giving myself a mini pamper and I thought I'd do a little series over the next few weeks all about the things I use and my favourite indulgent products. I like to concentrate on one specific area, either skincare, nails, hair etc. and this week its all about body care.

I like to start in the shower with a good exfoliator to slough off any dry, dead skin. At the moment I'm using Soap and Glory's Pulp Friction, a fruity body scrub that foams up as you massage it in. Although it might seem a minor detail, I've noticed this lather helps get so much more out of the product. The foam sticks to the skin and ensures a great bit of exfoliation from the beads locked inside, leaving my skin soft and invigorated.

Next I like to use L'Occitain's Almond Shower Oil. This is a great for thoroughly cleansing the skin without stripping any moisture away. I like to pat my arms and legs down after exfoliating and really massage this in. On dry skin it's just a pure oil, but once introduced to water it emulsifies into a lovely thick lather. If you've never used a shower oil before I seriously recommend trying one out! No7 do a great cheaper alternative, although it doesn't smell anywhere near as good!

Next comes the combination of three wonder products that are going to make all the difference. I've never come across a product like Lush's King of Skin before (although we all know them for their unique concoctions). It's basically a solid body butter that you smooth over skin like a bar of soap right before coming out of the bath or shower. The excess water on the skin helps this glide on effortlessly and after one last quick splash you're ready to pat yourself dry. Full of Shea Butter, fresh bananas and various organic oils this makes for one beautiful smelling and extremely moisturising product.

Once I'm all dried off I take the Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil and spray it liberally all over my legs where I suffer from the most dryness. I love these dry oil sprays as they really are the quickest and simplest way of getting moisture into the skin. I mainly use them at night to give the oils time to sink in while I sleep, but if you're going out and you want those supermodel legs, this gives them the ultimate sheen.

Last of all I use a nice rich lotion on places like my knees and elbows. Although being ridiculously pricey the Kiehl's Creme de Corps really is the best for this. It's full of Cocoa Butter which leaves stubborn dry areas smoother than you can imagine.

So there you have it, skin as smooth as the day you were born with five amazing products and an hour to spare! What are your ultimate body pamper picks?

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