self-care Archives | Wedding ETC

In uncategorized

The ultimate pamper session guide for every bride

August 2, 2022 No Comments

Searching for the feel-good factor? Introduce some positive energy into your beauty routine with a sumptuous pamper session to help keep you calm, cool, and relaxed as you plan your big day. Adding a little self-love will leave you feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and feeling youthful again. Besides, it’s really the little highlights that can make the biggest difference to our well-being!

Follow this guide and get your hands on these luxe products to turn your bathroom ritual into a full-blown pamper experience.

Bath-time bliss

‘Bathing is a brilliant opportunity to give your body what it needs, and your mind a moment to reset,’ says well-being expert Susanne Kaufmann. You can easily turn your bath into a pamper session with a few additions too.

So how would you like to feel while submerged in your porcelain throne?

Relaxed

There’s nothing quite like a long soak to reset the senses. It’s the perfect ritual before bed, helping you have a good sleep: a hot bath followed by being in a cool bedroom is known to help the body prepare for sleep and tricks you into feeling drowsy. Aid those sensations with Ceridwen’s Cauldron (R135, Lush), which nourishes your skin and helps you switch off.

Or, if you are feeling tense, don’t underestimate the benefits of a salt bath. It can help with any muscle aches and pains, leaving you feeling soothed. We love Earthsap Bath Soak in Milk & Honey (R75, Made By Nature).

De-stressed

Feeling restless and anxious? Run a bath and choose products packed with calming ingredients, such as The Naturals Organic Bath Bombs (R320, yumm) or Dr Hauschka Moor Lavender Calming Bath Essence (R465, Woolworths).

As you soak in the scented bath, practise breathing deeply into your abdomen to relax and calm your mind. If you struggle to stay focused, it can help to imagine you are gently inflating your tummy like a balloon as you breathe in, then slowly deflating it as you breathe out. The warm water will aid those feelings of relaxation.

Upbeat

If you need a reboot, try adding a few drops of an uplifting essential oil – juniper is effective in stimulating a positive mood – try Soil Juniper Berry Essential Oil (R133, Faithful to Nature). Give your bath a sensuous twist by adding Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede Bath Oil 250 ml (R1 000, Edgars). And light a candle to uplift your senses – we adore The Aromatherapy Co Invigorating Candle (R199, @home).

Comforting Massage

As well as treating skin to a pamper session, use your evening regime as a chance to unwind. ‘Turn your cleanse into a moment of mindfulness,’ says acupuncturist and facialist Annee de Mamiel. ‘Face massage helps you unwind, but it’s also a reminder to begin to switch off from the day. Plus it doesn’t cost a thing!’

Start by warming your cleansing oil in your hands and inhaling the essential oils. Choose something with a soothing scent, such as Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil (R1 050, Woolworths). As you massage, you will increase circulation, boost oxygen and detoxify your skin. ‘You’ll be surprised how the texture, volume and radiance of your skin will improve in such a short time.’

Skin saviours

It’s the original emblem of what a pamper session should be!. A face mask is the easiest way to treat your skin and give you a bit of a time out. Just make sure you’re using the best one for your skin type.

Dry skin

Use: FILORGA Hydra-Filler Mask (R148, skinmiles.co.za)

This calming sheet mask contains aloe vera to soothe and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, giving your face a plump, juicy glow.

Sensitive skin

Use: Lamelle Serra Lipid Recovery Mask (R520, dermastore.co.za)

When sensitive skin flares up, leave this soothing mask on for 15 minutes, then swipe away any excess with a tissue to calm flushed, tight-feeling skin.

Feature Image: Unsplash

In Advice

5 Ways to practice self care while planning your wedding

July 14, 2022 No Comments

You don’t have to sit on a hill and meditate to de-stress. Although that’s exactly what you’ll want to do after haggling with wedding vendors and explaining to your uncle (second-removed) why he isn’t sitting at the main family table.

Whether you’re planning your wedding or meandering through life, making sure that you indulge in self-care is oh-so-important. But with so many things happening in the background, it’s pretty easy to let things slip through the cracks.

To keep you on track and remind you to incorporate self-care tasks – no matter how small – into your routine as you go about your wedding planning, here are a few things we hope you won’t let take a backseat:

Eat Up

For some reason, brides feel the need to go on crazy fad diets in order to lose weight to fit into their wedding dress, but no bride wants to look like a completely different person when looking back at their wedding photos. And no one wants to feel hungry all the time. Nutrition is such a major component when it comes to self-care and is the key to our mental and physical well-being. Skip the fads and stick to a balanced diet that hit those targeted food groups – veggies, proteins, and all the wholesome goodness.

It’s all mental

When our cortisol levels are constantly elevated (thanks, stress) our mental health tends to take a backseat. While there’s a certain level of stress and anxiety that comes with wedding planning, if you feel that it’s affecting your mood and it’s gone beyond just “a bad day,” do not ignore such a big sign. Take advantage of the resources available to you, whether that be meditation apps, breathwork retreats, talk therapy or a break away from wedding planning. Follow your intuition.

Get your heart pumping

Now, we understand that your Significant Other is more than enough when it comes to getting your heart pumping and skipping beats, but sometimes you need a little more. Exercise is an excellent way to de-stress, so make sure that you get sweating. Take it easy with yoga or pilates, or really push things to the limit with some incredible workouts like CrossFit.

If you feel yourself checking your schedule and watch, why not keep things simple by going for post-dinner walks. This is also a great way to get those endorphins going and connect with your partner as the big day approaches.

It’s okay to relax

When you’re juggling work, a social life and wedding planning, it can be difficult to find the time to let go and relax. Release your grip on the reins and indulge in activities that will allow your stress to melt away. Think; movie nights, coffee dates (minus wedding talk), Netflix binges, naps and luxurious baths with tons of candles. Throw in a massage or two in for good measure!

Don’t forget those around you

During the hustle and bustle that is wedding planning, you can sometimes forget about those closest to you. Decompress by spending some quality time with friends and family, doing things that are completely unrelated to your wedding. Sunday dinners with family and Saturday brunches with friends – now that’s magic!

Feature Image: Pexels

In Engagements

5 Special things to gift yourself before your wedding day because you deserve it!

January 26, 2022 No Comments

It’s always tough searching for the perfect gift to present the bride-to-be, but it can also be pretty tough to splurge on something just for yourself when you are the bride in question.

As the big day approaches, you can get sucked into buying gifts for everyone but yourself. But you’re special too, right?

So, to help you commemorate the day, here are five amazing things to gift yourself because you deserve it!

Journal

While you may not have time to whip out your pen and journal on your wedding day, it can be a great way to journal through your first year of marriage. Make it extra special by engraving it.

Personalised T-shirt

Get cheesy and let the world know you are now a Mrs. Head to your favourite sweater printing shop and get them to add a few custom details, including your wedding date or partner’s name – it’s up to you.

Custom Art

Art can be an incredible way to showcase your love and put it on display for all to see. Well, everyone who enters your home. This US-based artist does an amazing job of capturing a moment on your special day and transforming it into a timeless piece using archival paper and pigment ink. While you may not want something exactly like this, it could serve as some inspiration.

Create a time capsule

Okay, stay with us! While time capsules may be something that’s done to entertain the kids, it can be an incredible way to capture a period of time in an unconventional way. It’s also a great way to include your husband-to-be by adding a letter to your future self and your husband. Place it in a safe place and set a time limit. Perhaps five years or 10, it’s up to you. It can be an adorable way to see how far you’ve come.

Get yourself a glass of wine

Grab your favourite bottle of wine and save it! Creating a custom label can be a great gift to you and your partner, and can include all the nitty-gritty details from your wedding. You can save it for years and open it when a special occasion rolls around (perhaps the birth of your first child?).

Picture: Instagram