4 Tips for a Relaxing Bath

A little while ago I wrote a post about the 4 ways to create the perfect yoga environment. Today I want to talk about 4 ways to have a more relaxing bath.

I have to admit, I never used to enjoy baths. I always felt hot, sweaty and "bleh" after them. I now know the reason that I never enjoyed these baths was because I wasn't creating the right environment. After I realised this, I changed the way I approached my baths and have been loving them ever since!

Appropriate Lighting

I believe choosing appropriate lighting can help to create the right environment for a relaxing bath. I usually bathe at night, so I choose to use candles to light the room. They are not as bright as a normal light, and I find it much more peaceful.

The Perfect Water Temperature

This is really tricky to get right and I NEVER get it perfect every time. I usually get my partner to run my baths as he seems much better at judging water temperature than me! The key is to have a bath that is warm enough to stay warm for a while, but not too warm that it is going to burn you! I find that I feel really crappy if I am in a bath that is too hot.

Keeping Technology at Bay

I am not going to sit here and pretend I always turn off my technology when I am having a bath, however if you can leave your technology out of your bath routine, I can guarantee you it will be more relaxing.  I usually put my music on and make sure my phone is out of reach so that I am not tempted to touch it..

Music or No Music?

Speaking of music, I love listening to music whilst I am having a bath. Again, like yoga, listening to music whilst having a bath is a personal choice. For me, the music helps me calm down from a busy day and relax whilst keeping all of my thoughts at bay. I usually listen to meditation, indie or acoustic music.

Do you prefer showers or baths? I would love to hear about how you set up your perfect relaxing bath environment.

xx

Little Miss Lorraine | Etsy

I have a few gorgeous vintage items currently available in my Etsy shop Little Miss Lorraine. Click on the picture of each item to check them out!

Set 4 Royal Grafton Bone China Floral Teacups & Saucers Gold Rimmed

Colclough Bone China Teacup, Saucer & Sandwich Plate

Scotch Ivory Hexagonal Sandwich Plate SPC Co. Ltd

Set of 3 Crown Ducal Bristol Pink Roses Small Triangular Pin Dishes

xx

Natio BB Cream | First Impressions

I am a big fan of the idea behind BB creams but I hadn't been been able to find one that I really liked. I have tried a few different brands but have found them to be slightly orange or not have the right consistency. You may have seen that whilst I was in National Pharmacies a few weeks ago. I picked up the Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB cream and thought I would give it a try.

After using it for a couple of weeks, I have to say I am pretty impressed with it. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you will have noticed I am a big fan of Natio products and this one is no exception. There are a few things I really like about this BB Cream.

The colour is very natural
As I mentioned above, I have found other BB creams to have a slightly orange tinge to them. For me this made it look less natural on my skin and meant it did not blend with the rest of my skin tone.  The idea behind a BB cream is to make your skin look as natural as possible and other BB creams have not done this for me. The Natio BB cream is the perfect colour match for my skin tone. I chose the middle colour, Medium.

The consistency is really nice
It is not as thick as a foundation, but not as thin as a tinted moisturiser. It gives my skin a healthy glow and feels light on which makes it comfortable to wear especially as the weather starts to warm up. 

The coverage and finish looks great
I was looking for a BB cream I could wear when I am not at work but that would still give me enough coverage. I also love the finish of this BB cream and like the way it wears with other products on top.

Have you tried this BB cream? I would love to hear which brand of BB cream you use and why!

xx



** This is NOT a sponsored post

4 Tips For the Perfect Yoga Environment

After practicing yoga for over 3 years, I have learnt a lot about how setting up the right space for your yoga session can benefit your practice. Here are the 4 things I believe are the most important factors to creating the perfect yoga environment, especially if you do not have a set yoga space.

Natural Light

To me, natural light is much more calming than bright lights and so I prefer to practice yoga with natural lighting. Bright, flickering lights can be distracting and with all the time we spend on technology, I find it is a nice way to reconnect with the outdoors.

If there is no natural light available, I light a few candles as a more natural alternative to turning on the lights.

Appropriate Music

I know that some people would feel that music during yoga can be distracting and take away from the practice. I personally find that it helps me to keep focussed and also find a good rhythm. My current yoga "playlist" includes:

- Clair de lune - Flight Facilities
- Gold - Chet Faker
- Stay High - Tove Lo

- anything by Jack Johnson

As I mentioned above, playing music is a personal choice and what music you play also depends on  the type of yoga session you have planned. I like more upbeat songs when I am doing a faster, sweatier yoga practice and slower, chilled out songs for a gentler practice.

Choosing the right space

When choosing a space for your yoga practice, you should ensure it is somewhere where you will be less likely to get interrupted. There is nothing worse than when you get into a really good rhythm and someone or something comes and interrupts you. One other thing to keep in mind when choosing an appropriate space is the temperature. You want to be warm during your session, so keep away from cold draughts and turn the heater on if need be. Keeping warm will also minimise the risk of any injury.

Keeping Distractions at Bay

Following on from the above, it is really important to keep away from any distractions during your yoga practice. Turn your phone off or on silent and resist the urge to check your phone throughout the session. If you use your computer during your practice (I sometimes use mine to watch videos on YouTube) ensure nothing is open that could distract you (social media, emails etc.)


I would love to hear what your perfect yoga environment is. Do you have a set yoga space? 

Namaste.

xx

 

Striped Maxi Dress | DIY

I purchased this gorgeous fabric on sale a few months ago from Tessuti Fabrics. I always knew I wanted to make a maxi dress out of it and I have finally gotten around to doing it! I was inspired by this dress made by Donna from Sew Independent. She actually won a competition Tessuti Fabrics were running using this exact fabric!

For the top of the dress, I traced around an existing tank top, adding a 1.5cm seam allowance. Because this is a knit fabric, I topstitched around the neckline and added ribbon to the shoulder seams to stabilise the material (a few things I learnt from Tilly Walnes) I loved the low back on Donna's dress, so I did a similar thing to the back of mine. 

For the skirt section of the dress, I doubled the width of the top so I could gather the material. I also added pockets using this tutorial, however I moved my pockets further down the side of the skirt. 

I am really happy with how the dress has turned out. Recently I have noticed a big improvement with my sewing - I am much more patient and it is showing in the quality of my work!

Look out for a few more projects soon.

xx

 

Sneaky Sunday Purchases | Haul

We had such gorgeous weather over the weekend, so I made a trip into National Pharmacies to grab a few Spring time supplies.

Natio Daily Moisturiser Face Protection SPF15
My current favourite day time moisturiser. It it non greasy and wears well underneath my makeup. The SPF 15 is also a big plus for extra protection from the sun.

Natio Pure Mineral Skin Protecting BB Cream SPF 15

I have used BB creams before and loved them during the warmer months, so I picked up this Natio one in the colour Medium. I really like the way BB creams feel on my skin - light but still with a bit of coverage.

Revlon Nail Polish in the colour Fuchsia Fever

How gorgeous is this nail polish colour! I went through all my nail polishes not long ago and realised I needed more bright colours in my collection. Revlon nail polish always look nice on the nails and doesn't chip easily.

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in the colour Cotton Candy (#45)
National Pharmacies had Revlon lip products out 2 for $25! I have wanted to try their lip butters out for a while so I took this opportunity to buy a couple. I really like Cotton Candy as a subtle but pretty / glossy pinky purple.

Revlon Colour Burst Lip Butter in the Colour Pink Lemonade (#47)
I think this colour is going to become a staple nude for me over the next few months. I love how moisturising these lip butters are and the slight gloss finish.

I hope you got out on the weekend and enjoyed the gorgeous sunshine!

- J x

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Checking In | Lifestyle

image from pinterest

What a crazy couple of weeks. I have been a little MIA lately - I've had a few lifey things happen recently which have taken the front seat.

On the weekend I took some time out from the craziness and attended a "Spring Wellness" workshop run by Tammy, personal trainer / lifestyle coach at Vis Novo Health, Sam Efraimsen, yoga instructor at Adelaide Yoga Flow, and Dana Bell, a goal setting coach. I feel so inspired and motivated to make a few changes to my lifestyle (blog post on this up soon.)

Also look out for a couple of blog posts coming up soon with tips on how to create the best atmosphere for your yoga practice and creating a relaxing bath environment. These are the 2 things that have gotten me through craziness of the last couple of weeks!

- J x

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