Taking Time To Take Care

After reading this recent Into The Gloss post, I got to thinking about how I balance things out. It seems, as a Libra (haw haw), a constant theme in my life is trying to find a balance between everything. The weekends especially are a time of polarities for me, because one Friday night I'll be out until 4 A.M. overindulging, and the next, like last night, I'll find myself sorting laundry, cleaning, and finding ways to relax in between.

Last night I drew a bath as hot as I could stand, grabbed the book I'm currently reading (Margaret Atwood's collection of short stories, Dancing Girls [I highly recommend]), and got to taking care of myself.

One of my favourite ways to indulge, even when I don't necessarily have the time to really sit and luxuriate, has been using Davines hair products. I swear, these products have saved my hair, or at the very least the texture of it. When I started college, my health took a major hit and as a result a lot of my hair fell out, and the texture totally changed. My former mermaid-esque waves hung straight and couldn't hold a curl no matter how hard I tried, and it felt like straw to the touch. After a lot of changes -- moving out of my miserable apartment, changing my diet, and just reducing my stress in general -- my hair started to grow back to normal, but it still wasn't 100% perfect. Then I started using Davines, and I noticed a major change. I no longer needed to add curls to my hair with hot tools, if I just left my hair to air dry, it would dry into beautiful waves thanks to the gentle nudge the Davines products was giving it. So I'm a major Davines convert, and I will talk and talk about them to anyone who will listen. My favourites are their OI Shampoo and OI Conditioner. Both smell amazing, are sulfate-free, and leave your hair feeling so soft and nourished. I also love the Absolute Beautifying Potion for smoothing any frizziness once my hair is dry - bonus is that it has the same scent as the OI Shampoo and Conditioner thanks to the roucou oil which is a main ingredient in all three products. Last night I washed with the shampoo and then worked the conditioner into my hair, focusing on the ends, and let it sit for about 15 minutes while I also took care of my face.

Favourites. From left: Davines OI Shampoo and Conditioner, Davines Absolute Beautifying Potion, LUSH Mask Of Magnaminty, Kosmea Rosehip Oil.

For my skin, I applied LUSH's Mask of Magnaminty to my face and sunburned shoulders (the cooling mint feels amazing for this purpose). After this has been left to dry, it doubles as an exfoliating scrub before you rinse off. To make sure my skin stayed soft and moisturized afterwards, I applied a few drops of Kosmea's Rosehip Oil. It's so gentle and yet it really sinks into skin and gives you the most amazing, nourished glow.

It doesn't hurt that it's pretty to look at too.

Another integral part of my relaxation routine involves burning candles, particularly Diptyque's Patchouli scent. It smells incredible and I think it's quickly becoming my new favourite, next to their Feu de Bois.

Now that it's Saturday, I plan on spending the night eating tacos, painting my nails and getting caught up on The Knick. I hope that whatever you plan to do this long weekend, you figure out a way to relax at some point.

xoHannah