February Newness 2024
from a vivid sauna towel to bodycare products you won't stop using, my monthly list of things worthy of your attention
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The air outside might still feel chilly, but the bird song outside the window in the morning is unmistakably spring-like, have you noticed? This month I have fewer things to share with you than in January, but only because I want to spotlight some products or brands to you in separate posts. As we struggle to find balance and peace in our minds, our brain is bombarded by too many pieces of information that doesn’t improve the mood. I was recently reading the article about Weight Watchers - remember them, with their food points and weekly weight in sessions - and they new strategy to enlist influencers to promote their new telemarketing services related to weight loss drugs like Ozempic. I hope that will make more people wake up to the fact that diets don’t work or rather such approach to lifestyle. A pill or injection is not the solution, we need to address roots of our problems and find individual solutions. Let’s dive into “February Newness”, shall we?
Something to watch or to stream: Netflix series “The Brothers Sun”
Created by Byron Wu & produced by Gwyneth’s husband Brad Falchuk, this series (and I hope that there will be series two) focusses on the Taiwanese family Sun. When a mysterious enemy starts wrecking havoc, a Taipei triad boss comes to LA to protect his mother and younger brother, both of whom he hasn’t seen for years. With formidable Michelle Yeoh playing the matriarch I could leave it at that, but the rest of the cast, including Justin Chien and Sam Song Li will draw you in and make you choose sides and pick favourites. Fast-paced, funny, colourful, dramatic and touching down on many problems we all come across when it comes to family, love and work, I raced through eight episodes only to feel bereft it came to an end. Fingers crossed the next instalment is in the works.
Something for comfort & style: Botanic Garden sauna towel
I first laid my eyes on this gorgeous sauna towel in the summer, when I visited Botanic Garden’s Moscow studio & shop. As there was so much to tempt me - and kids wanted to buy things too, I put a mental note to come back to this towel in the future, as baggage allowance is sadly not stretchable. As weeks went by that orange-hued towel kept popping up in my mind and so I placed an order with Botanic Garden EU shop, which arrived in London in under a week. Since then that linen towel has seen me wrapped up after shower and cosied up, while reading or watching TV. It really is my faithful companion, at home or on travels now.
Washed and softened (in addition to orange, it also comes in ocean and cream colours), this very lightweight linen towel quickly absorbs moisture and dries quickly, making it perfect for bath, gym or sauna use. It’s waffle texture feels luxuriously soft on skin and makes you want to wrap yourself up in it - whether it is used as a towel or a shawl. A composition of 60% stonewashed linen and 40% cotton is spot on and the cost of euros 25 makes it a bargain, considering both size (140 x 80 cm) and quality. You can also use it as a partial bed cover or to wrap your baby (or teenager) in, if you feel like sharing the cosiness!
Something for the skin & the stress: de Mamiel First Fix
Annee de Mamiel is a ‘slow’ beauty practitioner. Not in the sense of moving slow, but rather the perfectionism that she is known for when it comes to her product development & formulation. Many of her products have gone through at least dozens of reformulations and adjustments before the final formula is approved and then launched into production. Annee also focusses on sensorial elements of her products, whether for the skin or the body, enveloping and involving your senses to participate in the work of the product that you apply to the skin - or inhale, like in the case of the genuine cult product, Altitude Oil, without which I never travel.
When you hear the word ‘stress’ it makes you think of the way our body responds and processes it, doesn’t? What’s interesting is the integration of addressing our responses to stress into our skin and body care and Annee’s First Fix Stress Response Serum is a perfect example of such a product. A protective, as well as reparative product, this serum is full of antioxidants and ingredients like adaptogens that help to dampen or rather decrease the stress & help skin be fortified.
Even such simple activities as waking up or exercise can provoke a stress reaction in our body and with that knowledge, as well as her vast practical experience as a multi-disciplinary Facialist Annee tasked herself to formulate a product for skin that is stressed and it took her all but 13 years to perfect the formula of First Fix. So a serum that addresses causes AND effect of stress and bathes the skin in ingredients that in synergy the negative impact of cortisol release into the blood stream. A combination of prebiotic Ectoin (helps to strengthen skin’s natural barrier function), a proprietary extract of wild indigo (energises and aluminises the skin), multi-molecular Hyaluronic acid (hydration, plumpness and improvement in wrinkle appearance), Seabuckthorn (fights oxidative stress impact), Rock rose (relaxes) and last, but not least Annee’s clinically proven aromatic “Cortisol resilience complex” that helps to restore balance and calm.
Best used in the evening, the whole ethos of this product encourages you to slow down and breath as a first step of the skincare routine. Breathing is natural to us humans, but as we grown-ups we lose our natural ability to breath through the tummy and our breathing tends to become shallow and less effective at properly oxygenating our bodies. de Mamiel Cortisol Resilience Complex is the invisible power brick in the foundation of this face serum, as through scent it helps to decrease stress, encourages the feeling of relaxation and reduces one’s reactivity. The combination of ingredients in that complex are responsible for helping to balance the central nervous system that might be out of whack due to our reactions to situations or conversations.
At £135 for a 30 ml bottle it’s not cheap, but not only is this product scientifically researched and tested, it actually does make your skin look relaxed and the mind soothed. I always read product descriptions and press releases with a healthy dose of scepticism, which goes way up when miracles are promised, but that is certainly not the case when it comes to de Mamiel. Instead it's the science and lab testing, the facts and the results that drive the brand forward and that is something that I value and appreciate as both a beauty writer and a consumer.
I used this serum every evening after cleansing the skin (truth be told I have been foregoing the toner as part of skincare routine lately, misting my face through the day, when I work at my desk instead). After pumping the serum into the palm of my hand and rubbing my hands together (not in delirium, don’t worry, but rather according to Annee’s instructions) in order to warm up & activate the product, I breath in the aroma, focussing on calming my breathing pattern for a few breaths and then spread the product all over my face, bar the eye area, using upward and outward movement. This product is suitable for all skin types and you can follow up with moisturiser or face oil afterwards, but I find that two to three pumps are a perfect spot for my skin, as it leaves the skin feeling content, rather than whispering ‘I need more skincare on top, get on with it woman”. For me the scent of that product is its best selling point. Happier, calmer, more balanced skin is a very welcome bonus. But it’s the smell and the feeling of calm, suddenly and gently descending upon me, is what makes me feel that the world might be crazy, but at least for a moment or two, as I apply the product and breath deeper (than I had for the whole day) I will be alright, standing, breathing and feeling grateful that products like this are no longer a dream, but a reality.
Something to read: “The Cook of Castamar” by Fernando J. Munez
Somehow initial publication of this book has passed me by because by the time I have bought the book, it has already been turned into the Netflix series,. However after spending several consecutive evenings reading this gripping book well into the night (and not getting enough sleep as a consequence), I don’t think the screen version will tempt me out of my utterly enchanted state. Almost 600 pages long, the writing is so vivid and the story so gripping, I wish I wrote it myself.
A beautiful daughter of the King’s physician is forced to seek employment in the noble Spanish house in the 18th century. Her father dead, her mother working to make a leaving and un uncle residing pompously in her former home, while she battles a debilitating nervous condition. Clara can rely only on herself and her exceptional talent for cooking. The Spanish noble house of Castamar belongs to a Duke, who has for years been in mourning for his beautiful wife who died in a tragic freak accident. A conspiring Marquis with a vendetta, a stern and mean housekeeper, a melange of secrets and affaires of the heart, the book is a lesson is history, in as much as a love letter to cooking and blossoming hope that maybe love will conquer all. Whether it does or doesn’t I won’t tell, but I can promise you lots of suspense, frustrated lip biting and a child-like sense of wonder, as you hurriedly turn yet another page.
Something to watch in the cinema: “The Taste Of Things” / “La passion de Boudin Bouffant” directed by Tran Ahn Hung
Thanks to my father, I came to love French cinema from the early age and learning the language gave me an added bonus of understanding the country and the culture much better. Now that my eldest is learning French too, I thought I would gift us both the experience to see a French movie in the heart of London and so I booked us the “The Taste of Things” tickets at Picturehouse Central, five minutes walk from the Piccadilly Circus.
My first impression, after coming out of the cinema into the blindingly bright sunlight, was that it was the most delicious, beautiful, tender, tragic and soulful movie that I have seen in a very long time. I grew up watching French movies and loving French acting creates, from Belmondo, Delon, Richard and de Funes to Ardant, Deneuve, Bardot, Beart, Adjani, Girardot and Cotillard. They provided the entertainment that never ceased to quench my thirst for French cinema and the glimpses into the world of intellectuals and scenic beauty. French movies bring a very special kind of magic, the unmistakable light and the artistry of story-telling that you won’t confuse with any other.
I fell in love with the acting of Benoit Magimel (spell-check tried to call him Magical) et Isabelle Huppert through the heartbreak of watching “the Piano Teacher”, even though my young mind was in for quiet a shock, as it was a movie the like of which I have never seen. Juliette Binoche to me is the memory of the timeless stories that are the movies “Chocolate” and “The English Patient”. I was also very lucky to watch her on stage at the Barbican, in “Antigone”, feeling in utter awe of the talent in front of me. But on that day, watching a movie with my son, I fell in love all over again - with the magic of the French slow cooking traditions (France’s legendary Michelin starred chef Pierre Gagnaire not only was a consultant for the movie, but also made a brief appearance at Prince’s head chef), with Benoit’s character tenderness and the sad, thoughtful and mesmerising beauty of Juliette. The unmistakable magic of natural light in France, the beauty of floristry by Tran Nu YenKhe, the legendary copper pans and the beautiful, calm and thoughtful directorship of Tran Ahn Hung. Perfect manners, slow living, the love and the camaraderie.
We seem to be in such a rush and race for technological advances and the next big thing, yet seem to forget that the true magic lies in the change of seasons, feelings, sense of smell and touch, communal meals and conversations over a glass of wine. Men and women taking genuine pride in their appearance and art of dressing, whether they are cooking at home, doing the gardening or going to see their banker or notary in town. Whether you speak French or not, find an opportunity to see this remarkable movie and I promise that it will do your heart, head, eyes and soul an enormous amount of good. One of the sentences that stuck in my head from the movie is that marriage ism like a meal that starts with desert. I am still smiling thinking about that!
Something for the face: This is Silk skincare
I first came across this British brand established by a former criminal barrister (how many brands can say that about its founder?) several years ago. This Is Silk has built its reputation on selling high quality silk products, from pillowcases to turbans and the silk pillowcases that I bought a few years back, pre-Covid, still look and feel as good as new. When many homeware companies sadly let the quality slide, while raising their price point at the same time, this brand prides itself on offering exceptional quality and products that serve your needs for a long time.
My impression is that the founder is not the one to rest on her laurels - and later this year I will share Sonal’s story and introduce her to you in a more personal way. Driven by her own past skin problems, science and factualness, This Is Silk now offers skincare products for your face with long lasting benefits as well. On this occasion I want to present two products to your attention, the Silk Cream Cleanser and the Power Up Silk Booster Drops.
It has to be said that Sonal approaches things differently when it comes to the way things are done by many skincare brand founders. “It’s important to separate emotions and facts” was the phrase that got my attention during one of our exchanges with Sonal, even though skincare has the emotional resonance for women (and to a lesser extent with men). As a mother of two daughters education matters to Sonal, as without knowledge we can’t make the right choices for our needs. Another very special element to completing This Is Silk puzzle for me was Sonal’s hand-written letter to me, explaining her story and mindset. A skill that goes back centuries, yet is done less frequently - you had my undivided attention with your exemplary & personal calligraphy dear Sonal !
Silk Cream Cleanser contains silk peptides, Vitamin B5 and probiotics and the creamy, rich cleanser will wash make-up and invisible pollution off the skin effectively on the first attempt - unless I am wearing heavy make-up, which I usually don’t, I don’t feel that my skin requires a double, rather than a single cleanse. Having said that, in the evening I take my time and am more thorough with the cleansing and massage, while my cleansing in the morning only takes a couple of minutes at most, as other things are a bigger priority. With the notes of Neroli, Rose and Jasmine essential oils cleansing becomes an invitation to shut the worldly noise off, at least for the duration of taking care of your skin.
I found this cleanser quite thorough and enjoyable to use both in the morning and the evening, the creaminess cocooning the skin and making it feel pampered. It washes off easily & you get a black Cleansing Cloth with the full-sized, 100ml glass cleansing jar. Black will hide make-up stains, which are on full display on white/cream/ivory face cloths, which is an added bonus. This cleanser would work well on different skin types and skin ages, something that widens brand appeal to customers of various ages, which is an added bonus.
With silk getting more and more attention not just from fashion designers, but doctors and scientists due to its unique healing and tissue repairing abilities, as it has a close affinity with our skin, I expect this brand and silk in skincare to be getting more and more attention from science labs as well. For me personally, this cleanser is a definite shining star of the range.
Power Up Silk Booster Drops come in a 3ml bottle and in a rare lapse from me - I didn’t read the instructions to start with, thinking it was a sample, rather a full-sized product - I used the drops like I would a serum, rather than adding it to my usual moisturiser. Sonal pointed this out to me, saying it needs to be mixed with a moisturiser, serum or even foundation, but I have to say that my skin was happy with direct application of a couple of drops, on some occasions without any other product application straight after. Since then I have started adding it to my tinted moisturiser and it pairs well and adds a little extra luminosity to my skin, so I forego using highlighter on my face on occasion I use those drops. It’s small size is also handy, if you are going out after work or need to refresh your make-up during the day.
This particular skin booster will work particularly well if you have such concerns as skin showing signs of ageing (meaning you have more mature skin), desire to improve plumpness, skin that feels red or dry, as well as occasions when you feel you need to lavish some extra TLC on your face. With the combination of Silk Fibroin, Ceramides, Hyalonuric Acid, Niacinamide and Glycerin you can expect the skin to feel and look better a short while after the initial application - so the word “boost” in the product name is more than justified!
Something for the body: Bodyologist polish & cream
I have been eyeing this fairly new Danish brand, dedicated solely to bodycare and this month I finally got to discover and test the products. One of my resolutions for this year is to dedicate more time and put more effort into my body and that relates not to food and exercises, the areas where I am more or less consistent & sort of disciplined, but actually looking better after the skin downwards, rather than upwards of my neck. We lavish so much attention on our face, yet neglect our bodies and that is a big and unforgivable mistake. Through touch, massage and regular use of effective body care products not only will your limbs, butt, breasts and back look better, but you will feel better in your body. Our skin can heal itself and self-balance, but doesn’t our body deserve TLC in the same way that our face does?
Bodyologist founders, Charlotte and Didde, have both worked within beauty industry before launching their joint business. As head buyers at one of Northern Europe’s biggest department stores, they have examined, sold and promoted beauty brands, while learning exactly what customers want or look for, as well as what’s missing. Their combined experience & knowledge has been poured into Bodyologist and it shows in all aspects of the brand, from the packaging to the result-driven formulas of each product.
I tend to “cherry pick” my body care products from brands, a scrub here, a body balm or oil there. Bodyologist “simply want their products to work”, so the focus is placed on active ingredients and scientific evidence. We all want our bodycare to do things that benefit our body and deliver visible results, as well as smell in a way that makes us feel good, don’t we? According to information on Bodyologist website “no matter your age, gender or skin type, our (Bodyologist) ambition is to be your preferred choice when it comes to strengthening, caring and optimizing your body’s skin”.
Bodyologist Everyday Polisher Antioxidizing Body Scrub
This is a body scrub that to me personifies genuine luxury bodycare at an accessible price point. It is gentle, has a slight foaming action, so you get an element of cleansing the skin and it also leaves skin feeling hydrated, rather than stripped off. You can massage Everyday Polisher onto wet skin, spreading it all over the body until soft foam appears and then rinse it off, or, if you want a more “thorough” exfoliation, use it on dry skin before entering the shower - add then just a few drops of water.
Having used it on multiple occasions - and when I use it, I don’t use shower gel - I don’t necessarily feel the need to apply a body balm or cream afterwards, as it leaves skill feeling soft and hydrated, but that is not to say that you shouldn’t moisturiser your skin afterwards. in the evening I now regularly apply other Bodyologist products, simply because I enjoy using them in tandem so much!
Bodyologist Tip: Try washing your hands with Everyday Polisher - your hands will be soft and smooth, and ready for a nourishing hand cream afterwards.
What truly stood out for me when I started testing Bodyologist products is the fact that their products are really more than just skincare. it really allows you to tangibly show your appreciation to your body for what it allows you to do every single day.
Formulated with a blend of natural ingredients, the Everyday Polisher contains apricot kernels that gently sweep away dead skin cells and allow new layers of skin to emerge to the surface quicker - something that you increasingly appreciate as you become older and renewal process in the body start to slow down. And the apricot kernels in this bodycare polish feel very different to the ones that St. Ives face scrub contained (do you remember it?), where you felt like you were truly scrubbing your whole face off and not in the gentlest of ways .)
A combination of glycerin, vitamin E and antioxidants compliment each other harmoniously and jointly moisturize, protect against free radical damage and defend against pollution, ensuring your skin feels both pampered and cared for. Exfoliating granules themselves feel tiny and they do their work with a gentle, rather than heavy-handed, touch, eliminate dead skin cells and giving the skin if not radiant than definitely a healthy glow. Crafted from natural soap, this bodycare polisher produces a velvety foam, which goes hand in hand with an uplifting fragrance of eucalyptus and rosemary.
Note: All Bodyologist products are skin balanced, so they match skin’s natural pH level. In order to keep a healthy and normal functioning skin barrier, the pH value should be around 5
Bodyologist Night Glove regenerating body cream
What do you get if you combine hyaluronic acid, glycerin, AHA, squalene (derived from European-grown olives) and shea butter under one pump? A Night Glove, which is a regenerating body cream which will pamper your skin and make it feel like you have been bathed in milk and honey. With vitamin A & E conducting the ingredient orchestra, skin’s texture will be naturally refined, collagen production stimulated and hyperpigmentation (thank you sun exposure and passage of time) minimised.
A word on AHAs, which was chosen for its refining properties when it comes to skin’s luminosity & evening out one’s natural skin tone. You can use this body cream day and night, but please beware that AHA can leave skin sensitised, if exposed to direct and active sunshine. With this in mind, it’s best to apply Night Glove in the evening, to prevent any issues that can arise because of that.
Many body creams are light, which is nice, but plenty of body creams, while luxurious in feel, can take a while to sink into the skin and actually make it feel asphyxiated. What you do notice when it comes to Bodyologist products is the perfect balance between lightness and richness, when the product is applied to the skin and you feel that it meets with its approval, sinking into the skin and you feeling like you have been pampered - even though the cream was applied not by a Spa therapist, but yourself. With Night Glove ( as well as Bodyologist other product, Instant Booster body serum, more on which I will share in springtime) you actually want your hands to stay on your body for longer, massaging the product and enjoying the scent and the texture.
I don’t pay this compliment to many body care products, but in this instance I really do end up using Bodyologist bodycare much more often than I have done with other body products on my bathroom shelf - considering the fact winter is never kind to our skin and body, discovering Bodyologist has been a double blessing! And luckily you can find Bodyologist in the UK as well, at Gleneagles hotel or online at Juni & Co.
So my dear reader, we have come to an end - of this long-read, which I hope you have enjoyed, non-withstanding the size, as well as the winter! I hope you will be tempted by something I wrote about and it will bring you pleasure or joy, something that we can never take for granted. As always, I would love your feedback or suggestions and look forward to sharing March Newness with you soon. I know already it will feature a mood boosting yellow ball pool .)
The series with Michelle Yeo sounds great! I loved Everything Everywhere All At Once where she plays an ageing Chinese migrant who is swept up in a series of increasingly insane adventures, where she can only explore the world by exploring other universes connected with the lives she could have led.
Your thoughts on silk reminded me of a Kanebo silk skin polisher I used to like; not sure it's still available but it was brilliant. You mixed the dry powder with a drop or two of water (or toner).
My current go-to now is Niod's sanskrit saponins and I always rub my hands together with the remaining product before I rinse it off! Waste not want not ;)