I love to keep moving, if a day goes by without Pilates or a visit to the gym, I feel it. I think, more than ever now; we all need to take care of ourselves. Exercise and self-care is a mental as well as a physical thing and it’s been so lovely to review some amazing wellness brands for Christmas gift ideas this year.
The Liforme Yoga Mat comes in a handy travel size for easy travel
I was sent the Travel Mat, aesthetically this is a lot different to the mats I had previously used (and thinner). Every morning without fail; Pilates or yoga is part of my daily routine so I was curious to see what the difference is, between a Liforme mat and a standard one.
Liforme were the first to perfect a Yoga mat alignment system that works. Before, you would have seen grids, numbered circles, and footprints attempting to indicate exactly where to put your hands and feet. These mats never caught on because they were so limiting. Every person is a different size, the proportions of each body are different, and there are many different styles and alignment philosophies within Yoga.
The value of incorporating immediate, intuitive, visual alignment feedback into your Yoga practice cannot be overstated and the Liforme’s AlignForMe system works perfectly. The vertical line down the centre, horizontal lines at both ends, 45-degree lines, and reverse points are simple but effective, especially if like myself classes are via an app or the internet. I chose white and gold, however, there’s an option for custom colourways too.
Varley Yoga Mat
This is a different mat altogether, perfect for at-home workouts or carrying to your gym sessions, the Varley Heights Print Yoga Mat is a lot thicker and more cushioned. This has been crafted from a high-quality 4mm rubber delivering comfort and support. It was the design for me though.
The abstract viper print throughout is designed to roll back up and looks pretty chic against the wall in my home office. Don’t be fooled by the aesthetics though, this does the job and then some, if you are looking to use a mat for 45 mins plus, I’d recommend it.
Douvall Room Spray
These arrived in a lovely box, perfectly packaged for gifting. These are hand-blended room sprays that revitalise and refresh your home with natural essential and botanical oils, without any nasty toxins or artificial perfumes (the aerosol sprays that spring to mind are not exactly the healthiest are they?).
Handmade in England with expertly blended essential and botanical oils, I used the Citrus Sorbet in my office. Sweet citrus and jasmine for a summery, refreshing light scent, it wasn’t overpowering and lasted well. My mother had spotted these, so she had the English Garden spray for her house, she uses room sprays more than I would, and she loved it. It’s also perfect for homes with pets, previously one of my dogs reacted to the chemicals in a supermarket cleaner so my mother and I are always careful around our family dogs.
This was more of a floral and citrus scent of English flowers, rose, lavender and geranium. She didn’t get her hands on the shower spray, however; the Lemon and Basil Shower Spray transforms your shower into a spa-like experience. All you need to do is spray in the steam when the shower has been running a while and it envelopes you in the loveliest scent.
Douvall Candle
When I opened this, the smell of the natural essential oils of ylang ylang, geranium, citrus fruits and balsam was an absolute treat. This is designed for you to share and massage a loved one, or yourself… You can guess what option I chose.
The candle is perfect when lit to fill the room with its beautiful warm scent whilst soaking in the bath, when lit the candle creates a pool of soothing oil that is the loveliest treat the massage into your body filling the room with its gorgeous scent. The Oil was an intensely nourishing and hydrating treatment for all over the body, so why would you share?!
Vedra Meditation and Calm Roller Oils
These were in a parcel from a Fashion and Lifestyle store called Vedra, with a focus on holistic wellness, their Meditation and Calm is blended specifically to help re-balance your body and mind. This unique and soothing blend is perfect for an on-the-go sense of calm.
With a blend of over six essential oils including Marjoram, Chamomile Clary Sage, Aventurine and Amethyst Gemstones. “This beautiful synergistic blend of 100% pure essential oils is particularly lovely to use when I am taking some time out for myself to meditate and to find a deeper sense of calm – I also like to use it to help de-stress after a busy day to help find my centre”. Pocket-sized and perfect for an on-the-go well-being boost, their 100% natural Aromatherapy Pulse Oils are designed to restore balance to your mind and body.
Vedra Candle
Vedra’s bespoke range of home fragrances, ‘Vedra Sexy Bitch’ is an aroma that greets you with a warm feminine embrace as you open the beautiful box it comes in. Their plant-based soy candle is made in small batches and blended with the finest oils before being hand-poured into a premium Matt black glass vessel.
This exotic blend has top notes of Jasmine and Lily, and soothing heart notes of Geranium and Amber before melting down to a sensual base of Patchouli. The candles burn up to 55 hours and our Reed diffusers effortlessly envelope your room with scent for up to 4 months. I’ve been a fan of their room fragrances for a while and the ‘Sexy Bitch’ candles are also the perfect cheeky gift for Christmas.
You may have noticed this article is one of a few guides, there is so much to share and I can’t wait to introduce some more amazing products that are perfect gifts for a loved one or yourself this Christmas.
