Embracing natural and holistic practices

A beauty and wellness update

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I’ve been debating whether or not I wanted to publish this post as I’m currently shifting my writing to what I think I do best and that is paintings, films and books reviews. However, I wanted to write about beauty and wellness on this rare occasion and share with you some of the new and not so new practices I’ve been incorporating, alongside some of the changes I decided to make.

A few months ago, I decided that I wanted to change part of my approach to beauty and embrace more natural and holistic practices.

What I changed

I decided to stop brow lamination, as much as I loved the look, it would unfortunately not hold as long as I wished, and in the long term, I fear that some brow loss could arise if I kept doing these treatments every 6-8 weeks. I bought this brow gel a while ago and I was using it daily to hold my brows. However, since deciding to stop laminating my brows, I was looking for another option, and I opted for Refy Brow Set, which takes slightly longer than just putting a brow gel but is less damaging in the long run.

I also decided to take a nail break and stop using gel and BIAB nails. I also decided to keep my nails shorter, as I want to play the violin again, and three weeks old nails aren’t an option. Instead, I’m using a clean alternative by Manucurist. I also recommend going for an acetone free nail polish remover. Occasionally, I enjoy having my nails done with regular nail polish in nude or light pink shades.

The last thing I changed is that I stopped doing highlights and hair colouring, and decided to embrace my natural hair colour, which is brunette. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy being blonde with a set of highlights, but it’s high maintenance and also very damaging to my natural fine hair. Surprisingly, so many people complimented me and admitted that they prefer the way I look with my natural hair too.

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What I kept

My haircare hasn’t changed for a long time, but for those who are new, I’ll tell you a bit more about it.

I love using a scalp massager when I apply oil to my hair before washing it. This tool is also aimed at exfoliating, promoting hair growth and of course boosting scalp circulation. You can also use it on dry hair, but I tend to forget about it I usually use mine when I do my pre-washing hair treatment and I also use it when I’m washing my hair in the shower.

L'Huile De Leonor Greyl I can’t tell you how much I love this pre-shampoo oil. I’ve purchased it numerous times over the last few years. Literally, as soon as I’m about to run out, I buy a new one. It works well on my hair and I like to apply the oil on dry hair before washing from 20 minutes to a couple of hours depending on when I end up washing my hair. I massage my scalp first and then move on to the lengths before finishing by putting my hair in a bun. This oil is made of natural Copra oil and Mongongo oil, and it also helps to detangle and soften your hair. Beware that the oil hardens when the temperature goes down, therefore you might need to put the oil in a bowl with warm water to render it in its liquid form.

Argan Oil sometimes I like to switch from the Leonor Greyl oil mentioned above or if I’m travelling and I want to avoid taking a big bottle for a short time. Argan oil comes from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and is rich in vitamin E, fatty acids and carotenes. It’s also great for anti-ageing and hydrating. It can be applied to skin, hair and nails. However, since it’s comedogenic, I don’t use it on my oily skin. I like using the Ordinary oil because it’s pure Argan oil and it’s also very affordable.

Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin I use this mask on dry hair on the lengths while I apply the oil on my scalp and put my hair in a bun for at least 20min but usually, it’s more than 2 hours.

When it comes to shampoo, I alternate between Shampooing Crème Moelle de Bambou and Bain Volumateur aux Algues. For itchy scalp, I swear by the Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo.

Leonor Greyl Crème régénératrice for some reason I’ve been buying this conditioner on repeat as it does wonders at detangling my hair while not contributing to much loss while combing it while wet. I have to say that I tend to forget to leave it as indicated for 2-5min but I can confirm that it still works and my hair is also shiny. Something worth mentioning is that the smell isn’t pleasant but I don’t mind it.

I bought last month Condition Naturelle, a heat protector and detangling spray for thin hair.

Doing some sort of daily movement from 10-30 min 4-5 times a week is important to my overall well-being. I enjoy doing low-impact workouts such as Pilates or Barre. I choose some videos on YouTube from a few creators I like, and I alternate between them.

My matcha latte morning ritual is a must. I enjoy making it using my matcha set. It’s important to choose ceremonial grade matcha to get the benefits of the matcha powder. I also like to add some collagen powder.

When it comes to supplements, I’m a loyal customer of these two brands, and I have subscriptions for these items. I take daily Magnesium by JSHealth and Omega 3 Fish Oil by Inessa.

I also love doing face massage daily with my beloved gua sha.

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What’s new

I have a gym in my new building and because of the weather conditions where I’m currently living, I decided that to make sure I’m doing enough steps daily, the best thing would be to walk on a treadmill. Furthermore, to make it harder, I put an incline and walk steadily while listening to a podcast.

My latest addition and probably the most indulging treat is that I’m doing regular body lymphatic drainage massages. I love that it helps detoxify my body and boost my immune system and it’s a lighter pressure than a deep tissue massage. However, I’m aware that it’s expensive to do this regularly and it’s important to be consistent, that’s why I’m also dry brushing before showering and when I feel like it, I use a body gua sha to do my own at-home lymphatic drainage massage.

Finally, I still swear by Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse. This has been my holy grail on repeat. If you’re interested in my more of French Pharmacy favourites items, click here.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post.

Giselle xx