One of the things I’m adamant about teaching to my girls is about self-care. Not just looking after the body but also nurturing the soul. In need of spending some quality time together, I decided to introduce my girls to their very first pamper night.
If you asked my 30-something-year-old self if I’d be having a pamper evening with two lovely daughters on a Saturday night, instead of being in a pub somewhere then you’d get a baffled response.
But as I sat on my bed, in my room filled with the smell of calming oils I’d been infusing, in my PJs with two eager daughters, there wasn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. This was their first pamper session ever and I was there to have it with them.
I’m very careful to hide my beauty and cosmetics regime from the girls. Women (and young girls) are aggressively marketed to from the health and beauty sector, I figured I could do my bit to shield them at home. But my 9-year old is starting to notice products, so I also figure I should be open about what they do and whether we actually need to use them or not.
This perfect pamper evening was also about spending time together. Showing them how to be kind to their bodies, with gentle hand and foot massages and soothing face masks. But also time to chat about nothing in particular, watch a movie together and slow down the pace of our hectic school/ work lives.
Our treatments
We are strictly a cruelty-free household these days (this blog is cruelty-free). I found this amazing face mask duo from The Body Shop (yes, now they are owned by Natura, they are fully cruelty-free). The girls used the British Rose Gel Mask with rose hip and aloe vera, I felt this formulation would be gentle on their young skin, rather than a mask which hardens like I used. The Himalayan Charcoal mask felt so fresh on my skin and delicious when I washed it off. We moisturised with Pixi’s Rose Flash Balm, a 3-in-1 formulation, making it perfect for mums on the run too.
The girls hilariously giggled all the way through their having first ever face mask, constantly touching and prodding to see if it was drying (which of course, it didn’t). Loulou at 9, has already started to get blackheads on her nose, so it was also an opportunity to talk about a daily washing routine - without sounding like a boring lecture!
Every good cosy night in deserves comfy and fabulous lounging around togs. I chose this number, soft and fluffy on the inside, chic and glam on the outside and a perfect fit. In fact, between you and me, I’ve worn both the top and bottoms as separates on the school run! Slouchy mummy alert but no one could really tell they were supposed to be PJs.
Our homemade spa room
We decided to turn my bedroom into a spa room - that was half the fun for the girls. Firstly, I dusted off my oil burner and diffused geranium around the room, the scent also lingered for weeks afterwards. We laid bath towels and throws on the bed and turned my side unit into a treatment display with cucumber water, cups and clean face cloths. We used the girls’ old Winnie the Pooh top and tail bowl to hold warm water in one side and put used clothes in the other.
After we’d finished our treatments, we sat back with herbal tea and watched our favourite episodes of The Office (US Version - their request).
And we all slept like logs that night. Maybe it was oils, the massages and herbal tea. All I know is, it was a precious way to unwind together and we’ll be doing it again very soon!
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