6 Ways To A Complete Mind And Body Recharge

For Kirsten Kjaer Weis, makeup artist and founder of Kjaer Weis, beauty starts in the gut. “Three years ago, I started intermittent fasting and I haven’t look back. I’ve seen enormous benefits in letting my system have pauses throughout the day. My body feels at its happiest when I do this; I don’t see it as deprivation but something that makes me feel fantastic, and I’m not rigid – if I feel hungry, I’ll eat, I’ll have a glass of wine. I’ve never been a breakfast person, instead I juice and make my ‘green lemonade’ – a cocktail of green leaves, cucumber, celery, lettuce, and apple for sweetness; it’s typically alkaline and keeps me full.

“Our hair ages like our skin,” says Belle Cannan, Salon Sloane co-founder and Hair Rituel by Sisley ambassador. “And good hair starts at the scalp, so I often recommend a purifying clay mask to keep the scalp healthy and hair shiny.” In fact, a weekly treatment as part of ongoing scalp health and better hair management is crucial. “Damaged hair is very noticeable. For example, if you have lighter hair and you wear a dark top, damaged ends are obvious, and the same goes for darker hair and a white or cream top,” Cannan says. “Hair Rituel by Sisley’s Regenerating Hair Care Mask is light enough to not weigh hair down, but rich enough to intensely nourish dry, damaged hair. Or, for an extra boost, I like to use The Restructuring Nourishing Balm, which is best left on overnight to help restructure and restore the hair – this really makes a noticeable difference.”

“Oils can be so versatile,” says Kjaer Weis. “I like to sandwich layers of The Beautiful Oil in between my makeup for the most beautiful skin finish. Don’t be nervous of layering: I apply before my base and then reapply and press on top of my foundation. There is a misconception that this can clog pores, but using a dry oil with real purity avoids this and keeps your skin and foundation looking refreshed. As a makeup artist of more than 10 years, there is a reason I continue to use this hack on shoots. My trick is to use my palms and press the foundation in, which gives the illusion of flawless skin without the base being obvious, or I like to ‘liquify’ my concealer with the oil into a tinted moisturizer or foundation – it’s your skin, but better.”

Research suggests that a sleepless night can increase feelings of anxiety by 30 percent and have a negative effect on brain performance and memory. So, taking time to focus on your sleep is not only physically good for you, but also essential for mental health. A good starting point is turning to a new breed of intelligent aromatherapy oils to soothe a stressed-out mind. De Mamiel’s Settle Sleep Series helps to reduce inflammation and uses specific herbs such as watermelon-seed oil and passionflower oil to maximize the absorption of magnesium and zinc – key minerals that help the body wind down and bring about a more restorative night’s sleep. We like to roll it over our wrists and chest an hour before bedtime. Use every night and allow seven days to start feeling the benefits.

Most of us don’t breathe correctly. In fact, we only use up to 20 percent of our lung capacity. But research from Harvard credits breathwork with lifting depression and relieving stress, while anecdotal evidence suggests you can lose weight by connecting with your breath, too. “When I need to relax or feel more grounded, I always turn to my breath,” says skincare expert Irene Forte. “I was taught by my mindfulness coach Terrence the Teacher to gently breathe in through your nose, mouth closed, for a count of 10 seconds. Exhale for 10 seconds, allowing your breath to leave your body slowly and gently without forcing it. Then repeat this up to 10 times [depending on how anxious you’re feeling].”

“Topicals are great, but when you’re prone to dry skin like me, upping your fat intake really makes all the difference,” says Melanie Grant, facialist to the A-list. “After the age of 30, the lipids in your skin decrease dramatically, so when I’ve tweaked my diet to include more healthy fats, I see a noticeable difference within four days. Try adding avocado to smoothies, a generous helping of cold-pressed oils (I find Greek ones the best, but never heat them), oily fish, like sardines and salmon, and lots of nuts – I tend to reach for hazelnuts and walnuts. The added bonus is that it curbs sugar cravings, too.”