Making your makeup stay put doesn't require a magic wand (or a gallon of hairspray, please don't do that to your face). From the "sandwiching" technique that locks in moisture without the grease, to the one setting spray mistake we’re all making, I’m breaking down the foolproof steps to keeping your look fresh all day, whether you have a big event coming up or you just need to make it from drop off to bed time.

The best bit is, all of these products fall under the LOOK FANTASTIC mega May Bank Holiday Sale - which starts today. Get up to 40% off THIS list of products - including everything in this email - PLUS my code SAMSILVERLF will give you an extra 10% off the sale price too….

Your New Morning Timeline

• 06:45 | The Hair Hero: The genious thing about Redken One United is that you can use it on wet or dry hair. This “one and done” product reduces the need for multiple styling lotions, saving time and money, delivering 25 hair-care benefits in one, lightweight, sulphate-free spray. Spritz through damp hair to use as a primer before heat styling helping your hair to last, and mist through pre-styled hair to revive it.

• 07:00 | The Base Layer: After your skincare, shake and mist the Iconic London Prep-Set-Blur Setting Spray onto bare skin. A priming and setting spray, it’s the “velcro” for your next step.

• 07:02 | The Face Filter: Smooth 2-3 drops of the Iconic London Underglow Blurring Primer over your face. This primer has been in and out of stock for the last few months, and now that it’s back, my advice is to snap it up while you can. It blurs pores and adds a lit-from-within radiance before you even touch your foundation making makeup looked seamless as well as said glow stay in place for 12 hours.

• 07:10 | Eyes & Lashes: I’m on my third bottle of Armani Eye Tint in ‘Cashew’; it makes for the quickest, easiest, soft wash of colour and subtle smoky eye that I can rely on it to last all day without creasing. Finish with L’Oréal Paris Panorama Mascara to fan out your lashes for that wide-awake look. Nothing makes my lashes look the way this mascara does. If you’re prone to even a small amount of smudging, give this a go. No panda eyes, no flaking, just truly amazing looking lashes.

• 07:15 | Lips That Last: Line and fill your lips with the MAC Lip Pencil. This prevents your lip colour from feathering and ensures a tint remains even after your second coffee. Shade “Cool Spice” is my current fave and the closest to the 90’s iconic shade Spice, they’ve changed the formula since then, so if you’re after that Carolyn Bessette vibe, you want Cool Spice.

• 07:20 | The Final Seal: Give the Iconic London Prep-Set-Blur Setting Spray one last generous misting to take down shine and lock everything in.

• The Handbag Checklist:

Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV Protection Mist SPF50: Your secret weapon. Shake well and spray in horizontal strokes (about 15cm away) to top up your SPF 50 without smudging a single bit of concealer. Don’t go anywhere without it!

Don’t forget my code SAMSILVERLF will give you an extra 10% off the LOOK FANTASTIC Bank Holiday Sale

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I’ve been working on my hair for a while after a stressful period last year saw it start to thin and fall out, but I didn't realise quite how much it had paid off until the 'what are you doing?!' messages started flooding in. It’s been a journey of trial, error, and a lot of scalp care, but I’ve finally cracked the code. Consistency is key; you absolutely cannot cheat your way to healthy hair growth. If you’re ready for the growth spurt of your life, read on…

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The Foundation: Scalp First, Always

I stopped treating my hair like dead fabric and started treating my scalp like an extension of my face. I’ve been religious about the Chāmpo Kapha Balancing Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s trichologically formulated to keep the scalp clear from build-up, without stripping the lengths of moisture, which is crucial when you’re trying to retain every millimetre of growth.

But the real MVP in my routine is the Chāmpo Pitta Growth Serum. It uses natural Ayurvedic ingredients and caffeine to nourish the scalp, stimulate follicles, and improve hair health - think of it as a double espresso shot for your follicles, prompting them into action. I massage it in every other night; it’s non-greasy and has arguably made the biggest difference in filling out those sparse areas around my hairline & making my hair look visibly thicker.

The golden rule: consistency is key. If you aren’t using it consistently, for around 8-12 weeks, don’t expect to see any results. If you do the hard work, it’ll do the hard work for you.

The Internal Support System

We know that topical products can only do so much if you aren’t feeding the follicles from within. My morning non-negotiable? Stirring a sachet of Absolute Collagen Marine Powder Collagen into my first coffee. It’s high-dose and high-absorption, giving my body the amino acids it needs to actually build stronger strands. I use this to whisk it in, it’s completely tasteless you wouldn’t even know it’s there.

To caveat; it’s the same as above. Be consistent or don’t expect results.

The Styling Safety Net

Growth is a game of retention, which means heat damage is the enemy. I’ve ditched my traditional high-heat tools for the BaByliss Air Wand. It dries and styles at much lower temperatures, meaning I’m not snapping off my progress every time I blow-dry.

To finish, I seal everything in with a drop of Kérastase Gloss Absolu Hair Oil. It provides that ‘glass hair’ gloss, the kind that makes people suspect extensions, while protecting against the environmental stressors that lead to breakage.

Finally, you all know that I love volume and texture; I could not be without a dry texture spray; the Larry King Ride or Die Texture Spray is now my own ride or die when it comes to giving my hair that un-done, slightly dishevelled texture I love.

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LOOKFANTASTIC currently has a sale on but using my code SAMSILVERLF will get you an extra added discount. Here’s what I think is worth a purchase…

BIODANCE BIO-COLLAGEN MASKS: There are a lot of these collagen masks on the market now but these ones are my favourite by far. What sets them apart is the hydrogel format, which slowly melts into the skin, delivering a concentrated dose of hyaluronic acid and low molecular collagen - ingredients that hydrate deeply, smooth texture, and create that coveted glass-skin finish. The addition of niacinamide elevates it beyond a standard sheet mask, brightening and supporting the skin barrier. My shortcut to plumper, post-facial luminosity; fresher, glowier and more awake.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

KERASTASE GLOSS ABSOLU GLAZE: It’s the "rich girl" hair secret that is actually just a thirty-second tweak. We’ve all been there: you’ve done the blow-dry, the waves are placed just so, but it still feels a bit too… done. The magic is in that final, effortless step that takes hair from fine to expensive. A couple of drops warmed in the palm of your hands and rubbed through adds that loose, luxe edge giving up to four days of anti-frizz protection while delivering high shine without a greasy residue. It’s giving effortless; leaving hair looking glassy, silky, and expensive.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

MEDICUBE ZERO PORE PADS 2.0: It’s the skincare equivalent of a high-definition filter, but without the digital blur. This K-beauty icon is essentially a deep-clean and a resurfacing facial in one sixty-second swipe. The brilliance lies in the dual-textured pad: the embossed side gently lifts away the day’s debris and dead skin cells, while the smooth side floods the skin with a patented complex designed to actually tighten the appearance of pores without leaving your face feeling stripped or tight. Instead, it balances sebum and refines texture, leaving your skin looking remarkably clear, taut, and perfectly prepped for makeup. I use in the evening after cleansing, before skincare.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

LA ROCHE POSAY CICLAPLAST BAUME: If there were a hall of fame for "unsexy but essential" skincare, this would be the undisputed headliner. It’s the ultimate beauty editor’s secret; the tube we all keep in our toiletry bags, bedside tables, and emergency kits because it quite literally fixes everything. Retinol redness? Yes. Burn from your GHD’s? Of course. Insect Bite? Yep. Huge red spot on your chin? Absolutely. The magic lies in the high-concentration Panthenol (Vitamin B5) which work in tandem to soothe inflammation and accelerate repair without that suffocating, greasy film. But the real reason it’s reached cult status? Its incredible range. It’s gentle enough for a baby’s nappy rash, yet sophisticated enough to heal a post-peel complexion or soothe a kitchen burn.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

THE INKEY LIST GLYCOLIC EXFOLIATING BODY STICK: Exfoliating is boring, right? Takes ages and is messy. This is chemical exfoliation made incredibly chic and, more importantly, mess-free. Packed with 7% Glycolic Acid to dissolve dead skin cells and Salicylic Acid to clear out pores, it’s a targeted strike against those pesky bumps you might find on your arms (Keratosis Pilaris) and also ingrown hairs. The genius is in the solid stick format; it allows you to glide over problem areas with clinical precision without getting acid all over your hands.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

REDKEN ONE UNITED MULTI-BENEFIT TREATMENT SPRAY: the ultimate overachiever; a multi-tasking powerhouse that effectively replaces five other bottles in your kit. I call it the “Swiss Army Knife” of haircare because it doesn’t just do one thing; it manages to prime, protect, and perfect in a single, weightless mist. Because it’s sulphate and paraben-free, it’s also a total hero for the whole family. Gentle enough to detangle a toddler’s post-bath knots without the tears, yet sophisticated enough to shield your professional blowout from 230 degree heat. From boosting shine to preventing breakage, it ensures every hair day is a good one.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

ST TROPEZ EXPRESS MINI KIT: Got a weekend away booked or just want to try before you buy the full size? This glow kit contains a 50ml version of the best-selling express tan and a full size tanning mitt. The genius lies in the customisable depth: one hour for a sun-kissed hint, two for a golden glow, or three for a deep, “just-got-home-from-hols” bronze. The intelligent formula has no biscuit scent or streaks for an authentic and expensive finish. It’s also the perfect, fail-safe “starter tan” for the teens in the house; rinse-off control means zero high-stakes commitment (or risk to your sheets) and a guaranteed natural result.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

KERASTASE GLOSS ABSOLU DISCOVERY KIT: Going away? Ditch the hotel shampoo (never a good thing, IMO) and take this set with you. The shortcut to expensive looking ‘salon’ hair; apply a coin-sized amount of the Gloss Absolu Cream to damp mid-lengths. This acts as your "heat shield" and frizz-proofing base. Once your hair is 100% dry, rub one pump of the Elixir Ultime between your palms until they feel warm. Instead of stroking it over the top (which can flatten volume), scrunch it into the ends and then lightly “halo” your hands over the surface to catch flyaways. The next day, don’t re-wash - use a tiny drop of the oil mixed with a pea-sized amount of the cream in your palm to create a bespoke balm, smoothing it over the ends to instantly revive that expensive, glassy sheen.

use code: SAMSILVERLF

This isn’t just glow for glow’s sake. It’s glow with data. Glow with a spreadsheet. Glow with a five-step optimisation plan.

The bathroom shelf? Now a diagnostics station.
The serum? A strategy.
The supplement? Practically non-negotiable.

We’re not layering products at random and whispering, “I hope this works” into the mirror anymore. We’re tracking inputs and expecting outputs. We may need a bloody triple science GCSE for it (shame I only did double) but at least the modern routine isn’t full of empty threats, it promises results - ideally with data attached.

“In 2026, the boundaries between looking good and feeling good are not just blurring but dissolving entirely,” says Grace Vernon, Head of Boots Ignite, Foresight & Trends at Boots. She’s not wrong. What once felt niche; LED masks, electrolyte sachets, adaptogenic blends, clinical-grade ingredients with names that sound like they belong in a lab - is now everyday. Wearable tech is guiding routines. AI is shaping shopping baskets. You aren’t just asking me what works anymore; you’re asking why it works, how it works and whether it’s working hard enough…

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The Age of Algorithmic Beauty

We are officially in our optimisation era.

A striking 64% of UK adults now use AI search tools to guide their beauty purchases. 82% are actively seeking personalised solutions. Translation? One-size-fits-all is over. The era of, “this went viral so I bought it” is quietly being replaced by something far more forensic.

Wearable tech is accelerating the shift. Devices like the Oura smart ring turn sleep, stress and recovery into daily debriefs. Bad night? Expect dull skin. Elevated stress? Hello, inflammation. Suddenly your routine isn’t just about what’s staring back at you in the mirror; it’s about what your biomarkers are quietly flagging behind the scenes.

And beauty devices are evolving accordingly. Next-gen tools promise clinic-grade results without the clinic: infrared light, advanced LED therapy, AI-powered skin analysis apps. My bathroom cabinet is starting to resemble a diagnostics lab.

SHOP:

Current Body LED Mask [get 10% off using code MOTHERSHIPCB]

Shark Glow Pro + DePuffi

Oura Ring

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Everyday, Elevated

Wellness has shifted from aspirational to operational. This isn’t biohacking for the 5am club or serums priced like rent, it’s the quiet normalisation of running at optimum; hydration that supports your skin barrier, supplements that back up your sleep, devices that nudge you when you’re running on empty.

It’s electrolytes tipped into your 3pm water without thinking. Collagen reordered before it runs out. SPF applied with the same autopilot efficiency as brushing your teeth. The once “extra” steps are now baseline.

A 755% rise in searches for electrolytes on boots.com signals a shift towards attainable optimisation - these small, stackable upgrades are designed to slot seamlessly into daily life. That surge helped fuel the launch of Wellthy by Boots, an own-brand range built around simplified solutions for modern routines.

From electrolyte-enhanced hydration to supplements delivered via drops, patches and sprays, the message is consistent: if it doesn’t fit effortlessly, it won’t stick.

We’re not adding more steps. We’re upgrading the ones we already have.

SHOP:

Humantra Electrolyte Bundle

Energy Patches

Symprove Probiotic [use code SAMS50 for 50% your first 12 weeks]

Ageing, Reframed

The anti-ageing narrative has matured.

Now, it’s about healthy ageing; future-proofing rather than reversing. 60% of consumers cite healthy ageing as a top priority, while 80% are embracing preventative beauty routines rooted in long-term consistency.

Collagen is emblematic of the shift. Sales are up 62% year-on-year at Boots, and it ranks among their top 20 most searched-for products in 2025. The focus no longer is on quick face. fixes but long-term, structural support; inside and out.

And then there’s NAD+ a co-enzyme once confined to aesthetics clinics. Essential for energy production and DNA repair, NAD+ levels decline with age, impacting skin strength, it’s now appearing in advanced serums, creams and supplements, which signals a move toward biology-level beauty.

SHOP:

Absolute Collagen Mango & Mandarin Flavour

NAD+ Collagen Under Eye Patches

The future bathroom cabinet won’t be crowded with gimmicks or miracle promises whispered in pastel packaging. It will be edited. Intentional. Full of multi-taskers that can prove their point.

In this new era, we still want results, obviously, but we also want receipts. Transparency. Personalisation. Performance. If we’re tracking our steps, our sleep and our screen time, why wouldn’t we expect the same from our retinol?

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As you can probably tell by the name, I was inspired by 75 Hard. Hard on the Ish. If you haven’t heard of it; it’s a 75-day mental toughness challenge created by US-based entrepreneur Andy Frisella. It’s framed as a mindset and self-discipline reset. If you miss any task, even on day 74, you start again from day 1. No exceptions, no rest days. It’s intense by design, and for some people, that works brilliantly. But for many women with full lives, long days, and limited bandwidth, 75 days of rigid rules can feel more like survival than self-improvement.

My (made up) version is not about perfection, aesthetics, or adding more to your plate. It’s about re-prioritising and moving yourself to the front, for one small moment a day. It’s deciding to show up for yourself for 28 days, even when life is loud and time is tight.

28 Hard is built for real life; it isn’t a “wait until things calm down” kind of challenge. It’s for the women juggling work, life, relationships, kids, stress, who have approximately 400 open tabs in their brains. With so many competing priorities, there’s always that voice in your head that says you’ll start again on Monday.

Where 75 Hard is about extreme consistency and zero flexibility, 28 Hard is the opposite. It’s about discipline without burnout, structure without punishment, and moments that fit into real life. Shorter workouts, realistic sleep, kinder timelines, and one planned night off mean that we’re able to build consistency that’s actually sustainable. The goal isn’t to prove how hard you can push; it’s to prove you can show up for yourself, day after day, in a way that lasts.

The rules are straightforward, but they do ask you to show up consistently. And honestly? That’s where the magic is.

Here’s how 28 Hard works. Every day for 28 days:

• Do two 20-minute workouts (one of them can be a walk — yes, that counts).

• Read 10 pages of a book (real reading only, audiobooks don’t count).

• Drink at least 1.5 litres of water. Harder than it sounds.

• Eat well: no alcohol, no processed sugar, no takeaways.

• Lights out by 10:30pm — scroll less, sleep more.

• You’re allowed one night off for the whole month, so choose wisely.

That’s it. No fancy tracking apps. No “if I miss a day I’ve failed at life” energy. Just 28 days of keeping promises to yourself and seeing what happens when you stop negotiating with your own goals. Miss a day? Be kind to yourself. It really doesn’t matter. Start again the next day.

While the rules are simple, the impact is not. Over 28 days, something shifts. I’ve felt it already in the first week. Confidence builds. Decisions get cleaner. You stop negotiating with yourself and start moving differently. Not because life suddenly got easier, but because you were able to start to prioritise yourself, due to these simple promises you were able to keep to yourself, and the small time slots. Perfect for the time-poor.

If you’re up for giving it a go, come join me HERE. It doesn’t matter when you start, all that matters is that you start. Bring your friends. Start messy. Start tired. Just start.

Because 28 days from now, you’ll be really glad you did.

Burnout isn’t just everyday stress, nor is it depression or anxiety. Burnout is all-consuming; it is sacrificing tiny, seemingly insignificant pieces of yourself, your sleep and your time, until it feels as if you’re drowning.

Ten years ago I was the beauty director at one of the biggest weekly magazines in the UK. I loved and lived for my job. A career promotion coincided with returning from maternity leave and I was determined motherhood would not become the full-stop on the end of my CV. For four days a week, I’d flit between meetings with beauty-brand CEOs, mentally conceptualising the weekly pages while shooting, writing and travelling internationally – all before downing tools at 4.59pm to run for the train and collect my two-year-old son from nursery. I’d fall through the door at 6.01pm to see his face crumple as they vacuumed up around him. My Fridays, intended to be time spent with him, were filled with work I couldn’t squeeze into my four “career” days, and my evenings bled into the early hours developing the idea for This Is Mothership. “Cumulative work stress is a big contributor towards burnout, but the first signs often emerge at home,” psychotherapist Jessica Henley tells me. It’s true. I may have looked as if I was aceing it on the job front, but at home we ate cereal for dinner at least once a week because I’d forgotten to do the online shop; I skipped pages of my son’s bedtime story to hurry back to my emails, and my to-do list was out of control. It felt as if I’d been blindfolded after 10 espressos and put in a tumble dryer. I was exhausted yet wired, bad tempered, anxious and always in a rush. My thoughts were scattered around my head like a deck of playing cards and I couldn’t sleep. Despite my bone-deep exhaustion, I would wake at 2am thinking about work dilemmas and email myself notes in case I’d forgotten by morning. But it wasn’t until I had my adrenals tested for a feature I was working on that I realised something was very wrong.

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Holistic GP and hormone specialist Dr Sohère Roked tested my hormone levels via four saliva swabs, taken at intervals during a regular working day. She called me after hours with the results; it sounded serious. “Your cortisol levels are abnormally high all day, spiking when you wake up, and again around 4pm. If your cortisol and adrenaline levels remain this high, you will burn out within two years.” These spikes of adrenaline are good in a sample sale but bad when they don’t subside. Roked sees many women in her clinic suffering from what’s being described as adrenal fatigue or “city syndrome” – a stress-induced state in which your adrenal glands (the two walnut-size ones sitting atop your kidneys) are on constant high alert. When called upon to exert the fight-or-flight response over and over, these adrenal glands simply accommodate by switching to “low battery mode” until they have a chance to fully recover. This is when you burn out. As well as the usual symptoms (moodiness, exhaustion, over-caffeinating), there are less obvious ones: headaches, muscle pain, indigestion, inability to conceive (something that I was trying – and failing – to do) and allergy flare-ups.

About to Blow? How to Calm Yourself Down

If you find yourself in a classic ‘about to blow’ scenario, take a moment and think about ‘who’ you are being in that moment.

‘Are you who you want to be when you shout at your kids because you need peace after a hectic day? Are you who you want to be when you put your mum on speakerphone and ignore her with an intermittent “yeah” because you’ve had a bad day? Are you who you want to be when you bring low energy into a room with your partner because you’re living out of alignment, but you can’t bring yourself to talk? All of these people are getting the worst version of you,’ explains Charlotte Silver, life coach and mentor (and my sister-in-law). ‘Generically speaking, everyone – no matter their background, race, religion, social status or finances – is able to make some minor well-being changes in their lives,’ she continues. ‘And the smallest of changes can be life-changing to those who are living in a state of constant bubbling under the surface, like a fuse ready to blow.’

According to a 2023 study conducted by Sanctuary Spa, women get only seventeen minutes of ‘me time’ a day. To some, even that may sound like a lot. To others, it’s laughable. It’s less time than an episode of Friends. Is it any wonder we’re turning into an army of zombies?

‘We swallow life; we say we’re fine when in fact we aren’t,’ explains facialist Anastasia Achilleos, whose words will ring true for many. ‘We’re so unconnected to ourselves that we don’t even know it.’

Following the pandemic, during which we were forced to forgo the spas and salons as a place to relax, a new breed of beauty products emerged that promised to do more, healing us from within our own bathroom walls.

Beware of marketing hype. Although largely well-intentioned, the term “self-care” has unfortunately been overly commodified and commercialised since its inception around ten years ago and, as such, has lost all meaning. “Self-care” is now synonymous withcheap, throwaway beauty culture: bath bombs, panda eye masks and hashtags, most of which are highly wasteful. Beyond that, it’s also infused with notions of being frivolous, superfluous, and a bit silly. I absolutely refute that. If anyone could benefit from “self- care”, it’s the over-achieving, thirty-something, working mother.’

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My breakthrough…

For me; something had to give. I had worked painfully hard to climb to the top of my industry but this was a wake-up call. Despite having it pummelled into me from a young age that women could do it all, it turned out that I couldn’t. My husband and I discussed finances. If I resigned it would mean we’d both be self-employed. Was that risky? It would also mean forgoing a hefty maternity pay if I fell pregnant again. We went backwards and forwards over the course of a month, and I made the mental decision to resign eight weeks before I physically did it. A week after I handed in my notice, I found out I was pregnant.

As we emerge from the slowness of January and enter that re-born, Spring period, my advice to anyone feeling this sense of chaos is that rather than leaning in, it is often more beneficial to lean out. Reframing “how” and “why” I work was the key to my recovery from burnout.

I have an issue with the wellness industry and the way that it’s commercialised our need to slow down. Even finding calm costs you these days. If well-being practices are supposed to help us to be well, then they really shouldn’t be an extra source of stress and expense for us.

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Beauty Breakthrough; Products That Worked For Me

Aveda Chakra 1 Balancing Body Mist Grounded, £30

This was the scent of the offices at Stylist, a busy, bustling, weekly magazine with tight deadlines. At least daily, when dealing with a particularly stressful scenario, someone would shout, ‘Get out the Chakra spray!’, and we’d all spritz with wild abandon. The blend of pure essential oils is linked to the root chakra in Ayurveda, an Indian form of healing medicine that brings good energy.

ESPA Restful Bath Milk, £18

Another product I relied on heavily when working in a high-pressure environment, this was created to inspire the same sense of tranquillity found post-yoga, with scents of lavender and eucalyptus to calm and soothe plus research-backed herbal remedies Valerian (calms the nervous system) and adaptogen Ashwagandha (regulates the body’s stress response). Add a capful to running water and breathe.

Beauty Pie Goodie Two Chews Zen O’Clock Calming Gummies, £10:

Vegan, chewable daily supplements blended with chamomile, L-theanine and vitamin B6. These help support the nervous system, and reduce tiredness and fatigue. Take two a day.

NEOM SOS Calming Pen, £17

Cramped commute? Long meeting? Looming deadline? Try an on-the-go scent solution. The ritual of rolling this on to wrists is as good a calming factor as the soothing scent.

Spacemasks, £22 for five sets

A self-heating eye mask that releases tension around your eyes and temples, and really does help you relax. Bonus points; you can’t look at your phone/reply to emails/do housework while wearing it – it’s forced relaxation. Zone out.

Bed of Nails Accupressure Mat, £70

Eastern wisdom meets Scandinavian modernity in this acupressure mat, which has more than 8,800 non-toxic plastic spikes. The spikes work in a similar way to acupuncture needles, helping release endorphins (the body’s own ‘happiness’ drug) and oxytocin, to help you stay calm and relaxed. From soothing sleeplessness and easing stress to alleviating aches and pains, the spikes help the body rid itself of toxins, increase blood flow and help you get a heavenly night’s sleep.

@fireflyformula Gua Sha and Face Yoga

If you find that you hold a lot of tension in your jaw, grind your teeth at night or suffer from tension headaches, you might want to try gua sha. Carelle Rose (@fireflyformula) offers a monthly online tutorial for £30 a month, but her Instagram page is packed with easy tutorials you can do at home, and her before-and-after images of facial structures are mind-blowing.

Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir, from £28

This is the ultimate candle to cosy up with. Sometimes just the act of lighting a candle and watching the flame flicker is enough to distract you from what’s whirring around your brain. To me, lighting a candle after I close my laptop at the end of the day is a signal: ‘the evening is now yours’. The ‘me time’ can begin. When we gaze at a flickering flame, the brain begins to shift out of the beta brainwave state, which is associated with thinking and alertness, and into the alpha brainwave state, which corresponds to a relaxed and creative state of mind.

Fraîcheur Ice Globes, £15

Twitchy eyes are often a sign of being over-screened and over-stressed. The relief that comes from rolling a set of these over your eyes, cold from the fridge, is incomparable. Not only do they de-puff (soothing after a night of broken sleep or a crying session), but they also help boost circulation, giving skin a glow.

What if I said you don’t need shelves bursting with products to keep your skin looking good. What if, actually, you only really needed three incredible hero products?

Over the years, skincare has become complicated, with multi-step routines and social media feeds filled with this ‘must-have’ or that ‘next-big-thing’. The noise can often become too much, not to mention the cost of investing in one beauty product after the next.

Speak to any dermatologist, they’ll agree that vitamin C, SPF and retinol (vitamin A) are the Magic Trio; the only scientifically proven ingredients that can actually impact how skin ages. That’s not to say masks or oils aren’t necessary – you can use them if you enjoy them, I certainly do – but they won’t affect your skin in the same way using active ingredients will.

You know by now; SPF should be worn all year round. UV rays account for 90% of skin ageing, and your SPF battles this. But studies show sunscreen alone doesn’t protect against all of the free radicals caused by UV radiation - the ones that cause signs of ageing; pigmentation, fine lines etc. Layering an anti-oxidant beneath it stops that free radical damage from happening.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant & a great tool for brightening the skin. It has so many benefits; it tackles hyperpigmentation, reduces redness, protects from environmental aging, boosts collagen production (therefore plumping up fine lines), helps heal breakouts, sunburns and generally leaves your skin looking glowy and bright. Apply this onto cleansed skin, before your SPF.

Then, in the evening we need Vitamin A - aka: retinol. Hailed as the gold standard of anti-ageing it works by stimulating collagen production (boosting plumpness), accelerating skin cell turnover, sloughing away dead, dull skin cells from the surface of the skin to reveal the newer, radiant ones, smoothing out fine lines, and tackling pigmentation and acne marks.

Here are my favourite vitamin C, SPF and retinol products to add to your skincare routine… (*use code THISISMOTHERSHIP for a discount)

• I often find Vitamin C’s cause me to break out, but these don’t:

SkinCeuticals Silymarin, £165 // *L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Clinical 12% Pure Vitamin C Serum, £16 // *Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced, £56

• Start low & slow with retinol, use 2x a week slowly building up to nightly and get ready to see your skin transform:

Beginner: The Inkey List Starter Retinol Serum, £12 // Intermediate: Medik8 Crystal Retinal 10, £71 // Advanced: Skin Rocks Retinoid 3, £90

• The key to wearing SPF daily is finding one that feels more like a luxe moisturiser than a holiday-type formula. These are the ones that I rate:

*Lancaster Sun Perfecting Illuminating Cream SPF50, £40 // La Roche Posay Anthelios Age Correct SPF50, £26 // Eucerin Oil Control Gel Cream SPF50, £19

Winter is deeply unkind to hair. There’s the frizz-inducing drizzle, the static from overheated rooms, the freezing temperatures and, just for fun, bone-chilling winds. Together, they create the kind of conditions that can undo even the best blow-dry before you’ve reached the end of your street.

In summer, undone hair reads cool and effortlessly beachy. In winter, that same laissez-faire approach simply looks like you’ve lost control of the situation. Winter hair isn’t sexy by accident; it requires effort and strategy. We’re diligent with our serums and creams, yet somehow forget that a few centimetres north lies one of the most visible indicators of how well we’re coping with the weather.

As if we needed confirmation, Met Office Chief Meteorologist Matthew Lehnert has warned that while temperatures may start to rise this January, we can also expect, “heavy and persistent rain, alongside strong, high-speed winds.” Wonderful. At this point, I’d rather be bone-chilling cold.

As we’re officially entering the realms of a Bad Hair Season, here’s how to battle it, whatever your budget or hair type…

*code thisismothership will get you money off when shopping via Look Fantastic

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1: WIND-PROOF SPLIT ENDS

Winter winds strip hair of moisture and natural oils, leaving it dry, brittle and prone to breakage. As hydration drops, the hair’s outer cuticle lifts, creating a rough, scale-like surface. When strands rub against each other - or your scarf, coat collar or hat - friction takes over, causing damage that eventually leads to split ends.

Avoid breakage by using products that strengthen hair from within the strand and surround the cuticle to give it more slip. Pay special attention to the underneath section where coats and scarves rub:

-Pantene’s Molecular Bond Repair Leave-In, £7.50 works pre-blow-dry to reinforce and nourish hair at a molecular level, smoothing frizz, sealing split ends, and leaving hair stronger and more resilient without weighing it down. Think of it as a cold-weather insurance policy for your hair.

- Redken’s Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-In Treatment, £23*, floods broken hair with a blend of reparative ceramides and lipids to reduce friction.

-Pureology Hydrate Shampoo, £24* is sulfate-free and colour-safe packed with rich hydration, like a cashmere wrap for winter hair. Or try OGX Argan Oil Shampoo, £7, which delivers the kind of softness and manageability you’d normally expect from a much pricier shampoo.

-Curly hair is more susceptible to breakage. Boucleme Curl Cleanser, £17*, is formulated with argan and virgin coconut oils to moisturise the hair cuticle.

2: FEND OFF FRIZZ-FORMING DRIZZLE

Across the UK, January brings some of the highest outdoor humidity levels of the year, hovering around 85–89%. Hair is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air. As water molecules in the air soften the hydrogen bonds responsible for hair’s elasticity, all bets are off. Styled hair begins to unravel, tonged curls drop, and painstakingly straightened lengths puff and fray. In short, humidity doesn’t just ruin your hair, it actively undoes your efforts causing flyaways, frizz and a general loss of control.

- Kérastase Première Repairing Anti-Frizz Filler Heat Protecting Hair Serum for Damaged Hair, £45*, not only acts as a heat protector and stops flyaways, but the peptide and amino acid blend also targets the hair’s internal structure, rebuilding from within, leaving your hair looking plump and hydrated. For a more purse-friendly alternative, while L’Oréal Paris Elvive Bond Repair Leave-in Serum, £16.99, may not contain the peptide blend that rebuilds strands from the inside, it helps shield hair, smoothing and coating it against the elements.

-If you have fine hair, switch serums for a lighter humidity slaying spray like Color Wow Dreamcoat, £23* which was developed in a simulated rain-like atmosphere.

- For coarse, thick hair that swallows product, Moroccanoil Blowdry Concentrate, £18.35*, will wrap itself around hair stopping moisture from penetrating the hair fibre.

3: BATTLE STATIC AIR

You might think you’re dodging a bad hair day by hibernating indoors, but think again. Central heating creates a dry atmosphere; the lack of water vapour in the air causes a build-up of micro electric charges, meaning the fibres repel each other, and hair looks static. Look for replenishing products and treatments that stave off dryness. Oils are perfect.

PS: Wool is a prolific generator of static electricity, turning jumpers, scarves and coats into silent saboteurs. Consider this the perfect excuse to invest in cashmere instead ;)

- Keeping hair moisturised is the only way to tackle static. John Frieda Weightless Wonder Shampoo, £6.99, offers hydration without the heaviness, feeding hair exactly what it needs without ever weighing it down. Good for winter hair that feels dry but collapses easily.

- Think of Chāmpo’s Perfecting Cream, £28 as central heating defence in cream form, delivering targeted moisture without weight, smoothing the cuticle to reduce static and frizz while keeping hairs shape and polish. Like a winter hair insurance policy. I mix mine in the palm of my hand with a drop of Beauty Pie Hair Elixir, £15, but use whatever hair oil you have.

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