Your new Sunday night ritual
Your new Sunday night ritual
What’s your Sunday night ritual? Ordering a pizza to soak up the antics of the night before? Desperately draining off the last of the Merlot before your Monday morning health kick kicks in (again)? Sick of finding Sunday evening a depressing purgatory between the weekend and Monday morning, we’ve decided to reclaim our Sunday night and dedicate a few hours to making ourselves feel better, look better and feel fully prepped for the week ahead. With the help of a few key products and treatments, we’ve come up with the three ultimate rituals for a week-changing Sunday night.
5pm. Prepare…Ignore that tub of Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s Cookie Dough calling your name from the back of the freezer. Instead, cook up a quick, nutritious, health-boosting meal that will enhance your mood, reset your body and will get the new week off to a positive start. Follow this recipe to make a dinner that’s as tasty as it is nourishing: flavor some antioxidant-rich brussels sprouts with chilli flakes, sea salt, garlic powder and a sprinkle of anti-inflammatory turmeric, then roast in coconut oil. Once roasted, toss the sprouts in a bowl with raw spinach, chopped organic tomatoes and gut-friendly sauerkraut before topping with a portion of poached salmon or grilled fresh tuna, for a good dose of mood-boosting Omega 3. Preparation is the key to sticking to your healthy-eating goals for the rest of the week. Boil some eggs or make a frittata full of cooked asparagus, broccoli and smoked salmon, so you can avoid the morning lure of the croissant display in Pret. Prepare salad boxes to take to work and cook a green veggie-packed soup, chock-full of fresh herbs and spices, so you have a speedy snack or go-to dinner for the next few evenings. Not going to manage to eat it all this week? Pop into freezer bags and freeze it. You’ll feel so smug as you spy that unopened B’n’J still sat there.
6pm. Pamper…There’s something so restorative about a long lounge in the bathtub, regardless of which products you use, but give your Sunday night soak some detoxifying qualities, to make up for a weekend of excess and to refresh your body and mind in time for Monday. First, prep your bathroom: make sure your current book is within close reach; light a candle (our favorite hails from Neom’s Complete Bliss range. The scent seems to miraculously lift us out of the flattest of moods) and use a really good bath oil or salt designed to drain the body of toxins. Elemental Herbology Detox Botanical Bathing Infusion £20 is a powerful oil that helps to reduce fluid retention, invigorate the body and shift toxins from the skin: all essential after a boozy weekend. Epsom Salts are our favorite alternative to purpose-made bath products. Traditionally used as a laxative, the high magnesium content is absorbed by the skin and works to draw away nasties and relieve any aches. Drink a mug of Matcha green tea, spiked with the juice of a whole lemon, to amp up the detox levels. Finally, cleanse your mind with a mini digital detox. For the next few hours turn off your mobile, don’t check your emails and avoid the lure of social media. Yes, even we can manage it.
7pm. Preen…The key to looking glossy and groomed for work is to focus on the three foundations of good grooming: glowing skin, well-manicured nails and an expensive-looking blow-dry. Get these right tonight and you’ll make your morning beauty routine so much shorter. Charlotte Tilbury’s Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask £18 is the speedy way to sheet mask thanks to its clever new ‘dry’ formula. Dedicate fifteen minutes to this brand new baby to take weekend-worn skin back to smooth, bright and plumped. Nails Inc’s Gel Effect polish £15 will give the long-lasting effect and professional look of a gel mani, without the trip to the nail bar. The highly pigmented colour will still be glossy and chip-free by the time Friday drinks roll in. We’re wearing the pale mink-grey Porchester Square shade this week. Finally, give your hair a seriously good blow-dry tonight and with the help of a couple of clever products that will extend the life of your style (yes, we will tell you which ones) you’re all set for the week. Use a volumising shampoo and conditioner (check out Oribe’s Magnificent Volume range) to add body and blow-dry hair (starting when it’s 70% dry) using a medium-barreled brush. Blow-dry in sections, wrapping the hair around the brush as you go. When each section is finished roll in to medium-sized velcro rollers (we’re aiming for volume and waves here, rather than curls) working from the front of the head, pulling hair back and away from the face and working your way down to the nape of the neck. Only remove rollers when hair is totally cooled: wait until the morning for seriously long-lasting results. If by Tuesday hair has started to drop, we rely on Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray £41 to save our style: this king of texturizers adds some serious body. If we need a few more days’ grace we turn to our trusty dry shampoo. We’ve just tried OUAI’s Dry Shampoo Foam £24 and love the mousse-like formula, which doesn’t leave a telltale powdery residue.
Great article, keep these tips coming ?
My Sunday night is a mess, i am going to try this the coming Sunday and fingers crossed i will be set up for the week, Instead of hoping for the best with hair like sideshow bob ha ha x
Great article! Just what I needed to read tonight! Thanks!