Something to share: the spring edit

Despite and wet and frankly quite chilly weekend, we are halfway through spring in the southern hemisphere. The light filled evenings are getting longer, the open toed shoes are back in rotation and I’m generally spending more and more time outside.

Over the last little while a few items have helped ground that sense of a new season, so I thought I’d share with you what’s been helping me get into a spring state of mind…

RELAX CANDLE

I picked up this candle on a whim at affordable retailer, Kmart, a few weeks back. I normally always have a candle in our living room. I love that ritual of lighting them, hearing that crackle of the wick igniting and then letting the scent fill the house. I have a beautiful hand-poured Christmas candle by the Quandialla Candle Company, which I absolutely adore and only half burnt last festive season, but back in October, it just felt a little too soon to pull that one out of storage. The Kmart one at $12.99 (AUD) is very affordable and the ‘relax’ scent of lavender and chamomile fragrant, yet not too overpowering. I find some candles on the cheaper end of the scale either lose their scent immediately or have a scent that’s so overpowering and sweet, it makes you feel a little ill. This is subtle and the amber glass jar it comes in, with its minimal black and white sticker is also very appealing, and makes it look a lot more expensive than what it is.

RED ROCK DELI GOURMET CRACKERS

Savoury biscuits you can pair with cheese, fruit and other nibbles are a staple in our pantry. I’ve been a fan of Red Rock’s potato chips for many years, so when I spotted the bags of crackers I decided there was a very good chance I would be onto a winner. I’ve sampled both the ‘Murray River pink salt and black pepper’ and ‘aged cheddar and caramelised onion’ and both are very tasty. I’ve been enjoying a handful of the biscuits with slices of English cheddar and sliced apple as a mid afternoon snack and I won’t deny – I’ll often go back for second handful of biscuits as they’re very moreish. As Christmas creeps closer, I’ve got a feeling they’ll featuring heavily on any platters I prepare for gatherings with friends and family.

MOOGOO OIL CLEANSING METHOD

When I had a bout of ‘maskne’ during the last lockdown I made a few alterations to my skincare routine to try and help heal and clear-up my spots. In the evening I started doing a double cleanse. The theory behind the double cleanse is that the first wash helps to remove any make-up and SPF, so that the second cleanse allows you to really wash your face. Traditionally the first cleanse is an oil or balm, which if you’ve never used either before can look/feel a little odd, but I personally love the texture and find in doing that initial cleanse I give myself a little face massage too. Bliss! The MooGoo oil cleanser comes in a convenient pump pack (one pump is enough for me), which I pop onto a dry face and then remove using a bit of warm water on a face washer. It’s not too heavy and although it contains a small amount of the potentially irritating geranium oil, my sometimes finicky skin hasn’t had any adverse reactions. I follow with one my favourite cleansers of all time (La Roche Posay’s Toleraine Dermo-Cleanser), again removing with a damp face washer. I do my double cleanse before I get into the shower, so it means I’ve got a beautifully clean face while I’m in there, allowing the steam to work its magic. I come out with a slight flush to my cheeks, which reminds me of getting a facial… and who wouldn’t want to replicate that feeling?!

What’s been helping you transition to the new season?

Have a wonderful week.

M. x