Jet Set GLOW

Hello my fellow Glow Getters, I am so excited to be back on the blog after taking a brief hiatus to balance a 2-week half-term trip where I got to try lots of new products I’m excited to share with you today as well as…a luggage full of pure rose and saffron water (a sign that In Bloom Drops is coming soon!), new spa experiences checked off my beauty bucket list and now time to self-isolate because of the coronavirus and having traveled from countries with confirmed cases. I’m making the most of isolation with at-home workouts, organising and baking but I am glad to get a chance to reconnect with all of you. So without further ado, let’s dig in!

My first destination was ZURICH to celebrate a family member’s birthday and drop off mouse with the in-laws so my husband and I could enjoy the birthday festivities in the mountains and get some quality time together. I am a germaphobe so on the plane you could find me with a lot of hand sanitser, Dettol wipes and my usual in-flight entertainment (beauty products, of course!):

1. CLARY COLLECTION Renew + Repair Oil - After this oil saved my skin when I burned myself with a hotel iron in Paris, I will never travel without this incredible multi-purpose oil.

2. KNC Collagen Infused Lip Mask - Winter already has my lips dying for hydration and plane flights only add on top of that so I love this lip mask designed to naturally plump and hydrate lips with only natural ingredients.

3. Rose Water Spray - I know, I never stop talking about this ingredient. My fav is Elizé by Rabee.

This trip required 5 suitcases for our family with one dedicated to skincare, makeup and supplements because I just couldn’t help myself!

MOUNTAIN SKINCARE 

Without Mouse to entertain on the car ride, I treated myself to a nap with a silk eye mask (designed to help minimise wrinkles). A quick pit stop in Geneva and some well-deserved sushi and then we were on our way to celebrate our friend’s 30th up in the mountains. It was extremely cold weather (I mean, Switzerland in February, not surprised) and high altitude so I relied on some tried and true faves to keep my skin protected from the sun and hydrated from the cold!

1. DR BARBARA STURM Sun Drops - No excuses, no matter the weather, SPF is a must! Especially for this trip’s high altitude.

2. SUNTEGRITY SPF Tinted Moisturiser - I love anything that is multi-purpose. This helps protect from sun damage and add a nice tint!

3. SUSANNE KAUFFMAN Skin Detox Set - One of my favourite parts of the day was taking warm baths post skiing using this set that includes both bath salts and a rich body oil with an amazing aroma. The perfect way to unwind!

4. ZELENS Cleansing Balm - The richness of this balm locks in moisture even when washing the face, it really rejuvenates and calms skin no matter how harsh of weather it endured that day.

5. KNC Collagen Infused Lip Mask - Can’t get enough of these clearly!  

6. RMS Beauty Wipes - I knew we would be staying up late with our friends (and a few too many glasses) so I brought along enough RMS beauty makeup wipes making sure I could quickly take off my makeup before I fell asleep. 

After 3 days of being able to wake up in the morning and actually start with self-care, I was missing mouse very much and we were both ready to trek back to Zurich and prep for our flight.

Next destination….. ISTANBUL for 24 hours. 

In-flight entertainment stayed the same, added in some Patchlogy Eye Masks at this point (definitely feeling a tad sleep deprived from one too many glasses of bubbly!). I always find it funny that parents we get help to have time off from our children to get more tired rather than rest…my next trip SANS mouse is to a wellness clinic & or spa!

After arriving in the middle of the night it was ready to get some well-needed beauty sleep. Mouse and I woke up at 11.30 am…. eeeeek! It was just in time to order breakfast in the room and start our Valentine’s Day! CIRGAN PALACE was our home for the day, we soaked up the beautiful views of the Bosporus, had a much-needed blow-dry, lots of tea and baklava and some treasured mama and mouse time. 

My last post was about sharing the GLOW with loved ones and the gifts and treatments that would be GLOW GETTER approved, I think hubby got the memo and then took it to the next level. We had a TURKISH HAMMAM ritual followed by a full body massage. I don’t know if you have had a hammam before, a lot of foam, scrubbing and hot water while you lie on marble…still not sure how I felt about it, was fabulous don’t get me wrong, my skin was GLOWING but mentally I wasn’t sure… stay tuned. Hubby opted for a GOLD MASK mid hammam, WE TRULY WERE GLOWING. 

Next morning it was an early wake up followed by a rush to the airport to travel home…. No no not london, our other home…. TEHRAN, IRAN.

Beautiful mountains, amazing food and the most hospitable of people…. That’s TEHRAN, the place I am lucky to call home. This was a bit of switch from the weather I had experienced in both Istanbul and Zurich so it was time to adapt once again with a skin and makeup routine that better suited this climate.

Our house in Tehran is pretty much the same height above sea level as COURCHEVEL 1850 so altitude needed to be taken into account and also the unfortunate truth of Tehran being extremely polluted. So here is what I did to keep the glow going:

1. DR BARBARA STURM Pollution Drops - A few drops does wonders to protect my skin from icky free radicals.

2. WATER AND MASKING - Altitude dries out my skin, drinking lots of water and regular masking in whatever samples I had helped immensely to keep my skin healthy and refreshed.

3. RODIAL Dragon’s Blood Hyaluronic Lip Mask - First time trying this product out, my verdict? It’s a dream!

If you GLOW back to a previous blog post I discuss the benefits of ROSE WATER, during this trip in Iran I traveled to the heart of rose water/oil - Kashan. The factory for In Bloom Drops is here and I was visiting for meetings upon meetings upon meetings to discuss all things from formulations to packaging (can’t wait to share more soon!). Stay tuned for my next ingredient spotlight where I talk about another ingredient from this area: Saffron!

While in Tehran it was amazing to soak up the spectacular views of the city, spend time with friends and family and before I knew it, it was time to go back home to London. Plot twist: the Coronavirus meant we traveled with anti-viral masks, even more wipes and hand sanitser than before, and when we got home we had to self-isolate to be sure we didn’t have symptoms. I have been using this time to catch up on workouts at home, baking with Mouse, organising the house and just getting back into our routine.

Hope all of you are having a wonderful start to your March and I cannot wait to get back in the groove of blog writing. Stay tuned!

XO Steph