Self-Love Month | Self-care practices to help keep you healthy and happy

Hey, Beauties! 

Did you know that February is all about self-care? It’s been officially declared as the ‘self-love’ month!! Embracing self-care practices to help keep you healthy and happy are hugely important, and probably one of the last things on your to-do list, amiright? So. First of all, let’s have a big ol’ cheers to self-love! Secondly, I’m here to tell you that I’m always available for a self-love and self-care check-in. 

How are you with your self-care practices? Where do they sit on your ‘list’? Self-love for me has changed quite a bit over the years since getting married, getting pregnant twice, buying a home, giving birth twice, having children 19 months apart, learning to become a mother, and running a busy business at the same dang time…drink anyone? (Cut-to: Me quickly raising my hand. Like, so high.)  

Anyhow, with all that being said, I finally feel like I’ve grown accustomed to my new norm, and although it’s taken time [umm read: years], I’ve finally developed some practices in my life that really help to keep my soul in check. Below I am going to share with you my self-love routine, in hopes that it might inspire some of you to care greatly for yourself first, so that you can, in turn, give your best self to others!  

✨   A strong morning routine gets me on the right foot as soon as I wake up! I like to start my day with a hot cup of water and a generous squeeze of lemon. While drinking this, I take my probiotic to get the body moving and shaking, if you know what I mean. I usually wake up around 6-6:30am and have recently made a pact with myself to not touch my phone until 9am. The not checking the phone rule is huge! Taking the time to touch base with myself for a few hours each morning really helps me not get distracted by too many outside sources. By the time I reach for my phone, I’ve had a full morning to fill up my cup so that I’m ready to take on the day no matter what’s thrown my way. 

✨   Every morning I seem to be more mindful of health, so I take this time to blend a nutritious smoothie for myself and the family. This is usually jam-packed with veggies and fruits so that I can leave the house knowing that everyone has good nutrients in their bellies. Mom & wife gold star for sure, right? 😉 

My frequent smoothie recipe (blended together in our Vitamix):

– A large bunch of kale or spinach
-2 Bananas (for the 4 of us)
-Mango
-Avocado
-Berries (usually blueberries)
-Organic Greek Yogurt
-Alkaline Water & sometimes a dose of collagen powder!    

✨   While I drink my smoothie, I really love to start setting intentions for the day. I do this by journalling & writing down what I’m grateful for, usually in my Five Minute Journal. I also love to read for 15 mins each morning when I have the time to squeeze it in. I love motivational/self-help books so much; lately, I’ve read Make Life Beautiful by Studio McGee, Blowing My Way To The Top by Jen Atkin & Manifest Now by Idil Ahmed, which I’m loving! Setting intentions is a powerful and effective way to begin your day with self-love and purpose.

✨   Another thing that makes me feel really good is taking excellent care of my skin. I carve out about 10 minutes in the morning and evening to ensure I’m giving my skin the attention it deserves and I get down and the opposite-of-dirty with my skincare in this order: 

1. Micellar Water to double cleanse (Love the Bioderma Micellar Water for Dry Skin).
2. Toner (Zo Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads are incredible) and Serum.  
3. Moisturizer (we have something in the works in this department here at Fancy Face. Exciting!) 
4. Face Oil (I love the Poetry in Potion Face Serum sold on our site!) & Lash Serum (The Neulash Lash Serum is heavenly).
5. Our Supermodel Lip Bath to treat my pout – and some mornings I go one extra step and apply our Stardust Gel Under Eye Masks for an under-eye treatment!   

If I’m reaaaalllly feeling like giving myself the ultimate at-home pampering experience, I opt for a hair and/or face mask and implement some beauty tools at the end of my skincare routine, like facial cups, ice rollers, facial globes, gua sha and jade rollers! Talk about skincare self-love! 

(Love this DIY at-home mask – click here for our blog post where I breakdown the recipe and steps!)

✨   Meditation is another self-care practice I like to frequently implement. I’ll usually meditate in my bed, either early in the morning or right before going to sleep at night. I use this time to connect with how I’m feeling and often hold a crystal that’s speaking to me that day. I also like to rub on some essential oils (on my temples, chest area, and soles of my feet) to really help deepen the meditation. Deep breathing really helps me centre myself and brings in a sense of calm that is quite often, much needed. While doing this, I love to light candles, burn some Palo Santo or turn on my Saje Diffuser, to help set the relaxation mood. Lately, I’ve been loving the diffuser blends from Vitruvi. Their Sleep, Dusk, and Ceremony blends are divine! 

✨   Long walks for the win: Embracing a regular exercise routine absolutely helps improve my mind, body, and spirit! Ever since I got my Fitbit, I’ve been trying to go for nature walks at least 3 times a week to (obviously) reach those 10,000 steps. I love to use this time to walk with someone whose company I really enjoy (my mom has been my walking buddy for some time now), and if I’m alone, I listen to an inspiring audiobook or simply just try to tune into my inner intuition. Nothing feels better than breathing in that fresh air and connecting to Mother Nature. I don’t know about you, but this always grounds me and makes me feel a deep sense of calm. 

✨   Adding more to my regular exercise routine, a platform that I love to use for stretching, meditations, and body weight (pilates/yoga-inspired) workouts is the Melissa Wood Health App. I seriously love the content she puts out into the world and I feel so darn accomplished after I’ve completed a session. Definitely check her out if you haven’t yet!  

✨   Disconnect: One of the best self-care practices I’ve taken on this year is shutting social media off over the weekend as much as I can. Really saying goodbye to being endlessly accessible allows me to check-in with my family and, most importantly, truly be present. After a weekend of disconnecting, I feel rejuvenated, more at peace, and deeply happy (after spending such good quality time with my loved ones)! I also feel really ready to take on another work week head-on, so I consider that a plus! 

✨   When it comes to my makeup routine specifically, I really do look at this as a primary part of my self-love routine. To me, wearing makeup, playing with makeup, and expressing myself with makeup, all very much make me feel good to the core. I notice that on the days I don’t wear it, I just don’t have the same pep in my step that I do on the days when I’ve taken the time to show myself some glamorous self-love! When I look in the mirror and see my mascara on, my under eyes concealed, my blush poppin’, and my lips glossy… I just feel ready to take on the day with my best face forward, and it honestly just makes me feel happy! As superficial as that could seem to some, I don’t discredit those feelings. I honour them and I make time to do the things that brighten my spirit. For me, a strong morning routine, healthy eating habits, setting intentions, a regular exercise routine, makeup love, disconnecting and truly spending time with my family to be fully present… these self-love and self-care practices help me to feel like the very best version of myself. And don’t we all deserve that?!

What are some self-care practices that make you feel your best? Share them with me! I always love hearing from you. 

xx Britt