Mirror Water bath and body
We know the phrase 'spa-in-a-jar' is massively clichéd, but...that's honestly what Mirror Water is! Because has literally been created with the intention to encourage 'self-reflection, a powerful practice which establishes, sustainable, life-long growth.'
Mirror Water is the vision of Estée Lalonde, below, who has spent almost a decade sharing her love of beauty via podcasts and YouTube videos, building a community. And we really like her take on self-care.
As Estée says, 'Narratives of self-care have let us down. We are encouraged to heal ourselves temporarily for the sole purpose of carrying on as normal. This exhausting, endless cycle benefits our culture of hyper-productivity and presenteeism — but does not enrich us.' Estée has not been shy opening up about her own life and mental health struggles, which in turn has empowered her followers to feel connected and liberated to talk about their own challenges. And we are 100% behind anyone who's on a mission to open up such conversations.
But nobody can argue that one of the very best ways that we can give ourselves some TLC is through reconnecting with our bodies. As Estée observes: ‘For years, I have found that bathing makes a soothing, reflective space to hold a mirror up to your life, your routine, or even just your day, which for me is true self-care.’ And to that end, she has created a range of products that encourage self-reflection through the ritual of using them – and which, we must add, are really quite beautiful.
First off, the smells. Because isn't it all about the smells, when it comes to falling in love with particular bath and bodycare products... Mirror Water Soak Bath Salts/£35 for 400g, for instance, see three types of mineral-rich salts – Himalayan, magnesium and Epsom – infused with black spruce, vetiver, cedarwood and a splash of bergamot: grounding, restful, soothing.
You'll find a subtly different (and quite subtle) calming blend of those same essential oils in the Mirror Water Smooth Body Oil/£30 for 100ml, meanwhile – a rich but not greasy skin treat, with a base of grapeseed, marula and camellia oils, which Esther would like us to use daily (or we suggest nightly), to help us shift our energies from our racing minds, back into our bodies.
Those soul-soothing essential oils also infuse the Buff Body Exfoliator and Rub Solid Balm, which TBH we haven't tried yet. (But on the strength of pleasurably exploring the above, we will.)
These are real lock-the-door, switch-off-from-the-world products. To that end, we really encourage you to put your devices away before enjoying these, and not getting them out again till next morning. Anything which can nudge us to do that, and earth ourselves, feels like the way forward.
Follow Estée on all her social media channels at @esteelalonde or watch her videos on YouTube. (When you switch those devices back on next day, of course...)
£25-35 – buy here