Ilāpothecary
Some of you may be familiar with Ilā – luxuriously-priced natural treats for face and body, in a range created by natural wellbeing expert and visionary Denise Leicester. (Jo recently reqcquainted herself with the range at Ananda in the Himalayas when she visited, where she found Ilā proudly waving a British flag in the spa).
It’s amazing stuff – treats for face and body (and at treat-like prices). But now, it’s got a ‘little sister’ – actually, not so little, with 10 or so products that pour Denise’s aromatherapeutic expertise into some seriously mind-shifting products.
They truly smell incredible. But more than that, they’re unbelievably effective – like a giant, aromatic ‘nudge’ into a different mindset. Slightlly more affordable, the range offers several real innovations – and some products (happily, to be found easily at Victoria Health), which we now can’t imagine living without. So: here’s the low-down on our favourites so far…
Beat The Blues Room Spray/£28 for 50 ml. We think this is probably what heaven smells like. Setting out to bust negative energies, it does exactly that – which is why you’ll find us spritzing it around the office in the morning, and why we keep it firmly within reach by the computer, for a quick and joyous burst of clary sage, petitgrain, rose geranium and tuberose. (Jo doesn’t even like tuberose. But she loves this!) According to Denise, it’s good for helping you listen to your intuition.
Magnesium and Amethyst Deep Relax Bath Soak/£35 for 400 g. A whacking great apothecary-style bottle, filled with magnesium and mineral-rich salts, powered by a really calming blend of essential oils that includes benzoin, amber, petitgrain and juniper as well as amethyst to rebalance and restore. Denise promises it ‘heals any trauma in your aura’. And we can quite believe it.
Speak Your Truth Aroma Roller/£27 for 10 ml. We adore this. It’s a big, fat rollerball of aromatherapeutic magic, incuding rose and sandalwood, polished and sweetened with nurturing vanilla. It’s not an actual truth serum, but as Denise says, ‘it helps connect our physical body with our meditative being’. Jo rolls it onto her pulse points before doing to her daily calm.com meditation; it is grounding, soothing, helps with focus – and honestly, could be worn as a fragrance in its own right.
There’s also a plug-in diffuser and several different mood-shifting oils – Create Space (to calm anger/or relieve mental burnout), Dream Space (for focus and creativity), and Transform (all about making positive life changes focused on health and wellbeing).
And frankly, we are never NOT in the mood for this range.
£15-55 – buy here
