Nicola Elliott’s 7 Secrets of Beauty & Wellbeing
So what do you do when you’re a magazine editor surrounded by colleagues and friends suffering stress-y symptoms from their dash-dash-dash lifestyle? Chances are you might not think of retraining in aromatherapy but that’s just what Nicola Elliott did, in order to create effective natural products to help the most common concerns – lack of sleep, low energy, low mood and the whole stress continuum.
That was early this century and those first homemade remedies were so popular that Nicola realised there was a real gap in the market for great organic products that worked. So, in 2005, she launched NEOM with business partner Oliver Mennell. They started with five candles, the first on the market made totally with non-paraffin wax and pure essential oils.
From that little collection of aromatherapy candles, NEOM has grown to include products for skin, body and home, plus wellbeing spa treatments, which really work. We’ve known desks of frantic newspaper journalists vying for the latest NEOM de-stress products. The most important thing for Nicola is that every NEOM launch serves a therapeutic need, making life just that little bit easier and nicer whatever the situation.
Now for how Nicola looks after herself.
1. Getting to know myself and what works for me
Health, wellbeing, beauty, attitude - it’s all interlinked, and it’s personal. What works for one person might not for another so there’s no silver bullet: you have to spend some time getting to know yourself and what works for you so you can craft a wellbeing toolkit that’s bespoke to you and works for you – just like finding the optimal skincare regime. I’ve had fun figuring it out, as you can probably tell from some of my ‘secrets’ below.
2. Identifying my best strategy for anxiety
I’ve been prone to feeling anxious since I was 25 so it’s been buzzing around a long time and it’s the issue I’ve struggled with most. Over time, I’ve discovered that prevention is always the best strategy for me. I now know what works best and that starts with a good sleep routine – I really can’t mess about with this one. I always turn tech off from 9pm, then it’s a NEOM Perfect Night’s Sleep ritual really. I soak in a hot bath with Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep Body Oil/£35 for 100ml and Bath Foam/£22 for 200ml, by the light of a Scented Candle/£32 for 185g. I put on a good blob of Magnesium Body Butter/£36 for 200ml and spend half an hour reading. At 10.30pm sharp, it’s a quick spritz of Pillow Mist/£20 for 30ml and lights out.
Other things that help my state of mind are to exercise daily (outdoors ideally, riding or walking the dog), to eat non-processed foods, stay mindful of the pace of my days so they don’t get on top of me, and make enough time for having fun. Working from home allows me to start earlier and take longer for lunch, or nip outdoors when the sun comes out.
3. The qualities I rate most in others are…
Perspective and the ability to not take things too seriously. My motto is ‘Life is always about how you handle plan B.’
4. Take good quality supplements daily
With the current epidemic and now dark winter days approaching, I make sure to take BetterYou DLux 3000 Vitamin D Oral Spray/£7.97 for 15ml. I also take Pukka Essential Spirulina/£13.96 for 150 capsules, Bare Biology Life & Soul Omega 3 Fish Oil/£28.50 for 120 capsules, (for omega-3), Magnolia Rhodiola Complex/£28 for 60 capsules (to help sleep and anxiety), plus Mega Probiotic ND/£19.50 for 60 capsules, for my gut microbiome. (All available from Victoria Health). Magnesium, which is a really vital mineral, comes from our Body Butter.
5. I look around me for inspiration
I get inspired by normal ordinary things and people – my friends, their daily lifestyles, the pain points we all moan about, the things we laugh about… I always think if NEOM were a person she would be your slightly more together friend who says, ‘come round for a cup of tea and a crumpet and let’s sort this out.’
6. I’ve learn to switch off
I ride my horse Arolan (below) with my daughter and her pony Tilly. Buying them was the best investment I made! And I read a lot too; one fiction and one non-fiction book at all times. Currently on my bedside table are How to Build a Healthy Brain by Kimberley Wilson and The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo.
7. My hero product from my own brand changes all the time!
This week it’s Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep Magnesium Body Butter. I splodge on a good blob at night as my daily dose of magnesium because it works so well transdermally (through the skin). I really need it to sleep my best I find; when I forget to put it on, I’ll actually jump out of bed and go back to the bathroom!
