lounging in my silk robes

In an attempt to love myself more, I have embarked on a Dorian Gray level of achieving vanity by surrounding myself with mirrors, and of course, getting a vanity table. I also have been putting this task off (like many others, guilty) for over two years! But ever since I left my cozy office job in favour of my slowly blooming bridal and bespoke brand, I’ve been hyper-focusing on creating a new normal for myself. Being able to wake up to a clean room that smells like vanilla and violets, and to have a place where I can preen in my free moments, is the start of this new life.

Getting this vanity is the start of my new goal: to perfect myself. Not in the godly, irrefutably immortal kind of way (well, maybe a little)… I want to be able to feel beautiful in the comfort of mornings, unmade and unmasked. True beauty. There are many ways one can learn to romanticise the idea of waking up, and to me the best way is to take the time in the morning to enjoy yourself.

step I: layer your dreams (scents)

Nothing delights the senses more than the right combination of oils and perfumes. I recently stepped into the world of dusting powder, having made one myself out of vanilla! The right scents can transport and transform you into different iterations of the self. Imagine worlds of indulging in sugary vanilla treats, listening to the seaside surrounded by the loving embrace of your lover. So many dreams to dream. Here are some combinations you can try in the summer mornings:

i. to smell like a dream of lemons and vanilla desserts

Sugar Lemon, Vanilla 28, Afternoon Delight, Scent Therapy Milk

ii. to smell like juicy, fresh fruits and the seaside

Florence, Philosykos, Huile antique Maltese Iris, Earl Grey and Cucumber

iii. to smell like matcha lattes, kisses, and unread books

Les Cahiers Secrets, Oud Nude, Odette, Thé Matcha 26

step II: set an uninterrupted ambience

Embrace warm ambient lighting, either from a warmly lit lamp or from sunlight filtered through a lace curtain. Spray your linens with fresh bamboo or powdery laundered linen scents (at the risk of a sniffle, but so worth it). Play that vinyl that’s been collecting dust on your shelf. Light a scented candle.

step III: bare yourself in silks (or nothing at all)

Embrace the skin on your bones, and drape yourself in your finest fabrics. Silks, cottons, velvets. Personally, I find that wearing less is more- sometimes wearing nothing at all is more ideal. Cozy up in bed with your favorite book or a movie you’ve always wanted to watch- the day (or night) is yours for the taking.

step IV: bon appétit

Chocolates, teas, martinis, lattes- indulge yourself in your comfort foods and beverages. I recently started to bake more, making some panna cottas (or swanna cottas, if you dare) and scones to eat with whipped butter and a hojicha latte- I found it to be incredibly rewarding as a process. Try making a tea tray while reading for an hour, having rituals resets the brain and gets you ready for the day ahead.

Take the time to savour these moments in your vanity, in your comfort, melting completely into the oasis of your own creation. It is a (necessary) luxury to relax, uninterrupted. Stare at yourself, indulge your vanity once in a while, and finally see yourself as you are.