Winter Wellness Favourites - CULTURETAP

I have a very strong love-hate relationship with the last four months of the year. Holiday festivities, the changing colours outdoors, and the general feeling of indoor coziness are pluses, but school and work getting more intense, the harsh Canadian winter, and the existentialism of another new year approaching are all massive downsides. And while I often enjoy collecting bits and trinkets to give me momentary bursts of dopamine, I also think it's important to listen to your body and mind and make purchases based on what will help you in a larger sense, especially during tougher months of the year. And before anyone comes at me, no, I'm not saying that buying certain things over others is what's going to make you ultimately happy - I'm not THAT capitalistic. But I've found the following things have helped me to remember simple pleasures in life, get grounded and prepare for the cold weather ahead.

BIG disclaimer: I am not a life coach/therapist/knower of all things in this category, and I want to say that the things I talk about in this post are things that I feel personally help me when I feel low/unmotivated/sad/icky - they may not be those things for you. If you are struggling with anxiety, seasonal depression, etc. please don't be afraid to seek professional counselling - it's the best thing I ever did!

Let's begin!

Ten Times Happier by Owen O'Kane

Since I started therapy earlier this year, I've been getting really into books on lifestyle/"self-help" and regularly paroozing these sections during my frequent trips to the bookstore. The bright yellow cover and "staff pick" sticker attracted me to this book, and if you are looking for a good jumping-off point for therapeutic literature, I would definitely recommend Ten Times Happier. What I really enjoyed about this book was the fact that it's very no-nonsense, no fluff, yet still feels like it is written by a good friend who wants to love and support you. Some reviewers complain that the methodology at play in this work is too simplistic or broad, but I would argue that this is what makes it so good: it emphasizes that self-improvement can be achieved through simple beginnings. It doesn't have to be scary - the book is very easy to pick up and provides logical strategies to overcoming the traumas and trials of life. The individual chapters also have a lot of re-readability; I find that if I'm struggling with a certain area in my life, I can flip to that chapter and have it act as a simple reminder of the strategies I'm building every day.

Charmed Aroma Winnie the Pooh Candle

This pick may seem shallow in comparison to the two self-help books detailed in this post, but I am a firm believer in aromatherapy and the ideology that nurturing our five senses can have strong effects our mood. With that in mind, I've been really enjoying this "honey blossom" scented candle from Charmed Aroma. What's awesome about this company's products is that they're not only really nice cruelty-free candles and bath products on their own, but each product they produce comes with a piece of sterling silver jewelry inside. This floral-y candle in particular came with a Winnie the Pooh necklace (you get one of five styles per candle) that I fished out when about a third of the wax was melted and evaporated. The necklace itself is really cute and subtle - it's not a ritzy piece of jewelry in the grand sense, but if you enjoy basics with a little bit of personality to them, they're a lot of fun to wear. There's not much else to say about the candle itself other than that I really enjoy the gentleness of the smell; if you're burning it in a smaller room with the door closed, you don't have to worry about it being overwhelming or getting a nasty headache. Further to that point, the candle itself is also a soy wax blend, so if you're sensitive to certain artificial scents (the way I am), I'd definitely recommend this one in particular.

Literally Anything from Lush

Ever since I was a little preteen in the early 2010's watching Zoella do Lush "haul" videos on YouTube, I have adored this company and their practices. I love how transparent they are about their cruelty-free status, their altruism in other areas such as environmentalism and LGBTQ+ rights, and just how freaking good their stuff smells and how good it makes my skin feel! I've made a couple trips there in the past couple of months, and I wanted to give a quick rundown of all the products I tried. (I almost feel bad for saying I didn't get proper photos of most of these products because I used them THAT quickly).

Ghost in The Dark Soap - This cute little ghost-shaped bar of soap is unfortunately not available in North America anymore (it was a Halloween product, but for some reason is still up on their UK site?) but I wanted to drop it in here so you might keep it in mind for next year. Made with a lemongrass and bergamot oil scent, some reviews argue that the citrus notes of it are a little more summery than expected, but I still enjoyed using it as a body wash during the fall season. It's a fairly big bar that'll last you a while, and I was surprised to learn after bringing it home that it glows in the dark, which is a fun little addition.

Snow Fairy Body Spray - This product is introduced every year for Christmas/the holidays, and its immense popularity is justified. I'm a big fan of really sweet scents, and if you are too, pick up literally any product from Lush's Snow Fairy line. Every product features a euphoric bubblegum/cotton candy scent. So far, I've only bought the body spray and have been using it as a "special occasion perfume". However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about grabbing more from the collection, which includes a bubble bar, body washes, and bath bombs to name a few items.

Groovy Kind of Love Bath Bomb - I think I have a thing for retro aesthetics, because the name of this bath bomb and its mix of ~groovy~ colours was enough to gravitate me towards it. Made with rosewood, bergamot and ylang ylang oils, products like these are why I find it difficult to have baths without a Lush product involved somehow. It smells divine, calms your senses, and makes your skin feel nice and refreshed afterwards. Plus, it makes your bath rainbow! What more could you ask for?

Polar Bear Soap - This is another product that's only around for the holidays, and if you're someone with dry or sensitive skin, this is definitely one for you. Primary ingredients include oat milk, coconut and soy yogurts, cocoa butter, and rose absolute - lots of stuff that's good for the skin in general, but especially during the winter. Additionally, the scent is really gentle, so I think this really is a product for everyone. It's also no secret that I like things that look like cute animals, so there's that too.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

This book is certainly a heavier read than Ten Times Happier, but I find it to be an important one if you're struggling with any form of anxiety. The Power of Now is a (somewhat philosophically charged) book about the strategy of grounding yourself in the present moment in order to achieve a heightened mental state. If that sounds like a bunch of complex, hyper-spiritual, hippie jargon to you, don't worry - that was my first thought too, especially as someone who loves spirituality but finds it to be a big, difficult and frustrating topic sometimes. Author Eckhart Tolle does a good job at beginning with language and concepts that are easy to grasp, then transitioning into specifics. Each chapter of the book is divided into smaller sections that are designed to stop you from trying to grasp too much of the information at one time, which I found to be really helpful. What I also really appreciate about Tolle's pedagogy is that it is designed to be a spiritual book for anyone, including those already in religious/spiritual practices. His lessons draw from a multitude of these: from Buddhism, to Christianity, to Wicca, to Islam, and so many more. I did find this book slightly frustrating towards the end, since I felt that the third section felt more like a philosophical manifesto than something meant to help people's lives. However, a few rereads help in this regard, and you can honestly put the book down whenever you feel you've gained as much as you can from it - which is the beauty of literature in this genre.

Face Halo Pro Makeup Removers

Like I mentioned above, taking care of your skin is important during colder months (for everyone, BTW: let's dispel the myth that skincare is innately feminine) and these magical little things have been an absolute dream for me lately. Face Halo Reusable Makeup Removers are exactly what the product name suggests, except they actually work extremely well. I'm very picky about my eye-makeup removal, so I was skeptical about using these since they really just looked like regular facewash pads to me. But, hark! They remove every bit of grime on my eyes like a dream, and they don't even need eye makeup remover or micellar water to work - you just dampen them with regular warm water. I bought Face Halo in a three-pack, and based on how much I currently wear makeup as someone working from home, I really don't find them too much of a hassle to clean - either by hand-washing them or putting them in the laundry. They physically feel good to use, and it feels good knowing they're better for the environment than disposables too. The only disclaimer I'll give about them is that I haven't used them with very heavy face makeup (i.e., liquid foundation), but for removing concealer, powder face products and heavier eye makeup, I found them to work pretty well.

Thanks for reading my post! I've linked every product mentioned in this post below. If you liked what you saw, consider following my socials to get updates on whenever I upload a new post or my other creative endeavours!

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LINKS TO EVERYTHING IN THIS POST:

Ten Times Happier by Owen O'Kane: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/9780008485009-item.html?ref=item_page:richrel:rr_carousel:json1

Charmed Aroma Winnie the Pooh Candle: https://ca.charmedaroma.com/products/winnie-the-pooh-candle-925-sterling-silver-winnie-the-pooh-necklace-collection?_pos=2&_sid=b7ebd68b6&_ss=r

Lush - Ghost in The Dark Soap (UK site): https://www.lush.com/uk/en/p/ghost-in-the-dark-soap

Lush - Snow Fairy Body Spray: https://www.lush.ca/en/fragrances/body-sprays/snow-fairy/9999908423.html

Lush - Groovy Kind of Love Bath Bomb: https://www.lush.ca/en/bath/bath-bombs/groovy-kind-of-love/9999905217.html

Lush - Polar Bear Soap: https://www.lush.ca/en/shower/bar-soap/polar-bear/9999905620.html

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-power-of-now-a/9781577314806-item.html

Face Halo Pro Makeup Removers: https://facehalo.com/collections/shop