Fresh South Island air…Mindfulness and nature?
Here is how Nicki Hanning – founder of TRUE mindful beauty and mother of two – always looks so fresh and vibrant! I had the pleasure to speak with this amazing “skin health alchemist”….
It’s all about balance… To really feel in balance we need to reconnect back to our inner truth and make daily decisions that are more aligned with our own values and beliefs. I feel as women we are people pleasers and yes sayers. When I started doing things because they felt right and I wanted to, I felt so much more in flow. And if you don’t get everything on your to do list ticked off…let it go there’s always tomorrow. Don’t sweat the small stuff – is a very powerful mantra indeed.
My mother taught me… Not to hold grudges and just get on with life.
My beauty routine consists of…. Morning: Cleansing my face with warm water and a muslin cloth, spritzing with Courage Face Mist and taking a few slow breathes and then layering on Serene Face Oil. I then use my Wonder Balm as a lip gloss and good to go. Evening: I use a cleansing oil and muslin cloth to cleanse away the day and finish with a spritz of the Courage face mist. My beauty philosophy is to keep it pure and simple.
I’d describe TRUE mindful beauty as… An intentionally handcrafted collection of potent certified organic skincare from Mother Nature that focuses on a Simplified Beauty approach and creates a moment for you to pause in your day, to celebrate and honour your true self, using daily self-care rituals.
TRUE mindful beauty for different skin types…. I believe the 1960’s skin typing system is too generalised and does not provide the entire story on how to deal with skin concerns. Your skin is as unique as you are. It will often change the way it looks, feels and behaves based on your lifestyle, stress levels, hormones and environmental factors.
I believe in the less is more when it comes to skincare and a few exceptional quality products are sufficient for all your daily skin care needs. All my products (4 total) have been formulated with a multi-tasking approach in mind and are suitable for most skin types. I always recommend patch testing if you have a known sensitivity to a particular ingredient.
Mindfulness is…. Being in the here and now. Paying attention and noticing the extraordinary beauty in the ordinary every day.
I relax by…. Baths are a big self-care ritual for me. I love nothing more than closing the bathroom door and soaking in salts and divine essential scents at the end of a day, before the kids jump in. Reading is my other relaxation vice – getting lost in a book and out of your head is pure bliss.
My favourite ways to spend as a family… walking or biking to the lake is a really special time for us as a family as it’s a time to check in with each other away from any distractions. It’s also very calming being by the water and my kids love foraging and usually bring something back to add to the nature collection. Another time where we are really connected is having dinner together (even if someone doesn’t love what’s on the menu J ) to chat about the day and share our 1 good thing that happened or we did for someone else. Finally you can’t beat a card game together stretched out on the lounge floor – our current favourite is Uno.
I balance my career and family life… I have to say being organized and having some kind of plan and structure each day makes life so much easier when you have many balls in the air. I meal plan for the week ahead so I know what’s for dinner. This definitely takes the pressure off at the end of a day. I also write a list the night before and only put on the must dos. For example; I choose 1-2 big things that are a priority in my business for that day, then spread the rest of the day around the children, sorting the house, walking the dog which usually is a good excuse to connect with a friend or also have a business meeting. And lastly I make it a priority to get to bed early!
The thing I love the most about Wanaka…. Mother Nature. I love nothing more than wandering into nature every day to recharge and fresh my mind and body. It really feeds my soul and helps make me realise how much beauty is all around us if we pay attention. I feel very blessed to have access to a giant nature playground on my door step.
Sunscreen and New Zealand’s sun…. New Zealand’s sun is really harsh and can cause a lot of skin damage and even worst melanoma. I am all for getting our daily dose of Vitamin D, but if we are out in it during the most intense sunshine hours in summer I much make sure we all have a natural sun cream on.