This month, I feel an overwhelming sense of optimism and positivity and I can’t help but attribute it to the delightful mild weather we’ve been experiencing or perhaps even the recent celestial event that has subtly reshaped our surroundings. Embracing the arrival of Spring, I’m finding so much joy in spending more time outdoors… I love that I don’t have to wrap up like the Michelin man whenever I want to venture out of the house! My Buy, DIY and Try wellness picks for April contain a mix of seasonal celebrations, nutrition inspiration (for both me and my pup!) and some new beauty finds that will become permanent fixtures in my routine.

A Nature-Filled Read

Lydia Millen is a creator I’ve followed for many years and I’ve loved witnessing her transformation and evolution over the years. Having started her career in beauty and high fashion, she has taken her followers on a much more holistic journey over the years to finding her true passion for all things nature and wellbeing, which I am so here for. I absolutely adore her content which mainly consists of gardening, feeding the chickens, tending to her beautiful home, embracing nature, discussing personal growth and wellbeing, travel, self-care, investing in fashion that’ll stand the test of time and of course, a little beauty thrown in too for her OG followers. Her new book, Evergreen, symbolises everything she stands for and details the power of nature, no matter what season, and how to embrace the true joy of the great outdoors. 

A New Candle For Spring

I don’t think you can beat a Trudon candle burning in the home and I’ve always gravitated towards Madurai as my go-to scent from their collection. However, I’ve stumbled across another Trudon scent that has stolen my heart. Trudon’s fragrance style is notoriously quite intense (in a good way) and many of their candles have deep notes that create rather unique scents. They can feel quite wintery (although I think Madurai is a great all-year choice) but Abd El Kader is refreshingly light for Trudon’s standards and it is designed to embody Moroccan Mint Tea. It’s still got a weightiness to it, in typical Trudon fashion, but it’s much more appropriate for summer. With base notes of Vanilla and Jasmine to provide a subtle sweetness paired with more earthy head notes of ginger, blackcurrant, clove and mint, it fills a kitchen with the most gorgeous aroma.

At-Home Manicures Made Easy 

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good manicure but I simply don’t have the commitment levels some girls possess to go every two weeks to top up their gels. However, I totally recognise that nice nails make me feel much more put together and I’ve discovered Manucurist’s Green Top Sunshine is an absolute winner for at-home, (slightly slap-dash) manis. This gel-like top coat has serious staying power and provides such a vibrant, salon-worthy gloss. It’s very robust and doesn’t chip easily… I got a solid week before small chips started to form and I think that’s pretty decent given I can’t usually last a day without noticing a chip or crack! Massive fan and I’m raving about it to all my friends. 

Salivating Over Em The Nutritionist’s Recipes

Maybe I’m late to the bandwagon on this but Emily English (aka Em The Nutritionist) is a new discovery for me and she’s absolutely nailing it with her simple, no-fuss attitude to eating well. I’ve made a few of her mouth-watering Instagram recipes lately and I’m obsessed. I wasn’t kidding when I said I salivate while scrolling through her feed! I can see how her approach to cooking and the way she talks about nutrition resonates with a lot of people… I find it very approachable and easy to connect with. Her ethos is all about celebrating simple, whole foods that, when pulled together, create recipes that are not only full of flavour but densely nutritious. Her cookbook “So Good” comes out in May and it’s definitely one I want to add to my collection.

Sorting Out My Dog’s Sensitive Tum

My dog Rosie has been suffering with a few stomach upsets over the past year and we’ve spent months trying to trouble shoot what might be going on. Now, I’m no expert when it comes to pet nutrition, but from the many hours I’ve spent researching about it, it seems the guiding principles us humans are recommended to follow, are actually very similar for our pooches too. It’s been a huge eye-opener learning about the pet food industry and, quite frankly, just how terrible it is. Even the brands that are marketed as “organic” and “wholesome” are in fact incredible processed and contain ingredients that dogs simply don’t digest well. It’s mind-boggling walking down food aisles at the pet store… an all too common denominator is cheap ingredients, tonnes of filler ingredients and processed to the max. From dried kibble to wet food, it’s all made to last an lifetime on shelves and I know from my own interest in the wellness industry, we’d never think twice about eating a solidly processed diet. So why are we not following the same advice for our pets? A resource I’ve found incredibly useful is Cam at The Dog Nutritionist. If you’re questioning your pet’s food or they are having some health issues, he has some great videos on Youtube and Instagram that’ll really open your eyes and give you some guidance on the steps you can take to better the health of your pet. As a Canine Nutrigenomics expert, he’s pretty scathing of most dog food brands but one he raves about is Different Dog. In a nutshell, they are a fresh food brand that make human-grade complete dog food from quality ingredients. No fillers, no processed crap, just whole foods that provide all the nutritional support your dog craves. They’ve got so many recipes to choose from depending on dietary requirements and allergies and it gets delivered right to your doorstep. They also have B-Corp status which is a huge achievement and I love that the packaging the food comes in is either recyclable or compostable. We’ve been on their Pork Ragu for a few months now and so far Rosie is thriving. No gut disturbances and no waking up in the night for trips to the garden!

A New Rosacea-Approved Cleanser I’m Loving

I’m a huge fan of Dr Sam’s skincare and have found Sam hearself to be an incredible source of knowledge on all things dermatology and skincare. I adore her Flawless Moisturier and Gossamer SPF Tint… they’ve truly become staples in my beauty routine. With rosacea, I’m always cautious about changing up skincare but I’ve heard so much about her Flawless Cleanser I finally caved and put my trusty Avene Extremley Gentle Cleanser to one side. The texture of Flawless Cleanser is not one I’m used to – It’s a gel-like consistency and quite thick until you work it into the skin. However the uncomplicated and simple ingredients are too good to ignore. It’s fragrance-free (an essential for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin) and utilises Aloe Vera which has calming and antibacterial properties. When I was in the maldives last year, I got very familiar with Aloe Vera and resorted to slathering it all over (face included) and found it to be quite the miracle ingredient for not only soothing pink skin (ooops) but also reducing inflammation. I thought it would break me out like mad and massively flare up my rosacea but it did the exact opposite. When I learnt Dr Sam also highly regards aloe vera, enough to make it the hero ingredient of her award-winning cleanser, I had to give it a go. It’s great for removing makeup (although I’d recommend a separate eye makeup remover) and it leaves my skin feeling clean, calm and prepped for my actives and moisturiser. 

words by Molly Jennings