Escape from the everyday world, back to an oasis of tranquillity at home. With just a few select accessories, your bathroom can become an island of peace, your wet room a fountain of youth. At Ambiente we found fresh gift ideas for bodycare and wellbeing. We just know they’re pure bliss, whether you share them or keep them all to yourself.
The bathroom is our most intimate room. Here is where routine can be transformed into relaxing ritual, here is where we can enjoy a moment of peace and indulgence, with essences and treatments. Especially when the cold weather outside is getting you down, it’s amazing to cocoon at home for a spa day or evening of comforting treatments. Your skin, hair and nails will thank you for some extra care after the stresses and strains of temperature changes – and with the right beauty accessories it’ll feel just like a hotel spa break.
Creating an ambience
Switch off the lights and bring out the candles. As soon as you start running a warm bath, you’ll drift off on a cloud of harmonious fragrance. Fine candles made of natural beeswax were available from numerous exhibitors at Ambiente this year. They release soft, spicy notes of fragrance: you can almost smell the pollen in the air. Diffusors are another way to make the air shimmer with scent, like the traditional Millefiori brand which comes in delicate glass bottles. Soaps and oils added to the bath will spoil your skin and nose with natural essences, rounding off the luxurious atmosphere of your own home spa. The luxury way to lather up is with a light, natural sponge, the latest bathroom accessory from the Mediterranean that’s oh so soft – and anti-bacterial too.
Scrub your cares away!
Good brushes go with skincare like sand goes with the sea. They massage your skin, so it’s out with the old and in with the strokeably soft. Good hairbrushes can also smooth your troubles away. The brushes made by one of Germany’s oldest craft brush manufacturers score highly in terms of quality: Redecker’s wide range of hair brushes and wooden combs meets the needs of many different hair types. Indeed, brushes are setting the pace in design terms, combining cool with functionality. The pared-down Japanese style we encountered at Densan’s stand did exactly that. On the other hand Suvé’s massage brushes combine the body cult, a great look and a touch of ritual into an organic whole. They help us to be mindful of the present, and slow right down. The set includes a soft facial exfoliating brush, and for men a shaving brush and bowl. It’s a simply Zen-sational set. Here’s a skincare tip: after you’ve exfoliated using a brush, seal your skin with a nourishing product such as natural skincare oils like almond oil, perhaps mixed with essential oils.
Nailed it!
Once you’ve come back down to earth in fluffy bath towels, it’s time for the more detailed work. Your skin and nails will now be in the ideal condition for a mani-pedi. Pfeilring have thought of everything with their classic leather cases: from tweezers to cuticle scissors, they’ve got all you’ll need. If you’re looking for a luxury handcare item to last a lifetime, Solinger sells a 13-piece set of implements plated with 24-carat gold, encased in butter-soft leather stitched at the edges for strength. A touch of class for everyday use: glass files are great for sensitive nails. Their microfine structure can even get false nails into better shape. And for perfectly smooth, velvety skin, designer tubes and dispensers take pride of place on the bathroom shelf.
Delicate tones
What if you don’t have a home spa, or even a bathtub? No worries, you can have a sensual day spa in the shower. There are so many lovely products and accessories to choose from. Organic shower soaps from Iris Hantverk come in a fashionable ‘apothecary’ style dispenser, while the Buddha smiles down from a shower curtain by Kleine Wolke. Gold glistens from the Bloomingville soap dispenser, and a handy glass squeegee by Decor Walther will also add shine to your bathroom. Whether you want to treat yourself, or someone else: it’s always a pleasure. Incidentally, bold colours are best avoided in the bathroom; delicate tones set the scene much better.
