The Good Simple Life

April 28, 2019April 30, 2019

Self-care and pampering at Skinsmiths

I’m currently between contracts and have a week off to rest and regroup before starting a new job. For someone who doesn’t shy away from hard work and firmly believes in making the most of the time you have, this is a challenge. There was little to no planning for this free time but I know that I need rest. I sustained a severe eye injury last November and rest is important for these final stages of healing. My dear Aunt back in Dominica advised me to pamper myself. Pampering? Ok. Yeah. I could do a little bit of that. Self-love and self-care. Inspired by Aubrey Daquinag, @theloveassembly on Instagram, I booked myself a facial at Skinsmiths in Belgravia.

Skinsmiths starter kit: SPF 30 Sunscreen, Gel Cleanser and Dual Cleansing Brush. Unfortunately, they were out of the regular size cleanser so this is the travel size.
https://www.skinsmiths.com

The Skinsmiths story starts over 20 years ago with co-founder Jackie Smith setting on a mission to help people achieve skin confidence with regular, membership-based skin clinic visits. Fortune would have it that Skinsmiths are celebrating their first birthday in London this month and the Signature Detox Facial was on offer for £30 (regular price £68). Membership makes consistent treatment more affordable and visible results something you can achieve in months.

SPF30 Sunscreen: delightfully light, scent-free and easily absorbed into the skin.

The interior of the clinic is gorgeous; peachy pink tones, with pine, gold, white and grey accents immediately relax and soften your mood upon entry. The lovely and friendly Michelle greets me, takes my medical history and runs an in depth consultation where I share my skin concerns and learn which memberships would work the best for my needs. Once all the formalities are complete, my facialist, Courtney, escorts me to the treatment room. Let the pampering begin.

The Cleansing Gel does a good job of removing makeup.
https://www.skinsmiths.com/skincare/gel-cleanser

First off, remove the war paint. Yes, I love my makeup and Courtney needs to do a double cleanse. Why doesn’t it feel this good when I wash my face? I must be doing it all wrong! Courtney’s hands sweep
across my face with well-trained effortless fluidity. I won’t be a PYT forever so I should adopt this more gentle approach to face washing.

Dual Cleansing Brush… the surprise favourite! https://www.skinsmiths.com/skincare/dual-cleansing-brush

Makeup removed and the microdermabrasion begins. Courtney uses an aqua-dermabrasion system with combines a diamond tip exfoliating head, a jet of serum and suction. It feels cool and comfortable on the skin, much nicer that the old school jet of crystal powder and suction I’m accustomed to. Courtney answers all my questions and has just the right balance of knowledge and suggestion in her responses.

Close-up of the lovely brush handle: made for you… thanks!

Next comes the most interesting part of the facial: thermal laser. This is intended to stimulate collagen and elastin in the dermis, the deeper layer of our skin. Goggles are required to protect my eyes and my big, ole hair is doing battle with the goggles strap. I can honestly say I’ve never experienced a sensation like this. Yes, it’s warm as the name suggests, but it also feels like micro bolts of lightning striking into your skin. Not angry, Thor type lightning, mind you, but a mild, neighbourly zippy zap.

Densely packed fine bristles for deeper cleaning. Feels fantastic.

The treatment ends with serum and a slathering of SPF 30 cream. I look in the mirror and I’m relieved there is no redness. Fresh, dewy skin and a smile. I’m offered and excellent treatment program to battle the skin concerns which hinder full skin confidence. My goal is to be makeup free. Something tells me Skinsmiths will be able to deliver. I will keep you posted, but in the meantime, check them out!

Exfoliating side: fairly flexible rubbery surface. Surprised by how soft skin feels after using this. Good massage too.

February 9, 2019February 9, 2019

Where’s your accent from?

When asked where my accent is from, I reply, it’s mixed from Dominica, Vancouver (because ‘anc’ is pronounced ‘ang’ for ‘Vangcouverites’…) and London. To which the response invariably is, ah, the Dominican Republic. You must speak Spanish too. This response confirms the box people assume I fit or belong in and it’s like setting up a little podium and giving me a mic to deliver my weekly Dominica speech. Clears throat. Inhale. And go!

Dominica Nature Isle south west coast mountains — The Commonwealth of Dominica, the Nature Isle of the Caribbean

No. Not the Dominican Republic. It’s pronounced dom-in-EE-ca, not d’uh-minica. I don’t speak Spanish, well… I do… but not because I’m from the Dominican Republic (please stop taking Dominica’s mail, btw!). Yes, we have a parrot on our flag. No, we’re not pirates. Pineapples don’t grow on trees. Mountain chicken is really a frog. We call it that so the tourists will order it from the menu. We have 365 rivers, a boiling lake, and, quite frankly, too many volcanoes. Kweyol is a beautiful language, especially for storytelling, shouting and expressing intense emotion. At least once a week, we hop into someone’s car to go for a vep, a short ride with no particular purpose or destination.

Dominica Nature Isle central mountains covered in rainforest with coconut tree in foreground. — Volcanic terrain robed in majestic green.

We’re the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Nature Isle of the Caribbean. Columbus stumbled upon us (he was lost and you can’t discover a place when it’s already inhabited by people with better navigating skills). It was a Sunday, hence the name, which, FYI, we got BEFORE the Dominican Republic. The Spanish claimed us. The French and British fought over us. For. Decades. The Brits won. We became independent in 1978. Our beautiful Kalinago people survived it all. Our original name: Waitukubuli, meaning “Tall is her body.”

There’s nothing like the sound of jing ping music. Or singing crapauds at night (those are the mountain chicken). Or waves ebbing over a rocky shoreline. There’s nothing like the smell of jasmine blooms on a warm evening. Or boiling cocoa tea. Or piles of bay leaves on the side of the road in Delices. We have the world’s complete catalogue of the colour green. Those gem-like flashes you see around hibiscuses are hummingbirds. Some times of year, mangoes are for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Because they’re that good and it’s too hot to cook.

Royal Naval College on clear sunny day with Canary Wharf in the background. — When the British set out to claim Dominica, they conducted some of their studies here in Greenwich at the Royal Naval College. I now live here!

Vancouver False Creek and Burrard Bridge on clear sunny day. — I also lived in Vancouver, Canada for 16 years and it shows in my accent.

Hard to find and get to for a visit. Even harder to leave. Have your hankie ready. Small in numbers, big in heart.

You need to experience Dominica for yourself.

My name is Nikisha, and I’m an islander! I live in London. I have Canadian values and British citizenship. This is the story my accent tells even though you’re hearing something else. Not from here. Foreign. Exotic (because if I were a fruit I’d be a pinapple). But adding to what makes London rich and vibrant.

London's Tower Bridge and London City Hall with dramatic clouds. — Cosmopolitan London with its moody clouds, blue skies, beautiful bridges and gorgeous people from all over the world.

From now on, when asked about my accent, I will send a link to this blog post and save my precious time.

💕

February 3, 2019February 5, 2019

Rest and Recharge

By the end of 2017, I realised the aftermath of hurricane Maria had really taken its toll on me; I withdrew from my active life with friends and family, opting to be on my own, silently shaking my fists at fate between bouts of intense anger and tears of frustration and fatigue. When 2018 rolled up, I resolved to improve my mental health and went on a self-help book shopping spree.

Out of all my purchases, the most challenging read was 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson. Rule 2, Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping, resonated deeply with me. After the hurricane, I threw myself into helping family and friends and worked tirelessly. I neglected myself. Peterson points out our responsibility for young children, the elderly and even pets is characterised by a greater level of care than that we have for ourselves . What is something that makes a world of difference to young children that we treat with utmost attention? Rest. Parents and caregivers agonize over full nights of sleep and naps; their children enter an intense program of rest training.

“Time for bed, my little darling.”

“C’mon little junior, it’s nap time.

A new year is here, I’m doing well but battling bout of insomnia. I remembered Rule 2 and decided a return to rest training had to be prioritised. First Sunday of February, what would normally be billed as a Super Hygge Sunday, was a Super Hygge Sunday of rest.

I have put a lot of effort into making my room an airy, peaceful sanctuary. Good quality, fleecy bedding makes sleep toasty. Leafy babies (my nickname for my plants… they also have individual names and that’s a separate post!) adorn the windowsill and side table. It’s a fantastic place to rest and feel at peace.

If you must retreat, retreat into cushions.

Cushions. Lots of cushions. 4 pillows and 5 cushions might be overdoing it at first glance, but if you’ve ever come home after playing “sardines in a tin” with other London commuters, you will appreciate falling backwards into a heap of softness swathed in sumptuous fabrics. Yes, the cushion love is deep.

Lena und Rolf. My German sheepie slippers.

I wake up, throw on Lena and Rolf (my beloved felt and wool slippers from the Cologne Weinachtmarkt), shuffle to the kitchen for some tea and get right back to bed. I listen to scripture, jot down blessing in my thankfulness journal and close my eyes with deep breaths and observe my mental state. Which wrong turns did I take this week? How can I redirect my path? Everything will be ok, right? Yes, everything has a way of working out.

Relaxing Lavender Sleep Mist from Holland and Barrett’s MiaRoma range

I drink lots of water and nap some more. I decide to intensify the mellow mood with some lavender aromatherapy. My training is going really well. By midday, the sun is so bright I want to go outside and enjoy it.

Light Relax from Aromatherapy Associates features Lavender, Ylang and Pettigrain to help unwind.

My intentional rest was a huge success and a Super Hygge Sunday (or Saturday) of Rest will be a regular fixture on the calendar.

💕

February 2, 2019February 9, 2019

Finding Magic in the Mundane

We’ve made it through January replete with snow, arctic vortices, upsetting headlines and travel woes. Let’s make February different. How about shifting our perspective more to the present and injecting magic into the mundane. Case in point: a trip to the post office.

I walk through a biting wind and sloshy sleet to buy stamps. Sounds fairly mundane, right? As I fight with my umbrella (it pops the wrong way out) in the wind, I laugh. That brief moment of engaging my cheek muscles reminds me to smile. It’s simple and has the power to shift everything. So I smile. I look up at the beautiful, brick façades in Belgravia. A man in a parka cruises by on a bike.

Cyclist cruising by No 38, Blo Chelsea Green Salon and Luxe + Hardy in Belgravia, London

Some seriously stylish women glide along the glistening pavement in luxurious fur. I fear they will get doused with paint but nothing happens. They soon disappear leaving only a trace of oudh in the chill. Silvery olive trees quiver. Vans and taxis stream by. The odd music of suitcase wheels rolling over grit accompanies tourists heading to the local hotels. I listen. I see. I smell. I smile. I feel calm and happy. My face is freezing but my heart is toasty.

It’s all beautiful. When you are mindful of the present moment, you can truly appreciate its magic. Try it the next time you’re going through what seems mundane. See how your spirit quiets within and life feels simply good.

💕

November 20, 2018November 20, 2018

Loose Leaf Tea To Go

A biting Easterly blows over the city of London, skies take on that all too familiar grey hue and the temperature drops. This is no cause for concern. Don your favourite wooly hat, twirl into a soft scarf and keep your hands warm around a flask of hot tea. Here’s a simple, cost effective way to get your tea fix on the go and spare the landfill another paper cup.

I’m the proud owner of a matte, coral T2 Travel Flask. It comes with an infuser so you can elevate your tea experience from boring bag to luscious loose leaf. A spicy chai, also from T2, is a perfect pairing for the gloomy weather. Cardamom, star anise and cloves call to mind a Christmas market visit with the aroma of mulled wine lingering in the chilly air.

On Fridays, you can bring your Travel Flask to any T2 shop and have it filled with your favourite tea for free. How’s that for return on investment?!

To save a little more time in the morning, you can measure your tea into the infuser, seal to keep fresh and fill the kettle, all the night before. Everything will be waiting and knowing there’s a special treat in the kitchen will diminish the shock of getting out of a warm bed. Hopefully.

Fill the flask with boiling filtered water. I use a Brita filter to improve the taste of the “government juice” from the tap. The filter also reduces the water’s calcium content, in turn protecting your kettle from limescale deposits and the need for harsh descaling chemicals.

Once the tea has steeped, remove the infuser, dispose of the leaves in the food bin if you have one (never down the drain!). Add milk and sugar to taste.

Keep warm. Keep smiling.

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018

Self-Care Saturday – Soho and Seven Dials

A simple guide to mastering self-care dining.

To start

Wander past Soho Square to the corner of Old Compton and Greek Street. Look at the raindrops dancing at your feet, the fall leaves glistening and puddles reflecting the red glow of cautioning tail lights.

Enter Café Boheme and ask for a table for one. Ask with joy. Ask as if it is the most normal thing in the world. Reject any pity the waiter may cast your way. You are here to treat yourself, to delight your senses and it requires your rapt and undivided attention. No. There will not be anyone joining me. Graciously pile your coat, scarf and bag on that empty chair next to you!

Sophisticated solo diners indulge in offal on the regular. Order the Chicken Liver Pâté and a Boheme spritz (St. Germain, Suze, sparkling wine and grapefruit tonic, garnished with ruby grapefruit wedge). Forlorn harmonica. French jazz accordion. Warm light. Fast service. Eclectic, buzzing crowd. Staff glide through their tasks as if in an exuberant, extemporaneous dance. The sprtiz hits. Ah. If a smile wells up from deep within, don’t hold back. Let the strangers stare.

Adore Café Boheme; the art on the walls, the metallic fragrance of the polished brass, the candlelight, the ebb and flow of music, people, laughter, the crash of breaking glass. Forget your cares. Be thankful to be alive and fortunate enough to dine out.

The Main

Cross Cambridge Circus. Artfully dodge taxis and tourists. More puddles. Enjoy them. Observe how they reflect the cityscape. Beautiful, no?

Enter Flesh and Buns, Seven Dials. Sky Train pumps out of the sound system. Rhythmic bass with honey-smooth contralto vocals. Head down to the basement. Wooden booth dividers, reminiscent of Minka partitions, create cosy nooks. Diners are mellow and the atmosphere is more sedate. This is perfectly fine.

Wait for the Crispy Duck Leg Bao. The wait is ridiculously long but glass of Alvarinho is generously topped up. Get seriously tipsy. Nap in the dipping bowl. Rest is an important part of self-care. The duck arrives. Wow. Is it ever crispy. The duck needed time. Respect the time needed to attain this level of perfect crispiness.

Crispy Duck Leg Bao at Flesh and Buns, Seven Dials

Bao building: smother sauce, cram in cucumber slices, layer lettuce and dish out the duck. Big bite. Big smile.

Would you care to see the dessert menu?

Try the ice cream another time. Like summer time.

Full and content, stroll the cobbles of Seven Dials and contemplate what confection will delight and draw the evening to a close.

Mon Plaisir! Drift back to France. This is the oldest French restaurant in London. The interior is so charming and the staff are exceptionally polite and attentive. Order a tawny port and warm Tarte Tartin with a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream. Let it remind you that nobody can love you quite the way you do. And each day is an opportunity to extend that level of love to any other human being you encounter. It makes the world a beautiful place.

November 4, 2018November 4, 2018

Morning Espresso

November is here. Mornings are frosty and dark. Getting out of bed is slow and so sleepy. How about a piping hot espresso to start the day? Don’t wait until you’re halfway through your commute to spend money on a coffee to-go. Slipper shuffle to the kitchen and get set for a java jolt in style. Save your pennies because Christmas is around the corner.

This gorgeous stovetop espresso maker from Gnali and Zani makes me smile every single time I get it out of the cupboard. Storing on the counter-top or a kitchen shelf are also great options to display the happy duck egg blue and soft wood-effect handles. Matching espresso cup is optional.

Opt for fairtrade coffee. Lately, I’ve been savouring the full-bodied Machu Picchu from Café Direct. Dark chocolate notes linger and the aroma is irresistible. Go on. Stick your nose in the bag and have a good whiff.

There’s no need to compress the coffee in the funnel filter. Stovetop espresso makers don’t create the same high pressure as a counter-top espresso machine. Fill loosely, level and clean the rim of coffee grounds.

For safety’s sake, don’t overfill the boiler. Place the funnel filter in the boiler and screw the coffee pot on securely, creating a good seal.

Keep the handle away from heat source. Confirm with your espresso maker manual that your hob or stovetop is appropriate.

Your espresso maker will fill the kitchen with its special brand of music: gurgles, sputters and hisses. Don’t be alarmed. When it dies down to a steady hiss, the coffee pot is full. Promptly remove from heat to prevent burning the espresso.

Smells so good!

Remember we’re getting this caffeine kick in style? We need some dainty cookies and candlelight.

All smiles in no time. Shine bright today.

October 30, 2018November 1, 2018

Moving to London

At a house-warming party last weekend, someone asked me, “How long have you been in London?” It’s been six and a half years since I moved here from Vancouver, BC. Feels like I’ve been here a lifetime! It could have been the October chill in the air and the open fire crackling outside which put me in a reminiscent mood. How did it go again?

How about the foggy April 2012 morning driving through Dulwich with four suitcases straining to contain my belongings, staring out the window of my uncle’s car, thinking, boy, they sure like bricks here. I’ve been here for half an hour and I’m sick of the bricks already. But there was excitement beneath my brick loathing and anxiety. A homecoming in a way as I had already lived in London as a child.

I decided to search out those little pieces of London which remained lodged in the oldest parts of my memory, hoping to fan nostalgia into a bright flame of love for my new home. What better place to start than a bag of Hula Hoops. Hula Hoops are potato snacks, salty bands of goodness you can slip onto your fingertips and eat in a way you never can at the dinner table. Single bag purchases soon grew into multi bag purchases. Each crunch opened up my mind and I remembered trips to Hampstead Heath with my parents and my older brother. I remembered riding my tricycle in the house when my Great-grandfather looked after Anthony and me. I remembered my Strawberry Shortcake sneakers. Hula Hoops became a drug that sent me on happy trips down memory lane. Hula Hoops helped ease my fears and anxieties. They were familiar. A portal to an age where everything was new, when I had more life-ahead miles, and I would stare at my little hands, wondering what they’d look like when I grow up. I went to my old house, walked down my old street. Every morning I woke up and went exploring. Before long, London and I were like a boy and a girl sitting on a wooden bench under a full moon in silence, stretching out arms to hold hands for the first time.

And then I started working. And having to commute to work. All I could sing to London was, “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” Delays. Missed trains. Missed busses. Hydroplaned by busses. Loose paving tiles with secret reservoirs of the blackest water waiting to slosh onto your new shoes. Pushing. Shoving. Squashing. Squeezing. Odours. Garbage. Vomit. Drunks. Pan faces. Armpits in your face. Faces in your face, eyes averted. Illness. Asthma. Realising that, yes, we’re both speaking English, but I have no idea what you’re saying.

I got a chain saw and demolished that moonlit bench. London, I’m sorry, but I think I’m still in love with Vancouver. And Dominica.

Then the sun came out. It got hot. I saw a magpie. The evening parade of cats through the back garden. Roses in Green Park. Olympic glory. Jubilee pomp. Smiling faces. Taxidermy dodos at the museum. Capoeira at Russell Square. Outdoor markets. An appreciation for the music and magic of English English. Long walks along the Thames. Steeple bells in the distance. Long train rides to family. Theatre. Tea. Green fields with cows and sheep. Friends old and new. And the grinning foxes loping across Goose Green in the humid night would smile and say, “Hello, love. You awright?” And I was.

The days cooled and rolled into months. One day I woke up and everything was familiar. In an instant it seemed. I started running into people I knew on streets that were once only filled with strangers. I navigated the sidewalks like Fred Astaire, avoiding the paving tiles which slosh black water onto my not-so-new shoes. I gave directions to bewildered tourists, mostly so they would stop blocking the tube corridors. I knew where to get pancakes and maple syrup at 3:00 am. Last week I flung myself, back first, into a crowded tube without batting an eyelash.

When I got home, there was a miniature wooden bench waiting for me with a note from London. Can we sit next to each other? Can we sit and be? Sometimes we’ll hold hands. Sometimes we won’t. But let’s just sit and look out. There’s so much to see and so much of it is beautiful.

October 17, 2018October 25, 2018

Add Light to Your Day

There is a tiny, bright spark of the infinite and eternal within you.

Your potential. Your passion. Your purpose.

Do all you can to discover the source of this light.

Nurture it.

And shine!

I’m a huge fan of the Scandinavian concept of hygge. Hygge is that indescribable feeling and atmosphere of cozy, heart-warming and happy. The Good Simple Life is all about getting more of this! One of the quickest ways I can inject a little hygge into my day is with candles.

Tea lights and an assortment of scented candles are always on hand at home. For my morning espresso and all meals at home, the flickering glow of candlelight makes a special moment of what so easily becomes rushed and mundane. At the end of the day, my room is lit with only one or two candles; the dim light slows everything down and eases me into a restful night of sleep.

I invested in this beautiful Lavender Scented Candle from L’Occitane en Provence. It comes in a hexagonal glass jar with a metal lid. The lilac design on the lid turns the candle into a beautiful Art Deco object d’art when the candle isn’t in use (and hides the charred wick). Lavender has soothing and relaxing properties and the scent of this candle is just right in terms of strength.

If you’re not quite yet ready to splurge on this beauty, don’t worry. TK Maxx has great deals on Sand and Fog candles right now. I got the Pumpkin Spice mini candles for less than £3.00 each. They come in white glass with a lovely carved wood lid.

Candle light is mesmerising. As I light my morning coffee candle and think about the day ahead, I’m inspired to let my light shine.

It’s good. It’s simple.

October 14, 2018October 17, 2018

Hello world!

Welcome to The Good Simple Life! I’m thrilled you’ve stopped by and I hope that a few minutes spent here will leave you feeling inspired to live life beautifully.

Nikisha