We love a bit of self-care and all this time at home has really given us an excuse to look after ourselves inside and out. Each week, we'll be asking the celeb lot to share their Sunday self-care routines, because taking care of yourself is more important than ever.
This week it's all about Amelia Dimoldenberg, the presenter and comedian who's known for her deadpan humour and awkward silences. The 27-year-old also hosts the hilarious Chicken Shop Date series on YouTube, where she interviews musicians such as Dave and Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall in, you guessed it, a chicken shop. Content for the people!
Amelia is also working with Gumtree as their Hype Girl for Hire, where she's urging the public to get their unwanted items up for sale. Apparently, 34% of us are now looking to get rid of things we rushed to buy in lockdown (oops), so there's never been a better time to declutter.
Amelia caught up with heat to talk about her self-care favourites, that hilarious advert and her golden advice for any budding content creators...
On daily wellness habits
Self-care isn't just a face mask on a Sunday afternoon, it's also the daily habits that ensure we feel our best. For Amelia, it's all about staying off her phone (or at least trying to!) and waking up bright and early.
"One thing is trying to stay off your phone for as long as possible, which I am very bad at the moment, especially as, especially as my job is around my phone. I'm on it a lot and I really do notice the difference between when I'm not on it and when I am in terms of self-care," she told us.
"I realise everyone's different, but for me getting up at like 8am and getting up and dressed is just so good for me."
Amelia's also trying to incorporate guided meditations into her week. "I'm trying to do 10 minutes, and it's actually really challenging to focus your attention for just 10 minutes, I didn't think it would be so hard! But one of my goals is to try and do it three times a week. As soon as I get up in the morning, I sit at the end of my bed and do it with the Headspace app."
On skincare
So, is Amelia a 13-step skincare buff or a wash and go type of gal? Turns out, she's making a strong case for the ol' make-up wipe.
"I use make-up wipes and I know that's very controversial and some people don't think that you should use them. But I am quite lucky with my skin that I just have quite normal skin. I also don't wear very much make-up, if I was wearing tons of makeup every day I would have to change my skincare routine..."
"Then I'll wash my face again just with water and soap. And then I will use theElemis Soothing Apricot Toner, and it's so nice. Molly-Mae [Hague] got me on to it. She had it in her beauty box and I'm actually obsessed with it. So I use that and then I use Sunday Riley's C.E.O Vitamin C Cream, it's very thick, which I like. Then I'll use Bubblewrapfrom Glossier, you can put it on your lips and under your eyes, it's my favourite. Do you remember when they had the discount code that went viral? I definitely took advantage of that, I literally spent hundreds of pounds. It was actually so bad, I didn't end up saving any money..."
Ah, the infamous 'friends of Glossier'. We feel your pain.
On being Gumtree's Hype Girl for Hire
Amelia is currentlyGumtree'sHype Girl For Hire to help sellers rehome their items through good old fashioned celebrity endorsement. The advert is hilariously awkward, in true Amelia Dimoldenberg style, as she helps the public sell their unwanted things.
"I guess with my tone, I'm sometimes quite low energy on purpose, as in, that's the vibe. So it was really fun to play this character that was meant to be very hyped up and overdramatic and this is my interpretation of it, which is putting a comedy spin on underplaying the hype, which I really found so fun. And I was so happy with the full advert and I got so much positive feedback, everyone wanted me to sell their stuff."
Of course, we naturally have to ask if Gumtree's Hype Girl For Hire has any tips and tricks to make decluttering a doddle?
"I think it links to self-care because I feel like having less things around in your house definitely gives you some peace of mind and clutter, I think is a real visual example of stress in your life. I definitely am pro having only the essentials."
"I think in terms of knowing what to give away or what to resell I think things that you're not using that often or at all. They're the first things I think that you should put on sites like Gumtree. It's really easy just to take a photo, upload it onto Gumtree and then someone else can love what you loved. It also makes you feel good."
On life-changing books and podcasts
Amelia laughs and says that although they haven't changed her life (fair) she definitely has a few book and podcast recommendations to share. She also hints that her favourite will be her own podcast when it exists and quite frankly, we're already excited.
"I love the 'Dolly Parton's America'podcast. It was amazing because I'm a big Dolly fan, but this really went in-depth into her life. It wasn't just about her, it touched on so many different subjects and topics, from love to politics to race to American identity and I really enjoyed it a lot. Gumtree has a podcast as well with Rachel Parris [The Good Finds], so that's another great one. "
"In lockdown, I got really into reading for the first time ever and I really need to get back into it. Reading is so good for self-care because you really do just get transported into another world, which means you stop thinking about your own reality and your own stresses."
"I read both Sally Rooney's books and I know, everyone loves her, but I hadn't readNormal People and I hadn't read Conversations With Friends. I just loved them so much. She has such a way of articulating the miscommunications that people who are so close to each other can have, which is just so relatable. I really connected with that and maybe it did change my life, I don't know."
On advice for content creators
With 688,000 subscribers on YouTube, Amelia is making moves online and has some golden advice for anyone who fancies themselves as a content creator.
"My main tip is quality over quantity. Don't feel the pressure, which only so many people do, to stick to a schedule in terms of putting out content, because I think that can be really damaging in terms of your creativity, to be like, I have to put something out every Friday at six o'clock. You're gonna end up putting out stuff that's not very good. So I think really, you should be focusing on making something that you're really happy with and it doesn't matter if it's like once every three months, that's literally what I've always done. It puts you in a safer position throughout your career because nobody is expecting something from you at a certain time. That can be a dangerous game to play, the weekly upload."
"My other tip is, think about what your friends love about you and make that your USP. Because there's always going to be something unique about you. There's no one like you, you're you. Asking your friends or thinking about what your friends like about you is a great way to know what makes you unique. Sometimes it's very hard to tell yourself, you need it shown from someone else. That's what I did because I was always the awkward one and everyone would tell me."
Quickfire round:
Show you’re currently binging? Love Island. It's not as entertaining as other years but I'm really enjoying it.
Go-to cuppa? A builders tea with oat milk. I keep the teabag in because I like it really strong. I know it's controversial.
Go-to loungewear brand? Peach Den.
Favourite face mask? Mij masks, by Maya Jama.
Favourite candle? Will have to say Diptyque...
Now! More news!
Louise Pentland talks skincare, habit stacking and the non-cakey £3 concealer she swears by
The £4.99 air dry cream that means you can ditch the hairdryer
Non-rubbish ways to feel er, less rubbish
- Start a new hobby: whether it's pottery or baking bread, now is the time to make the most of your free weekends and quiet evenings. Anything that gets us off our phone for a bit gets a yes from us.
- Make your bed first thing: a tidy bedroom equals a tidy brain, people. It will take you less than a minute and will help you feel more... y'know, together.
- Invest more in your friendships: the pandemic has meant we've felt more alone than ever before. Remember second and third-tier friends? Send WhatsApp messages, forward memes and even make their day with a thoughtful letterbox gift. Ah, we feel better already.