We love a bit of self-careand 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 YouTuber and mumfluencer Louise Pentland. She regularly documents her life with honest parenting vlogs and hilarious Instagram Reels which call BS on 'perfect' motherhood. We love to see it.
The mum-of-two, who has a combined five million followers across YouTube and Instagram, has penned heartwarming memoirs and gripping novels, is an 'ambassador for childhood' for the NSPCC and even topped Mother&Baby's The Mum List in 2019.
She's recently launched her own handbag collection with LRM , which truly reflects Louise’s love of all things bright, chic and fabulously ‘extra’.
Louise caught up with heat to talk digital detoxes, beauty favourites and of course, her ultimate self-care Sunday...
On mental health
Due to the pandemic it's been a turbulent time for us all and Louise admits she found the change difficult to navigate at first.
"In 2020, it felt like everyone else was in their garden making banana bread. I was like this chaotic whirlwind, who was just trying to keep everything going and I wasn't sure what was happening. I think that I didn't take care of myself at all then because I just went into a sort of coping mode. I think a lot of business owners and mums and just women, in general, will have felt that."
"I took all of January offline and had a digital detox and it was amazing. I'm going to have every January off now. I was still writing my book and doing stuff behind the scenes, but it completely took the pressure off of sharing anything at all. At first, it was weird, but then it was quite nice after that, it doesn't matter that my eyebrows look terrible, or that the house is a mess. Like who cares? No one can see."
Louise has found positive habits to fit into her every day that make her feel better. She calls it 'habit stacking'.
"My friends got me into habit stacking, which is where you do stack nice little habits into your day. So for example, I started getting the children's clothes out the night before. So in the morning, I can spend more time getting myself ready and I'm not tearing through their wardrobes trying to find something. It's a nice little habit and every day I'm like, Oh, thanks, past Louise, I'm glad you stacked that into the day!'"
"Make your life easy by preparing things in advance and you feel so smug. I'm telling you the best self-care is to feel smug." Hear hear.
On her new LRM collection
Louise has just launched a predominantly heart-shaped handbag collection with LRM and it is S T U N N I N G. Think summery pinks, mints and dusky blues and they're even available in kid's sizes so you can twin with your mini-me. So, how did the collection come about?
"It's actually a bag I wanted for myself, I didn't intend for it to be a range. Before Christmas, I was looking for a beautiful, high-end heart-shaped bag and there were none that really fit my budget or were what I was looking for. I knew the LRM team and I thought, 'I wonder if I could be really boujee and ask them to make what I wanted and I would pay for it, obviously.'
"Then somewhere along the lines a range came about and I was like, 'this is amazing!' because now I get all my dream bags, but also everyone else can have my dream bag as well!'"
What's even better than getting your hands on Louise's dream bag? If you buy the yellow bag, 15% of sales are donated to the NSPCC, a charity close to Louise's heart.
"Those that follow me know that I had a really turbulent upbringing. It wasn't a childhood that you would hope any child has. I find it really personally healing, but also, obviously, anything you can do to help charities that are helping anyone really, particularly children, is a bonus. So every time someone buys a yellow bag, they're treating themselves and treating someone else which is quite nice."
www.lrmgoods.co.uk
On the ultimate self-care Sunday
"So if I had a totally Louise day, I'd get up early because I really like to have all of my day. I'll have a lovely shower, I really like Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel, that's lovely. Get dressed into something nice, I'm a fan of a floral midi dress. Obviously put on anLRM bag because they elevate every outfit in the world. Then I think I would do my make-up really nice, I always use benefit Goof Proof for brows, that's one I'll never sway from and a really bright pink lipstick I think is always a winner. Go out with best friend Esther and squeeze a Wagas in because who doesn't like a Chicken Katsu Curry?
"Then for products when I get home, I remove my make-up with the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser . I also really like the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm
"Then I always use the Sarah Chapman Skin Assist Overnight Facial .If I don't use it I can tell in the morning, I'm like, 'hmm, did not get into some good habit stacking there!'.
"I really liked theSkin Republic Retinol Hydrogel Under Eye Patches . They're just these little semi-circles that you put under your eyes because I don't love a full face mask. I don't want a full sheet on my face but under the eye things that make you just feel so nice and fresh and not like the haggard mother I am!"
On favourite budget beauty buys
"For make-up removal, I love The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter. A really great concealer is the Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer, it's really nice and doesn't make you look cakey and old!'
On #extra beauty routines
"I'm not a low key person at all. Apart from in the pandemic, I didn't wash my own hair for nine years, I just went to the salon twice a week to have a bouncy blow-dry because I never wanted to have a bad day!"
On negativity online
Louise has an empowered and positive community online, but sadly a large following often comes hand in hand with trolling and online bullying.
"I think that it comes with the territory. I don't think it should and I don't think anyone should be like, 'oh, well you put yourself out there, so that's what you should expect.' We shouldn't have to expect this. In very few jobs would you go to work and be called every name under the sun and have your personality and your personal life ripped apart."
"Sometimes I rise above it and I just think, 'Oh, these people have sad lives and I pity them.' But sometimes it does wipe me out for the day and I just feel really sad about it. Occasionally I try and think is there helpful criticism I can take from this and use it to improve myself. But oftentimes with trolls, it's not helpful criticism. It's just bullying."
On digital detoxes
With many of us spending over six hours a day looking at our phones, how does Louise deal with social media boundaries when so much of her work is online?
"So I'm on my phone an awful lot and most of the time, I really enjoy being on my phone, because although this is my job before it was my job, it was my hobby. But you can't be on your phone all the time, you do need to have detox time. So I take January off, although not really off because I still go on my phone, I just don't post anything. I'm starting to learn when I can feel that headache after being on it a bit too long and when it doesn't feel fun anymore. I think giving yourself permission to stop is important. Because I think sometimes we feel that we ought to share or need to check-in. It's okay to say to yourself, 'no I don't!'
"You've got to live your life and share on social media and not live your life on social media. You don't want to spend your whole day just scrolling on your phone."
Louise shares how curating who she follows has been revolutionary.
"I quite often go through my Instagram and decide, 'do I really want to follow this person?' or look for people or use hashtags of things that mean a lot to me, like a plus-size, fashion or honest motherhood, and then I follow accounts that I would find on there. Even down to like your personal Facebook page, I bet you're following groups or pages that you signed up to, like five years ago. Go through those and get rid because it's just extra information in front of your eyes that you don't need every day."
Quickfire:
Show you’re currently binging? I'm halfway through watching Dumpling, I know I'm like two years late to the party but I'm enjoying it!
Go-to cuppa? I hate hot drinks, so a Diet Coke fresh from the fridge.
Go-to loungewear brand? I've discovered a brand called Love Leggings, they're the best leggings ever.
Favourite face mask? Skin Republic Retinol Hydrogel Under Eye Patches
Go-to takeaway order? A vegetable Thai green curry.
Favourite candle? I really like The White Company Christmas ones. Obviously only at Christmas. There a classic.
Now! More news!
Amber Gill talks journaling, self-care rituals and the £9 gel cleanser she swears by
Chloe Lewis talks beauty routines, juicing and the £3.98 mascara she can't be without
Olivia Attwood talks #extra wellness treatments, manifestation and her ultimate self-care Sunday
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.