Self-care will forever be our favourite hobby but we appreciate that recharging and putting yourself first looks different for everyone. Each week, we'll be asking the celeb lot to share their ideal self-care Sunday routines, the hard-working beauty products they recommend to their friends and which TV show they're currently binging…
This week it's all about former TOWIE star and mum-of-one, Lydia Bright. The 31-year-old regularly posts high-street outfit inspiration, big brand collabs and her adorable adventures with two-year-old Loretta. Honestly, the most iconic duo.
She is also a proud Avon ambassador and stresses that you don't need to spend a fortune on beauty products for really great results. Oh, and waxes lyrical about the brand's hero anti-ageing serum which retails at just £22 (but more of that in a minute!)
Lydia chats exclusively to heat about book recommendations, self-care routines and the budget beauty buys she recommends to her friends...
On self-care
"I think self-care comes in so many different forms," Lydia tells heat, "now especially that I'm a mum, self-care for me is spending time by myself and dedicating time for just me."
So, how does the star spend her ideal self-care afternoon?
"I consider working out as self-care as it's really important for my mental health and just looking after my body. If I have an afternoon to myself I'll definitely go and do a workout and then maybe use the gym's steam room and sauna. Then afterwards, I'll come home and a bath is an absolute must. I'll then do all the steps of my skincare routine.
"I do my skincare routine anyway every morning and evening, but if I have the afternoon to myself I can do a bit of everything, like cleanse, tone, serum, face mask and moisturise. I normally fake tan during my self-care routine, as well. Then I like to lounge in my PJs and watch a little bit of Netflix.
"It's quite rare that I'll get the whole afternoon off, but I like to indulge in bits of self-care when I can, even if it's just a morning or evening routine."
On skincare
"I've always had a really good skincare routine, I've always been religious with making sure that I cleanse every morning, making sure that I tone and moisturise and also making sure that I take off all my make-up before I go to bed.
"I'm really hot on it because when I was younger I used to struggle a bit with hormonal breakouts. And now, as I've got older, while I don't really struggle with breakouts, I want to keep my skin looking as youthful as possible and prevent premature ageing. I've always been really into it and I've always really enjoyed testing new products!"
What are the hero skincare products Lydia always recommends to her friends?
"One product I've really got into is the Avon Anew Renewal Protinol Power Serum . When I first started working with Avon, I was really lucky that I could go along to an event day where they were doing clinical trials and talking to scientists about their secret ingredient called Protinol.
"I've always enjoyed trialling active ingredients like retinol and hyaluronic acid but sometimes I've got to be careful as I have sensitive skin. So I started to incorporate the serum into my morning and evening routine and I absolutely loved it. I definitely bang on about it to my friends, especially as it's so affordable, too.
avon.uk.com
"There are so many anti-ageing benefits and I feel like for me personally, my skin has become a lot more plump and a lot more hydrated. I think it's such a great product, it's also one of Avon's best-sellers as well!"
Brb, off to buy it by the bucketload.
On budget beauty buys
"I wore the Avon True Ultra Satin Lipstickin shade 'Pout' in an Instagram ad I did for them recently and everyone went mad for it. Their lipsticks are incredible. My favourite shades are Pout and Carnation. They're really reasonably priced and they last for ages. It's also multi-use, so it also doubles up as a blush on your cheeks as well!"
On fake tan favourites
"I'm loving Tanologist Self Dropsat the moment. You pop around two or three drops into a moisturiser and you can use it on your face or body. Although it's not the cheapest fake tan out there, you only need a few drops at a time so a little goes a long way. It always gives me such great results.
"Also, because we're getting into winter, my skin gets really dry and obviously fake tan dries out your skin. So there are fake tans I could probably use in the summer, but in the winter it's just a no-go because it ends up cracking and I just look really dry. I love the drops because you can mix them in with a really thick moisturiser for a really nourishing fake tan. I always use the dark shade because I'm so fair naturally and probably fake tan twice a week."
On really good books
"I read a lot and I love fiction rather than self-development books and all of that. I'd say probably my favourite author at the moment is Colleen Hoover. I'm actually reading one of her books at the minute, it's called Verity.
"I read It Ends With Us earlier in the year and honestly it is the best book that I've ever read. I'm now working my way through every book that she writes. I just love getting into bed and reading one of her books."
On daily wellness habits
Are there any daily habits Lydia likes to incorporate into her routine to ensure she feels her best self?
"I always try to exercise every day. I normally train three times a week when I know I have childcare and me and Loretta have a really active life and I think that's really important, especially getting in the fresh air.
"I also try to limit my screen time. Obviously, it's quite hard for me because my job is being on my phone and on my laptop. But I do try and limit it and give myself limitations on WhatsApp and Instagram because I don't think it's healthy to be on your phone all the time. It's the same with my daughter, she rarely has free time because we're always getting out, being active and immersing ourselves in different experiences."
On great advice
What's a brilliant piece of advice Lyds has been given recently? Spoiler alert: It's from none other than her mum and telly legend, Debbie Bright.
"So at the moment, I'm currently living with my parents, because I sold my property three months ago, and I was due to move into a new property but it all fell through. And then last week, after being so heartbroken that I lost this property, I found a new property. I've always been someone that believes everything happens for a reason and my mum gave me a really lovely saying recently and I think it really resonated. It's: 'Good things fall apart, so even better things can fall together.'"
We need that on a t-shirt, immediately.
Quickfire round:
What show are you currently watching? I've recently got into Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix and it's giving me nightmares. I'll watch an episode and then I'll have to read one of my fluffy love stories afterwards!
How do you like your cuppa? I drink tea and have a Yorkshire tea bag, normally the hard water ones because they're really strong. I leave the teabag in for at least a minute and then pop in a drop of soy milk.
Go-to loungewear brand? I love wearing matching pyjamas with Loretta. Chelsea Peersis my favourite, no word of a lie, I probably have 15 pairs of their pyjamas!
Favourite face mask? I love theFOREO UFO 2 Device, you can put different sheet masks on it and it only takes two minutes.
Go-to takeaway order? I absolutely love sushi. Where I've got my little one as well, I don't really like I really like her eating bad food. Loretta's favourite dish is actually black cod. She loves adult food, it's so odd!
Favourite candle? Avon has just launched acandle with Coppafeel and it smells incredible and is for a good cause. I did a big trek with them to Machu Picchu to raise money around seven years ago now and they do great things for breast cancer awareness.
Lydia Bright has teamed up with Avon for the launch of its Switch and Save campaign, uncovering the nation’s beauty spending habits during the cost-of-living crisis. Research found that women are spending on average £1,365 on beauty every year but admit to only using a quarter of their products. Avon wants to show that you don’t have to compromise on quality, to streamline spending.