3rd June 2020
The weather has tanked, the world has gone mad and no one seems to be steering us in the right direction. There is a lot of work to do, a lot of motivation to find and a lot of emotion to be processed. And it’s Wednesday. So basically it just really feels like the right time to sack all of that off and indulge in a tiny bit of emotional numbing.
5 mins max then back to the real world people …...
The Dreamy Hotel
Elements of Byron Resort & Spa
They had us at ‘Barefoot Luxury’, but if you need more, there’s a lagoon pool with a bar, an adults-only pool, a spa, wilderness walks, a 24 hour gym, a horse ranch and a parkour-inspired kids playground. Not to mention a solar powered train that takes you to Byron Bay town centre in 8 minutes.
It’s around £200 a night and for more ‘research’ go to elementsofbyron.com.au
The Fabulous Bag
Cult Gaia’s Banu Bag in Hibiscus Multi
This is the bag we’ll match with our white jeans at the fictional school sports day. Totally impractical (you can fit a lipstick, a mini hand sanitiser and half a tampon in it) but so fabulous. It’s basically a silky hankie and the opposite of the practical utility clothing that has so far forcibly defined Spring 2020.
It’s around £300 and worth every penny in our opinion.
The Candle
Flore by Evermore London
A beautiful, hazy, misty Spring fragrance that sweeps you away from the lockdown reality of staring out of your window at next door’s cat taking a sh*t on your patio and makes you feel as though you’re running through through a beautiful field at sunrise. Handpoured with rapeseed and soy wax, and served up in recycled black glass jars, the candles contain toxin free fragrances and burn for 60 hours of escapism. £48.
For more scents and to buy, go to evermorelondon.com
The Wine
Piquepoul Noir Rose 2019 'Foncalieu'
Though only 250 acres of this rare grape remain, Piquepoul Noir has been grown in Southern France for centuries. It is originally from the Languedoc and is one of the 13 grapes permitted in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. So basically it’s really quite posh and is so pale it won’t leave a stain if you spill it on the pretend sports day white jeans.
It’s also extremely refreshing. North and South wines have an offer on a case of 6 bottles, so you can save a few pennies while pretending you’re on the Riviera.
Visit northandsouthwines.co.uk
The Rooftop Bar
Moon Bar, Bangkok
Here you are, fully glammed, sunkissed and perched on a barstool up on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel in Bangkok. You patiently wait for the bartender to fix you a Dragon Ball (rum, whiskey, passion fruit wine, soda, bitters) while you soak up the buzzing cityscape below and chat to the 17 friends you’ve taken this trip with because it’s a special birthday, or perhaps a wedding, and anyway there are no restrictions here on how many people you can get drunk with.
There is also a cantilevered selfie platform but obviously you’d never be naff enough to go near that...until the 7th Dragon Ball kicks in and then security literally have to lever you off so the other tourists can have a go.
The Facial
Kerry Benjamin Stacked Skincare Studio, Santa Monica
Kerry Benjamin left a corporate tech job in Silicon Valley to set up her studio and product lines, and she’s now made it a multi-million dollar global brand, alongside the celebrity clients she looks after. She blends up to 5 treatments into one to improve any kind of problem skin and loves a bit of non-invasive technology to knock the years off. So when we’re in LA this summer we’ll be popping in to get a spot of dermaplanning and microneedling done, all whilst laying poolside in her private studio.
(Failing that, she has a bestselling micro exfoliating roller that’s available on Amazon for 35 quid but that’s not what we’re about today so we’re not posting a link, just look it up yourself if you want it….)
Okay, that’s your lot for today, now back to the crazy. Good luck.
The Balance Club x