What does well being mean to you? Does it mean feeling relaxed, less stressed, healthy or all of the above? In todays age of the conscious consumer where well being and creating more meaningful lives are upper most in peoples minds, it is important to get to know the business you are working with or buying from.
Three businesses who focus on promoting well being in your daily lives are Interior Design Journey, Departures and Arrivals and House of Palms. They cover three of the major senses; sight, smell and touch and have a combined strength to help you feel more relaxed, switch off from the daily rigors and appreciate the world around you that little more.
In order to appreciate these three senses and encapsulate the well being mantra behind each of these businesses, I was invited to spend an hour with each of them. In this hour I relaxed in Priya’s relaxation room an Interior Design Journey creation, to experience an indulgent massage at the hands of Sarah from House of Palms, whilst also surrounding myself with the opulent aroma of scented candles available from Denise at Departures and Arrivals. As you can imagine it was every woman’s dream afternoon.
When we think of relaxation we often think of calming fragrances of lavender, the unwinding touch from a massage or even the feel of a luxuriously soft bed to jump into at the end of every day. In this array of relaxing thoughts, ‘Sight’ can often become over looked (excuse the pun!) However, sight can be a powerful tool to help aid the feeling of calm and Priya from Interior Design Journey aims to create meaningful spaces within your homes, in which to seek sanctuary from the outside world and create lifelong memories with your loved ones. Priya listens to her client’s needs and taste before exploring Singapore sourcing the perfect decor for your home.
The moment I stepped into Priya’s relaxation room I felt a sense of calm and ease. The colour scheme created a relaxing mood with dark floors, furniture and a feature wall covered with opulent wallpaper, the decor is then balanced by the use of light coloured walls and lots of natural light. The large daybed is scattered with various textured, patterned and coloured pillows to invite you to snuggle up and relax with a good book or magazine.
Well-being to Priya is enveloping herself in her comfort zone and knowing that when she returns home after a busy day and opens her front door she feels a sense of relaxation.
Image courtesy of Expat Living Publications
The sense of smell has long been associated with inducing calm, which is why Denise from Departures and Arrivals handpicked a range of scented candles from Akar de Nissim, renowned perfumers from France. The candles feature 12 different fragrances and stood out for Denise due to their likeness to perfume rather than merely being a subtly scented candle. The combination of essential oils and the layering of notes all build on centuries of the perfumery craft. This helps to perfect the best scent combinations possible and evoke positive feelings of calm.
During my relaxation session or afternoon of dreams as I now like to call it, I experienced the scent of No.2 Bois de Figuier and No.8 Osmanthus. Both of these scents smelt divine and definitely helped to transport me into a state of complete relaxation.
You can choose between a Classic and Travel sized candle. The Classic candle is packaged in beautiful mouth blown glass and the engraved lid is made of zinc to preserve the scent when the candle is not lit. Whereas, the Travel candle has a higher concentration of fragrance (13% compared with the classic’s 12%), which diffuses instantly. This candle also comes with a black oak cap, which works as a candle stand, and also as a lid when are you once again on the move.
Denise sees well being as be able to completely appreciate the present moment and feeling grateful for all of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch around her.
Touch is very strong stimulus for most of us and when it comes to needing some time out and relaxation massages usually come top of the list. Sarah from House of Palms specializes in bespoke massages tailored to suit her client’s needs. These can include a range of massages from full body, focusing on specific muscle aches to also prenatal massages.
I loved my back massage from Sarah, I found her to be a very friendly and calming person providing just the right amount of pressure for me during my treatment. I really liked the fact that Sarah can provide treatments in your own home or if you would like to get out of the house for a while she can also offer treatments at her home.
Sarah uses a rosemary-eucalyptus-lavender blend of massage oil, which I felt complimented the fragrance of the scented candles wonderfully, this oil is also good for providing relaxation as well as energizing tired muscles. For her lovely pregnant clients, Sarah uses an organic coconut oil for its subtle fragrance and to nourish the skin.
Well being for Sarah is about finding a space where you are truly content and happy within and taking time out to invest in yourself.
I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon of relaxation and getting to know Interior Design Journey, Departures and Arrivals and House of Palms better and I shall certainly be back for more in the very near future… how about next week Ladies?!!
Written by Lucy from Lulabelle Lifestyle on behalf of Interior Design Journey, Departures & Arrivals and House of Plams.