Home comforts
Treat yourself: our guide to lockdown luxuries
Lockdown has tested the very limits of what our homes can be. No longer just the places where we eat and sleep, they also serve as offices, classrooms, gyms and pubs, and although the past few months delivered a brief respite as we ventured outside to socialise, shop and exercise, we’re now retreating indoors for another six weeks of hibernation.
With tighter restrictions in place and the weather taking a turn, it’s crucial to be able to switch off and enjoy your downtime, and a bit of indulgence can go a long way towards achieving that warm, cosy feeling.
It’s an especially difficult time for Irish retail, which means it’s important to support small businesses, and buying local amps up the feelgood factor too. Here, we recommend some little luxuries to see you through lockdown.
Hunker down
In the early days of the quarantine, many of us resolved to commit to a proper skincare routine. But as the weeks passed, those 10 steps may have started to dwindle, so seize this opportunity to take on a more manageable regime, such as with Pestle & Mortar’s set of four “skin stars”, including an exfoliating glycolic acid toner, hyaluronic serum, eye cream and moisturiser.
Or give yourself an at-home spa treatment with a bathing bundle from Voya, which features the Strandhill company’s famous seaweed bath, a nourishing body oil and a zesty scented candle.
If you have yet to equip yourself with a toasty pair of house shoes, check out Lee Valley’s soft wool slippers. Made in west Cork and covered in a cute sheep pattern, they’re playful and cosy, ideal for winter nights in. Or upgrade your everyday loungewear with a stylish cropped sweatshirt by Mother of
Pearl, a sustainable London label available from Gallery9.ie in Naas. It comes in an organic fleece-backed cotton, with the brand’s signature ruffle sleeve studded with fake pearls for a luxe finish.
Snuggle up
Missing the seaside air? Transport yourself with a scented seaweed and juniper candle from Cork company Lovato Candles. Created using 100pc natural soy wax, the sleek monochrome packaging with silver lid feels like a real treat.
Once you’ve got the candle burning, make a cosy reading corner for yourself with a good book — for a dose of escapism, order Naoise Dolan’s brilliant debut Exciting Times, which is set in Hong Kong — and layers of cushions and throws. White & Green, a family-run business in Dublin, offers super-soft brushed cotton throws, or check out Orwell & Browne’s Donegal tweed throws, which come in vibrant orange, pink, blue and green, as well as our pick — a pale grey with rainbow trim. It’s usually €90, though GiftedfromIreland. com has a 25pc off deal today (Thursday) that reduces the price to €67.50.
Tuck in
With cinemas closed, we predict a lot of Netflix in our future, but you can elevate the experience with some posh snacks. Wexfordbased chocolatiers Bean And Goose have put together a special bundle that includes three bars of milk and dark chocolate, hot chocolate chunks, and your choice of chocolate peanut butter pieces or chocolate-covered popcorn.
If you fancy something a little boozier, pick up a bottle of Bertha’s Revenge gin, which is created using whey alcohol from Cork dairy farmers and takes its name from Big Bertha, the legendary cow from Sneem that earned a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for giving birth to 39 calves — an exhausting
thought, but mixing up the perfect G&T will be rather less taxing.
Sleep tight
Sleep has become one of our greatest luxuries as the last few months played havoc with our schedules. Cosy up with a hot water bottle — The Nim’s version comes with a 100pc cotton cover handmade in Dublin — and slip into some fabulous pyjamas. The gorgeous cotton sets by Naas company Moon & Mellow have the luxury feel of designer nightwear with a more lived-in, wearable silhouette, complete with a roomy shirt, elasticated waist and slightly wider cut legs.
Bring a soothing fragrance to your bedroom using a pillow spray, such as Louth company Esker Fields’ essential oil mist. Containing lavender, sweet basil, rosemary, frankincense and geranium, a quick spritz can signal to your brain that the day is over and evoke feelings of calm.
An eye mask will work to block any distracting lights, and Dublin-based KDK makes sumptuous silk versions printed with leopard spots or starry skies that will help you shut out the outside world and drift off.
For a truly luxurious night’s sleep, splash out on a silk pillowcase, like the elegant ivory versions from White & Green or the slightly cheaper offering from The Ethical Silk Company in Dublin.
As well as preventing hair breakage, silk is a great temperature regulator and more gentle on the skin, which can be beneficial for allergy sufferers and those with skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Best of all, they’re machine washable, so you can bring that touch of extravagance to your home without the high maintenance.