Marisa Hordern, Founder and Creative Director of comtemporary jewellery brand, Missoma, relies on exacting planning and a tight edit of beloved brands to end each week and start a new one. Read on to discover the Space NK essentials that she counts among her must-haves…
The Wind Down
I start winding down around 7:30pm – 8pm when I have my evening bath or shower. There’s no benchmark, it depends what I’m feeling like and how tired I am. I think it’s important to have at least two evenings of really great ‘me time’ and that includes relaxing in the bath, reading a book, and looking after your skin. Mostly, it’s to make me feel relaxed after a busy day. But once a week I want to make sure I look after my skin. I mostly do it in my bathroom but I do like to multi-task so I will often be found pottering around doing other chores while I’m running a bath or have a face mask on. I might put on some light jazz in the background or some relaxing indie music, but generally I’m just happy to have a bit of peace and quiet. I love This Works products and their Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle is so relaxing.
I like to know I have a night in to get ready for the week ahead – mentally and physically. It’s good to have some me-time and relax. Generally, Sunday and Monday nights are sacred time for me and then the rest of the week is pretty hectic and social (which is how I like it). I really love spending time at home and with myself, so I’m always very happy to have a quiet night in. I plan everything! I’m a bit OCD like that. I like to know that everything is organised and I feel very unsettled if I don’t know where everything is. Plus, I am rather bad at getting up in the morning so it is better to have it all ready to make it that much quicker.
The Routine
I am lucky in that I have generally good skin – it is probably combination; slightly more oily in the T-Zone but also dry and dehydrated elsewhere. I do get terrible psoriasis from stress, so it’s really important that I keep it well moisturised, especially as I travel a lot for work. I’m generally a creature of habit and stick to about three brands – Ren, Caudalie and Perricone MD. I’m also always drawn to an amazing fragrance, and I just love the smell of all Ren and This Works products. I do try and mix it up a bit between these brands as I think it’s good for your skin to try different products (not just get used to one type). I do love the Clarisonic Facial Cleansing Brush for the pores. I always want to keep my pores tight and small and this just feels like a really good deep cleanse. I love the Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser – they do a great travel size, then maybe a hydrating booster or serum… either Caudalie VinoSource Thirst Quenching Serum, Deep Cleansing Exfoliator or Instant Detox Mask. I definitely end up doing a little extra something, usually a face mask or exfoliator. I am really conscious that I never have enough time to look after my skin properly so Sunday evening is the one time I get to spend that extra 10 minutes on a mask. I love the Ren Invisible Pores Detox Mask.
I’m a Sunday night bath person definitely, and I use This Works Deep Sleep Bath Soak or Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil. I also put in some Epsom Salts (as I have really bad psoriasis that flares up when I am stressed). I take more time on a Sunday, like with my skin routine, you just don’t feel so rushed. It’s nice to have the time to sit in an Epsom salt bath, or have a really good body scrub (either with Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish or their Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub) to get rid of all the dead skin cells and feel regenerated. I finish off with a really good moisturiser all over the body like Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion or Atlantic Kelp & Magnesium Body Cream. I also love the Caudalie Vine Body Butter or the Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Moisture Body Oil. I’m an efficient multi-tasker – I don’t know how to lounge around. Keeping busy is what I do. I have fallen into the really bad trap of washing my hair every day! Which is not good for it and also means it gets greasier quicker. My hair is dead straight and very thin so it doesn’t really need much care, and nothing I do changes it! I think I should do an oil treatment once a month to keep the ends more hydrated… like the Christophe Robin Moisturising Hair Oil with Lavender. But my hair is so fine that it goes limp very quickly. I use a volume shampoo and conditioner normally by Christophe Robin. They have a great Delicate Volumising Shampoo & Conditioner with Rose Extracts. I just rough dry it with the hairdryer – I have no idea how to blow-dry my hair! And then I wear it long and straight in a centre parting.
Bedtime
I should get into bed around 10:30pm and be asleep by 11pm but I usually end up getting into bed around 11:30pm. I always read before bed, I can’t fall asleep unless I have read. I love the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray – I am obsessed by lavender and this is the purest one out there. I really must start meditating again but haven’t in a while. Ten minutes before bed is really good to try and calm the mind, and then again when you wake up to set the tone for the day. I take C0Q10 Multi By Cytoplan as well as B12, plus an omega 3, 6 and 9, I might drink a verveine or a peppermint tea, but definitely lots of water. I don’t use an eye mask and [there’s] no need for ear plugs as I am half deaf in one ear; I always sleep on my good ear and I don’t hear a thing! I turn out the lights around 12am (far too late)! I can never have enough sleep. I wish I was one of those people who could survive on four or five hours but I need at least seven hours sleep (preferably eight!). I find it really hard to get to sleep so to switch my mind off I read late into the night, but once I do fall asleep I am usually out cold until my alarm wakes me up.
Monday Morning
My alarm is set for 7:30am unless I have an early appointment. I always feel tired no matter how much sleep I get! It’s something I really want to try and fix. I am the worst snoozer in the world. I have never been good at getting up and am not a morning person. My sister gave me an espresso machine last Christmas and that has changed my life. I feel so much more ready for the day ahead once I’ve had my coffee at home. I check the news on my phone, check my emails, get in the shower and have a coffee!
