My Desk Essentials

My Desk Essentials

My Desk Essentials

I work from home & seem to spend more & more time sat at my desk (not great for my posture), I try to keep my space as tidy as possible but it always ends up looking like a complete mess by the end of the week. Here are a few essentials I always have to hand, there are no snacks included in this post but rest assured in my desk drawer I have a supply of biscuits that would feed an army.

A huge cup of (quite weak) tea is my number one desk essential, I drink more tea in a day than I care to admit. I am a chai tea drinker most of the time but I am partial to a PUKKA Apple & Cinnamon, Lemon & Ginger and I like anything that has cardamon, cloves and winter spices in. I couldn’t get through my day without tea & I find popping to the kitchen to brew up makes me actually leave my desk otherwise I would sit there for far too long without moving.

Hand sanitiser – I’m terrible for touching my face, hair and biting my nails when sat at my desk so I like to make sure I keep my hands as clean as possible so I do use these quite a lot. I know they can be quite drying and contain a lot of alcohol but these Bath & Body Works ones just smell wonderful and look so cute sat on my desk.

What Is On Your Desk

I like to either burn a candle or my melts just to keep my office smelling lovely. I am a very very lucky lady as Timothy Dunn sent me some of their Spring / Summer candles to try out. Click through If you want to read my review of their Arabian Fig Candle (which is my ALL time favourite scent). Their candles are utterly luxurious from the outer packaging right down to the elegant bespoke hand blown glass container, everything feels like exquisite quality, such a treat. Their candles kick out scent even when they’re not burning, they have at least 60 hour burn time and I burn them for about 2 hours a day & then blow it out and the scent continues to be very present in the air. I’m currently burning the Mille Fleurs* scent which is a sophisticate blend described as:-

An exotic floral bouquet with tuberose, ylang ylang, frangipani, orchid, jasmine, lotus flower, white rose, carnation and neroli blossom with undertones of powdery heliotrope, vanilla and musk..

I think I may have the most luxurious smelling office, its really lovely to have this burning whilst I work, I find the scent relaxing, rich and it reminds me of a warm Summer evening. The candle burns down evenly and cleanly, it doesn’t give off any soot and the glass containers are just too beautiful to throw away so I like to reuse them. I have a small succulent plant in one. If you like to burn luxurious candles then Timothy Dunn needs to be on your to try list.

Lipbalm is a must for me & I have drawer full of them (hoarder) so each week I pick a different one to use and this week it has been the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser Cherry. I do like Blistex lip products and find they work well at stopping my lips from drying out without having a greasy formula. It contains a blend of Shea butter & bees wax so very nourishing and smoothing on the lips oh & its also SPF15.  I like this cherry scented one & I think I will pop it in my handbag so I can keep using it.

My Desk Essentials

I have used Jurlique Hand Cream for almost 10 years now and I love to have one in my handbag or on my desk. This has a rich but gentle, hydrating and smoothing formula, its so nice to massage in to your hands throughout the day to keep them feeling moisturised and nourished. This does have quite a rich creamy formula but it doesn’t leave your hands greasy and you can apply it & get right back to typing / working. I personally like the Rose scent but I know its not everyones cup of tea and Jurlique also have Citrus, Lavender and Jasmine ones to pick from. I have their 40ml tube which I think is more handbag / desk friendly.

To keep my skin and my mind fresh and soothed I like to use a face mist and this Pai offering has been doing the trick. I would say its more of a spray than a mist so its quite wet on the skin but it feels refreshing. This Rice Plant & Rosemary BioAffinity Skin Tonic is fantastic if you have sensitive, dull skin.

It contains pure ‘living waters’ extracted directly from the plant. Rich in amino acids, vitamins and trace minerals, with regular use they help to cleanse and purify combination skin types. These natural elixirs have the exact pH and biochemical balance of healthy skin, giving unparalleled skin affinity while improving the appearance of skin tone and texture.

Just wonderfully gentle and a great product to add to your skincare routine. Pai is such a great brand and their skincare always seems to work wonders. Give me your Pai skincare recomendations if you have any.

*PR Sample

February 2016 Five Under £5

Five Under £5 Feb 2016

This month post seems to have come round so quickly, not that I am sad to see the back of January. So I have some great things in this months Five Under £5. If you want to get involved and link up your monthly finds then head over to Julia’s blog at Rainbeaubelle.

Tony Moly I’m Real Sheet Masks 

I am a sheet mask addict & that coupled with the fact these Tony Moly ones are just so bright & cute makes me a very happy lady. If you didn’t already know Tony Moly is a South Korean cosmetics brand & their products are affordable, incredible and always have the cutest packaging. These masks come in 11 varieties for all different skin concerns, I have the lemon one for brightening and the tomato one for radiance, you just apply to clean skin & relax for 30 mins then remove the mask & pat the excess product into your skin. £2 each

PUKKA Wild Apple & Cinnamon Tea

I really like Winter Teas & these PUKKA ones are nice and warming. They’re not too overpowering with cinnamon but have just enough flavour, I like to have a cup after a cold Winter walk. PUKKA teas are among my favourites and their selection is so big. If you have a favourite PUKKA tea let me know. £2.40 for 20 bags.

Essence Waterproof Gel Eyeliner

If you like to wear eyeliner but hate when it smudges then these utter bargains from Essence are all you need. They’re a waterproof gel liner, so easy to apply & smoke out then after a couple of minutes they dry down and stay in place all day long. At £2.30 everyone needs at least one colour in their makeup bag.

The Lady In The Van by Alan Bennett 

This is a true story about a homeless lady called Mary Shepherd who ends up living in her old Bedford van on Alan Bennett’s driveway in London. She lives there for 15 years and the story is little snippets of their interactions over the years. Often funny but at times quite poignant, I read this book in a day. I just couldn’t put it down. Mary Shepherd is eccentric, fiercely private and quite alone in the world. Well worth a read. Kindle edition was £2.30

Co-Op Dark Chocolate Infused With Orange Oil

I have a square of this each night as a little treat, its so rich and yummy, if I didn’t break off one square at a time I would eat the entire bar in one sitting. I love chocolate orange & this is a good mix, not sweet but very zesty! This was around £1.

Let me know what bargains you have found this month.