AUTUMN GRATITUDE
After enduring (but also enjoying!) such a hot summer, it’s especially exciting to be entering the season of crisp leaves, cooler air and pumpkin everything. As much as I love beach days, river days and laying in the sun, I’m also looking forward to digging out some warmer clothes, apple picking, and putting cozy sweaters on my little dog.
Now, on to one of the very very most exciting parts of a new season — BELLA MINA Specials!
Fall scents are among my favorite — rich, earthy and spicy. There are so many to choose from, so I wanted to keep the specials menu simple. I started with some popular favorites — honey and vanilla.
Honey is a popular ingredient in skincare products because it’s a humectant, helping draw moisture from the air and binding it to the skin. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Mellow Melanin’s Oatmeal and Manuka Honey Scrub and Body Wash are ideal for sensitive skin, balancing pH and providing extra moisture with vitamin E. Manuka Honey is made by bees in Australia and New Zealand in tea trees and has the added benefit of anti-inflammatory properties. Then, Elite Creed’s Natural Honey Spice Body Oil with grapeseed, coconut and avocado oils provides the skin with fatty acids, reduce hyperpigmentation and fight premature aging.
The spicy, smoky-warm notes of Clove oil pair perfectly with honey, the sweet blending with earthy for a simultaneously uplifting and grounding experience. The fresh, bitter citrus scent of turmeric blends well with both, so I added this to the Autumn Glow Facial. Mellow Melanin’s Turmeric Mask reduces dark spots, brightens, and soothes not just the skin but the senses with its rich scent. The fresh earthy aroma of this mask blending with notes of clove are reminiscent for me of early autumn camping nights around the fire, so it’s a personal favorite of mine.
As a pleasant contrast to the deep, rich and spicy, I chose something for those of us who gravitate towards light and sweet. The scent of marshmallows around a fire makes the camping experience complete for me, and I found a fantastic body butter that brings that scent to life better than any I’ve found before. It’s made by Confident Girls, a Virginia based mother-daughter bath and body products company. Their Marshmallow Whipped Body Butter is made with mango butter, almond and coconut oil, and its thick texture makes it ideal for applying after a shower to let it really sink in. It works especially well after exfoliating, and Confident Girls makes a deliciously sweet scented Unicorn Sugar Body Scrub with pumpkin seed oil. The warm, smooth and sweet scent of vanilla pairs well with marshmallow, so I chose Gya Labs Vanilla Essential Oil to create Marshmallow-Vanilla spa services.
And as always, if you enjoy the classic menu but want a little autumn experience at Bella Mina, I have aromatherapy oils you can add to your services at no extra charge. Enjoy your massage, facial, body treatment or nail service with a touch of Citrus Sage, Sandalwood, Cinnamon Bark or Pumpkin Spice.
Happy Autumn and hope to see you soon!
