THE BATH RITUAL RECIPE KIT

Last week I was sent this gorgeous gift from SOAK Yourself and as I'm a sucker for a cool concept, this little box was the perfect thing to unwrap when I was feeling less than enthralled about it being Monday. 

OK, so here's the lowdown. SOAK Yourself launched in 2012 by entrepreneur Jackie Hope with the aim of creating something to help people to relax, recharge and reconnect. I love a nice long soak in the bath, with Sunday night being my time to escape, take my magazines and put a face-mask on to chill before the madness of Monday begins. This 'Bath Ritual Recipe Kit' is designed to help me do just that - with the complete kit handmade in the UK, using natural and organic ingredients throughout. 

There are seven recipe kits in total, including Broken Heart -which contains fizzing bath salts and hibiscus and rose soap, Feeling Groovy - designed to give you an uplift with oats, milk and salts, a scented candle and a camomile teabag to enjoy in the bath, and Remedy - the recipe kit I received.

Although I haven't been poorly much this summer (this time last year I had tonsillitis and sciatica at the same time, as well having a rubbish cold just to add to things), I have felt a little rundown. My skin has been rubbish, I've not really had more than five hours of sleep a night and generally just feeling a little out of sorts. So I used some of my holiday from work and took some time off over the bank holiday and I feel loads better for doing so. 

Whilst everybody was out last night partying until the sun came up, I was putting the kettle on, running myself a bath and picking which films to watch - rock and roll I know. But I couldn't help but feel a little smug going by the endless 'never drinking again' statuses on social media this morning.

I have to say before anything, I absolutely loved the packaging of this kit, from the ribbon to untie it to the note that gave me permission to one hour to myself, so much care and attention had gone into this product. Each package is hand-signed so you know exactly who created your kit. Hey Jackie if you're reading this!

Inside the box sat a pot of fizzing bath crystals and salts, eucalyptus essential oil, a bottle of ground ginger and black pepper, a star anise, a cinnamon stick, handmade eucalyptus soap, a scented candle and a lemon and ginger teabag.

The directions instructed me to add the pot of crystals, ten drops of the oil, the ginger and black pepper concoction and the star anise to the hot running water, whilst I sipped on my tea. Although I'm not usually a fan of oils - I find them a little overpowering - these were perfect. I laid back and didn't even read. I just laid. Thinking. I don't get a lot of time to just do that so that 30 minutes spent was what I needed.

Feeling totally chilled out I went to bed (embarrassingly it was 9.30pm) putting the cinnamon stick under my pillow and lighting the candle whilst I watched Friends for the 100th time. Reading that back, it's hard to believe I'm 29 huh! 

Even though I was lucky enough to be sent this as a gift to review, I would definitely buy one of these sets for a birthday or Christmas. It's such a great concept and I loved everything about it - especially the fact that it's all made here in the UK.