Newsletter No.13
We’re back with our latest newsletter. This week, we catch up with Australian-based stylist Angie Smith, and I start a new diary documenting my health and wellness experiences. Today, I’m checking into Lime Wood to explore two of their new spa offerings. But before diving into that, I share my thoughts about wellbeing and what I hope to achieve through Well Curated.
Well Quick Questions
Angie Smith, an Australian-based stylist, curates a Substack and Instagram feed that exudes a life well-lived. Having been friends with Angie since her London days, we know she shares our passionate for nurturing both mind and body. Here, she shares her answers to our Well Quick Questions.
Well Read - a book you’ve enjoyed recently
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Read.
Well Worn - an item of clothing or jewellery you wear again and again
My St Christopher necklace by Kirstie Le Marque, I’ve worn one for twenty years and I’m quite superstitious about it.
Well Nourished - a recipe or restaurant for a great plate of food
I started making this smoothie when I was trying to fall pregnant, as I wanted to get 200g of spinach into my diet every day. I happened upon this recipe, which weirdly tastes like white chocolate:
Large handful of fresh spinach
1tsp peanut butter
1stp honey
Large handful of frozen mango / fresh ripe mango
Milk for consistency
Ice for consistency (it also makes a great base for a smoothie bowl)
The colour should be Kermit the frog green.
Well Beautiful - a hair, makeup, or skincare product that makes you feel good
I’ve been using the LYMA laser for a few months and it’s already made a difference to the dark areas of pigmentation that I have, plus my skin texture looks better.
Well Being - a ritual that has kept its place in your routine
Walking. For me, it’s like meditation and exercise all in one. If I can get out just before sunrise and walk along the beach and back to my apartment for an hour or so I feel set for the day.
Well Shopped - a second-hand shop for hidden treasures
What Goes Around Comes Around has without doubt the best selection of vintage denim I’ve come across. If you’re in London, Beyond Retro used to be where I’d go and hunt for jeans.
Well Fit - a workout that works for you
Pilates. I go to a local studio called MODE and do classes a few times a week, I find the original style with lots of stretching works best for my body.
Well Heard - a podcast worth tuning in to
Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail. My favourite episode is the one with Mo Gawdat.
Well Travelled - where you go to feel well
Uluwatu Surf Villas in Bali has the most incredible energy, you can do yoga and watch the sunrise and sunset on the lawn. We’ve been going for the last six years.
My week in wellness…
After several months focusing on fertility treatment, I’m finally back at work, and it feels like the perfect time to start a bit of a diary. From now on, I’m diving back into health and wellness events and experiences, and I’ll be sharing everything I learn along the way. First up, I’m heading to Lime Wood to try out their new Ayurvedic treatments, as well as a Sonic Freedive workshop with musician and gong master Rich Hale and their resident breathwork facilitator, Tracey Howes.
Photographer: Trish Ward
What I love most about being a journalist is the opportunity to learn from the experts—every day feels like a school day. The more I discover, the more I want to share what I’ve learnt, especially if it can help others. That said, I do find there are a few challenges when it comes to passing on wellness advice. First, we all know that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to wellbeing, and second, it’s hard to ignore how unregulated the wellness industry can be. As a result, I feel a sense of responsibility when offering recommendations. It’s something I continue to think about. Having said that, I have learnt that our wellbeing needs evolve so much throughout our lives, and the advice we share on Well Curated will always be relevant to someone. It’s ultimately up to each of us as individuals to decide what we need at any given time. This leads me to my next thought: there are phases in life when we feel invincible, when we can embrace every health and fitness trend with boundless energy, but then there are times when just getting through each day requires grit and optimism that can be hard to muster.
In recent years, I’ve experienced this myself. Navigating the emotions that come with grief and divorce has, in many ways, taught me more about wellbeing than any workshop, interview, or retreat ever could. In those raw, difficult times, I began to understand what it means to be a ‘well-being’. It’s not about ticking every wellness box, it’s about being able to choose the right tools from your toolkit to take care of your mind and body in that moment—especially when everything feels overwhelming. I don’t want to give the impression that I managed this, or took it all in my stride, I didn’t. Striking the right balance is never easy, the scales of what we need and what we’re capable of are constantly tipping. There are times when our focus rests entirely on our emotional wellbeing and others when we’re able to work on our physical, social, and occupational wellbeing all at once. I have slowly been building my way back up, it has taken longer than I anticipated, but I’ve come to understand that healing takes both time and practice. After all that, I just want to say I hope you find something helpful in what we share through Well Curated.
I’ll be back next week with everything I learnt at Lime Wood, and on Wednesday I’m heading somewhere special to find out the latest news from the wellbeing brand Six Senses.
I hope you have enjoyed our newsletter. Cam x