In honesty, “freshly back from the French Alps for a YogiSki festival”, is a phrase quite enjoyable to leave hanging in the air.
Set between Les Menuires and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, my recent foray to the mountains offered plentiful serene moments of reflection and emotional expansion, with ample time to enjoy the last of the white stuff as the ‘23-’24 ski season came to a close.
The opportunity to enjoy a plethora of outdoor pursuits means rather scopious packing, and with that, I share my edited picks for a trip of multiple purposes.
For the workout
Offering elevated workout wear that is just as in place at a leisurely brunch as it is at a pilates class, AMADA renegotiates the sport-orientated silhouette.
Their ultra-flattering Uela long-sleeve top will be your new studio staple. The Brielle legging in latte adds to their collection of neutral house shades, proving that sports apparel can thrive without garish print.
AMADA Brielle legging in latte
Alternatively, Under Armour is synonymous with high-impact sports, with sleek lines, and technical design, offering the utmost in support and comfort. The Vanish Elite High Sports Bra might have been created for high-impact activity, but with its 4-way stretch, streamlined cut and cup sizing, its invisible feel will make it your most-reached for sports bra.
Meanwhile, the HeatGear No-Slip Waistband Legging makes the perfect underlayer for any activity, from a protective layer for a springtime hike to an unrestrictive outfit for an expansive outdoor yoga practice.
Under Armour Vanish Elite High Sports Bra in Sedona Red
Best known for their underlayers, Smartwool’s all-season range was my most reached-for transitional multi-purpose layer. The men’s and women’s All-Season Merino Base Layer with ¼ zip is an essential, their heat technology keeps you warm in changeable weather conditions without any bulk.
Next time you’re upgrading you’re shopping, keep an eye out for Smartwool’s Second Cut and Take Back projects, where you can return gently used products for resale, and recycle your pre-loved sports socks. With their new partnership with Material Return™, their circularity platform collects and deconstructs this hard-to-recycle item, and prepares them for a new life from recycled fibres.
It’s taken a while to brush off the nerve-racking back-to-school notion of shopping for an everyday bag. I’d rather form over function any day, but one can’t deny the meeting of the two with TUMI’s sleek range of backpacks.
The Harrison Osborn Roll Top Backpack combines subtle functional design with easy on the eye leather accents and sporty hardware, for a bag that smoothly moves between a weekend away and a work meeting.
TUMI Harrison Osborn Roll Top Backpack
As a self-confessed yoga mat snob, the only space I want to flow is on Yogi Bare’s brand-new Ever-Grip Paws mat. Featuring 4mm of natural rubber, it limits stretch and movement and gives sublime comfort under the wrists. Best known in the community for its ultra-grippy surface, it enhances even the most expansive of poses.
Another swift and obvious grab-and-go item is the Oakley Sutro. With their polarised prism lenses, all detail is enhanced. The ultra-light O-Matter wrap-around frame and nose pads keep your eyewear firmly on board throughout any movement, making them my most trusted for all sports.
Oakley Sutro. Prizm Jade Lenses, Black Ink Frame
It would be remiss of a beauty writer not to wax lyrical about SPF, especially in light of Shishiedo’s new Expert Sun Protector SPF50+. As a world-first, responsive SynchroShield technology makes the veil stronger when exposed to heat, water or sweat, whilst remaining totally invisible on the skin, and lacking the traditional stickiness or heaviness of its counterparts.
In the interest of both looking and smelling fresh, Make Waves refillable deodorant should be on your radar too. As the only refillable offering an antiperspirant and a deodorant, their Starter Pack is a must when looking to reduce bathroom-shelf packaging, with the refills utilising reclaimed plastic and B-Corp ingredients.
Make Waves Refillable Antiperspirant Starter Pack
Post-workout
Whether straight from the pouch or drizzled over your morning granola, Zooki’s supplement pouches deliver their riches in a versatile and easy-to-imbibe gel form.
Grab magnesium for muscle recovery and better sleep, your daily dose is delivered in liposomal form for the highest absorbability and effectiveness, infused with pineapple and guava. Double up with their turmeric shot for joint health and digestion, with curcumin twenty times stronger than from the fresh root.
Zoom Turmeric Shot
Shaking up the electrolyte space, Humantra has taken out the gut-disrupting sugars and artificial flavourings of the hydration support sphere. A range of fruit flavours deliver the six essential electrolytes and supporting vitamins and minerals for swift rehydration, in a zero-calorie, great-tasting and easy-to-travel sachet. Grab the limited edition Rose whilst you can.
Advanced Nutrition Programme boasts the UK’s first patented skin microbiome supplement, with Clear Skin Biome’s incomparable formula of four distinct strains of bacteria and yeast. Addressing lesser-known causes of problem skin by supporting gut flora, it swiftly offers a clearer complexion.
Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Clear Biome
For a week of wellness and detoxification of all kinds, a good night’s sleep is hopefully a side effect, but if your mind is hard to quiet, Hum Nutrition has you covered. Mighty Night might be the perfect pre-bedtime dalliance, with sleep-promoting valerian root, passion flower and hops.
If you’re a superfood aficionado, sea moss should be your next port of call. Myla’s Moss uses volcanic-fed organic red algae from St Lucia, which offers an impressive source of essential amino acids and polyphenols. With antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits and a low lipid profile, the full health benefits of this plant are still being explored.
Keep up to date with new and events Les Trois Vallées and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.
