Annee de Mamiel Sleep Series
If you visit this site at all regularly, you’ll know we’re pretty obsessed with sleep. (Along with half the Western world, perhaps.)
But since we’re obsessed with sleep, we were destined to be more than a little bit obsessed with this new Sleep Series collection from one of the most gifted therapists we’ve ever known, the inspirational Annee de Mamiel.
These aren’t your typical sleep blends. This is all about customising your personal prescription for sleeping and waking, rather than spritzing a pillow – lovely as that is (and we’ll keep on with that, too). There are four rollerballs (and a balm). NB these are quite the most generous dispensers of essential oils we’ve ever tried; others can be a bit ‘mean’ with their cargo; we are finding them unbelievably effective, rolling the balls over palms several times, then breathing the oils through cupped hands. For the sleep-y oils, we also rollerball the chest area.
Here’s what they all do.
Settle works to still a restless mind – for those nights when your body’s tired, but your mind’s still buzzing. Essential oils include lavender, sandalwood, frankincense, hinoki, vetiver, together with B vitamins, magnesium and zinc, which work to beckon quality sleep. (Frankly, Jo would wear this as a perfume if she wasn’t genuinely worried it’d make her nod off during the day.)
Do you ever wake anxiously in the night and find it hard to get back to sleep? Soothe is for those moments, when you find your heart racing, your stomach churning and the world seems a dark and terrifying place. (Yup, that even happens to us sometimes.) Sweet orange, lavender, mandarin, benzoin, sandalwood, frankincense and ginger feature on the long ingredients list – these are seriously complex blends, which is probably why they work so darned effectively.
Anchor is the balm (not sure why it’s a balm, but no doubt Annee has her reasons) – one for light sleepers, calming the overactive nervous system with jasmine, chamomile, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, jasmine, lavender and way more. If you use this, or Soothe, we suggest positioning it right next to your water glass on the bedside table, so it’s within reach without having to switch on the lights to locate it.
And then there are the morning oils – again, mini-miracles. Rise is for when you haven’t managed to get that good night’s sleep – ‘when the tank is empty’, as Annee puts it, ‘and you need to boost and stimulate your system to face the day’. (Thanks to the power of citrus, cypress, wild mint, rosemary, holy basil and more). And Shine? Last but not least, this is a veritable ray of sunshine on even the darkest morning, a cheery blend of tangerine, pink grapefruit, green mandarin, ylang ylang, mint, etc.) which truly delivers get-up-and-go for the day ahead. Truly, truly.
Annee insists that these aren’t a quick fix. But frankly, sleep quality improved from the night we started using these – and the morning ‘wake-up ritual’ has become an important part of our start to the day. (Um, along with Rare Tea Company Speedy Breakfast tea, and Calm.com meditation.)
They’re not cheap – not cheap individually, and if you invest in the whole set, well, it IS an investment. Maybe start with one – the one that pushes your buttons, from the run-down above – and take it from there. Because really, in the grand scheme of things, can you put a price on good sleep? (Given the choice between a new jacket and a couple of months of better kip, we know which camp we’re in.)
Zzzzzzzz.
From £35-40 for 10ml/10 g – buy here
