Wellness, My Way

With Susannah Taylor, Wellbeing Editor & Artist

Susannah Taylor has been a beauty and wellbeing editor for the past 25 years - formerly at British Vogue, Glamour, and Grazia; and she also started one of the first digital beauty platforms, Get The Gloss. She now has a newsletter called The Glow Gazette and a podcast, Ways To Feel More Human and so naturally, we wanted to ask her all about her approach to wellbeing.

When not writing, speaking or podcasting about wellness, Susannah loves to create - she is a lifelong artist and illustrator and has also worked with many brands over the years including, more recently, the packaging for Bramley’s Little B and Digby Dog ranges.

Susannah is drawn to nature for much of the inspiration for her art and in her quest for wellbeing too. Her debut art exhibition FLOWER POWER at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint in their new London showroom runs from 15th - 27th September and explores the power of nature, the symbolism of each flower and its associated remedy. (On Tuesday 23rd September, she is also hosting a Botanical Painting and Creative Mindfulness workshop - more details at the end of this article).

Here we chat with Susannah about her attitude to wellness and the rituals that make her happy, inside and out, providing the wellbeing canvas for her to create her art…

What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness for me is primarily about how I feel. I obviously care about how I look but that comes second. Wellness is about feeling good in mind, body and soul. They are all intrinsically linked and I don’t think you can truly be well without including all three. I think wellness for me is also about being at peace - feeling peaceful in myself, my body and my mind. Stress is the greatest cause of illness in our times. I don’t believe in super strict regimes, piling your life with a million wellness practises or making yourself miserable in the name of health. I approach wellness from a softer stance.

How do you approach wellbeing?
Last year I started a podcast called Ways to Feel More Human (listen to the episode with Willow here) and I think this sums up my approach to wellness which is from a very human point of view. By that I mean that I really believe that we don’t need a tonne of super flash tech to feel and look good. Whilst all the apps and wearable tech are great we don’t need them! Our bodies and minds are way cleverer than any app, and we just need to get back to what they do best. We need to eat good food from the earth, move daily as we are designed to do, and prioritise sleep and rest. We don’t need to biohack our way to wellness, we just need to do the basics well.

Of all the wellness areas - mind, body, spirit, which are you drawn to most?
I feel that the one area that we don’t focus on enough is the spirit and the soul. Eg what makes your heart sing? What lights you up? This for me is way more important than going to the gym. You can have the healthiest body in the world but if your soul isn’t singing you won't feel truly well. I feel we should focus on soul wellness as much as body wellness.

How does nature connect to wellbeing for you?
Nature is a huge part of wellness for me in so many ways. I don't follow a religion as such but if I did it would be Mother Nature’s religion! Just being in nature is almost like meditation for me and it melts away stress, worry and helps put things into perspective. I also appreciate the beauty of nature enormously. Every day I marvel at the beauty of the flowers in my courtyard or the light shining across the fields and it is a constant source of creative inspiration for me for my art. Nature also makes me feel connected to the world and to myself. It is a cure for so much which is no surprise as we come from nature, we are meant to be a part of it. We lived fully in nature before we learnt to build concrete houses, it’s no wonder we crave it.

Tell us about your love to create - illustrating and painting, and how that boosts your wellbeing
Ever since I can remember I have drawn and painted and created. When I was a child I spent every second of my spare time with a paintbrush or pencil in my hand. Then I began a career in magazines and editorial work which is what I’ve done for over 25 years. However in the background painting and drawing has always been simmering away.

At the beginning of this year I felt that digital life was suffocating me and I wanted to get back to raw creativity, to using my hands, and so I did. I have thrown myself into painting nature and have launched some fine art prints (available at www.susannahtaylor.com). I have also been taking painting workshops and painting murals (see below). I am very proud to say that it’s culminating in an exhibition, FLOWER POWER (at Edward Bulmer new showroom in Pimlico 15th-27th September) where I have explored the symbolism of flowers. Painting for me is almost like an antidote to technology and a meditation for me. When I paint or draw everything else drops away and I almost disappear. This I believe is what a meditation teacher would call ‘flow’.

Do you regularly exercise? What do you love doing for exercise?
I try to exercise 3-4 times a week. I LOVE yoga - normally Vinyasa or dynamic flow. I can’t bear what I call ‘wafty yoga’! I like to feel challenged or like I’ve done a workout. I have been doing Yoga since my late twenties and for me it feels like coming home. I fully connect with myself on that mat. I’m 49 and I also do weights a few times a week - I go to the gym and lift free weights and do body weight exercises as I am fully aware I’m not getting any younger and really want to enter my 50th year feeling super strong. I actually feel stronger now and more supple (I’m very bendy anyway) than I have done my whole life.

Any tips on fitting a wellness ritual into your busy schedule?
Don’t cram in too many wellness things. The wellness world would have us believe that we should all be journalling, cold plunging, sauna-ing, exercising, yoga-ing, taking 50 supplements daily, meditating etc. We can’t do it all - you need to pick a few things that work for you and do them consistently. Wellness is not meant to stress us out.

Facialist? And any recent treatments you’ve loved?
I don't really have regular treatments as I do most of my beauty maintenance myself (including dying my eyebrows!) but one of the best treatments I had recently was a Keratin treatment at Nicola Clarke’s salon in London. I have very wiry, frizzy hair naturally and it really smoothed out the frizz without weighing it down, and it also left my hair silky soft. PLUS it doesn’t contain any scary chemicals like some of these treatments do.

A book or author that you’re inspired by in wellness?
There are so many but here are a few favourites:

• Breath by James Nestor - all about the marvel of breathing properly and how it will change your life

• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins - how to follow your own path and not let others dim your shine

• Your Cosmic Purpose by Kirsty Gallagher - a spiritual about connecting with your true self

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - a journey into a more creative life

• The Comfort Book by Matt Haig - when you feel anxious, down, depressed or just want a hug open any page of this book. A great gift for others going through a hard time too

What foods do you love to eat/prepare that make you feel your best?
Without trying to I would say I follow a Mediterranean diet. I basically try and cook everything from scratch using fresh ingredients. Whether that's a curry, a salad, or a tray bake I don’t think there’s anything better for you. For quick healthy food I eat a lot of salads packed with as much goodness as I can cram in (seeds, nuts, feta, veg etc) and eat good quality chicken/ meat/ fish from the local butchers and lots of roasted veggies. I always make my own salad dressings.

Any tips for nutritional snacking?
Boring but I grab a handful of nuts or you can’t beat Manilife peanut butter and an apple with a cup of tea!

What daily beauty & wellness products do you swear by?
- I love cleansing my face as I massage my face at the same time to get the blood flowing and in the evening it’s a lovely wind-down ritual. My current favourites are The Clementine Antioxidant Cleansing Balm by Bramley and Sarah Chapman’s Ultimate Cleanse.
- My menopausal skin is very dry at the moment and one product that has completely transformed it is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume which locks in moisture. There’s nothing else like it.
- One of my favourite brands is Seed to Skin - created in Tuscany using organic and wild harvested ingredients they use Greem Molecular Science so it’s natural skincare that really works.
- I am super pale but love self tan and have become quite a connoisseur over the years. I can’t live without Sisley’s Self Tanning Hydrating Facial Skincare which I use a few times a week for a golden glow
- In the evening I love using a facial oil and my favourite right now is Bramley’s Raspberry Seed Illuminating Facial oil which feels really nourishing and not greasy.
- I have also being using The Facialift tool by Sarah Chapman which is an amazing tool for bringing blood to the surface of your skin. It gives great glow.
- One product I also swear by is Fable and Mane’s HoliRoots Hair oil which is an incredible Ayurvedic hair oil that I swear by for stronger, thicker, healthier hair. Sometimes I put it in my hair overnight and sleep with a towel over my pillow.

Do you take any regular supplements?
Yes! I always say we need to get our nutrition from food (which is true) but in the menopause I think we can feel very depleted and so I take the following:
- Ancient + Brave True Collagen for skin and nails and bones
- Ancient + Brave Magnesium for better sleep, muscle and bone support and general calming
- Artah Essential Creatine which I swear is helping me get more defined muscles and clearing my brain fog
- Bare Biology Omega 3 and Vitamin D3 for immune system boosting, skin and brain health
- Hifas de Terra menopause is an incredible mushroom brand who have been studying mushrooms for eons. This contains functional mushrooms for mood and hormone balancing

What’s your typical morning ritual (on a good wellness morning)?
I'm afraid I don’t have a morning ritual (shock horror!). People are beginning to feel they are failing at wellness if they don’t have one which is not true! If I can, I get up and meditate for half an hour (I learnt Vedic meditation properly at The London Meditation Centre which was life changing). Then I have a cup of earl grey tea and get dressed. Does tea count as a ritual !?

Evening ritual (on a good wellness day)?
I LOVE baths and have one whenever I can cram one in which is often in the evening. I also use my skincare regime at night as a wind-down ritual - I massage my skin and inhale the wonderful scents of aromatherapy which makes my shoulders drop.

Dream travel + wellness escape?
Being a wellbeing editor I have been to some amazing places. Recently I visited Terme di Saturnia in Tuscany with my daughter after her A Levels which I loved - it’s a spa set around these unbelievable natural springs. I LOVE the energy in Ibiza up in the hills (we would like to live in the Balearics one day) or put me anywhere on a Greek island listening to the sound of the cicadas watching the sunset and I’m in heaven.

Quote or Mantra?
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined.” Henry Davis Thoreau. A flatmate once write this down on a piece of paper when we were about 20, it deeply resonated and I have remembered it ever since. I guess it’s like a manifestation in a quote.

Fave workout gear…
I love Vuori which has come from California - the fabrics are beautifully soft. I think nothing beats Lulu Lemon and Sweaty Betty leggings but H&M have some amazing ones too. Recently however I’ve been perusing the The Upside website and they have the coolest things. I am eyeing up these green sparkly Galaxia Marcella Shorts and they also have super cool vintage looking sports jackets.

Your (not) guilty pleasure?
Chocolate, tea and coffee (I drink a lot of both), and Manilife peanut butter straight from the jar! Honestly I don’t think any other brands come close to this.

FLOWER POWER Botanical Painting Exhibition by Susannah Taylor
Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, 60 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NE
15th-27th September

Botanical Painting and Creative Mindfulness Workshop
Tuesday 23rd September 2.30-4pm
Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, 60 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NE
Price £50. Please email info@susannahtaylor.com to book. Spaces are limited.

Visit www.susannahtaylor.com | Follow: @susannahtaylor_ @susannahtaylorstudio