Blogger Yanin Taylor shares her self-care routine, post-pandemic travel tips and the fragrance that’s seen her through lockdown

What are you missing most about normal life? If you’re anything like us, the list probably goes a little something like this: our friends and fam, our fave local pizza restaurant and exploring the world.

We miss sipping cocktails on sun-drenched, white sand beaches. We miss blissing out by the pool, reading a book without a care in the world. We miss that joyful thrill of adventure you get when exploring a corner of the planet you’ve never set foot in before.

That’s why dreaming of future travel has been a vital form of self-care for blogger Yanin Taylor (aka @idressmyselff). And she has a secret to share: one particular fragrance has the power to transport you to that place of wanderlust, with just one spritz enough to boost your mood.

The fragrance collection in question? The aptly named Michael Kors Wonderlust. There’s the Michael Kors Wonderlust Eau de Parfum, known to beauty insiders as escapism in a bottle. With its rich, heady oriental flowers, juicy citrus notes and silky almond milk, it evokes the feeling of sipping piña coladas in far-flung destinations (yes, please). For something a little deeper, there’s Michael Kors Wonderlust Sublime, which thanks to rich amber and oriental spices, is like golden hour in a bottle; soaking up the last of a sun-drenched day spent basking on the beach. Lastly, Michael Kors Wonderlust Eau Fresh is a reinvigorating escape: a fruity, floral fragrance that reminds us of waking up to a warm, cloud-free day on holiday; the promise of adventure awakening our senses.

Here, Yanin talks us through her self-care tips, and where Michael Kors Wonderlust transports her to…

What does self-care mean to you, and why do you think it’s more important than ever right now?

Self-care to me is a way to heal your mind and body from stress and other distractions. It’s a way to show yourself some love and take care of your mental health, especially during times like this when we’re limited with what we can do.

During such tough times, why do you think something like beauty and fragrance can have such a positive impact on our mood?

Beauty can definitely help remind us of what’s to come after lockdown. To me, it’s kind of like resetting yourself for the new normal we will have to face. We are making sure our mind and body are looked after and maintained well by showing ourselves some love, whether it’s our hair, skin or mind.

I have also been spraying perfume as part of my daily self-care routine ever since we were put into lockdown. It’s such a simple way to get you excited for the day ahead – even if you’re just working from home – transporting you back to a special moment or place. Spritzing on the Michael Kors Wonderlust fragrance transports me to a sunny and tropical Bali – one of my favourite places. I’ve made such amazing memories there and cannot wait to go back!

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That first spritz, with its oriental floral notes, instantly whisks me back to a warm and salty beach day, watching the sunset with my friends and my husband. I can smell lemongrass, jasmine and other exotic spices that give me an instant sense of calm, putting me in a great mood. Michael Kors Wonderlust really transports me back to a trip where I explored so much and made so many memories with friends and the locals. From bike tours around Lembongan island, to eating freshly caught seafood right next to the ocean in Uluwatu and exploring the rice fields in Ubud.

What are some other essential parts of your self-care routine?

My self-care routine is all about sparking joy: cooking my favourite vodka pasta dish; a full-on Sunday pampering session with a face mask and some herbal tea; FaceTiming and catching up with my friends. It’s been so important for me to stay connected with my friends and family during this pandemic and remind myself that, even though I’m at home alone, I’m still connected to people, and to carry on investing in those relationships.

As soon as borders open up, where is the first place you’re heading?

I think it would have to be Thailand. I haven’t seen my family for about two years now and I would love to go back with my husband as they haven’t seen us since we’ve gotten engaged! Bangkok is home for me.

These are my top 3 Bangkok recommendations:

Go to the Jatujak market, which is open at the weekend. You can literally buy everything and anything there. It is huge so put on some comfortable walking shoes.
Get drinks at the Banyan Tree hotel’s rooftop. It’s such a beautiful view where you can see pretty much all of Bangkok – it is on a very tall building so if you’re scared of heights you might want to give this a miss (but the view is worth it!)
Of course, visit one of the famous floating markets. Go with an empty stomach because you are going to want to eat everything there.

What’s something you’ve been gifting to your loved ones lately?

I’ve actually been making candles, which I’ve been gifting to friends and family and also sending them some flowers, just to make sure they feel connected as it’s been a difficult year for everyone. It’s a nice little activity for me to do to keep me occupied and surprising them with homemade gifts is such a treat.