AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS WITH COUNTER CULTURE

I’ve always been a wild flower. Growing up in the Irish countryside, climbing through brambles and lounging in the nooks of trees while learning the shapes of oak, ash and elm with grazed knees, was a rite of passage. I’d spend Summer evenings wading through fields of tall thick grass or following winding rivers while hopping from stone to stone (with an accidental sock succumbed to the rivers bed) and bending down I’d greet Spring flowers as they poked their grateful heads through the warm patches of damp earth. 

My childhood home was and still to this day is, full of folklore, magic, mystery, herbs and remedies from the plants and lands that surround it. I grew up learning which plants cured a sting from a nettle who’s home I had invaded with adventuring limbs. Plump hedgerow berries were picked to make the best jam – which I still can’t replicate to this day. One of greatest lessons I learned from my parents while exploring these places was to appreciate the natural world and every creature who calls it their home. This has shaped me into someone who is drawn to the healers, the dreams and the creators, who feels at home amongst old historical ruins, majestic trees, imaginative outdoor tea parties, wild flowers, chirping birds and wandering weeds.

With this love of the wild in our hearts we took to the West of Ireland, and explored castle grounds and fairy forests to appreciate and soak up nature in all its wonder. There was something very Alice in Wonderland about the whole experience, complete with a self-care and skin care tea-party of gorgeous ethical delights from Counter Culture. These included botanical blends, skin creams, face masks and rich oils. An afternoon lying down in the long grass among flowers playing dress up is very rarely something you do as a grown-up and I think we need to change that. Spraying a delicate botanical mist on your face while dancing in the natural landscape, rubbing delicate creams and lotions which have been lovingly created with the most ethical ingredients into your skin on beds of moss, is other-worldly, I am aware we don’t do these things every day and that’s why I wanted to do them, to have fun and explore a world of make-believe. The world is not an easy place right now in particular, and many of us have been trying to find a place to breathe in and pause for a moment. Today, we were fortunate enough to spend time gathering plants, flowers, brambles, moss, daffodils and forest foliage in our hands, we were able to hear birds and soothing streams, things we often forget to stop and marvel at. 

Counter Culture is a dreamy marketplace which brings beautiful things together. I’ve featured them before for their #justoneswitch initiative, which encourages us to start our sustainability journey by making small changes, and they lovingly curated my first monthly box of goodies to give us all a glimpse of some more of the vegan-friendly products they have on offer. This dedication to sustainability, ethics and the environment is something to be applauded, it is one of things I enjoy most about collaborating with them, their is true joy and confidence in being able to trust their selection of artisan products and their sustainability model is one that more brands should strive towards. It’s through sharing these wonderful climate conscious and ethically driven people who are doing good that we can find some of our own favourite gems to cherish and bring with us on all our adventures. 

Let’s bring more spontaneous, planet friendly magic into our lives. When is the last time you played among the Spring flowers or imagined a world of magic brewing on the forest floor? Engaging in these acts of whimsy, and rebellious self love, these magic moments of embracing our inner child and giving ourselves the best care while staying wild at heart, is how we sow, water and grow our own counter culture – ‘there is nothing left to worry about the sun and her flowers are here’ – rupi kaur.

Counter Culture Website Counter Culture Instagram  10% discount code with PAPERM10

Products Featured Are Gifted

Detoxifying Bubbling Cleansing Sheet Mask with Activated Charcoal HERE

Arganic Cosmetic Organic Argan Oil 50ml HERE

BAO Skincare Recovery Face Cream 60ml HERE

Brilliant Beetroot Face Mask by Happy Carrot HERE

Corinne Taylor Herb Water Face & Body Mist 100ml HERE

Thank you to my Creative Assistant Fiona who worked on this project with me