LUI Ritual: Ali Whittle
Here at LUI, we love the idea of rituals: those little everyday practices that help you feel calm, centred and whole. We believe shaving deserves to be part of this self-care routine. In celebration of mindful moments, the LUI Ritual series asks friends of the brand about their own positive habits and how they elevate their day.
HI, MY NAME IS… Ali Whittle.
BUT EVERYONE CALLS ME… Ali! Ali is a nickname – short for Alexandra – but not one person in my life calls me Alexandra. It’s so rare that it has shocked some of my newer close friends when it happens to come up that my name is actually Alexandra.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I DREAMED OF BEING… a magazine editor – and I ended up becoming one! I worked in magazines for six years.
BUT NOW I WORK AS… a content creator/freelance creative/writer/editor/creative person? I’ve been self-employed for four years and as I did with my job title just now, I’ve been making it up as I go and I love it.
THE FIRST THING I DO WHEN I WAKE UP IS… cuddle my cats, look at my phone and receive a coffee and smoothie in bed from my husband Angus (he’s the best!).
THE LAST SONG I PLAYED ON SPOTIFY… if it wasn’t something by Taylor Swift, I’ve been listening to lots of Phoebe Bridgers and boygenius lately.
MY MORNING ROUTINE IS…
1. Wakeup around 7am-7.30am.
2. Have coffee and a little bit of breakfast with Angus.
3. Have a look at what’s on for the day.
4. Check emails/scroll/call my sister or mum.
5. Either head up to my office upstairs at home or go for a walk.
THE PERFUME I SPRAY ON RIGHT BEFORE I LEAVE THE HOUSE IS… I am blessed to have many, many perfumes to choose from so it really comes down to my mood or the current season. I was recently travelling in Japan and I always love to take a new fragrance with me on a trip so scent memory is attached to that beautiful moment. For this trip I took Maison Crivelli Papyrus Moleculaire.
MY COFFEE ORDER IS… large cappuccino or an iced latte (full cream milk always).
THROUGHOUT MY DAY I FIND JOY IN… walking everywhere if it’s possible, listening to music and podcasts, checking in with my family and best friends via various FaceTimes or a million texts, catching up on any Formula1 goss (I’m a hugely obsessed fan girl), my cats!
MY LUNCH ORDER IS… I’ve usually been a late breakfast/early dinner kind of gal and so lunch isn’t a traditional lunch for me but this year I’ve been trying to change that. I’ll either get rice paper rolls from a local place, have dinner leftovers or make breakfast tacos (sometimes with a mix of whatever is in the fridge).
MY 3PM PICK-ME-UP IS… some days I love a 3pm walk to clear my head or clear my inbox (I often walk, email or make calls etc)! My days rarely follow a routine but if I’m home and working, I tend to find the afternoon quite productive so I’m probably trying to finish up some work before a looming deadline.
AFTER A LONG DAY I SWITCH OFF BY… sometimes cooking helps me switch off, otherwise a nice shower, taking off my makeup, doing my skincare and getting into pyjamas or something equally as comfortable. I recently turned our third bedroom into my office and having my own space has made switching off/separating work from home much easier.
THE LAST BOOK I COULDN’T PUT DOWN… Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. I recommend it to everyone. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re so lucky! I wish I could read it for the first time again.
MY NIGHTTIME ROUTINE IS…
1. Shower (I’ll listen to a podcast during).
2. Skincare.
3. IKKARI Deep Sleep Tonic.
4. Phone scrolling. I'm trying to do this less but I’m human!
5. Read and sleep.
THE LAST THING I DO BEFORE BED IS… take my Deep Sleep Tonic from IKKARI. You just mix it into water about 30 minutes before you want to sleep. It tastes great. I’m OBSESSED with this product; it’s a game changer if you struggle with sleep or just want a solid snooze. Never slept better in my life.
YOU CAN FIND ME ONLINE AT... @ALIWHITTLE_