Apr 30, 2024

Tea & Toast with Susannah Taylor, creator of The Glow Gazette

It was an absolute pleasure to have the joy-filled Susannah Taylor chat to us this week for our Tea & Toast feature. Susannah was formerly at Glamour and Vogue and is the creator of The Glow Gazette - which I would highly recommend signing up to at the bottom of our chat. She is warm and honest and has a wonderful perspective on how we should look after ourselves.

Susannah Wears the Blue Scalloped Short Pyjama Set

Tea or Coffee?

Both! I am a professional tea and coffee drinker. Tea has to be Earl Grey tea though, and coffee has be proper ground coffee with frothy cows milk. I’m not a Nespresso pod fan - I feel they are unnecessary waste. I love the old-fashioned simplicity of a cafetiere.

Marmalade or Jam?

I’m more a Marmite girl! But if I had jam it would have to be raspberry. If I had Marmalade it would be fine cut. I can’t bear those thick chunky pieces of rind.

Owl or Lark?

I’m an owl but experimenting with being a lark. I always stay up way too late but I want to get up earlier and seize the day, especially in Summer. I love the idea of doing morning yoga before anyone else wakes, but maybe I can’t change my owl ways - maybe that’s my default. I’ll experiment and will report back in my newsletter The Glow Gazette soon.

Book or Newspaper?

Book – a proper one, not a Kindle. I find the news too depressing and it feels much more of an escape to read a book. Right now I am reading Breathe by James Nestor. I am fascinated by breathing and how it changes how we feel…this book is completely brilliant.

Pyjamas or Nightshirt?

PJ’s all the way! I wear long PJ’s in winter and short ones in summer.

What do simple pleasures mean to you?

A cup of coffee outside in our courtyard on a sunny day (rare I know); reading a book by a crackling fire; a bath with dreamy bath products; singing in the car loudly with my kids (we take it in turns to choose songs); painting in nature; meditating; walking around barefoot all day; having Sunday breakfast with my family.

How would you spend your ideal weekend?

On sat I’d go for a walk with a friend, hang out with my kids, do some gardening, maybe painting, cook and have a few glasses of wine with my husband and friends. On Sunday I’d go to a yoga class first thing, have late brunch with the family and generally take it easy. Life is so hectic I crave doing nothing and don’t think we do enough of it.

How can we create moments of calm in our daily lives and what does rest look like for you?

We need to stop hourly and tune into our breathing, if only just for a few minutes. Feel your belly rise slowly as you breathe in through the nose to the count of 4 and out through the nose to the count of 6. We also need time without our phones – our addiction to them is out of control and it’s making us ill. Rest for me is taking a bath in the evenings or painting or drawing. Creativity for me is time out - it’s when my brain rests.

What helps you get a better night’s sleep?

Having my phone nowhere near my bedroom. I am LOVING spending time offline at the moment.

What is giving you your Glow at the moment?!

I have been exfoliating daily recently with Ren’s Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic. I also love Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream which leaves my skin beaming and nourished. A few times a week I’ll also add some drops of Clarins Gold Glow Booster drops for the face, which give my skin a post holiday glow (even without the holiday). I also love a sauna and ice bath which definitely superboost the skin.

Finally, what’s your favourite Sian Esther piece?

I adore the Blue scalloped short PJ’s which are so elegant and not too short. They are also made from beautiful cotton which allows your body to breathe in bed.