Redefining Luxury: The Step I Won’t Skip in My Everything Shower

Today’s post is in paid partnership with Dove.

Reframing luxury

I used to think luxury meant saving things for special occasions. The expensive candle. The beautiful vintage dress. The fancy wine reserved only for nice dinner parties. Even the beauty products I’d convinced myself were “too good” for an ordinary Tuesday. One of the products that’s made me rethink that mindset has been the Dove Serum + Radiance Oil Body Wash. Not because I save it for vacations or big events... but because it reminds me that everyday moments deserve to feel a little luxurious too.

Last year, when I lost everything I owned, I learned a big lesson I’ll carry with me forever: stop saving the nice things. I had accidentally been treating my own life like it hadn’t started yet.

Now I almost do the opposite. I wear perfume to the grocery store, I set the table and use my nicest plates even if it’s just for me. I make my morning matcha in my favorite mug (because my pottery collection truuuly brings me joy). If I’ve learned anything over the last 17 months, it’s that luxury has VERY little to do with price tags… and almost everything to do with intentionality. One of my favorite examples for this is my everything shower.

Not because it’s over the top (although it can be, haha). But because it’s one of the only times during the week that I give myself permission to slow down without outside distractions. I love to light a candle and play my calming jazz playlist to set the tone. It’s less about getting clean and more about feeling like I’m taking care of myself.

My favorite everyday luxury

A few months ago, I discovered the Dove Serum + Radiance Oil Body Wash and it fits into that ritual so naturally. The first thing I noticed was the texture. Pump it into your hands and it starts as this silky oil before transforming into theeee richest, creamiest lather. It genuinely feels like one of those products you’d expect to find at a luxury spa. It’s made with 50% glycerin serum plus natural oils, so my skin feels instantly hydrated and soft after I rinse off, but never greasy. You know that feeling when you step out of the shower and immediately feel like you need lotion? I don’t get that anymore. My skin already feels nourished, and it has this healthy, glowy finish that looks so beautiful. And the best part is that feeling doesn’t stay in the bathroom.

I’ll catch my shoulders in the mirror while I’m doing my makeup or notice my legs catching the sunlight later that afternoon, and it gives me one of those little confidence boosts that carries into the rest of my day.

It’s funny because the old version of me probably would’ve thought, “I’ll save this for a special occasion.” Now I channel that luxury on a random Tuesday morning after my workout.

That’s one of the the biggest things I’ve learned in the last 17 months: a beautiful life isn’t built from grand gestures. It’s built from dozens of tiny moments where you choose yourself. That’s the kind of luxury I’m interested in these days: the kind that’s accessible, intentional, and woven into everyday life. If you’re curious, I’ve linked the Dove Serum + Radiance Oil Body Wash I’ve been using here (I just grab mine on Amazon). If you’re someone who loves turning everyday routines into little rituals, I think you’re going to looove it!

xx Ash