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MY FINDS: DERVLA LOULI

The founder of Compare Retreats shares her techspertise, and her style and wellness tips

Dervla Louli is the Hong Kong-based founder of wellness travel portal Compare Retreats. Formerly digital editor of Hong Kong Tater and managing editor of Sassy Media Group, she made a name for herself as one of her adopted city's digital gurus before launching her own business in 2017. Today, she combines her passions for wellness and all things digital at Compare Retreats, a site offering unbiased reviews of luxury spas and retreats, along with the booking mechanism to reserve them.

 

The reason I started Compareretreats.com was because I couldn't find a website where booking a high-quality retreat was easy and transparent,” she explains. “I had wasted so much time and money on retreats that didn't offer the results they promised, and I wanted to prevent other people from doing the same.”

 

It follows that Dervla is an avid traveler with plenty to say about how to keep it chic on-the-run. She also more than puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to keeping fit in her own life. “A good day for me starts off with some form of movement, either CrossFit at Coastal Fitness, a hike up the peak with my rescue dog Clive, a PT session at Ultimate Performance. I used to be a bit obsessive with my training. Now, I’m a lot more moderate, and I stick to things that I really enjoy and that get me the results I want. Exercise should be fun and sociable, which is something I forgot for a few years.” Here, she shares the invaluable life and work lessons she’s learned along the way, as well as her very best style and beauty tips.

 

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The thing I wish I'd known before I launched my business is

that you can spend an infinite amount of money on tech. Turn off the tap on tech when you have a platform your clients and partners are responding positively to and move your money into sales and marketing.

The thing I wish I'd known before I launched my business is
compareretreats.com

I love statement tops. They're versatile and surprisingly easy to wear.

Rosie Assoulin, Roksanda Ilincic, Ellery and Caroline Constas all do fabulous ones that I can dress up and down for any occasion. I buy most of them online at Net-A-Porter, and Matchesfashion.com who both have fast and reliable delivery services.

I love statement tops. They're versatile and surprisingly easy to wear.
Checked cotton-voile wrap top by Rosie Assoulin, HK$7,808.50

The habits I employ to stay on track are

I write a 'to do' list every morning and every evening, either in a Smythson notebook where I also journal and sometimes write down things I'm grateful for. Nothing satisfies me more than ticking items off my list. Doing some form of exercise every day, eating unprocessed food, and sticking to one cup of coffee a day are a few other habits that also increase my productivity.

The habits I employ to stay on track are
Inspirations and Ideas Notebook from Smythson, HK$500.00

The best luxury wellness retreat packages in Hong Kong

Can be found at the Mandarin Oriental (try the digital wellness escape) or for something a little further away and very peaceful, check out Fivelements Sai Kung. I recently ran a yoga class at their retreat and it really does give a wonderful sense of escape. Make sure you ask for the room with the 6 foot stone bath.

The best luxury wellness retreat packages in Hong Kong

The books that changed my life are

The Untethered Soul, I Quit Sugar and Tools of Titans

The books that changed my life are
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer, US$14.75

My favourite place to have a coffee

Is Blend and Grind by Jonny Rees. It's one of the few coffee shops in Hong Kong that opens before 6am. I've been going there every day for a year, the owners, staff and coffee are fantastic. They also sell perfectly ripe avocados.

My favourite place to have a coffee

My favourite boutiques in Hong Kong are

Callixto and Casa Capriz - it's lovely to see Irene here on My Finds, too. Both are such good resources of wonderful pieces from all over the world that you really can't find anywhere else. These dressing gowns at Callixto are perfect for lounging around in at home.

My favourite boutiques in Hong Kong are
Callixto Birds of Paradise Robe, US$90.00

One of my favourite websites to shop at is

Moda Operandi. Their personal shopping service is excellent, and alongside their brilliant fashion assortment they also have some beautiful homewares now. These plates are on my wishlist.

One of my favourite websites to shop at is
M'O Exclusive Monogram Soup Plates, HK$2,120.00

In my beauty regime

I use a lot of skincare products and cosmetics by Charlotte Tilbury. I can't live without her Magic Cream, Pillow Talk lip liner and lipstick, black eyeliner, bronzer and highlighter. I also am addicted to Clarins rose hip lip balm. It's the best.

In my beauty regime
CHARLOTTE TILBURY Matte Revolution Lipstick, HK$209.13

My failsafe activewear gear go-to is

Lululemon leggings for CrossFit or PT, Lululemon shorts for running and hiking, a Nike sports bra, a Zara or Soul Cycle tank top, and Nike free 5.0s. I lay out my clothes the night before and 99% of the time wear black and white, the less decisions I have to make at 6am before my cup of coffee, the better. This is probably TMI but I also usually only wear Lululemon white socks which I buy in bulk! For swimwear, I love Lisa Maria Fernandez bikinis, her ruffle tops are supportive and pretty at the same time.

My failsafe activewear gear go-to is
My failsafe activewear gear is
Nike Light Support Sports Bra, HK$280.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
These Nike Training Free Flyknit Trainers are supportive and do the job effectively. They're also great when travelling as they're incredibly light., HK$1,223.39
My failsafe activewear gear is
Lululemon Perforated Shorts, US$58.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
Zara Strappy Top, HK$79.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
Simple activewear tops like this Lululemon Sculpt Tank keep it sleek., US$65.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
Lululemon Light Speed Sock, US$14.00
My failsafe activewear gear go-to is
Lululemon do the best basic workout gear - not least these leggings. Wunder Under Low-Rise Tight , US$98.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
Nike Cutout Dri-Fit Tank, HK$185.50
My failsafe activewear gear is
Pink Topaz Swell Water Bottle, US$25.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
I'm addicted to Clarins HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm. It's the best, I always carry it with me., HK$200.00
My failsafe activewear gear is
This Lisa Marie Fernandez Mira Flounce off-the-shoulder bonded bikini is a holiday staple of mine. It's supportive and sporty yet elegant too., HK$3,685.00
My failsafe activewear gear go-to is
My wellness mantra is prioritising sleep, nutrition, fitness, mobility, and mindfulness, in that order. I also think it's very important to really take the time to check out every now and again.

There are so many tools you can use when building a website. Avoid custom builds!

Squarespace, Wordpress, Shopify, WooCommerce, MailChimp, STRIPE are all pre-built and make anything from building a website to processing payments easier.

There are so many tools you can use when building a website. Avoid custom builds!
Squarespace

Meditation, movement and breath work are all helpful for calming my 'monkey mind'.

My favourite productivity hack is to leave my phone at home when I go to the office. I also wear noise-cancelling Bose headphones and listen to the extended version of Intro by The XX, which is a continuous loop of the same song that plays for two hours and forty-five minutes. I've been using it as background noise when I work for over six years. Now I associate the song with writing or working and it helps me stay in the zone.

Meditation, movement and breath work are all helpful for calming my 'monkey mind'.
QuietControl wireless headphones from Bose, HK$2,588.00

The most fabulous place I've stayed is

The Aman Summer Palace in Beijing. I'm a little bit obsessed with Chinese history so staying there was an incredible experience. Guests have direct access to the Summer Palace via a secret door and the food is excellent. Aman now offer wellness retreat packages at four of their properties which you can check out on Compare Retreats booking portal.

The most fabulous place I've stayed is
Aman Summer Palace in Beijing

The five things I never travel without are

My Clarins rose hip lip balm, Bose noise-cancelling headphones, a small pillow, a Swell water bottle, a phone charger, cash and credit cards, passport, HKID and a black cashmere scarf/ shawl

The five things I never travel without are
Cashmere and silk-blend scarf by Chan Luu, HK$1,465.00

My most recent online find is

Aynhoe Park's online store, A Modern Grand Tour. I'm a magpie, especially for vintage homewares and I love their assortment of eccentric curiosities. This ostrich feather lamp is on my shopping list!

My most recent online find is
The Ostrich Feather Lamp , £3,300.00

The secret weapons in my wardrobe are

my Prada ballerina flats. They're comfortable enough to run in if I'm late to an important meeting and they smarten up any outfit. They tend to release them every season so I stock up at the outlets in Ireland or Switzerland.

The secret weapons in my wardrobe are
Patent-leather ballet flats from Prada, US$440.50

On holiday, I love to wear

Vintage kaftans and kimonos. They're great for throwing over jeans, or wearing over a simple black dress for evenings

On holiday, I love to wear
Stine Goya Printed silk-satin kimono, HK$3,265.00

I love a pretty shoe!

Ancient Greek sandals work well for day, and these Aquazurra sandals are on my shopping list for evenings out.

I love a pretty shoe!
AQUAZZURA Powder Puff 110 suede pumps, HK$4,060.00

My favourite place for a cocktail

Is definitely Café Gray at the Upper House. I'm a creature of habit and the food, drinks and service are always excellent and we celebrated our engagement, civil wedding and many other celebrations there. They also have one cocktail that's served in a brass pineapple, and I kind of have a thing for pineapples.

My favourite place for a cocktail