The Rituals That Stayed With Me – Reflections from Ericeira

Joanna Trojak
Sep 21
3 min read

When I returned from the retreat in Ericeira, I didn’t come back with the things I thought I would. There were no major funding announcements.No sparkling new partnerships.No perfect pitch video going viral.

What I came home with instead were three small things I could actually hold in my hands:

A jar of Ayuna Terra Eterna
Calling Beauty’s FaceFog and Mega Bite in three colours
A soft, blank RealPassionates notebook to do my morning pages ritual

And somehow, these quiet, beautifully crafted items held me in ways the retreat couldn’t.

Ayuna Terra Eterna: A Cream That Feels Like Stillness

I didn’t know what to expect when I opened the jar of Ayuna Terra Eterna for the first time. The packaging was minimalist, almost too elegant to touch. It looked like a work of art, not a skincare product.

But once I did, I knew this wasn’t just skincare—it was something else.

The texture? Rich, soft, alive.The scent? Earthy, grounding—like morning after rain.The feeling on my skin? Immediate peace. For the first time in years, my skin could breathe.

It didn’t just soothe my face after long travel days and Portuguese sun—it soothed me.

It felt like a moment of stillness. Like the product said, “You’ve done enough for today. Come back to yourself now.”

There’s something poetic about that, isn’t there? That a jar of cream could hold more emotional truth than an entire panel discussion.

Calling Beauty: FaceFog, Mega Bite & the Ritual of Soft Care

Then there was Calling Beauty.

There’s something about the word “fog” that usually feels heavy or disorienting, but FaceFog was the opposite—it was a reset. A mist that didn’t just hydrate, but woke me up in a gentle, almost maternal way. A whisper that said:

“You don’t need to power through. You can just… pause.”

And the Mega Bite? That tiny balm tucked in the kit? It became the thing I reached for when my lips were dry, yes—but also when I just needed to remember that I deserved softness.

Both products were light, portable, unpretentious. They fit in my bag without fanfare. And yet, they brought me back to myself in moments I didn’t even know I was drifting.

Calling Beauty didn’t ask for attention—it simply offered care.

RealPassionates: A Notebook That Didn’t Ask Me to Be Wise

The last gift was a RealPassionates notebook—and I almost didn’t touch it.

I have a thing with notebooks. I hoard them. I’m intimidated by their blank pages. I worry about “wasting” them on messy thoughts.

But one morning, back at home, I opened this one.And I didn’t write anything profound.I just wrote:

“Still tired. Still figuring it out. But today, I’m showing up.”

And that was enough. That page didn’t need a strategy. It just needed me.

There was something about the design—minimal, inviting, unintimidating—that made me feel like this notebook wouldn’t judge me. Like it was okay to meet myself there, halfway between clarity and chaos.

The Quiet Kind of Care

When I think back to the retreat, I remember a lot of things.

Some beautiful.Some complicated.Some I’m still unpacking.

But these three products? They’re the ones that came home with me and actually made a difference. Not because of what they promised. But because of how they made me feel.

And honestly? That’s the kind of self-care I want more of.Not the kind that tries to fix me.The kind that simply says:

“I see you. Let’s rest for a bit.”

More Than Products

This isn’t a product review. It’s a thank you.

To Ayuna, for creating something that felt like grounding in a jar.To Calling Beauty, for reminding me that rituals can be simple.To RealPassionates, for making space for my inner voice when I wasn’t sure what to say.

None of these brands paid me.None of them knew what kind of emotional space I’d be in post-retreat.But somehow, they met me there anyway.

A Note to You, If You’re Rebuilding

If you’re also returning from something that didn’t go as planned…If you're navigating the high of potential mixed with the low of disappointment…If you're quietly trying to piece yourself back together after the world asked you to shine too brightly too soon—

This is your reminder:

Your rituals matter
Your softness is strength
Your care can be tiny and still be transformative

🛋️ Currently On My Shelf (Just Because)

Not a Conclusion, Just a Small Exhale

This wasn’t the blog I planned to write after the retreat.But maybe that’s the point.

Not every transformation is loud.Sometimes, it’s quiet. Sensory. Textured.Sometimes it smells like essential oils, feels like cool cream, and lives in the margin of a notebook.

And that, too, is worth honoring.