If you D-I-Y wax to remove hair, do it once and again a few days later as there are always hairs in the ‘resting’ phase and you can catch them, second time around.
Paul Windle maintains that Bad Hair Days can be less to do with hair itself than your own stress levels. ‘When you try too hard, you overwork hair and things inevitably stick out or go wrong. The best approach is to relax – do what you’d do normally.’
Swimming offers a great workout – but a strong chemical smell can mean that the pool or spa isn’t well-maintained. That aroma is a by-product of human body secretions mixing with the chlorine. A properly cared-for spa should have no smell, and the tiles on the side of a Jacuzzi or plunge pool shouldn’t feel slick.
One make-up casualty when wearing specs is that frames tend to rub away foundation. When you go to the Ladies, take off your glasses and do a quick blend of foundation on the sides of the nose, where the glasses touch, and the cheekbones if yours rest there. If you like to take your glasses off for an evening out, you might want to touch up the area beforehand.
More on using the change of season to boost your wellbeing… Kickstart your morning by opening your curtains and letting daylight filter in as soon as possible, rather than lying or sitting in the dark, advises sleep expert Nerina Ramlakhan, author of The Little Book of Sleep. ‘Daylight helps control your body clock and suppresses the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, making you feel more alert.’
If you’ve been finding it hard to grab your daily 10,000 steps, the clocks going forward offers the perfect opportunity now to take a walk in daylight after walk. Lace up those shoes and make a resolution to get out there, every single day (or evening).
If you like to use a make-up sponge, experiment with damping it slightly (not wet, just damp). It will glide on much more smoothly…
For an eye-widening effect, try applying your mascara in the traditional way, from roots to tips, then take the tip of the wand and stroke it over the lashes at the outer corners. It creates a real ‘false lash’ effect.
Trust us: tanning waters are going to be the next big thing for summer – they’re similar to micellar waters, but with tanning agents. But how to apply? The secret for the most natural-looking finish is to blend with an applicator mitt or beauty blender body sponge, then dry with a hairdryer on cool.
The best time of day for a facial is as late in the day as your salon can manage (preferably early evening, actually). If for any reason you have a negative reaction, skin can recover before being exposed to the sun, and it gives any redness (which should only be minimal, by the way) time to calm.
Whenever you wash your make-up brushes (which should be once a week, NB!), reshape them with your hands, then place them on the counter so that the bristles hang over the edge. (Laying brushes on a flat surface won’t allow air to circulate through them – and on natural brushes, that can cause mildew.)
Remember: concealer isn’t just for under-eye shadows. The darkest area is between the eyes’ inner corner and the sides of the nose. Dot concealer there, to brighten.
As spring beckons, it’s time to hit ‘refresh’ on your beauty regime. Book in for a facial, where the aesthetician can manually slough away flaky skin and unclog pores. Or for an at-home version, look for the peel-off variety of masks, which remove dirt, oil and dead cells.
We’ve often heard the myth that fizzy drinks cause cellulite. Well, relax. (Though we’d rather you drank fizzy water than a Coke, readers.) The bubbles come from carbon dioxide, a gas that is either expelled orally or absorbed into the gut. Under no circumstances does it take up residence in fatty tissue.
Do you hit the snooze button regularly? Those extra moments of sleep aren’t doing you any favours, energy-wise, leaving you feeling groggy for hours. It’s better to listen to the alarm, wake up – and once you’re up, stick with it.
Yay, it’s rhubarb season! Rhubarb’s rich in polyphenols, giving it antioxidant properties. But it needs a lot of sweetening. Instead of adding copious quantities of sugar, try adding a handful of chopped dates which offer natural sweetness and fibre – and finish with a dash of lemon juice. It’s also delicious with natural yoghurt.
Communal changing areas at a gym or a pool can put you at risk of verrucas or athlete’s foot. Take your own flip-flops and wear them to avoid infection, and be sure to wash and dry feet thoroughly after exercise. Take clean socks to change into, too.
Blue light from phone and laptop/iPad screens can interfere with our sleep patterns. If you find it hard to turn yours off, ask someone you live with to stage a gentle intervention at 9 p.m. In a perfect world, sleep hygiene experts would like us to place them outside our bedrooms. It certainly reduces temptation to scroll late at night…
Blue light from phone and laptop/iPad screens can interfere with our sleep patterns. If you find it hard to turn yours off, ask someone you live with to stage a gentle intervention at 9 p.m. In a perfect world, sleep hygiene experts would like us to place them outside our bedrooms. It certainly reduces temptation to scroll late at night…
Cleaning products can be a major source of indoor pollution. We’re big fans of Method and Ecover, but check how your cleaning products rate at ewg.org.