Feeling frazzled? It’s really no surprise, with things as they are. When your mind’s frantic, breathing becomes shallower. Move into longer, calming breaths by breathing out and placing one hand on your stomach, the other over your heart. Allow the stomach to rise with each breath to relax the nervous system, take slower breaths than you usually do, and draw out each exhalation. A couple of minutes of this can be transformative.
We’ve heard many reports of friends feeling panicked over the last few uncertain weeks and months. Panic attacks aren’t that unusual – but they are horrid. Remind yourself that what you’re feeling is a normal bodily function, happening at the wrong time – and it’s not going to hurt you. You’re not going crazy – and it will be over soon. But if it keeps happening, you might want to consider dialling down the caffeine as a first step – limit your intake of coffee, tea, cola and chocolate and see if that helps.
Footbaths feel great, if you’re doing a home pedicure. (Our favourite is to add a few drops of jojoba or almond oil to the water, along with a drop or two of favourite essential oils – peppermint is great for tired feet, or frankincense for a meditative, wind-down vibe.) However, if you soak your feet for longer than 25 minutes or so, skin can start to become waterlogged and loose, making the rest of your pedicure (especially buffing) difficult.
Life still hasn’t gathered pace to its previous breakneck gallop for quite a few women we know. (Not the ones home-schooling, we acknowledge.) So: devote half an hour to experimenting with your lipsticks, sheer tints or glosses, layering two shades to create a third. Bright red and coral, sheer orange over rosebud pink… The permutations are endless, and will deliver new lip looks without spending a sou…
We love supermodel Karolina Kurková’s philosophy: ‘I’m all about prevention – I’m 36 and I haven’t done anything. You want beautiful skin, but you’re smoking two packs of cigarettes, you’re never sleeping, you’re drinking wine or cocktails every night, you’re never removing your make-up before you go to bed…? And there’s a lot you can do to take care of yourself, going back to nature with honey face masks or avocado on your hair. I do face and body acupuncture, cupping and ge facials. I’m taking care so I can look good and maintain, but you can’t fight time. I want to age gracefully. I want to feel like I’m me.’
Research is increasingly showing that multi-tasking may not be the most efficient way to get stuff done. Try doing one thing at a time, giving it your full focus. (We like to tick items one by one off a ‘To Do’ list – Kikki.K is a favourite source of stationery.)
The mosquito season is upon us. So you might want to try rubbing basil on your skin; it’s a trick that’s been used in India and Africa for centuries.
Don’t be tempted to head for a tanning salon to make up for the fact you’ve been cooped up in #lockdown. The words ‘Never. Ever’ come to mind. Reach for the self-tanner, instead.
You know those spatulas that come with skincare…? Don’t just use them. Keep them clean. A grubby spatula is no better than a finger, so wash it with hot water, whenever you use it, and dry with cotton wool.
It’s going to be REALLY hard to remember the kit you need to travel, next time you’re going away. It will never be easier to forget essentials (and find yourself toothbrush/cleanser-less in a strange place). So unless you keep your sponge bag permanently packed, have a think and tuck a little packing checklist inside. And to avoid leaks, pack bottles containing liquids inside Ziploc sandwich bags, inside your kit.
If you manicure your own nails late at night, sleep with your hands on top of the covers so they can dry. It takes six hours for polish to set hard.
Do you have trouble concentrating? Love this WFH tip from Holly Tucker MBE, co-founder of Notonthehighstreet.com and ambassador for UK small creative businesses. ‘A tidy desk equals a tidy mind,’ she says. Keep it as minimal as possible, but try adding a sprig of garden flowers (or move your favourite plant to your eye line), propping up a card or lighting a scented candle. ‘It will create a welcoming, calm mood.’
We’re not trying to teach our grandmothers to suck eggs, here, when it comes to cleansing – but do you always massage your cleanser right down to your collarbone, before removing make-up? It’s incredibly how much dirt accumulates on our necks. (Though our mothers definitely knew that.)
Love this quote from Coco Chanel: ‘Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.’
We ignore the SPFs in make-up. They’re a little bonus, yes, but you shouldn’t rely on them. SPF protection in cosmetics can’t hurt, but one is not a substitute for the other. You don’t wear enough make-up to protect you, plus make-up migrates: a lot of it is wiped away by using the phone or touching your face. So from April to October, a daily sunscreen is also a must.
At a real pinch, you can remove nail polish with… nail polish! Applying a coat of polish over existing varnish and wiping it off immediately works in emergencies.
Feeling shaky? Have a comforting bath. Age-old remedy, of course, but there’s a fascinating reason why they’re so effective. ‘Being in warm water produces the bonding hormone oxytocin, which you get if you spend time with people you love,’ says Dr. Tara Swart. ‘To get the benefits, stay in the tub for at least 15-20 minutes.’
For a spotty back, treat skin with a blend of antiseptic aromatherapy oil: mix together two drops of camphor, lemon and lavender oils with 12 drops of evening primrose oil and apply morning and evening. (It might seem counterintuitive to apply oils to a spotty zone – but trust us, it works.)
Now that we’re starting to think about wearing actual shoes again rather than slippers, a tip from the top (a.k.a. Manolo Blahnik): ‘To make wide feet appear narrower, wear shoes with a long v-shaped front.’
If nails chip easily, it’s because they’re dry. When they dry out, they tend to feel harder and more inflexible (a problem that’s exacerbated as we age). Spending time outside has a dehydrating effect, too. So lubricate them night and morning with a specific nail oil – although frankly, at a pinch, anything oil will do. (We melt a little coconut oil into an old lip balm pot and keep it on the bedside.)