If you find that hair masks weigh down your fine hair, simply use them as pre-shampoo treatments, rather than post-shampoo treatments. They’ll still do hair LOTS of good, but the heaviness will be shampooed out. Finish with a spritz of leave-in conditioner on the ends.
A little highlighter, judiciously used, can really light up a dull-looking face. But here’s the trick: avoid powder highlighters with shimmering bits – they can get lodged in skin and make it look drier, ironically. Use a liquid version and apply sparingly on the high points of brow-bone, cheeks and (if you choose) cupid’s bow.
Concealer that’s too pale can turn pigment under the eyes a corpse-like shade of grey, making eyes look older than they are. Another concealer no-no: applying concealer too close to the lash-line; stay ¾ of an inch away from lashes to avoid making eyes look smaller.
Forget that myth about keeping nail polish in the fridge to ensure it stays fresh. The texture can change if it’s cooled too much – and it’s harder to apply if it’s chilled.
Herbalist Brigitte Mars, author of Beauty By Nature (which has long had a place on our natural beauty bookshelf) believes that a bath is one of the most relaxing things we can do for ourselves. 'When you shower, you have to stand up – and that's not relaxing,' she observes. Fill the tub with water, allowing the steam to fill the room, and add a few drops of your favourite essential oils. Or create a bath tea by filling a cotton sock with a mixture of dried herbs, tying it at the top and letting it soak in the water while you wait for the water to cool a bit.
Stress can have a huge impact on skin ageing by causing a free radiacal-inducing inflammatory response in the body that can add years to your skin, over time. The easiest counter-attack is yoga: even a few inverted postures a day – forward bends or legs-up-the-wall – stimulate circulation and oxygenation and reduce stress.
Oh, how thrilled we are to be back at the hairdressers. Obviously, normal rules don’t always apply right now and we’re just glad to get whatever appointments we can - but in general, colour always follows cut, when it comes to a new hair look. If you're planning to change both, try to get an appointment to sort out your hairstyle first.
Discoloured or yellow-tinted nails? Switch to a sheer white base coat instead of a clear one, to counterbalance the discolouration.
When applying eyeliner, make-up pro Trish McEvoy suggests looking into a mirror above your head, to ensure you're getting as close to the base of the lashes as possible. 'If you're shaky, you can rest your elbow on a countertop,' she advises.
Got facial beauty products that didn't work out? Scrubs, masks, serums, creams? Just relegate to your body, and give it some well-deserved extra TLC. You can afford to be super-generous since otherwise these products would be headed for the bin...
From Laura Mercier: 'Apply as little foundation as possible, and don't be afraid to massage it in with your fingers. Many women make the mistake of painting on top of the skin, rather than blending it properly. Don't feel you need to cover your whole face, either – just focus on the areas where the skin has more redness than you would like. Foundation is designed to even out skintone, rather than cover blemishes.'
The first place nails tend to chip is the edge, so be sure to take your topcoat right to where it attaches to the cuticle, at the side of the nail.
With yoga and Pilates classes reopening, there will generally be a requirement to take your own mat. Disinfect it before taking it to a public class, and always place it the same side down on the floor.
Go a bit more nuts. One brazil nut supplies the daily recommended adult allowance of selenium, a health-protective mineral.
Ditch the Zoom, pick up the phone. Psychologist Matthias Mehl from the University of Arizona has researched the impact that conversation has on our mood, and found that happier people had about twice as many meaningful conversations, with less small talk. Make time for proper chats with friends, over the phone – maybe even that dust-gathering landline phone – in the good, old-fashioned way.
If nails are stained from polish, try rubbing them with the pulp of a fresh lemon to whiten them and make stains less noticeable.
From our genius podiatrist friend Margaret Dabbs: ‘When you suffer from cracked heels, it’s tempting to reach for a rich balm, but it will just sit on the surface, weakening the skin tissue and making future splits more likely. Instead, apply a thinner product that sinks in. (If the cracks appear black, have a soak in the bath.)’
In order to cleanse properly, you need to have your chest and décolletage exposed. Always get undressed before cleansing, and sweep cleanser upwards from chest to face, and upwards towards hairline. Massage well before removing. There’s no point cleansing in the v-neck shirt you’ve been wearing all day, because it just doesn’t allow enough access.
When you’re buying concealer, test the shades on the blue vein on the inside of your wrist. (NB At the moment, you can’t try shades in store, but on counters where there are consultants present, they should be able to hygienically apply to you with a Q-tip.)
It sounds weird, but Ayurvedic medicine recommends a practice called tongue scarping to remove the coat that appears overnight, which contains what they call ama (or toxins). Using a tongue scraper, gently comb your tongue from back to front several times. Wash and rinse the scraper well, between sessions. Doing this before you brush your teeth is thought to stimulate the digestive response and get the body thinking about its first meal.