If you have brown eyes, make-up artist Gucci Westman suggests applying a little bronzer under your bottom lids to intensify the colour.
If you aren’t taking seriously the threat of blue light in terms of skin ageing, listen to Dr. Howard Murad. ‘We are at the early stages of understanding the long-term impacts of blue light on skin, but our initial estimate is that four days in front of a computer exposes the skin to a total irradiation as intense as 20 minutes in the midday sun.’ So: wear your sunscreen and power up the antioxidant protection, at your desk…
Might a little crystal healing prove helpful at the moment? Crystal enthusiasts believe that these powerful stones work on an energetic level to bring about vibrational healing, via stones placed around the house and on the body. Try amethyst to help you relax, lapis lazuli for peaceful thoughts and hematite or moonstone for deep calm.
It might be tempting to skimp on cleansing in the morning – but either wash with a facial wash, swipe with a flannel or use an AHA- or toner-infused pad, to sweep over skin thoroughly. Oils and dead skin cells build up while you sleep and your daily skincare will be absorbed better by clean skin.
If you’re finding it hard to motivate yourself to exercise, lay out your exercise clothes the night before. It makes it harder to goof off when you’re lying in bed looking for excuses. (Even 10 minutes of walking is better than nothing.)
How do you choose specs to suit your face? As a rule, square or wide frames suit round faces; longer faces need bigger frames with a deep bridge; square faces look best in round frames or a top-heavy style, and heart-shaped faces can pull off almost any shape. Basically, avoid matching the shape of your frames to your face shape. (As trying on glasses in store has been challenging since the start of the pandemic, we’re rather loving Specsavers virtual try-on, on their website.)
There is only one style of comb that should ever be used on hair: a wide-toothed plastic comb. Pay a little more for something that’s smooth, and always de-tangle from the tips, working up to the scalp.
Love this, from the ever-beautiful Brooke Shields: 'When I drink too much alcohol, only have a few hours of sleep, don't eat well and don't sweat, I look five to 10 years older. But putting yourself in the position where you're not chasing youth is the best way to stay young.'
Bought a lipstick you don't like? Instead of throwing it out, mix it with another that you own.
After a long walk, warm your hands with a hot cuppa – but pick a herbal tea that contains a favourite spice, such as ginger or chilli, for an extra-warming kick.
We may be more worried about A.N. Other virus right now, but many people we know are still getting seasonal colds. At the onset of a cold, try these acupressure techniques. Press firmly under cheekbones with your index and middle fingers so that you slightly lift the fleshy part of the cheeks. Hold for a count of five; repeat five times. Also press points either side of nostrils with your forefingers. Hold for a count of five; repeat three times.
If a round brush makes your fringe too curly, try switching to an oval brush (like a Mason Pearson).
Finding the news a little overwhelming right now? Constant worrying can affect your emotional resilience and trigger low mood and anxiety. An effective way to take control is to schedule in ‘worry time’. ‘By giving yourself a specific time slot to worry each day, it can help to limit worrying so it doesn’t become overwhelming,’ says chartered psychologist Sarah Lewis. ‘Try scheduling in 15 or 30 minutes to focus on what’s worrying you. If you do want to use your worry time, try to establish what you can do about what you’re worried about, and what first step you might need to take.’ (Sarah also recommends scheduling in worry time for mornings, as we tend to be more emotionally resilient then.)
Many of us are thinking about revamping our homes, now we’re spending so much more time there. Colour experts believe it can have a profound effect on health and wellbeing, on a vibrational level. In the kitchen, yellow, gold and orange tones stimulate the appetite and help digestion, while blue crockery and plates have been found to reduce appetite (if you’re trying to eat less).
To avoid lipstick coming off on your mask, remember the trick of blotting your lipstick. Apply, then bite onto a tissue. You can apply again, then blot once more. The more layer-and-blot, the longer your lipstick will stay put – but it won’t readily rub off on the inside of your mask.
Prone to dry skin? Take this advice from Dr. Rishika Sinha, consultant dermatologist. ‘Regular moisturising once or twice a day can help the symptoms of discomfort and itchiness. If your skin is dry, you have a greater tendency to scratch, which can fuel further inflammation and the problem can snowball.’
Time at the hairdresser is better spent watching and learning than leafing through Hello or catching up on your novel reading. Observe how your stylist blow-dries, sets or otherwise finishes your look – even ask him/hre to let you practice these techniques right there and then, offering any tips or products to help you recreate the look at home.
If you suffer from static hair, there are a few tactics that should help. Swap your shampoo for a moisturising option. Treat it to conditioning masks, and use twice a week. And if you’re a fan of woolly hats, seek out one that has a silk lining to prevent it from rubbing your hair up the wrong way.
Hanging onto the last flaky, patchy dregs of a summer fake tan? This is where a loofah really comes into its own. (And for elbows, turn to grandma’s favourite skin-lightener, lemon.)
Still need convincing to take up mindfulness? Changes start to be seen in the brains of new meditators after just a few days or weeks of training. As we practise mindfulness, regions of the brain related to learning, memory, mind-boy awareness, cognitive control, sense of self, emotional reactivity and many other markers of wellbeing are all affected. All in all, A Very Good Thing.