Falling asleep in the bath is really dangerous – especially if you've had a drink or two. If you've a tendency to nod off while bathing, set an alarm on your phone for – say - five, 10, 15 minutes, to wake you from your slumbers.
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.'
We love hair accessories as much as the next woman, but it's important to test clips for sharpness before purchasing. Run your finger along the edges. Cheap jaw clips often have unfinished seams in the plastic, while metal clips can have sharp edges that knife through your hair. Avoid elastics that have metal joints, too, which tend to catch hair and almost guarantee breakage.
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. (And do test with an LFT, as a first step, if you’re in doubt.)
It's hard to keep up your motivation to keep fit during the winter months. Try to fit in some exercise in the daytime; if you normally exercise after work, swap to a few early morning sessions. According to fitness guru Matt Roberts, 'Exercising first thing increases the production of "feel-good" chemicals that help counteract the winter blues.'
If you have nail ridges, buffers are your friend. Two or three times a month, buff the area lightly – but not too much, or you’ll weaken the nail – to smooth the ridges. You can also cover up ridges with nail polish: the darker the colour, the easier it is to disguise a bumpy surface. (Look for specific ridge-filling base coats, too.)
Not working out doesn’t just affect the waistline – it can also show up in our faces. When our cardiovascular system is functioning optimally, we have proper circulation, which ensures optimum flow of blood and nutrients to the skin. (Working out in the lead-up to an important event is one of the beauty secrets of those who walk the red carpet…)
While recent research has shown that upping your water intake may increase hydration in the stratum corneum (outermost layer of the skin), a lack of science to back that up means that we can’t definitely conclude that drinking fluids is a fast track to plump, hydrated skin. But we need water for whole-body functioning – and it certainly can’t hurt.
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.’
If you use a konjac sponge for exfoliation, you might like to know these are fully biodegradeable: pop in your home composter, when you feel it’s past its best.
According to skincare expert Debbie Thomas, the only form of vitamin C that’s truly effective is Ascorbic acid (a.k.a. L-ascorbic acid). Apply a vitamin C product (such as a serum), and before sunscreen; it will add additional, useful antioxidant protection.
If you get a cold sore, you don’t have to give up lipstick – but instead, to avoid reinfection, use cotton swabs to apply lipstick while the sore is still visible.
We love the wine and burgundy and strong red shades that are fashionable right now (not to mention the rainbow brights!), but remember: they’re always higher maintenance. Chips and nicks show less on pale and neutral shades.
If your nail polish technique leaves something to be desired, don’t worry if you get polish on the skin. Wait till it’s completely dry and take a hot shower, and the excess polish will peel right off the skin.
No amount of technique will help if foundation doesn’t match the skin perfectly. Only ever go shopping for base in daylight, and take a small make-up mirror to check it at the door of the store. The right shade will always disappear into the cheeks.
Happy feet make a happy woman – so, to avoid buying shoes that are too small, try them on in the late afternoon, when your foot has reached its maximum size.
Oil from cuticle treatments and hand lotion leaves a layer between the polish and the nails – a primary cause of chipping. So before applying polish, remove oil from the nail’s surface with soap and water or nail polish remover.
Never try more than three fragrances at once – perfumers call it smell fatigue. Also: make a note of which you sprayed where, because you will never remember later. Fact!
Always apply concealer on the sides of the nose, between the eyes, as well as to cover dark circles. ‘A lot of women forget to do that,’ notes Bobbi Brown. Also: as we age, some of us acquire blue ‘dot-like’ shadows at the sides of the eye; look out for those and add a touch of concealer, to make them vanish. A tiny brush helps with precision.
For bunion prevention, we have heard positive things about Yogatoes, which are a more bulky version of the toe separators you wear when you’re having a pedicure. Work up from about 15 minutes a day to a couple of hours, and they will start to reshape your feet (in a positive way).