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.
There’s no easy way to blitz blackheads, but a good clay-based mask can help to draw out impurities. Use once or twice a week. (If you have combination skin, multi-mask with a nourishing version on areas unaffected by blackheads.)
If you know you ought to be drinking more green juices but you can’t somehow get your tastebuds around them, as a rule, adding lots of lemon, apple or pears will make any vegetable medley taste more palateable. Be aware that according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, however, we should still be drinking soup rather than juices till the weather warms up.
Don’t be a desk slave. Try to stand up and move around for 30-60 seconds every 20-30 minutes, and focus on something more than six metres away to rest your eyes.
Insider wisdom from make-up artist Lisa Eldridge. ‘I am never without a hyaluronic acid serum in my routine.’ Her favourite is La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum. ‘It leaves skin just the way it promises – firm, supple and hydrated.’
Love this advice from our friend Liz Earle. ‘Keep healthier, brain-boosting snacks to hand so that you don’t find yourself drifting towards the vending machine come the mid-afternoon slump.’ She likes to keep nuts handy – a handful of almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or pumpkin seeds, which are great sources of vitamin E as well as being highly nutritious.