We all have a tendency to feel a little guilty when giving ourselves TLC. But stop, right now. ‘Self-care is not an optional extra,’ says Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne, founder of Human Health. ‘It is imperative to how we function in our family, at work and in society as women. We cannot look after those around us if we are not taking care of ourselves.’
Many brands tout their bunny-hugging credentials by using the words ‘vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’. But vegan simply refers to the absence of animal ingredients in products, while cruelty-free hasn’t been tested on animals. To confuse things: a vegan product might use ingredients tested on animals, and a cruelty-free product could include animal ingredients. So always do your research, before shopping.
Always use a nozzle when you blow-dry, because it quickens the drying time and helps to achieve a perfectly smooth finish. And remember the cold setting, which sets a style and gives a beautiful shine to hair.
We’re all for foot buffing. (Happy feet make a happy woman.) But listen to superpedicurist Margaret Dabbs: ‘One of the biggest mistakes I see people making is filing wet skin. This weakens the tissue and the file doesn’t adhere well, meaning skin is not removed effectively and results aren’t as long lasting. Always file on dry skin, before a bath or shower.’ (And tactfully communicate that, next time you’re asked to soak your feet at the start of a pedicure!)
Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert, has these thoughts on on dispelling misconceptions about ageing. ‘Let me put it this way: I’m a twice-divorced, once-widowed, childless, middle-aged woman, living all by herself. With nobody to love! And nobody to love me. On paper, I’m a cautionary tale – something you might warn a young girl she must never become. But in reality, I’m very likely the freest and happiest woman you’ll ever meet. All I do is lark about, doing whatever I like. It’s glorious.’
The definitive how-to for applying hair mousse, from hairdresser Chris Apleton (hairdresser to Jennifer Lopez and Dua Lipa, among other A-Listers). ‘I like to the apply the product straight to the scalp,’ he says. ‘I then take a big round brush and wrap sections of the hair around the brush, a bit like a roller, before hitting it with some heat from a hairdryer. Instantly the hair will have volume and guts.’
Have you ever considered tongue-scraping? It’s an integral and traditional part of Ayurvedic self-care, and can work to improve dental health. Ayurvedic practitioner Maeve O’Sullivan recommends scraping your tongue once a day as part of your normal cleansing routine, when brushing teeth, to get rid of the bacteria dislodged by the brushing action.
To get more out of your hair mask (and you are applying these twice a week in this central heating season, aren’t you?), reach for something that will trap heat and moisture, creating a mini-steam room effect that will open up the hair shaft and allow the mask to penetrate more deeply. A shower cap, a plastic bag or a clingfilm will all do the trick.
Lucy Pollock, the author of The Book of Getting Older (For People Who Don’t Want to Talk About It), maintains that it’s never too late to start a fitness regime. True, the earlier in life you start to exercise, the less frail you’ll become. But as she points out, ‘It really is never too late. It Is the people who do least, but then move to doing a little who benefit the most. If you’re doing a marathon in your eighties, fantastic. but you don’t gain much by doing two marathons. Whereas if you move from sitting all day to standing up once every hour or 20 minutes, that makes a huge difference. For some of my patients, simply being able to stand up on their own out of a chair or bed means they can stay at home.’
From actress Ellie Bamber, some sage-beyond-her-years advice: ‘I used to have really bad breakouts and sometimes still do. Double cleansing helped so much and funnily enough, contrary to popular opinion, I think applying make-up also helps as I don’t touch my face.’
If a round brush makes your fringe too curly, try switching to an oval brush (like a Mason Pearson).
Do you sometimes use a particular dark shadow for eye-lining? If so, don't glop up the whole eyeshadow compact; instead, dedicate just a corner to this operation. (Once a shadow has been dampened, it behaves differently.)
If you always feel strapped for time, hang out with someone who follows their own rhythm, such as a treasured older member of the family, a child or even an animal. Notice any frustration that comes up in you as you allow your pace to match theirs. Look them deep in the eyes when you're talking to them, to establish a deep connection – and look upon the experience as an investment in yourself, rather than something to make you feel even more pressured. We all have the same amount of hours in a day; it's how we use them that matters.
To use blusher on oily skin, start with powder blusher (your natural oils will allow the pigments to stick), then layer cream blusher over it. For dry skin, apply the cream blush first: skin absorbs the emollients, and you should then dust powder blusher over it – the powder pigments adhere to the cream and stay put, advises make-up artist Laura Geller.
Love this quote from our make-up artist friend Mary Greenwell: ‘Don’t bother keeping old make-up. It’s not like keeping a nice leather coat. Lipsticks go rancid. Mascaras dry out. Foundations separate. It’s unhygienic. And even though the colour might be great three, four or five years on, the texture will be all wrong. All the newness in make-up comes in the textures. And nowadays, textures are changing very, very fast and getting better and better.’
Don’t be tempted to peel off old nail polish. It takes a very fine surface layer of the nail with it, affecting both the texture and strength of the nail, over time.
You don't need a face full of make-up to wake up tired-looking skin. Patting a creamy concealer at the inner and outer corners of eyes and long the cheekbones will instantly brighten the face, says make-up artist Gucci Westman.
Make-up artist Rumiko reveals: 'Your eyelashes are the same texture as your hair. People with fine hair usually have fine lashes, whereas those with thicker hair have naturally thick ones.' If you have thin eyelashes, go for a thickening or volumising formula, whereas if they are short you'll go for a lengthening version.
Don't kid yourself that alcohol is a sleep aid. Alcohol doesn't put you to sleep; it merely sedates the cortex of the brain, which isn't natural, healthy sleep. Instead it fragments sleep so that you wake up briefly many times through the night. It also suppresses REM (or dream) sleep, which is essential for proper rest. So: skip the nightcap.
To prolong your colour, ask your colourist about a clear glaze. It can extend the life of haircolour by at least two weeks, extending time between appointments.