Meeting your inner beauty will be one of the best days of your life. But that doesn’t mean you can’t wear a little lipstick for the occasion. Sometimes concealer and a tube of gloss can kick your confidence up a notch. We’re all so offended by construction-worker catcalls, but it’s even more offensive when they stop. You just may need a little buffing to make you feel like you’re still in the game. Here’s some advice that will keep the dogs howling and resurrect your shine: Go get your hair styled, your face sparkled, and throw in a mani and a pedi for good measure.
JUST BECAUSE WE’RE SICK DOESN’T MEAN WE HAVE TO LOOK IT!
Since you are now Madonna, you need a makeup artist for your tour. Enter my friend Ann. Ann and I have known each other since we were teenagers in ballet school. I was the rebel, Ann was the swan. My mom was thrilled that such opposites could become pals. Ann’s mom was horrified. Her years of proper child rearing were at risk under my troublemaking influence. Post-tutus, Ann and I would spend hours reading magazines and playing with makeup. Well, actually she was the one playing with the makeup, I was in the kitchen weighing chicken breasts on a scale and experimenting with pseudo-healthy recipes and vats of fat-free frozen yogurt from Carvel. Today Ann still plays with paint and products, but now she gets paid loads of money for it as a successful makeup artist in New York. Take it away, Ann!
It’s tub time. One of my favorite pick-me-ups to start my day or relax me before bed is to take a bath with either Jason Natural’s body wash or Dr. Bronner’s pure glycerin soap and a natural sponge. Find a fragrance that is uplifting for fra you—vanilla, rose, lavender, apricot, what have you. Light a candle and create a bathroom sanctuary.
Mask it. Take fifteen minutes, screen your calls, and hang out in a cozy robe. Flip through magazines and spend some girl time with yourself. Apply a gentle clay, hydrating, or enzyme mask to freshen your skin. Astara and Zia are two brands whose lines include natural clay and enzyme masks. Test a patch of skin on your neck to make sure you can tolerate the mask without irritation. Ask for samples to try before you buy.
If I were stranded on a desert island, the two products that I would choose to have with me would be mascara and lip gloss. Burt’s Bees makes wonderful lip balms and shimmers in a pencil form, and I love both Dr. Hauschka and Nvey Eco Organic Moisturizing mascaras.
Seek out mineral makeup. Hop on the bandwagon! Minerals are natural and do wonders for quickly adding a little glow. Mineral makeup protects your skin from the sun and environment. They are available in foundation, blush, and eye shadows. Bare Escentuals, a leading manufacturer, offers a great selection of colors and textures to work with. You can also find Physician’s Formula Organic Wear at your local drugstore. They make amazing bronzers and corrective concealers.
Don’t forget your nails. Clear nail polish looks great on everyone. Nailtiques #2 is my favorite strengthener to keep nails long and strong with a little shine. You can also find natural nail polish and removers online or at your local health food store. Keep a luxurious cream on your nightstand and apply to hands and feet before bedtime.
Control blemishes. Treat that occasional blemish or skin irritation with the calming and soothing effects of a dab of lavender oil.
Keep your beauty tools clean. Wash makeup brushes and tools with baby shampoo every two weeks to avoid bacteria. P.S.: Organic baby shampoo is also the best makeup remover in the world.
Avoid beauty clutter. Use up every drop of your products before buying another one. You’ll feel better about yourself. If something doesn’t work for you, clear it out and give it away.
Water is the best beverage. The secret behind some of the freshest faces in show biz isn’t what they put on, it’s what they put in. Throughout your day, drink lots of water with lemon. Remember, water isn’t Gatorade or “vitamin”-filled sugar drinks. Filtered water is your best weapon. When on the fly, choose Trinity, Smart water, or Penta water. Many other brands are nothing more than upscale tap.
Moisturize! Give your skin a drink, too. Regularly moisturize your body, face, hands, legs, and feet after drybrushing. Massaging with a light organic oil, lotion, or pure aloe vera gel is great for your circulation and keeps your skin soft and protected. My favorites include coconut oil, Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel, and pure shea butter from Whole Foods. All of these are available fragrance-free for sensitive skin types.
Catch Your ZZZZ’s. Part of maintenance is knowing when to recharge. Everyone looks and feels better when they are rested and relaxed. Shoot for eight hours. Try and keep yourself on a schedule and respect it.
Guys can do this stuff, too. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re gay. Or if you are gay, then you know the power of the tweezer!
Do you really know what’s in the products you put on your skin? As much as possible, you want to use natural potions and lotions on your sexy epidermis. Many dangerous chemicals and toxins lurk in our beauty products. Being a detective starts with your diet, but it certainly doesn’t end there. Remember, your body’s largest organ is your skin. What you put on your body, you literally absorb. So if you wouldn’t drink a bottle of Jergens, then don’t put it on your body, because your skin will literally drink it in. A better choice—and one I use daily—is coconut oil. So luxurious!
The average consumer babe uses dozens of personal care products per day! Many of those products contain hundreds of dangerous synthetic chemical compounds. Unlike (most of) the food and drugs we ingest, the cosmetics industry requires no pre-market safety tests, monitoring, or labeling. Due to massive loopholes in federal law, companies can put nearly any ingredient into your products. With statistics telling us that one-third of all men and half of all women will have cancer by 2050, it’s important to investigate how exposures in our daily lives increase the risk of cancer.
Your makeup routine can expose you to more chemicals than your already taxed system can handle. I’m not saying you have to go naked—heck no! Instead, opt for natural products derived from plants and minerals. There are hundreds of selections out there to try. Here are a few of my favorites to get ya started:
• PeaceKeeper: Mineral lip paint, gloss, and polish!
• Lavera Mascara: No parabens, made using rose and jojoba. Yum.
• Jurlique makes great face moisturizer and other products, as does Dr. Hauschka.
• Pangea Organics and Farmaesthetics both offer luxurious body care and moisturizers!
• Bee Yummy Skin Food (live-live.com).
• Care by Stella McCartney.
• No-Miss Nail Care’s Almost Natural Polish Remover.
• Burt’s Bees: I love Burt’s, especially the Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil.
• Glominerals (sold at Whole Foods). Great base and concealer.
• Zia and Larénim (that’s mineral spelled backward) make great powders.
• LUSH handmade cosmetics, soaps, and bath care.
• Essential Three aromatherapy oils and products. Their merchandise is safe, luxurious, and downright yummy. Absolutely no synthetics used at all. Plus Caryn, the dynamic founder, is a cancer babe and I love her!
• Young Living oils: These aromatherapy products are among the best in the world. Their therapeutic grade oils are even good for internal use, as well as cooking, cleaning, first aid, and pet care.
One of the best places to browse natural cosmetics is Whole Body at Whole Foods. If there’s one near you, try stuff on and play! Your skin, organs, and body will be glad you did.
Making a commitment to find the healthiest products for your body impacts more than just you. Natural products are better for the planet as well as your skin. Plus natural products aren’t tested on our animal pals, either. Pooches, bunnies, and other loving critters will thank you! For more information, consult the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which works to protect and educate consumers on personal care products. Also, you can check the safety of the products you use by going to www.cosmeticdatabase.com.
skin art
Design your “I’m a courageous cancer biker” tattoo and pick a special place on your body to post it. Do you dare replace a breast with an angel? Why not? If you love your paint-free self, more power to you. But if cancer has made you feel disempowered and in need of a little pick-me-up, then find a nice motorcycle gang and ask the members for a few good recommendations. Remind yourself that you are a love warrior with heart and arrow. My dream tattoo is a butterfly; I know exactly where I want it, and one day I will have the guts to dig it into my skin. You are a canvas, your life is art, play! You don’t have to go to the parlor. Thinking about inking can be fun enough. Go ahead, shake up the inner good girl.
