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Get Gorgeous in 4 Weeks |
Week 1: Detox
Day 1: De-puff post-party.
Your parting gift from last night's shindig? Puffy eyes. Send those bags packing with a cooling eye gel such as Vichy Aqualia Thermal Eyes De-Puffing & Fortifying Soothing Hydrogel, $26.
Day 2: Get jet-lag relief.
Holiday travel can take its toll on your skin. Recharge with My Blend Anti-Jet Lag Relief Emergency Booster, $45, a cocktail of moisturizers for plane-parched skin, with stimulating green coffee and soothing cotton seeds.
Day 3: Steam-clean your pores.
Drop a Lush Toner Tab, a tablet that when steeped in hot water creates steam infused with hydrating essential oils. Try the Vitamin C Toner Tab, $1.50.
Day 4: Toss your old, cruddy makeup bag.
Try a fun, chic bag from Sonia Kashuk Beauty at Target like the Foldover Clutch, $13.
Day 5: Deep-clean your teeth.
After too many festive glasses of red wine, your smile may need a brightening boost. Try Crest Weekly Clean Intensive Cleaning Paste, $4, with ingredients similar to what your dentist uses.
Day 6: Boost immunity from the toes up.
Feet absorb health-enhancing essential oils best after a warm soak. So give yourself a preventative pedicure. Donna Perillo, owner of Sweet Lily Natural Nail Spa in New York City, suggests a rosemary salt scrub and soak (relieves muscle aches), followed by a eucalyptus lotion (promotes circulation). Try Bliss Hot Salt Scrub with Rosemary and Eucalyptus, $36, and Thymes Eucalyptus Body Lotion, $22.
Day 7: Go pure.
A detox wouldn't be complete without fruits and veggies. Boost your intake with 100% Pure, a makeup line that uses produce-derived pigments. Try First Crush Eyeshadow Palette with Fruit Pigments, $32, made from berries, tea, tomatoes, and chocolate.
Photo: Fernando Milani
Week 2: Delight
Day 8: Log on for free beauty booty.
Sign up for free samples at totalbeauty.com.
Day 9: Get a cheap thrill.
Paint your toenails a delectable shade of bright pink, like Essie Big Spender, $8 (on model).
Day 10: Play with a palette.
Inspired by her work at New York City's Fashion Week, Bobbi Brown created Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brights Palette, $70, irresistible to women who aren't afraid to experiment with color — 35 bright, matte shadows.
Day 11: Tune in to the smoky eye.
Written instructions for tough-to-do makeup trends are often not enough. Log on to triciasawyer.tv and watch makeup pro Tricia Sawyer go to work.
Day 12: Relive your youth.
Channel the first diva in your life — Smurfette — with Too Faced The Smurfette Collection. Our favorite pick, the So Smurfy Eye Shadow Collection, $32.50, is an eye quad with shades of pink, two glittering neutrals, and, of course, blue. It's la, la, la-la la la lovely.
Day 13: Cozy up.
Get your skin ready for snuggle season with the decadent Shea Cashmere Collection from Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa, made with shea butter and cashmere extract. Our favorite: Bubble Bath, $18, which comes in its own cashmere bag. Does it get any more luxurious?
Day 14: Pick the perfect perfume — from your desk.
Check out beauty.com's fragrance finder and choose a new scent based on the notes you like.
Photo: Fernando Milani
Week 3: De-stress
Day 15: Try a half-minute meditation.
"Meditating for even 30 seconds can calm a racing mind and lower blood pressure and heart rate," says Nina Smiley, director of marketing for Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Try this trick from the resort's CD Mini-Meditations That Will Enhance Your Life: Clear your mind and count for four breaths, inhaling and exhaling. If a thought enters, let it go. Return to counting.
Day 16: Light an aromatherapy candle.
Try the lavender and jasmine candle from The Spa at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA, $39.
Day 17: Call the concierge.
Organizing a spa getaway with the girls can be stressful, so leave the planning to the Girlfriend Spa Concierge at Willow Stream Spas in select Fairmont hotels. Your guide will coordinate treatments, excursions, and dining while making sure you still get the together time you all came for.
Day 18: Create a bedtime ritual.
Ruth Klein, author of The De-Stress Diva's Guide to Life, says, "Behaviors and responses are reinforced when attached to calming thoughts, smells, and locations." So train yourself to relax in a nightly bath. Try Vickery & Clarke Natural Apothecary Lavender & Vanilla Sleep Milk Bath, $12.
Day 19: Get the benefits of a bath in the shower.
ElizabethW Bath Pouches, $32 for three, bring bath salts into the shower. The cloth pouches contain sea salts that, when rubbed on the skin, exfoliate and stimulate circulation.
Day 20: Escape to the beach.
Spritz on the scent of summer. Try Lilly Pulitzer Beachy Eau De Parfum, $68 for 3.4 oz, with fresh notes of watermelon and jasmine.
Day 21: Get pampering perks.
Enroll in the Massage Wellness Program at spa chain Massage Envy. For $49 or $59 a month, get a prepaid monthly one-hour massage, additional massages at low rates, guest passes, and friends and family discounts.
Photo: Fernando Milani
Week 4: Define
Day 22: Shape up.
A brow pro can help you find the most flattering brow shape for your face. Sumita Batra, CEO of Ziba Beauty in Los Angeles, offers guidance: A medium arch softens a prominent nose; a rounded brow balances bold features; and a full brow is perfect for strong, deep-set eyes.
Day 23: Zap leg veins.
With only six months until shorts season, take care of those spider veins while you're still in tights (bruising may occur). Ask a vein specialist about advances in laser therapy. A new wavelength combined with a cooling device can treat some veins that used to require injections, explains Luis Navarro, M.D., founder of the Vein Treatment Center in New York City.
Day 24: Be clear.
Stop breakouts with a personalized acne program from Neutrogena Dermatologics SkinID. Log on to skinid.com for an interactive skin evaluation and a customized three-step system for $40.
Day 25: Get on the road to radiance.
Try a skin-care kit such as Artistry Time Defiance Intensive Repair Serum, $231. The 14 nightly doses contain marine enzymes, antioxidants, and collagen boosters.
Day 26: Protect your skin.
The sun might not feel strong right now, but even on the cloudiest days, you're still exposed to damaging UV rays. Slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen such as Clinique Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer, $42.50.
Day 27: Get growing.
Long hair with loose, almost unintentional-looking waves will be a hot look for spring. To get your locks on the right track, make an appointment with your stylist now.
Day 28: Start a fitness regimen — on your skin.
It might not be swimsuit season, but you can still work on cellulite. Try G.M. Collin Lipo-Fitness Serum, $48, with caffeine and extracts that stimulate drainage, making dimples appear smoother.
By Redbookmag.com
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| Posted on 12 Mar 2009 |
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