As I continue waiting for my Russian adoption to move forward, I try to find interesting pursuits to pass the time. I stumbled upon this great beauty book.

I am not a huge fan of the show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” on Bravo, but one of the beauty experts on that show is Kyan- and I am a big fan of his. He is a grooming guru. So I thought I would share some of his tips summarized from his wonderful book called "Beautified".

Morning-
Do 30 min. exercise at least 4 x a week
Shower/ wash hair at least every other day
Wash face with wash that is appropriate for your skin type
(Facial cleansers that foam are for oily skin and cream washes are for dry skin)
Exfoliate every other day (Kyan says that it is his mission to get more women to exfoliate, to get a good exfoliant you might have to pay more, but it is worth it)
Towel dry hair and keep hair in towel
Tone with astringent/toner only oily areas (this may be your T-Zone area, your whole face or if you don’t have any oily areas, skip this part)
Use oil-free face lotion with antioxidants Vitamin C, E and SUNSCREEN
Use eye-cream specific to your needs (dark circles, sunscreen, wrinkles, etc.)
Use tinted moisturizer or foundation if desired
Use hand cream with sunscreen in it (your hands can start to give away your age sooner than your face if you don’t protect them)
Use scented body lotion that matches your perfume if desired
Wear minimal make-up for day (concealer, mascara, lip gloss)
Comb out hair with wide-tooth comb
Comb a heat protecting hair product through hair if using a blow dryer, irons, etc.
If possible air-dry hair until almost dry and blow dry, curl as necessary
Wear more make-up for going out if desired
Always wear sunglasses outdoors

Evening-
Never wear make-up to bed
Wash Face with wash that is appropriate for your skin type
Tone with astringent any oily areas (see explanation above)
If needed, rub a small amount of acne treatment into problem areas; i.e. Benzyl Peroxide or Retin-A cream (prescription) let dry before covering with lotion
Use heavier night lotion with AHA or BHA incorporated in it
Use eye-cream specific to your needs (dark circles, wrinkles, etc.)
Brush teeth and gums (preferably with a high quality electric toothbrush) and floss (don’t skip the floss! I know. I know. Do it anyway)

You are on your way to becoming BEAUTIFIED!

Labels: self help for adoptive moms