I made this the title of the post as I knew it would draw you all in. Now that you’re here, however, I must tell you that within this post you will not find an instant cure to making you look like a twenty year old again. Rather, you will find out how to look the best YOU that you can be, and trust me when I say that that YOU will be more beautiful than any plastic surgeon can create.

Image via Ultimatecleanse.ws

Here are your guidelines:

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Make sure to drink at least 1 to 2 litres per day of distilled or mineral water. This will keep the skin looking young and supple as well as the myriad of other benefits that water provides.

Wear sunscreen. We all know the song but it does serve some truth. Wear that sunscreen everyday, even in winter. This will slow down signs of aging, protect from dangerous skin damage that can cause melanoma and will also keep the skin moisturized.

Go organic, don’t panic. What women tend to skip over is the fact that their skin is not a barrier but, rather, an organ that absorbs whatever is put on it. Instead, opt for natural and organic products that aid your body rather than pumping unnecessary toxins into your bloodstream that will only fatigue your body. Many non-organic products on the market are also proving to cause far more serious issues than the companies would have you believe.

Eat happy and healthily. Opt for organic vegetables, colorful fruits and fresh, free range meats. The shorter the shelf life, usually, the better it is for you. So, avoid those middle supermarket aisles as much as possible and stick to the fresh areas. Changing your diet from mostly processed foods to mostly fresh foods will dramatically change your overall appearance; Your skin will be more radiant, your eyes more white and bright and your hair and nails, stronger.

Exercise. I know, I know, you’re all saying ‘well, duh’ but really. Make a habit of getting out with the dog, the kids or the hubby and going out for an evening stroll, having a game of tennis, going bowling, ice skating, WHATEVER. Just make sure to move at least 30 minutes everyday outside of your usual activities. This, like your diet, will start to show on the outside as well as help elevate your overall mood.

Breathe. We do it unconsciously day in, day out but many of us forget to notice how important it is. So, when you have 5 minutes spare just sit or lie down. Relax and spend time focusing on the natural rise and fall of your breath. Don’t force it, just let life breathe you as it does throughout the day but give it the attention it deserves for just this moment each day. Any thoughts that cross your mind, let them fly by and bring attention back to the breath. In perfoming this daily, you will start to notice drastic changes in your mood and other areas of your life. Lengthen the duration as you feel necessary.

And that’s it. That’s the magic formula. There’s no special cream, injection, expensive spa treatment or any other fad product that can get you the results that the above things can. Treat your body right and it will treat you the same in return. Don’t resort to the ‘quick fix’ because it will only cause further problems in the future.

Make a list and do all of the above suggestions every day for just 2 weeks and you WILL notice a drastic positive difference in your life.

Have a happy and healthy day.

Lara

Here’s a quick DIY recipe if you have some spare time or if you are a DIY hobbyist.

For those of you who are unsure as to the uses of setting/refresher spray, refer to the end of the post!

Let’s get right into it….

What You’ll Need:

• Green Tea – Make sure to brew it in boiling water so that it can release the caffeine in the green tea.
• Distilled Rose Water – Anti-inflammatory and soothing.
• Aloe Vera Gel or Glycerine – Adds moisture into the skin.
• Distilled Water – Do NOT use tap water as this will cause more harm than good.
• Tea Tree Oil – Antibacterial, anti-fungal and can help alleviate symptoms of acne.
• Lavender Oil – Has a calming effect and relieves anxiety. Also anti-bacterial.
• Spray Bottle

How to Do It:

1. Make 1 cup of green tea in boiling water (either on the stove or with a jug). Leave to cool.
2. Add to the green tea mixture 4 drops of tea tree oil, 2 Tbsp of rose water and 2 drops of lavender oil. Stir.
3. Into a separate glass, mix 1-2 Tbsp of your glycerin or aloe vera gel with 6 Tbsp of distilled water. This step you may need to fiddle around with depending on whether you have dry or oily skin. Oily skinned ladies, maybe start with slightly less of the glycerin or aloe vera.
4. Combine the 2 mixtures and decant into a spray bottle of your choice. You can usually find these at your local pharmacy.
5. Try it out for a few days and if you don’t like how it’s interacting with your skin, play around with the quantities to suit your skin type. You can also add some different essential oil’s. Just make sure they’re safe on the skin.

***

What is setting/refresher spray?

This is a spray usually used once all your makeup is applied. As powder makeup usually sits on the surface of the skin, setting spray moisturizes the powder beads so it fuses more with the skin allowing it to last longer into the day.

You can also use the spray as a refresher spray throughout the day to give your skin a radiant glow and sheen. If you are lack with timing, there are plenty of good mist toners out there too.

Happy….setting and refreshing!

Well, the temperatures are finally falling for us Southern Hemisphere folk and we must remove our cute summer dresses and swimsuits and replace them with our fav cozy, chunky knits and jeans. So, to get us all in the mood for this new season, I thought it fitting to give you all some beauty-spiration with a quick look at some of the latest beauty trends!

In The Nude

Though our summer tan may be peeling away, that doesn’t mean we can’t keep looking naturally radiant and flawless all year round. The nude face trend isn’t disappearing off the runways anytime soon. So, put your best face forward by keeping the focus on concealing under eye bags/circles and other imperfections, using luminous face creams and making sure keeping hydrated throughout the day.

Get the Look with Alexami’s Mineral Illuminating Powder, Perfect Puff Mineral Foundation, Vegan Lip Gloss, Herbal Mineral Mascara and a Microfibre Facial Cloth to exfoliate and clean the skin.

Look at Me Liner

Black liner will never become an obsolete beauty product. Bring it into the new season by using it as the focal piece of the face by either using the boldest black you have in your beauty pantry or by winging it out so much people will think you can probably fly. Take note of how Lanvin did it this year but tone it down to suit your style and occasion. Wear it with a bare face and nude lip for the day time or a darker plum lip for the evening.

Get the Look with Alexami’s Mineral Matte Eye Shadow in Black (mix with jojoba oil or water to make into a gel/liquid liner) and Herbal Mineral Mascara.

Up In Smoke

Every woman loves a smokey eye when hitting the town but the runway for this season have been showing that the smokey eye can easily be worn during the day too. Just make sure to steer away from the vibrant blacks and browns and towards softer colors that compliment your skin tone. Green eyed ladies, think a scrumptios eggplant purple. Blue eyed gals, opt for earthy grey-browns.

Get the Look with Alexami’s Mineral Matte Eye Shadow and Herbal Mineral Mascara.

Turn Around, Bright Eyes

(For our more daring ladies)

This final trend is for the less conservative ladies out there who want an easy but attention grabbing look – The colored mascara! Seen on a few runways over the past couple of seasons, we’re wondering if this look will catch on like it did back in the late 80s/early 90s. For now, we’re loving the way Stella McCartney used it in her F/W12 show. Play it up to your skin tone with different colors (we’re thinking dark purples and golds).

Make your own colored mascara by warming up a eye pencil of your choice with a lighter then depositing the color onto a spoolie or disposable mascara wand. Before the formula dries, apply generously to pre-curled lashes. Voila! Cheap colored mascara!

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I hope you have gained some inspiration from these looks. Show us if you’ve tried out any yourself in a comment or on our Facebook wall.

Happy Autumn everybody!

Images via weheartit, Tumblr, Style and NYT