This is an invited editorial for physician online news magazine Healio.com by Dr. Devgan.
The New Year is always a time for self-improvement and self-reflection, and rightly so-- it is a nice time to take a moment to evaluate where we are in our lives. The most common New Years resolutions are invariably about losing weight, not procrastinating, and committing to hobbies... But don't forget the resolutions that will help you look your prettiest and best!
Here's to 2015, and to your youth and beauty!
1. EACH DAY, TRY TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DO A LITTLE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO AUGMENT YOUR LOOK.
This is what I like to call the "Frenchwoman's rule." The archetypical French woman looks put together without looking overly made-up, because of the little finishing touches that she adds to her look. This could be something as simple as applying a coat of your favorite red lipstick, spritzing on a signature scent that makes you feel feminine, accessorizing your winter coat with a colorful scarf, or wearing a special set of earrings.
This year, try to take an extra moment before you dash out the door in the morning to indulge in your own feminity. Wear lacy lingerie, blow out your hair, or paint your nails with a chic new hue. If you are busy and this seems impossible, make it easier for yourself by adding an elegant accessory to your purse or coat pocket-- beautiful Italian leather gloves, sophisticated sunglasses, or even an alluring lip gloss that you can apply in three seconds flat. You will feel more beautiful, more composed, and more in tune with your feminity.
2. UPGRADE YOUR DAILY BEAUTY ROUTINE.
Once a year, take a few minutes to clean out your medicine cabinet, makeup drawer, or skin care shelf. Throw away anything that is expired, malodorous, discolored, or not in tune with your daily life. If you haven't used something in six months, consider whether you will really ever use it. When replacing products, do not replace them with low-quality cheap products that are designed to be tossed out within a couple of months. Use premium products that fit with your daily habits.
If you are over 30 years old or you notice wrinkles around your eyes when you smile, you should be using a daily retinol, as well as vitamin C, and sunscreen. If you have melasma, sun spots, or freckles, you may be a candidate for a skin brightening serum or cream such as hydroquinone. If you have a scowling resting face, you may be a candidate for Botox. If you have wrinkles when your face is in repose (at rest), you may be a candidate for fillers or fat grafting. If your eyelashes are thinning, you may be a candidate for Latisse.
Take inventory of your nails, your hair, and your skin, and have them addressed by a specialist if necessary. Consider a daily multivitamin. Critically analyze your diet. Take a closer look at your exercise routine. Make sure your eyebrows are neither overplucked nor overgrown. In short, spend some time thinking about what you do on a daily basis that is helping you maintain your youth and beauty, and how those daily habits can be improved.
3. MAKE THIS THE YEAR THAT YOU DO SOMETHING JUST FOR YOURSELF.
Right now is the youngest and most beautiful that you will ever be-- so enjoy it and preserve it! Don't let other people's opinions and perceived social stigmas hold you back from doing what you feel is best for you. Grow your hair out long, or cut it pixie short. Buy the jacket you have been eyeing for years. Address your "problem areas." You only have one body and one face, so make 2015 the year that you make the most of them. Live comfortably in your skin, and enjoy the little moments in your life.