New Year, New YOU
I just read a quote by Diane Von Furstenberg, where she states proudly that she’s her own best friend. Which got me thinking – what a cool start to the New Year if we can pamper and nurture ourselves as much as possible. As Kate Winslet says in The Holiday, “Every woman should be the leading lady in her own life, right?” So here are my top ten ways to steal a little “me time” and become BFF’s with yours truly…
1. Buy yourself a bunch of beautiful flowers, and arrange them in a vase in your bedroom. There’s something extra luxurious about waking up and seeing your favourite blooms in the morning – I love hydrangea and peonies.
2. Google the funniest movies of all time, rent 3 of them and laugh your head off out loud all afternoon. Laughing reduces blood pressure and releases a huge amount of endorphins, making us feel fabulous. In fact, laughing for 1 hour every other week can lower blood pressure by 5-6 points in 3 months. Which is basically the same effect on your health as losing 10 pounds!
3. Snap and frame a totally gorgeous photo of yourself, even if it takes 100 shots, then put it into 70’s tone on the computer – or have it turned sepia when you print it. This is the most flattering, retro lighting.
4. Instead of buying clothes in the sales, invest in a new set of something that you use every day and never really replace. It could be new sheets, pens, pillows, glasses, eye makeup.
5. Build a scrapbook full of your favourite quotes, old Polaroid photos, magazine tears. It will fast become a mood board for all your inspirations, reminding you or the values and styles you want to live, dress, and think by.
6. Buy a red lipstick. It’s not just silver screen goddesses who are allowed sexy scarlet lips, so try on a few before you buy and once you own it, wear it with pride whenever you feel like it: with jeans and a sweater is to me, much chicer than saving it for a formal occasion. It’ll make your face pop, and you’ll attract more attention.
7. Finish a book. Not a magazine, but an actual book. Turn off your Blackberry, Iphone, Twitter or Facebook, and put aside two hours to really get into it, losing yourself in your imagination. People that read on a regular basis are proven to be more likely to take part in charity work, community volunteering and exercising. Who knewBecome a book worm and enrich your life.
8. My favourite poet, Sylvia Plath, once said, “There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them”. Run yourself a hot bubble bath, light candles and just soak: it feels so decadent and comforting. Plus another science bit - physical and social warmth are actually interchangeable, so having a hot bath actually helps get rid of any feelings of lonliness. Try it.
9. Cook something from scratch, just for you. As a self-confessed terrible cook, I find supermodel Sophie Dahl’s “The Delicious Miss Dahl” YouTube videos the easiest and most fun to follow. You get lost in the mixing and chopping, I find it very therapeutic.
10. Go and get your eyebrows professionally shaped, and book in to a good spa for eyelash extensions. Trust me when I say this will change your face dramatically for the better: no surgery or make-up required!
