9 Beauty Rules to Live by ...

If you’ve ever gotten back from skiing looking tanned, you know what I’m talking about. Although the sun’s aging properties are the strongest during summer, winter, autumn or spring are definitely not to be counted off as UV-safe. So, always check the foundation or the cream you are planning to buy and, if it doesn’t contain at least SPF 30, cross it from your list and keep looking.

Chocolate may be good for your skin but refusing to control your urge for sweets can lead to much more than just weight problems. Eating too much sugar can cause glycation – a state in which the body doesn’t produce enough collagen. And, knowing how important collagen is for elastic, youthful-looking skin, we should all take extra care of the amount of sweets we eat every day.

Our skin regenerates during the night so the term “beauty sleep” is not something divas have invented to justify their need to stay in bed until lunch time. Busy schedule, losing sleep and taking your work home with you will take its toll on the skin. So sleep, sleep and sleep and you will look younger and minimize your future needs for expensive crèmes and rejuvenating beauty treatments.

They don’t just help protect eyes from sunlight and camouflage dark circles – big sunglasses can be a real lifesaver for that sensitive skin around the eyes. This skin in this area is very thin as it’s the first one to show the signs of excessive sun exposure. So don’t forget to pat in some cream and don’t forget your vintage shades either!

Don’t gossip and bash the women that have had some cosmetic treatments done. Now, I’m not saying you are bound to have botox injected at some point but hey, in 10 years from now, both you and I might feel differently about cosmetic surgery. So let’s not put ourselves in the position where somebody could call us double-faced or say “She’s putting her leg in her own mouth!”

I agree that even a mug-shot of Jessica Alba would probably look great but not even she wakes up looking like she’s ready to hit the red carpet! So, feel free to use make-up to cover up those tiny flaws and accent the good features of your face. Cosmetology is a quick-developing branch of medicine so today’s make-up has many rejuvenating, anti-ageing properties. However, even ultra-expensive make-up clogs pores so make sure you clean your face carefully and let your skin breathe and regenerate over night.

Knowing how to work an eye shadow brush is definitely a gift but it doesn’t give you an excuse to over-do your make-up or fail to match it with the occasion. Don’t just flip through the make-up tutorial pages, read them! And believe me on this one: If you’re doing something wrong, everybody will laugh behind your back but nobody will have the guts to tell you!

Bleaching the freckles, changing out natural eyebrow shape, dying eyelashes and hair, fake nails, uncomfortable over-padded bras – I just can’t escape the feeling that most of us are trying to be someone else! Do everything you can to enhance and bring out the nice features Mother Nature has blessed you with – don’t obsess over the fact that you are not as tall/skinny/blonde as you’d like to be! Being naturally beautiful doesn’t mean being perfect, it means being comfortable and feeling happy in your own skin.

You should use exfoliating creams 2-3 times a week but not more than that. Chemical peel should be done once every 2-3 months so forget DIY kits and leave it to the professional. Over exfoliating will destroy the skin’s protective layers and make it very sensitive and prone to allergies.

Now, these are only some of my favorite rules so feel free to correct me or add some of your own too. Which beauty rules you obey and which ones you don’t although you know you should? What is your opinion on aging gracefully and wrinkles? Should we embrace them or try to prevent them?