Beauty comes with age

1. My certified fashionista girl friend Cecile encouraged me to write about fashion, beauty and love. Ah what a tall order.

Fashion requires research. Beauty requires reading. But love, ah that’s tricky.

I promised her I will think about it. I do not want to sound vain by discussing the subject matter from my own perspective. But she nonchalantly said, “Why not gorgeous?” Indeed why not?

So let us attempt to unravel the subject matter as light and easy as possible. First, sleep. Some people say they only need four to six hours of sleep a day and off they go to the next activity. Let us describe that as living life on the edge. But most people do not fancy living life on the edge. We are not cut out for that. For some, there may be a great need to sleep less but still, your body will eventually find a way to recover lost sleep.

Well personally, I can’t be sharp with four to six hours of sleep. I need to sleep eight hours a day to feel fully rested, sharp and alert. Deprive me of regular sleep and I turn very dull, lacking focus and cranky. I can’t lack focus with the kind of work I do.

If I incur sleep debt (lack of sleep) the previous night, I need to make up for that loss the following day in order to feel rested. That’s sleep for me. It is vital.

Second, diet. Discipline is the key. Well, my discipline started a long way back from college so it is not very tough for me to keep it. Do not overeat. Naturally your genetic make-up is a big factor working for you: both my parents were slim people but it also helped tremendously that I watched my food intake. I do not overindulge.

In the past, I do not drink as much water as eight glasses a day but when I was assigned in Cebu City for eight months, I developed the habit of drinking several glasses of water every day. I lost count of the number of glasses actually. All I can say is it is good for the body; flushes out the toxins.

And now the vain part, for body cellulite which we all start to develop as we grow older, I used Avon anti-cellulite for nearly three years. I alternated it with Avon body sculpt. Middle of last year however, I found out that Nivea introduced the anti-cellulite gel. Since I had no more Avon lady-contact in Cebu City, I shifted to Nivea. And it has been a very good substitute. I even stuck to it until now.

Exercise. Dance. It is very good exercise.

In Cebu, I was looking for ballroom dancing lessons. However, the classes were provided at Abellana National High School in downtown Cebu and my previous office was located in Talamban. The distance is like Gen. Santos City-proper to Calumpang or Tambler and the traffic is heavy in the afternoons so I did not pursue it.

However, you can dance at home. I used to dance at home for three years until I got tired of it and moved on to treadmill exercise which I only did for less than a year. Some inspiration huh! No luck in the exercise department. So I just clean the house by the weekend for exercise. Then when I bought my car, I wash the car every weekend for exercise. You see my simple notion of exercise is sweating. Many would disagree of course. But like I said, it is my simple notion.

In Bohol when I visit during the weekends while I was assigned in Cebu, we usually go out to dance. Emcy, my sister Charmaine who was vacationing for three months from the U.S. then, Warly and I go out just to dance. You see, we belong to the generation that really loves dancing for fun. Try it. You will forget all your worries and have fun as well. You will sweat and that serves the purpose.

Skin. Plenty of good skin comes from genes. But enhancing it could be achieved through the use of lotions. Don’t laugh now but I have used Johnson’s Baby Lotion for the longest time ever. I do not use fancy lotions; just the simple and time-tested JBL.

And may I add, please do not change the color of your skin. Enjoy the skin you are born in.

Face hmmm. Tricky subject. When I reached my thirties, the freckles started to come out. But since I’m not fair-skinned, I was not so concerned about it. Freckles come with age. Aha. For the face, I use alternately Oil of Olay and Ponds. I tried Celeteque for some time but I always returned to Oil of Olay. We always return to our first love huh! Oh well, just find the product that suits you best. But please, do not experiment with products that are not tested by BFAD or risk destroying your face.

For women in their forties, be generous with moisturizers.

And another good tip for women in their forties. Use lip gloss generously. I read that from a fashion magazine. Women in their forties should use lip gloss.

As for clothes, well, if you are in your forties, I bet you have set your fashion statement. Accentuate the assets. Show off that lovely pair of legs. Emphasize those killer hips, as my pilot-friend said. Expose those slim shoulders. Accessorize that long neck. Dress up; dress down depending on the occasion.

Invest in good jeans. Your wardrobe must include jeans that flatter your body shape, whatever shape it is. I learned this tip from a fashion magazine and it really makes sense.

And here’s what I like best. Wear shorts when doing groceries. It’s very comfy and you definitely look cool. Trust me. You will enjoy doing groceries in shorts. Push your carts in your cool shorts at Robinson’s.

Invest in accessories. They are trendy and will last long. I’m not a watch person but I have some wrist and arm pieces courtesy of my fashionista sister Charmaine. She gave them all to me and I enjoy wearing them. Who would not when they are free huh!

Wear heels. Find heels that will not kill you. Wedge shoes are good for your feet and legs. They do not hurt.

Read, read, read and read some more. Nothing is more appealing than a woman who has a mind of her own. Oh yes, you can appear intimidating as well, but hey that comes with the territory. Just ask the nearest man around.

Hair. Ah I love to color my hair. I usually do it twice or thrice a year. It depends on my inspiration. I do it myself when I feel like it. When I feel like splurging, I go to the beauty salon. Try experimenting with colors. If it is your first time to color, I suggest you try the more conservative shades. Just buy a good product in the market, follow the instructions and voila, you have that new look!

Here’s another tip, if your eyes hurt and you need eyeglasses, wear one. Stop fidgeting and being conscious about wearing them; they do not bite. Some women I know tell me it is inconvenient to wear eyeglasses. They say eyeglasses make them look old; and the like. But hey, what is the real score? You need them; wear them. It is as simple as that. No fuss. Invest in a good pair of eyeglasses and just wear them.

For pampering, indulge in facials from time to time. I say occasionally because it could become expensive if done regularly. But if you have the extra budget, go for it. After all, it’s all about you occasionally. Yes, there must be a time when “it’s all about you”.

And to complete the story, I have discovered for over two years now that complete body massage not only relaxes me but more effectively, minimizes my premenstrual syndrome or PMS. I finally found the therapy! And so I am now a believer of monthly complete body massage.

So you see beauty is not about products. Products enhance yes, but beauty is all about knowing yourself. “Know thyself” according to at least six ancient Greek sages, is the best way of keeping your beauty about you.

Comments are welcome at belca.87@gmail.com.