I removed things from my routine I thought I needed and focused on things that highlighted my beauty. Here are 10 glamorous beauty decisions that elevated (and simplified) my routine.

Cutting my nails short & leaving them undone

A lot of the most expensive women I know who are genuinely elegant do not do their nails. From Gwyneth Paltrow to beautiful salt of the earth farmer women I’ve encountered, I’ve learnt that being me and getting things done with my bare hands has always been my favourite. It is incredibly chic, I have less worries about breakage, and arduous appointments at the salon. 

This is not a one and done situation as I plan on still filling my nails to shape them at home, but one day I will go to the salon again and have them glitzed and glammed up in 6 months. The reason is, I am hunkering down on a special project and gave myself the deadline of 6 months to make sure I reach it. No other option but success.

Absolutely nothing is wrong with doing your nails. Express yourself, girlie! This is simply not in the cards for me as I love making homemade noodles, getting my hands in flour, and cleaning my home with ease. These are all simply my decision to comfortably get things done without getting gunk under my nails. Do you. 

Cleansing like a mad woman 

My skin feels and looks amazing when I let it breathe. I really love the feeling of having clean skin – without overwashing – and relaxing it after a prescription for evening my skin and using a slew of skincare products that I slap onto my face daily. 

Not to mention the breakouts some moisturisers give me and makeup I do for evenings out. I go out almost every night and do full glam, but feel my best when I am at home on the sofa with my sweetheart and can kiss him without getting stains all over him. And the pillows. 

I have multiple cleansers at home. In the shower and on my vanity to make it convenient and a habit to remove any dirt from my face. I love coming home to relax and removing the day from my visage, because it makes me feel like I can relax without having to touch up my eyeliner from laughing or lip liner from eating. I do not want to make my whole life at home or before 7pm all about looking in the mirror fixing myself. I have too much to do! 

Body scrubs for the win 

Your largest organ is healthiest when it is exfoliated, hydrated, and all around cared for. I shower everyday after a glowy workout and go out a lot showing my legs, because I live in Los Angeles. It is currently 80℉ in Midwinter which is crazy when you think about it. 

Even if I am wearing lounge trousers at home, I want to feel silky smooth. Having a gorgeous Arab sweetheart to exfoliate your body for you when rolling around in the sheets is not enough. Haha I’m kidding. It’s haram before marriage. 

Ever since I was 18 years old and discovered Aveeno body lotion, it changed my life. Someone grazed my thigh on accident when I was at a party and told me how soft my legs were. I always wanted to leave this impression on myself and feel easy to hold when giving a hug. It’s a wonderful feeling that makes you smile like carrying a happy baby. 

Outside of investing in body scrubs of all grain sizes and brands, I plan on getting more Korean body scrubs since I live so close to all the Korean spas that are to die for! My first time doing one, I was scarred, because I was naked and they threw a bucket of hot water on me. Then, I learnt that was the charm of the experience. It was actually quite luxurious when I stepped out feeling like a new smooth seal.

Experimenting with ones that have lovely fragrance is also good for layering scents if you are like me – wanting to smell good and feel fresh all the time. Scent is the first thing people experience even before seeing you, so I like to walk into the room feeling smooth and smelling fine. 

Hand cream 

I always thought hand cream was a scam until I noticed dead skin around my cuticles making a comeback. Winter has wreaked havoc on my hands especially since I am always out and come home to wash them. I clean with gloves, but like to give them a bit more TLC than my regular body lotion at home by putting a hand cream in my bag.  

Originally, I wanted something more on the scented side, but going for something a bit more subtle is better. A lot of lotions are all about the non-scented factor because of the potential harm it could cause in 60 years. I’m being facetious, but allegedly EWG thinks it causes cancer or has more of a potential to dry you out because of the cosmetic grade alcohol preserving the product, but preservatives are going to be in there anyway, so why not have them be a touch aromatic to layer your scented impressions. 

It’s funny, because I grew up using hand cream or being offered some by all the girls around me in class. I thought it smelled too strong and was sticky. Now, I am proud to carry a sumptuous hand and nail cream in one from Caudalie. I did my research and this stuck out to me specifically because of my dry nail and cuticle issue. 

The only other scented one I could find at Sephora in the moment was Glossier You. I had this fragrance for so long that it makes me feel sick smelling it. Instead of splurging on a $40-$60 hand cream, I wanted it to be more sustainable in my bag and from a brand I genuinely rely on. Perhaps in future I might splurge on myself for a designer perfumed hand cream, but I am currently allocating my funds towards my business. 

Not committing to 1 perfume 

I have a confession to make. I have commitment issues. Particularly toward fragrances. Every time I walk into a department store, there are so many scents for every mood that I walk out with decision fatigue. 

Woody, earthy scents are not my thing. I feel they can be a bit masculine and give me a headache. Florals are fun, but they are never exactly how I want them. Sweet sprays can be spectacular, but after a while they make me want to vomit. 

Travel sprays have helped me experiment and not get bored of a perfume I want to wear for a long time. There is only one notable smell I can savour forever, but it was discontinued by YSL (Parisienne) and I always have to purchase it online from some obscure website. 

Now, I try samples and travel sprays over rollerballs for easy application and more ability to put it in my bag on the go. I like convenience, because it is the ultimate luxury, but being able to not commit to one is the most luxurious decision I have made. 

I get bored very fast of the same signature scent and am very picky with this one thing for some reason, so I broaden my options by layering with my shampoo, body wash, hand cream, and laundry detergent. There are so many ways to smell remarkable.

Giving my skin a break from so much skincare 

I have zero idea how people have a 12 step skincare routine, because donning only two skincare products makes me break out. My skincare prescription from Musely has helped me get rid of dark spots, but I need to give my skin a break so I do not get ochronosis killing my skin turning it black. Also, I love letting my dermis breathe. 

I found a product that has an active ingredient as a brightening serum but is hydrating at the same time. This was a very special holy grail find for me for less than $30, because usually serums feel very stingy with the moisturisation. I feel like my skin is dry and have to prep with Unseen Sunscreen to make my skin look healthy. 

Since trying this, I discovered a little goes a long way. In between, I give my skin a break every other day with oil. It cleans all the dirt off my face whilst creating a barrier to keep dirt out. 

Prioritising hair health 

I heard from several scientific studies that hair is the first thing people notice about you. It is the first impression that can make or break you, shaping your face and flattering your features. My natural hair has always been a strength having Asian 1A hair that used to be silky. But my diet and hair routine lately has been heating it to a crisp. I am in the midst of a 365 days of fabulous routine mixed with going out almost every night and it is doing quite the number on my hair. 

Colourwow’s dream coat makes my hair look shiny, whilst Tresemmé’s conditioner (less than $6 on Amazon) doubles as a mask that I use almost daily. My hair has never looked better (activated by the heat of my hair dryer) and it looks silky smooth no matter how I style it. Hair can make you look and feel expensive when it’s done right and I have not fully cracked the code. However, I feel like I am almost there with these mentioned simple steps. 

Another thing is embracing my white hairs makes me feel beautiful. 🙂 Every now and again I like dyeing it blue-black to bring out the cool tones. But I am enjoying my natural hair being healthy and not looking like cracking dead branches. 

Daily hot girl walks 

I used to do hot girl walks every single day of the week, but lately I have pain in my Achilles tendon returning. I take breaks every other day or will walk for two days on the treadmill at 3.5 miles per hour for about 1.5 hours. 

There are so many benefits to this that I have experienced. 

1. This is the time I give myself to watch YouTube videos and learn something.
2. My hormones function beautifully.
3. My skin GLOWS from pores opening up to sweat. 
4. It makes me tired so I can sleep well at night. 
5. My gastrocnemius muscle works which is called the second heart pumping blood throughout my body so my thoughts rush through.

The calf muscles in your legs are the second gear that your heart loves, because it pushes blood up to it. You think clearly and this is why you pace when you are on the phone. Every time I go for a walk, I have so many ideas to write about and literally take notes on my phone as I am on the treadmill. It is also quite relaxing and forces me to do a body scrub which forces me to do my hair. 3 for 1!

Eating an authentic diet 

I love eating whole foods because of the nutrition they give me. Plain and simple. I love feeling good and not bloated or crumby because I get to make what I eat knowing what goes into my body. This instead of random chemicals that make you addicted to food so you buy more junk. 

In lieu of purchasing truffle fries, I can customise my roasted potatoes at home or baked my own potato crisps with salt, pepper, truffle powder, sriracha, and mayo that I make in my kitchen. Yes, I love making my own mayonnaise with chives and butter, so it is extra decadent and you cannot get this at a restaurant. 

There was a girl I met tonight when we were out who asked another girl if the room she was in had food. The other girl responded saying yes, they have plenty of fries and encouraged her to run inside and grab a handful of frites to subsequently run out immediately. I could not stop laughing. This is theft. Do not do it. But it’s still hilarious. 

I think of my food like a designer purchase and do not skimp when I feed myself, but I stop when I am full. I had an eating disorder as a child into my adult life for 9 years from a harmful life at home, but managed to undo it by falling in love. 

My marriage made me so happy and fulfilled that I was not anorexic or had to binge, because it filled the place in my head that said you are loved. Instead of needing to feel accepted by starving myself and feeling the need to eat so bad later, I would binge when I knew I was not going out to see people. 

This created a horrible cycle that was undone by understanding better health and being in control of what goes into my food versus trying to control what people think of me. It shows on your skin, hair, and nails. So EAT. And eat wisely as if you are purchasing a designer bag or shoes. 

I used to be more careful with that versus what I am fueling my Ferrari (my body) with which is highly unreasonable. My priorities were backwards. Once I became aware, the world changed and I had better control. 

Sleeping at the same time everyday 

Sleep is one of the things that makes you go crazy without it the fastest. You can go longer without food than you can without sleep for a reason. If you do not rest your body, it will force you to and nobody should experience that deliberately. Or at all. 

If you want to reset the time you sleep, wake up at your desired time, power through the day, then sleep 8 hours before you want to wake up. You will be exhausted but it will rejuvenate your schedule, body, and mind. 

I work late hours, so I have to stay up until 5am due to different time zones that I am dealing with. This caused a few days of jetlag, but once I fixed my routine I became golden. It feels a bit topsy turvy and unnatural, so I still make sure to get sunlight so the muscles in my eyes don’t get weak and have other gentle lights on when I am on my devices at night. 

Your hormones function properly and your body needs structure. The habit will make you less bloated so you not only feel amazing but look amazing. This is probably the most important point to take into consideration from this post. 

My skin goes haywire as well when I do not get enough sleep. Instead of being grumpy all day with a witch’s voice, I like to get sleep to be certain I show up as my best. 

Oh! Another one: I stopped wearing makeup until 6pm. 

According to etiquette, one does not don diamonds or gemstones before 6pm. This is when dinner jackets are ready for the night and I put my jewels and stilettos on. In the words of Fran Drescher, ‘I don’t do daytime’ [when referring to her talk show appearance promoting her latest show or film]. 

This rule I set for myself has let me enjoy the day with my skin breathing and my natural look actually turns a lot of heads during the sunlight. I think people feel my confidence when I go out, because it makes me feel so beautiful and appreciate how I actually look versus the highlighting and definition of makeup. 

It is important to honour the generations of people who fell in love before you and gave you the stunning features you have. The only reason I wear makeup and jewellery is to bring light to my face at night reminding people – and myself – I have eyebrows. Otherwise, I look like a white face ghost vampire at night haha. I can also go ham on the contour which I am not good at applying without looking overdone. At night it’s harder to tell. 

Try all or one of these things and it will change the way you show up for yourself. 

Do what works for you and do not let the traps of marketing sell you more products you do not need. You have better things to do than research new launches and be out of control of your wallet. Live your life to the fullest enjoying what you look like, what you already have, and glowing from outside in.

See you soon, Gorgeous! Xxxo 

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