In a Beauty State Of Mind

It is winter time and it has me in the mood to nest. Nesting for me usually means indulging in pocket-friendly beauty regimens and dreaming of the next time I will feel the hot sun beat down on my (SPF'd) body. By the time it's time to nix nesting and hit the beach, I'll be revived and moisturized! Here's a little bit of my regimen:

For face I'm on home-made duty when I mix mayonnaise, corn meal and honey. I put the mixture (2 tablespoons of each) on a clean face and leave on for about 20 minutes. While rinsing off I make sure to do so with small circular strokes to adhere to proper exfoliation and max out the benefits of a good scrub. Then I finish with my favourite cleanser, toner and moisturizer. When all is said and done my face feels soft, supple and sexy. And the best part? The next day is when my face REALLY gets a glow. Beach envy? I think not.

For feet it's a mix of old and new. The newbie on the beauty arsenal block is The Body Shop's Peppermint Cooling Lotion (Someone gave me this for Christmas ions ago and I never used it. I found it one evening waaaay in the back of my beauty shelf and gave it a try. Amazing!). After I've loofa'ed my feet in the shower I massage my feet with this cool minty moisturizer that makes my toes sing allehiah! Then I slather on copious amounts of the old trusty Petroleum Jelly. Everyone has this in a cabinet some where because it is good for so much. It is a no-no for hair but a hell yes for feet. I finish with my favourite thickest, sleepy-time socks. The true satisfaction is not just superiorly soft feet, it's the look I get from the beautician while getting a pedicure that says, "Why do you come here?" :)

I must mention another newbie to my routine: Clinique's All About Eyes! I got this in a bonus time gift bag and tried it and fell in love. I am always looking for the next best thing in sleep-deprived-but-don't-wanna-look-like-it beauty and this just might be it! I pat this on all over the eye area morning and night.

Oh! And how happy was I when my Uncle mailed a news article featuring my Auntie Marcelle as Miss Ebony 1966 of St.Vincent, West Indies. He was good enough to attach it to a Holiday card this year. Since she lives in the tropics I don't get to see her as much as I would like but this immediately made me feel closer to her. Many of my childhood memories include her taking us on island excursions when we went for summer holidays. I remember she once staged a spelling b for me and my cousins that took place every evening after dinner when me and my brother stayed there for a month. Fun times! I look forward to seeing her next summer when I visit to find out more about her reign as Miss Ebony and beauty regimens. Looks like being in a Beauty State Of Mind is part of the lineage...

Asha