Practice Makes Perfect

Hey all,

By far the thing I am most often asked in my beauty travels is what is the number one tip I would give someone looking for overall great skin. Everyone wants a smooth, clear complexion to be sure but they always want to know what they can DO to acheive that. The answer is simple. BE CONSISTENT. It is an old adage but it still rings true.

Everyone knows that if you don't study in school, you don't pass tests. Now you may be naturally brilliant and able to scoot by on luck or you may be someone who likes to sneak a look at the test next to your's and cheat just a wee bit. But for the rest of us, there is no getting a passing grade without putting in the work. The same theory can be applied to skincare. There are a few lucky folk who are blessed with lumious skin and it remains luminous, whether they have been doing triple shots of tequila and eating french fries all night or whether they have been sleeping soundly for ten hours. Then of course there are those folk who like to cheat a bit, shot of botox here, fifteen chemical peels there. And both of these groups are fine and dandy in my book. Problem is, these groups represent about 15% of the population. And sorry to tell you ladies and gents, but for the rest of us, that 85%, we are going to have to work for that lovely natural skin we all dream of.

So this is my often repeated advice - be consistent and stick with things. Drink your eight glasses of water a day. Wear sunscreen EVERY DAY even if it is cloudy. And most importantly, wash your face every single day. Apply your products every single day. Things do not tighten and firm instantaneously, no matter what the ads say. Wrinkles do not diminish in 8 hours. It took you years of laughing and enjoying life to get the skin you have. It will not disappear the moment you try a new product.

So please, I beg of you. Give yourself 30 days when you try something new. See if it is making a difference and if not, then move on. Not everything works for everyone. But nothing is going to work for anyone once. You have to give things a chance to sink in and adjust. This is true with getting in shape or learning a new instrument or even becoming a master at Wii. And as much as I don't always want to wash my face at night and take off my make-up - I do it. I know my skin will thank me later and so will my bank account (face lifts are pricey!)

So remember, Rome was not built in a day and neither was great skin.

Keep looking fabulous!
BGND