It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. The entire lobby is decorated in silver and white, plus there is a hot chocolate station that defies me to break my low carb plans for the day.
When I arrived last night for an interview today with Naomi Watts (more on that next week), I ran right into one of the several large and glamorous holiday parties that happen here each year. Women in sparkling, long, designer gowns with the most perfect hair and glowing, ageless, flawless skin were everywhere.
Some weary travelers might feel sort of frumpy in their midst, but I felt inspired. Plus, I was dying to ask them for the best beauty tips. Of course, since this is Beverly Hills, most didn't want their secrets in print, but a quick trip to the all-so-fab restroom for some chitchat and I had enough tips and tricks to fill a book.
Here are my favorites that I culled that I'm calling: 5 Best and Cheap Beauty Tips That Gorgeous Women Know and Share for the Holidays. Share them with your gorgeous women friends!
Tip One: Drink Mineral Water and Not Alcohol. I'm not sure where you stand on a line that was floated this season on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." One of the ladies took a glance at another who was clearly drunk and said, "There is nothing quite as unattractive as a drunk woman." When I looked around last night, it was clear that these ladies were sipping mineral water most of the night. "Who needs the calories from booze," one of them told me in the ladies' room. "I'd much rather eat a piece of bread than have 150 calories of wine." Maybe they indulge in one glass of wine, but that's about it.
*Tip Two: They Buy Drugstore Products. In the chi-chi bathroom, I didn't see a lot of Chanel and Dior coming out of those little itty-bitty evening bags for a quick retouching, but Maybelline and Revlon. I even saw Chapstick. "Dahlllling," one of them said to me, "There is no need to break the bank with cosmetics. They're all the same. Just retouch more with the cheaper products because the pigments aren't as strong." Retouch more! And it gives you a good excuse to go to the bathroom and gossip at the same time! Got it!
*Tip Three: They Don't Use Hair Spray. Ever. Interesting that growing up in the Midwest, we used the stuff like air. "It just makes your hair too sticky and gooey, plus you can never brush it out," one of the ladies told me. "And men hate the feeling of hair that has been shellacked." So how does their hair stay in place after they leave the salon? "Get your hair cut more often, so it falls into place. Then the key is every hair shouldn't be perfect," one told me. "You want to have some movement and a few stray strands is very sexy." Score one for that perfect, windblown California look...even on a cold December night.
*Tip Four: They Really Drink Water. All the Time. A few had extra water bottles in their bigger bags. "It's the one way after 40 to really have beautiful skin, but no dermatologist wants to tell you that because it's cheap and easy and doesn't require procedures," one of the ladies told me. "Just drink water all day long. You'll lose weight and your skin will glow." Actually, she's absolutely right. Before you go under any knife, up your water for a month and see the glowing results.
*Tip Five: They Blot Shine, But Don't Re-Apply Powder. This is a good tip for anyone over 40. Too much powder actually ages you. If you did a light dusting earlier in the evening, you're done-done. Just use a tissue to blot or blotting papers to get rid of that annoying shine. If you keep powdering all night, it cakes and then it cracks, which isn't the point.
*Extra Credit Tip: Don't obsess. Yes, these ladies were retouching in the bathroom, but they weren't in there forever. And they weren't obsessing. So what if there was a fine line or bangs that wouldn't behave. "Focus on three things you love about yourself. Remind yourself of those three each time you decide to do something like hate your thighs," one of the ladies told me. And if you're having a great time with friends and loved ones who cares if your Spanx aren't doing their job.
In the end, the ladies in the Four Seasons ladies room were there to gossip, shake out their hair, blot and re-apply their gloss. I have to say one looked better than the next, so try a few of their tips at your holiday parties. Let me know how it works for you!
