TGIF. That just doesn't mean Thank God it's Friday. It means thank God it's finally time for some at-home celebrity spa action.
Rule number one: Celebs are the cheapest people on earth. Seriously. Once, I was at Starbucks with a major supermodel you love to hate (trust me) and she not only ordered me inside to buy her a light latte, but also java for her entire makeup and hair crew. The reason was obvious! Her short-shorts were too tight to bring a wallet. Why don't I have these issues?
By the way, celebs will almost never, ever, ever, ever opt for a high priced beauty perk-me-up unless some studio or a generous lover is picking up the tab. That's why I virtually grill stars on their favorite, cost effective, do-it-yourself home beauty treatments. In fact, I rarely let them out of the room unless they divulge something that the rest of us can steal, um, borrow, during these faux Gucci belt-tightening times.
Every Friday in this blog, I'll try to give you a few of my favorite at home treatments because on the weekends, you have certain rights:
You have to right to remain silent, which is good for your piece of mind. Stress reduction means less fine lines.
You have the right to soak for a long time in the tub without anyone knocking on the bathroom door. Unless the house is burning down or someone is bleeding.
And you have the right to exfoliate and moisturize at will.
Why is the weekend so important for de-aging beauty routines? With all the working and schlepping all week long, who really has time to sit in the tub with fresh avocado on our faces. Who the heck is going to clean the green gunk out of the drain? (Please don't allow your dogs or mates to nosh on these beauty treatments. Remember, this is about you and not their snacking habits.)
On the weekend, it's your time…or from now on, you and me, plus our Hollywood pros advising you on what to do to look more gorgeous. By the way, starting Monday, there will also be one Hollywood Beauty Insider tip each day. Feel free to do what sounds good and let me know your favorites.
Now, let's beaut-ify for pennies….
PLAY SOME FOOTSIE
After a cold, long winter of wearing boots and heavy socks, the bottom of your feet might feel like they're made out of the hard leather throw-aways that the Jimmy Choo company refuses to use on their shoes. In fact, a good friend of mine gave her pedicure technician a huge tip after the woman basically needed power tools to make her tootsies smooth and soft again. Don't want to pay the price? Here's a fabulous at-home treatment:
Take one lemon. Cut it in half. Place each half in a separate baggie and put them in the freezer.
When the lemons are like rocks remove from the freezer and allow them to defrost until only slightly mushy.
Take a paper plate and spread about half a cup of sea salt or larger sugar grains.
Bring everything into the bathroom or the patio. Make sure you have a comfy seat and something on the floor for the mess. (You can also do this in the tub after assembly.)
Now, take half a lemon and run the cut side over the sugar or salt until it's embedded with the grains. For several minutes, scrub the bottom of your feet with the cold, delicious, scrubby lemon.
The results? Your dead skin cell are no match for the acid in the lemon, plus the scrub from the sugar/salt will help dig into the cement and then get rid of it. By the way, this feels heavenly and you might become addicted.
DO WHAT WONDER WOMAN DOES FOR BEAUTIFUL SKIN
Could she be any more wonderful? It wasn't just the bracelets or the skimpy, all-American costume. Lynda Carter, now 59, was the classiest crime fighter of all (with the best accessories) as TV's "Wonder Woman." Check in with the beauty for a few de-aging secrets and she isn't touting some high priced spa treatment. "Honestly, what I do is my Sunday morning brunch facial at home," Carter tells me. "Basically, when I make omelets, I take one extra egg and smear it on my face. By the time we're done with breakfast, I'm done with my treatment although I do take some razzing from my kids about having egg on my face."
Some extra credit tips:
If you have naturally dry skin then only use the yellows of the eggs because they're moisturizing.
If you have oily skin or oily zones then use the egg whites, which draws out oil and is moisturizing.
Lynda isn't done yet. "The one thing that really ages us is our hands and neck," she says. "That's why, I keep a bottle of sunscreen in my car. Most women forget that you can get a lot of sun while driving. Put the sunscreen on your face, neck, chest and especially on the top of your hands. If it's in the car then you'll use it."
Thanks Wonder Woman.
OVERHEARD IN THE SPA AT THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL IN BEVERLY HILLS
Ladies, how can we put this delicately? Let's say you've scrubbed and primped all weekend and you're looking gorgeous. Meanwhile, your guy just came in from playing golf, took off his Nike's and the smell is like Eau du Garbage Dump. You can't whisk him into your home spa bathroom because unless the Final Four are playing in there, he will pitch a fit. Instead, you must trick him into good beauty habits like this odor removing romantic foot massage that I heard about at Star Central a.k.a. The Four Seasons in Bev Hills.
Take four tea bags and dunk them into a quart boiling water. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Tell your mate that it's bonding time and he has no choice. Amid his grumbles have him dunk his feet into the tea mixture for about five to ten minutes while you give him a little foot massage. Say romantic things. I don't know what…but make it up. Dry his feet and don't rinse. By the way, the tannins in the tea will get rid of the smell and the quality time together also smells pretty good.
SEVEN BRIDES PRETTY
She was born Suzanne Lorraine Burce, but the world knows her as screen icon Jane Powell. The star of 1954's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is 82-year-young and currently is making appearances across the country with TCM for a revival of the film on their Road to Hollywood tour. Ask Jane for her beauty secrets and she starts with a don't-try-this-at-home favorite. "Years ago, when I was new in Hollywood, I used pure Crisco on my face. It was our cheap moisturizer," Powell says with a laugh.
She hits the bottle for her gorgeous skin, "I use olive oil now or Vitamin E. A product I love is called Olivella moisturizer. It's really good and you can buy it at the pharmacy. Just dampen your face, put it in your hand and rub it all over the places.
As for true beauty, she says, "It's an attitude from inside and not really what's going on outside."
Have a beautiful weekend.
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