By Gina Woelfel

Happy New Year! We hope your holidays were amazing! The last few months of the year are always a wonderful time to reconnect and celebrate with the things that bring you joy.

Now that the festivities have come to a close and the onset of winter is fully upon us, we might be feeling the effects of our end-of-year indulgences. I know I was!  For the first Beauty Beat of 2023, I was tempted to go down the familiar path of the New Year’s resolution. “I’ll lose weight, exercise or find more “me” time.”  Does this sound familiar? As optimistic as we all may be with the goals we set, the fact is, more often than not, they fall flat as soon as the champagne has lost its fizz.

 

Quick, what were your New Year’s resolutions last year? If you’re scratching your head, you’re not alone. 

Why do we set ourselves up for failure with grand promises of change? What if we took the whole idea of the resolution and tossed it out with the New Year’s trash and instead, chose small, daily habit changes to jumpstart our goals? Could bite-sized portions of change be easier to swallow? Maybe if we worked smarter, not harder, our chance of success would skyrocket. 

Since we’re a beauty column, let’s talk shop and discuss a few simple ways to amp up your glamor game and add that daily dose of self-care we all crave. No resolutions here! Just a few daily habit changes to slowly, but surely ensure better beauty results!

Hair - Create a routine that you’ll stick to. Pick two to three mornings a week to wash and condition with salon quality products and leave time for a deep conditioning mask (It’s only 60 seconds, ladies! You and your hair deserve that extra minute!) Check that your styling products contain a heat protectant for blowouts, curls and straightening. This will prevent heat damage and extend the life of your color services. Try to book hair appointments for at least two months in advance and prioritize this time. Your hairdresser’s an artist who does not want to rush their masterpiece. Booking ahead relieves the stress of having to crunch in a last minute appointment and keeps this time relaxing and enjoyable for both of you. 

Skin - As the temperature drops, it’s not just more moisturizer that’s needed to keep skin healthy. For a happy epidermis, stick to a good four-step regime and wash, tone, treat, and moisturize. Five minutes, twice a day is all it takes for vibrant, younger looking skin. To start, use a moisturizing cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils. Micellar water is okay in a pinch, but when used on a regular basis, can leave skin under-nourished and not properly cleansed. Use a gentle exfoliant each week to buff away dry, dead skin cells. An exfoliated skin surface better absorbs products for high-impact results. Ditch low-quality moisturizers that just sit on the skin’s surface and switch to repairative serums and moisturizers that contain such beneficial ingredients as hyaluronic acid, vitamin C or Bakuchiol. Targeted skincare products are meant to penetrate the skin and hydrate its deepest layers. Booking a monthly (or bi-monthly) facial is a key step to finding your best skin. Letting the pros extract and exfoliate on a regular basis helps stay one step ahead of acne, fine lines and wrinkles.   Their professional grade peels and masks work wonders to revive dull, winter skin. Regular aesthetic appointments prioritize self-care and allow you an invaluable moment to shut down, relax and renew. 

Coming soon! February is the perfect time to schedule yourself a little “me-time.” For the entire month of February, b.LUXE is bringing back our “Red Envelope Event!”  Every client with a booked facial or spray tan in the month of February receives a red envelope on the day of their service and every envelope’s a winner! (*must be redeemed that day) See photo for details!

For a winter pick-me-up, don’t miss our January WINTER REFRESH EVENT in cooperation with the Medway Business Council at our Medway studio on Thursday, January 11th from 6 - 8PM.  Pre-registration required. Light refreshments will be served. 

Our b.LUXE experts will be on-hand with demonstrations, for both men and women, on how to battle the effects of the cold, blustery weather. We’ll chat about new therapeutic skin care services, as well as DIY recipes you can make at home. All are welcome to this networking event. Special: 10% OFF coupons, swag bags and a chance to win a spa gift basket! Pre-registration required *See photo for details! 

Happy New Year, everyone!

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