Looking Up

541439_10152752650185051_1484194530_nI’ve always been told I look like my mom, which I hold as one of the highest compliments. Sorry to brag, but my mom is truly gorgeous… I’m lucky to have an ever-so-slightly traceable likeness to her. So, how does she look this amazing? (Note: I would never reveal this goddess’s age, but she was not a teen mom).

In her high school and college years while her friends laid out in bikinis wearing oil and hoisting reflectors up under their faces, my mom wore sunscreen. It was not the cool thing to do, but she did it. When she was broke in her early twenties, living in Manhattan and eating boxed macaroni with ketchup for dinner alongside my dad, she squirreled away to buy high quality face and eye cream. Mom has also never smoked a cigarette in her entire life, which clearly hasn’t hurt that gorgeous complexion.

Of course, the big blue eyes, thick golden hair, lovely nose, etc were just given to her. Don’t hate! But taking care of your skin, hair and bod are important if you want your beauty to last. My mom moisturizes day and night, gets deep conditioning treatments on her golden locks, and does Pilates. She also visits the doctor for frequent check-ups and eats tons of heart-healthy leafy greens (but of course, no one can be blamed for the occasional sweet treat or glass of wine).

When I had my first facial at age 15, Mom bought me some of the products the technician used. At the time, I thought it was a little silly, but I used them because my mom suggested I get a head start. I remain a strong believer in looking up to our mothers’ beauty routines. What you don’t like, throw out. (I prefer a TON more eyeliner than she does, and bronzer over blush any day). But what works, heed. You’re likely to have a similar chemical makeup of the skin and hair to your mother, and keeping her beauty secrets close to your daily routine will only help you to have a chance at her glory.

Thanks for the inspiration, Mommy!

Summer (skin) Lovin’

It’s almost that time of year, and this Lawn Gisland girl has to admit to being VERY torn on the sunscreen front. Now, if we’re being honest, it’s been drilled into our heads for years that tanning is unsafe. More and more articles and TV news pieces are surfacing constantly to caution us about safe skin practices. (This morning, on the Today show, I learned that we should be using a SHOTGLASSFULL of sunscreen on our bodies every two hours every day?? Wild. And expensive, no?) But, the reality is, it’s time to smarten up about our skin. That said, as much as I don’t want to wind up leathery one day, and I certainly don’t want skin cancer, I am obsessed with looking tan. It’s in my DNA. Just part of Long Island’s regional charm, I guess. What’s a tanorexic to do?

SPRAY TAN! Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Smelly, messy, and yellow (orange?) in the wrong places. But, no, the new spray tans, while pricey, can actually be JUST what the doctor, and the tanorexic, ordered. I was lucky enough to receive my first local spray tan (I had one in LA last year that didn’t go so great) at one of Manhattan’s finest spots–the Spa at Trump SoHo. Danielle, one of their aestheticians, delivered a customized spray tan in a comfortable, beautiful environment. Now, I might have been a little cold at times, but there was practically no dry time, and absolutely no smudging. I have never had a prettier tan in all my life, and my skin was glad to know that it wasn’t being affected in the slightest (except, maybe with some moisturizers!).

Do I, or do I not, look like I just spent a few days in Cabo (as opposed to where I really have been spending my time–which is in a dark room, in Brooklyn, writing)?

The spray tan will only last you about a week, but I drew mine out a little longer by using Clarins and Mystic home products on my face, arms, and legs afterward. My natural-looking glow was complimented by friends, coworkers, and (duh) my boyfriend. Look, I understand the desire to be tan, but this is one of those public service warnings we should really heed. Within my immediate family alone, there are two people who survived melanoma. They were lucky, but not everyone is. With one in five American adults contracting skin cancer these days, wouldn’t you rather pay a little more to look tan the safe way?

PS. If you go to the Spa at Trump SoHo during the week, spray tans are only $95!