Tuesday 6 May 2014

Look Amazing — In Just 48 Hours

Have a big date or party coming up and just a couple of days to prepare for it? We have shortcuts to looking head-to-toe spectacular.
girl in blue dress in bathroom
Get a Sexy Body
1. To de-bloat, try this quick detox diet. You’re going to have five meals a day for two days. For the first four meals, whip up a shake made of a) a scoop of protein powder equaling 20 grams of protein, b) a handful of fresh or frozen berries, c) a teaspoon of flaxseed oil, d) ice and water. For the fifth meal, grill or bake four ounces of lean protein (fish, chicken, or turkey breast), one and a half cups of steamed vegetables, and five nuts or olives.

2. If you’d rather not stick to a strict diet, simply eliminate simple carbs (white bread, rice, pasta) and sugar. Also, resist sprinkling salt on your meals — sodium causes you to retain water.

3. Drink at least four cups of water plus four cups of green tea (it’s a great fat burner) each day. And nix alcohol, which is high in calories, slows down your metabolism, and makes a mockery of your willpower.

4. Don’t eat later than 8 p.m. Chowing down at night will leave you puffy and sluggish the next day. Plus, it interrupts the production of the growth hormones that your body produces at night, which decrease body fat and build muscle mass.

5. On that note, get between seven and eight hours of sleep a night to give your body enough time to make those growth hormones. Even just a couple nights of good sleep will make a big difference.

6. Two days before the event, start increasing your workout to 90 minutes. Do 30 minutes of cardio, followed by 30 minutes of weights, and then finish up with another half hour of cardio. This will give you instant definition. Can’t swing 90 minutes? Aim for one hour.

Make Your Skin Glow
1. Exfoliate your entire body in the shower the night before the party for smooth, gleaming skin.

2.To get a summery glow in the dead of winter, swipe a self-tanning towelette over your skin. Try Kate Somerville 360° Tanning Towelettes, $45, sephora.com. It’s easy to use, and the color is gradual — if you want a deeper color, just use a second towelette.

3. The fastest way to fix puffy eyes or dark circles: Brew two green tea bags, and let them cool. Then lie down and place them over your eyes for 10 minutes. The caffeine will tighten the tissue and reduce swelling. Or, pick up an eye rollerball that contains caffeine, which constricts the blood vessels that cause dark circles; the rollerball tip also lets you massage the area under your eyes to help break up lymphatic build-up that brings on puffiness. Try First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller, $24, firstaidbeauty.com.

4. If you have a zit, shrink it on the spot by wrapping an ice cube in a thin dish towel and resting it on the pimple for three minutes. This will alleviate inflammation and redness. Then cover the zit with a dab of lavender oil, which will dehydrate the blemish and kill bacteria.

5. Sleep is as crucial for your complexion as it is for your figure, so don’t skimp on it. Your body replenishes skin cells and produces collagen and elastin (which keep your skin strong and plump) while you’re sleeping.

Score Head-Turning Hair
1. The day of the event, use a volumizing shampoo to give your hair extra body.

2. Follow with a deep-conditioning hair masque. Leave it on for three to five minutes for major shine. Bonus: Add a couple of Ken Paves Healthy Hair Boost Up Color Drops, $19.99,shopkenpaves.com, to the conditioner. It will intensify and brighten your color.

3. For a super blowout, let your hair air-dry for several minutes before using a blow-dryer. Working with two-inch-wide sections of hair, lift each section with a round brush, blast the roots to amp up volume, and then angle the nozzle of the blow-dryer down as you run the brush through your hair, curling the ends under. This will smooth out flyaways.

4. Next, cover up roots in a flash by spraying on Rita Hazan Root Concealer, $24,sephora.com, a temporary touch-up product that covers your roots.

5. Finish by rubbing hair wax onto the tips of your hair to conceal split ends.

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