Spa-In-A-Minute

Okay, maybe not a minute, but if you have ten to spare then spend it on a little self-indulgence. Here’s how you can put that time to good use. First, go hide in the bathroom and lock the door (kids have never been too keen on letting mom get ten minutes to herself). Now, gather up the necessary spa supplies:

• Deep conditioning hair treatment
• Nail cutters and filing board
• Quick dry nail polish
• Tweezers
• Exfoliating cleanser
• Facial mask
• Razor

Now, set your watches because I’m going to share with you how I have managed to cram an hour of beauty into ten minutes of spare time.

First – Apply the deep conditioning hair treatment to dry hair. For more intense application, you can follow this by putting a shower can over your hair. This really locks it in and helps it penetrate.

Second – Wash your face thoroughly with an exfoliating cleanser. This will help remove the dullness that results from the accumulation of dead skin cells. It also encourages your skin to produce collagen as it regenerates tissue, which is the secret to a youthful appearance.

Third – Apply a facial mask, but make it a good one. Don’t go for the pore shrinkers. It only does so temporarily by irritating the skin and causing it to swell. Instead, find something with nourishing qualities that will moisturize the skin. After all, winter is drying enough.

Fourth – Pay some attention to your nails. Trim them with a nail cutter if necessary and file them to a smooth finish. Now put some beautiful polish on your nails (brown is big this winter). I only do my toenails because my fingernails are constantly barraged by my lifestyle demands and polish never stays for long.

Fifth – Step into the shower, scrub up, and rinse off both masks. Now is your chance to shave (unless you’re lucky enough to already have it lasered away), and make sure you get your bikini line as well. Just because it’s not bikini weather doesn’t mean you can’t make a sexy impression.

Sixth – Dry off, pluck any stray hairs around your brows (steam from a warm shower makes it easy) and rub a bit of leftover hair mask into the cuticle bed of your nails to moisturize them.

There, now you are ready to face the world. And girl, you look good doing it!