The countdown to the holiday circuit is officially on. Look and feel your best before the festivities even start with these pre-holiday preparation tips from three health and beauty pros.
PUT YOUR BEST FACE (AND HAIR) FORWARD
with tips from Victoria Radford, co-founder of Radford Studio
Go for the Glow
Once the temperatures start to drop, our skin can start feeling dull and become more reactive than usual. Being in a dry, heated environment indoors does not help either! Deeply cleanse your skin and boost its natural rejuvenation process by using a charcoal mask, like our Radford Glow, twice a week to eliminate toxins and energize your complexion. It’s also a good time to book a pre-holiday facial, like our signature Radford Hollywood North. Each of our facials is customized with a specific blend of vitamins to target individual needs and concerns including fine lines, skin texture, dehydration, rosacea, and other skin sensitivities—the result is ultra-glowing and healthy-looking skin!
Get Set to Shimmer
It’s the time of year where it’s perfectly OK to be at your shimmering best! To nail a stunning holiday look, start with Radford Foundation Sticks for an easy, smooth base. Once you are done applying blush and bronzer (we recommend the Radford Universal Bronze for that natural sun-kissed look), apply a few gentle strokes of Radford Universal Glow to highlight your cheekbones, brow bone and the bridge of your nose. Choose a lip gloss and seal the deal with a layer of Radford Makeout Balm, which boosts hydration and collagen synthesis to banish wrinkles and build fullness and volume. Plus, with a subtle blue tint to make your teeth look whiter and a fresh mint flavor, this balm will keep you kiss ready—just stand underneath that mistletoe and see what happens!
Make a Plan for Your Mane
If you get your hair coloured or highlighted, book an appointment at least two weeks before a big event to get your roots done. The same goes with a new cut. Fresh colour or styling always needs a few days to set in and look its best, so you don’t want to go right before your office’s big holiday party! Our stylists can also help you create a great new look for all of your December events—from intricate braids to temporary or permanent extensions, it’s always fun to try a glam new beauty look to go with that great party outfit.
GET YOUR BODY ON TRACK
with tips from Miranda Popen, personal trainer at Equinox Yorkville
Rest Up for the Best Results
There should be days we ramp up your workouts, and others where we should focus on cardio and/or recovering. So, a weekly workout could consist of working out your max on Monday and tiring yourself out; this pushes the body into a recovery phase, where your performance decreases and you are fatigued, and your body has to replenish its stores of creatine phosphate, glycogen and proteins. If you give yourself proper recovery, it’ll be able to perform at a higher level when you return to training, typically 48 to 72 hours later. It’s a rebound effect, meaning, you’re bouncing back from the stress of exercise. With a properly structured program, an individual can time these windows, thus maximizing training results. Since it’s highly individual and we’re headed to colder months—some people require a full 72 hours between hard workouts while others need closer to 48—it may take some trial and error.
Cook Low and Slow
Obviously, there are many people following many different diets and routines. One thing we can all do is cook more of our own food in the winter. Braising and slow-cooked stews are great, as well as soups. Fortunately, these can be prepped the night before. I like to eat as many dark leafy greens in soups like kale, chard, and collards, as well as potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnips, beets, and parsnips, to name a few.
Curb Your Carbs
Because the days are shorter, we move slower, so it’s ideal to be mindful of our carbohydrate consumption. If you can fill your plate with nutrient-dense healthy fats (which ignite glucagon, our “fat-burning” hormone) instead, not only will you feel more energized, but your insulin (the “fat-storing” hormone) won’t spike like excess carbohydrates do. In addition, eating more healthy fats helps you to feel full and satiated—bonus!
DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH
with tips from Katie Rosenberg, holistic nutritionist and head of product development at elxr juice lab
Beat the Bloat
Along with the smorgasbord of offerings the season brings often comes a feeling of heaviness, too. A great solution is ginger, which improves digestion when taken before or after eating. Our Boosters are pocket-sized, so ginger can be your secret spicy weapon to keep digestion in tip-top shape.
Front-Load Your Greens
What’s the easiest way to consume a kilogram of greens? Drink ’em! Even the most health-conscious people can’t say no to a few canapés, so get your greens in before the party. Third Base is fruit free, while First and Second Base boast balanced greens with tart Granny Smith apple.
Get More from Your Mixer
Pick the right mixer, and you can detox as you re-tox! Raw vitamin C helps improve liver function, giving you a leg-up on the usual processed sugar-laden mixers that offer little redeeming nutritional factors. For this we love our SPF, with juicy grapefruit, citrus, goji and a touch of blushing beet.
