Okay, okay. Sure, I haven’t painted my toenails in — well, I can’t even remember how long it’s been because I figure, why bother? This time of year, I’m always wearing boots, closed-toe shoes and/or socks.
Same goes for shaving and my legs. I think the last time was a month ago? Something like that, and now it’s like I’ve got built-in boots with the fur from my knees down.
I’m usually pretty good about my beauty routines — tweezing my brows, waxing my ‘stach, painting my nails — but come winter, many of my beauty habits fall by the wayside.
I didn’t realize how lax I’d become until about a week ago, when I had a shower revelation.
I was lathering up the pelt of fur on my calves when it occurred to me that the hairs were long enough to weave a small (yet tasteful) wall tapestry.
Yeah, that long.
As surprised (and appalled) as I was, excuses to leave well enough lone kept springing to mind, like, “It’s soooo cold. Who’s gonna see my legs anyway? People didn’t even used to shave back in the olden days…”
Thankfully this time, I ignored the excuses and decided enough was enough.
My mission: to embark upon a five-day winter beauty boot camp, of sorts, to get my beauty groove back. 🙂
Each day, I committed to doing one little thing to break myself out of my beauty rut. I thought it would be easier than trying to do it all in the same day.
First, I drafted my plan, identifying its major components and dividing them up among the days.
If you also feel like you’re stuck in a winter beauty rut, here’s a copy of my plan. Maybe you could use it as a template to draft one of yours.
Day 1: Time to polish the silverware, or the benefits of exfoliating
There’s something so, I dunno, rejuvenating about exfoliating from head to toe in the shower. Like, “Out with the old, in with the new.”
On day one, gently buff and polish away dead skin cells from your face and neck with an exfoliating face scrub. Then, scrub your bod for smoother skin with a moisturizing oil and sugar scrub.
Day 2: Moisturizing mania!
Nothing like a little extra hydration to help dry, winter skin.
Quench your skin’s thirst on day two in the shower with a luxuriously rich bath or shower gel like Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash ($5.99 for a 23.6-ounce bottle). Then, after stepping out of the shower, slather up with a thick body butter.
Day 3: Sasquatch legs, be gone!
Say it with me: “I am not a Sasquatch!”
Dedicate day three to eradicating wayward winter body hair with your favorite shave lotion and razor.
One to try: the Venus + Olay Razor. It’s $8.99 and comes equipped with hydrating Olay Moisture Bars and five blades (!) for a smooth, close shave.
Day 4: TLC time for hair
On day four, treat your tresses to some extra TLC with a repairing shampoo and conditioner.
No need to spend a ton of money, either. Check your local drugstore for budget-friendly options, like Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner. Each 14.2-ounce bottle is just $4.99.
Day 5: Root rescue
Roots, meet hat. Hat, meet roots. 🙂
I tend to let my roots go in winter because I figure, “I’ll just wear a hat,” but no more excuses, right?
If you get your hair professionally colored, you might also make an appointment to get your roots done.
Or, save some time and money with an at-home kit, like Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Root Touch-Up. It’s only $6.99 and takes a cool 10 minutes.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Looks like I’m going to beauty bootcamp :p. I really need it badly though, same story as yours, slacking off and all that, eeek! I like how you did one thing at one day, seems so much more easier this way :).
I also am a victim of the excuse that one no will see my toes or legs. Hehehe 🙂
Hi, Karen-
What do you use for waxing your face?
🙂
Jen
Haha it’s too soon to shed my winter pelt on the legs yet! It’s FREEZING here-need all the extra warmth I can get! 🙂
That’s a good beauty boot camp routine. I still shave my legs every other day only because when I put on lotion it feels weird to feel stubble (I’ve been shaving my legs since I was 8 years old – being half southern Italian meant always having hair everywhere even before adolescence). It’s getting really cold here – 20’s as a high during the day and the teens to single digits at night….cold enough to give you a migraine when you step outside!
I’ll do everything except my legs because it is literally Antarctica where I live now. It was -25 today! D:
I know I need to do this bootcamp but…it’s so cold here that I just can’t bring myself to do it. So I’m with Tracy! 😉
LOL I actually can’t stop shaving during the winter. I do admittedly shave less but I find that my hair does not grow as quickly so I don’t need to. But even if no one were to see my hairy legs, I would KNOW they were there and it would drive me crazy!! 😛
Lol, this was hilarious! it is soooo true, we easily make excuses(its too cold out, noone will see my toes and legs anyway) to not get pedis, and shave legs, but even a little bit of home pampering- like a nice bubble bath, and then a shave, and slipping into comfy pajamas are motivating enough for me to get going on it. And those days when I am not into going out to get pedis, I can do my own thing at home.. and save a pretty pennY!
I need to commit to a beauty boot camp like this.
I’ve had to let my brows/’stache grow a bit…I’m not going to see the woman who does my threading until Friday, and it makes me feel like I’m less put together. I do shave every few days though, since I teach swimming, so hairy legs & pits are a no-no when you’re in a bathing suit for hours!
I am slacking on the moisturizing though, and my skin is feeling it! I do double duty with baby oil in the shower and then lotion on top of that. Makes your skin so soft and it helps with the dryness that chlorine gives.
My beauty bootcamp is going to be done by this weekend! I’m giving myself a mani/pedi (I’m trying to stop biting my nails, and its been 2 weeks!) because people see my feet when I’m at work, and I’ve been slacking no lie. I pledge to be shaved, threaded, and have my nails/toes done and my bikini line done by this weekend!
Jajaja so funny…same here…poor husbands…right?….
P&G Beauty has this post on their FB page – congrats!!
I still shave at least 2x a week and do pedis on my popsicle toes, even though I live in NH. Right now at 3PM it’s 12 degrees.
Some things I just can’t waste time on in the winter…daily shaving and pedicures…I shave once a week just so that I don’t feel so hairy, but the toes will remain bare until sandal season.
But I really need to step up the moisturizing and deep conditioning. And I’m sure my hands would appreciate some extra TLC as well.
“People didn’t even shave back in the olden days!” LMAO!!!
Two thumbs up for the Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Root Touch-Up. It’s the easiest hair color I’ve ever used. LOVE IT!
Monica.