Easy Ways to Look Your Best

Advertisement Spend five minutes every morning and evening on your skin. Consistency is the key to maintaining beautiful skin, so commit to setting aside a few minutes a day for it. Here's how to make it easy:

• Wash your face in the shower. Save time in the morning by combining your skincare routine with your shower. Do a few quick swipes and rinse while you're getting your hair wet.
• If you're too tired to do a full skincare routine before you hit the hay, keep a stack of makeup removal wipes on your nightstand.
• Try to moisturize day and night. Don't forget the common areas where wrinkles tend to pop up: the outer edges of your eyes and around your mouth.
• Shower every day. A quick rinse-off before you start your day will make you look, smell and feel a little prettier, no matter what else is going on. Try to get it down to a routine that you can easily get through in five or 10 minutes.
• Wash your hair on a regular schedule. You don't need to wash your hair everytime you shower — and, in fact, people with coarser hair should stick to every other day, or even every three days. Whatever works best for you, be consistent. Your scalp gets into a routine when it comes to releasing oils into your hair, so make your life easier by maintaining the same schedule.
• Trim and clean your nails once or twice a week. Your nails will be softest and most workable when you first get out of the shower, so it's a good opportunity to do a quick trim. You'll have clean, presentable fingers and toes without having to do a full-on mani-pedi.
• Manage body hair. Address any shaving in the shower, and take care of plucking as soon as you get out. As a general rule of thumb, try to shave armpits every day and legs every other day, and clean up your brows once a week.
• Put on deodorant as soon as you get out. It's also a good time to put on fragrance, whether it's perfume or a light body spray. (Just go easy and make sure you don't use too much!)
• Present a beautiful smile. No matter what else happens, your smile is one of your best assets. Here's how to make sure it stays sparkling:
  

  • Brush twice a day, and floss at least every night. Don't forget to gently brush your tongue, while you're at it — a lot of bacteria that cause bad breath can hang out there.
  • Use mouthwash at night, and keep gum or mints on-hand to make sure your mouth stays sweet and appealing.
  • Fight off chapped lips. If your lips tend to get flaky and dry, you're probably dehydrated — drink water more regularly, and you'll notice a difference. If that doesn't help, keep a small tube of chapstick to use throughout the day.Keep your body fit. You don't have to be stick-skinny to be attractive, but it's worth the time and effort to keep your body fit and healthy. Not only will it pay off as you get older, the endorphins released during exercise will help you feel more confident and pretty.
  • Play a sport. Exercise doesn't have to be monotonous. If you find yourself bored to tears by the thought of going to the gym, consider taking up a sport or physically-oriented hobby. Basketball, tennis, volleyball and swimming are all great choices.
  • Work out with a friend. Stay committed to fitness by making it a social appointment. You're less likely to bail out on running if it means standing up your friend. Plus, you'll have someone to bond and commiserate with while you exercise.
  • Try to stay generally active. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park a little farther away from the entrance of the grocery store. It might not seem like much, but even small increases in how much you move will eventually show in your figure.

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