"Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success." -Christopher Lasch

The current celebrity culture is one which is overwhelming and disturbing on so many levels. We are constantly bombarded with images of celebrities, and seem to have an insatiable appetite for knowing every little thing about them. We constantly compare ourselves to them, admiring their polished and refined looks. Yet do we really need to spend thousands of dollars a week to achieve this picture perfect look?

Not many of us can afford the time to work out for 5 hours a day, 7 days a week to get that killer body; as well as having personal chefs to provide us with calorie controlled meals 3 times a day. Although I’m also sure we would all love to have the celebrity treatment of a facial, manicure, pedicure, blow dry, massage, body polish, lash tint, brow wax, body wax and spray tan, at LEAST once a week, for most of us, time and money will not permit it. So it’s no wonder these celebrities are setting the expectations for females so unrealistically high, that we are constantly feeling cheated in comparison.

There are, however, ways to get that celebrity glow of a laid back, luxurious lifestyle on all budgets. The first key is to put yourself first with a little self pampering. In our busy lives, most of us don’t have the time or money to go to the day spa weekly, yet we still want some sort of a ‘time-out’. Why not then, make an appointment in your diary for 2 hours every week (Sunday is ideal), for some much needed R&R time at home?

The celebrity polished and refined look begins with a flawless complexion and one key to obtaining that glowing skin is to relax. Our skin reacts poorly to stress which then inevitably leads to added anxiety about the tired state of our skin. A cruel cycle I know. So why not give your self a weekly facial? Turn on your favourite relaxing music and have a bath to warm up and soften the skin, and while you’re in the bath, this is a perfect opportunity to get that body exfoliation underway; try MOR Jasmine Tea Whipped Body Scrub $ 29.95. After your bath, treat your body to a beautifully luxurious body balm which can be matched to your body scrub; try MOR Jasmine Tea Body Butter $29.95 which smells heavenly, and wrap yourself in a fluffy bath robe. For the face, all you need is your skin care products from your daily routine, plus a masque which has similar benefits to your moisturizer, yet in a higher concentration, I love Jurlique Intense Recovery Mask 125ml for $100. Simply cleanse, tone and exfoliate as usual, and then liberally apply your face mask, massaging the skin as you go. This usually needs to be left on for 10-15 minutes, so why not sit and read your favourite magazine to catch up on the latest fashion trends and Hollywood gossip? Then wash off your masque and apply your normal moisturiser, and leave your face free of make-up. Let your face breathe and be fresh and enjoy the clean sensation your facial leaves.

Now for your manicure and pedicure. Many don’t realise this, but your nails tell people a lot about yourself. Chipped polish with dry, cracked cuticles looks messy and un-kempt; which leads to other questions about your personal hygiene. Once a week is a minimum for a manicure, and this may just mean a quick file and base coat. If you do decide to add a coloured polish, one of my favourites is Chanel Le Verins in Ballerina $37, you must remove it or touch-up as soon as it chips. This goes the same for you pedicure, however you’ll probably find that your pedicure lasts longer than your manicure.

Other tricks to maintain that celebrity polished look throughout the week include:-

Moisturise your body every day either with a body lotion or body oil such as The Body Shop Massage Oil. This comes in a variety of sizes and they allow you to add your own choice of fragrance to the oil.
Scrape dry cracked heels and follow with a rich moisturizer. This works really well at night if you then put on cotton socks and go to bed, allowing the moisturiser to sink in throughout the night.
Give your hair a treatment masque; RPR Repair My Hair with Aloe and Coconut Cream $17.95 has a lovely summery scent and leaves hair feeling silky smooth.

We should all exercise at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes and eat as healthily as possible as these will also help promote a healthy glow, but we do still need that treat occasionally! Also remember to maintain your waxing appointments every 4 weeks and if the budget will stretch, a facial at a day spa once a month.

We all compare ourselves to the celebrity images we see day in day out, yet what we need to remember is that they have the finances and time to be able to HIRE people to keep them looking polished and refined. If you remember to look after yourself no matter how hectic your life may get, you’ll always be one step ahead. People will admire your ‘effortless’ style and you’ll feel less stressed because you’ll look less stressed. So if you give yourself a little ‘me-time’ you’ll be on your way to getting that celebrity refined and polished look of a laid back luxurious lifestyle. Yet you also need to remember, in the media you will NEVER see a photo that has not been altered in some way, so what you see in the magazines is not necessarily how they look in reality!