User-Submitted Article
With models all over magazines & TV, the desire to look like a model has become more popular than ever. Most successful models like Gisele Bundchen, Jessica Stam, Natalia Vodianova, and Sasha Pivavora get paid a lot to look good, and use the best hair/skin care products and work a lot to keep their body in shape.
Unlike many of us, they don't have to worry about a 9-5 job, school or a daily commute.
Even if you don't have a lot of money to spend, here are some ways to bring out your model beauty - inside and out.
Unlike many of us, they don't have to worry about a 9-5 job, school or a daily commute.
Even if you don't have a lot of money to spend, here are some ways to bring out your model beauty - inside and out.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
- 1
DIET
What you eat reflects on the state of your skin. Drink plenty of water to hydrate skin, and eliminate caffeine from your diet. Eat plenty of whole, natural foods that have come from the Earth, not a box or bag in a supermarket. Learn to cook nourishing and delicious healthy recipes with use of herbs and sauces- there is a lot out there!
Poor eating habits can cause temporary hair loss, cracks in the corners of your mouth, and changes in your nails. Your skin may bruise easily, heal slowly, and look dull, drab, and "ashy." A good diet keeps your skin healthy, helps your skin have good tone, texture, and color, and protects your skin from disease. You shouldn't have to take vitamin supplements if you eat properly.
You don't see models eating chocolate cake and quesadillas, do you? They usually snack on fresh fruits or homemade trail mixes while out and about.
- 2
EXERCISE
Regular exercise is an important part of staying healthy. It takes care of boredom, tension, and anxiety, keeps your body in good shape, and enhances the color and texture of your skin. Exercising improves the circulation of the blood that then provides nourishment to the skin to build new cells, helps it get rid of impurities, and keeps the skin looking healthy and glowing.
The most important thing to remember is that if you weren't born with a supermodel's tall, thin frame, there's nothing you can do to get that exact body type. Instead, work to achieve a body type that is closer to yours and take baby steps.
Remember to incorporate both cardio (heart-pumping exercise like jogging or bicycling or tennis) with toning exercises (like pilates, yoga, weight-lifting) for balance and look and feel your best.
- 3
SLEEP
When you don't get enough rest, circulation is cut down and the skin receives less oxygen and nourishment. As a result, your skin may look dull and sallow, acne zits can flare up, and dark circles can appear under your eyes. Suggestion: get your beauty sleep.
- 4
SKIN CARE ROUTINE
The #1 rule for having good, clear skin is to clean it the right way.
Proper cleansing removes the irritating and poisonous agents and germs that could hurt your skin or, by absorption through the skin, actually cause harm to other parts of your body.
What are some of the things you want to wash away to keep your skin clean and healthy-looking?
First of all, you have substances produced by your own body:
-Dead skin cells on upper layers of skin. If not regularly washed off, complexion will be dull/lifeless.
-Sweat from the millions of sweat glands all over your body.
-Sebum, the oily material that gives the skin its softness and elasticity. When this oily substance builds up, acne pimples result.
-Ear wax and old hair and nail cells, just sitting there on your skin.
Then there are the substances coming from the environment:
-Pollutants found in the air
-Materials around your work place, such as grease and grime from gas stations and fast-food restaurants.
-Things found in your own home. These could be paints, glues, resins, clothing, bedding, carpeting, house sprays - even belly-button lint!
-All the bottles, jars, and sprays of "who-knows-what" you apply to your skin by design, such as cosmetics, suntan lotions, perfumes, and surface medications.
-Various "friendly" germs that live normally on your skin.
A good skin care routine rinses and flushes this skin garbage away, cleans the pores, reduces odor, and cuts down the risk of infection and disease. Your clean skin will look soft, glowing, and healthy. Its circulation will improve, encouraging the growth of healthy cells, and your skin will breathe better. Suggestion: use organic, natural products without harmful additives or chemicals, like Alba, Jason, Aubrey organics, or Burt's Bees.
-Cleanse
-Tone
-Moisturize
Use little to no makeup for clear, luminous skin. Let your skin breathe!
- 5
SUN CARE
This is very important. Apply sunscreen 20-25 minutes before you leave, SPF 30 or greater, every time you leave your house! Sun exposure causes permanent damage - yes, even those couple of minutes that add up walking from car to store, or even just driving in your car while the sun beats down on you. It breaks down the elastin in your skin, destroys antioxidants, and can (and does) lead to wrinkles. But be careful about the sunscreen you choose - there are SO many harmful ingredients in most sunscreens in the drugstore that are literally toxic to your body. A good sunscreen is Kiss My Face oat protein complex, SPF 30. Another one is the sunscreen they sell at Trader Joe's, for $4.
- 6
DRESS WELL FOR YOU
If you've ever seen pictures of models out and about, or backstage in their own clothes, they seem to always look very well. In addition to the above steps (and yes, some naturally good genes), Most take the time to acknowledge the type of body they have, and dress in silhouettes and shapes that fit well and flatter their body type. And you don't need a lot of money. A great pair of jeans, black flats, a good leather bag, plain v-neck T-shirt and pretty scarf (for example) really goes a long way, and seems to be the general style among models recently.
